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32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Your New Best Device, September 27, 2002
Once, years ago, I had proclaimed, "I could never use a PDA; I'd always be worried about running out of batteries or losing the information. Good old paper organizers are enough for me." That was then. A while later, while sorting through all my Post-It notes and hand "archiving" them into the back pocket of my fabric organizer, I decided to look into PDAs. Couldn't I keep a typed list of things to do without straining for hours to decipher my hasty handwriting on yellow bits of paper? Wouldn't it be nice to put an organizer that weighed a few ounces into my bag instead of the one I had which was quickly reaching the weight of a brick? Being a student, I wanted something reliable that also scored exceptionally well in the "coolness" section. My first inclination was to go with a Palm Pilot - after all, they're everywhere, right? Palm this, Palm that. Celebrities swear by them according to a few magazines, ads show off shiny new models all the time, and "Palm Pilot" seems to have become synonymous with the word "PDA." That's it, I had decided. I'm going with a Palm m100 or m105 (a decision purely determined by price); the next day, I said, "That's it, I'm going with the Handspring Visor (the decision purely determined by the cool case colors). Little did I know that seeing a PDA on the web is very different from seeing a PDA in person. Like supermodels and magazine covers, most photos of PDAs seem to go through this "retouching" phase thanks to Adobe. When I saw the Palms, I was immediately disappointed; the screens were barely visible to me. When I saw the Handsprings, I was again disappointed; the supposedly vibrant "colors" turned out to be rather dull and unimpressive. After asking others for their opinions, I was told that the Sony Clié was the best way to go. The Sony what? I had never even heard that Sony was in the PDA business. A sales guy showed me the Sony Cliés - it was instant love. I first purchased the Sony T-615, a perfectly competent model that did everything I hoped it would; until, that is, the NR-70V came out. As someone who loves the latest and greatest, I traded it in for the newest model. A built-in keyboard? Better resolution? A camera? I was sold! Of course, there were those who jealously defended their Palm Pilots, insisting that Palms were the best in this and that, that Sonys can't even touch what they had. Well, I was already taken by the Sony. I now laugh that I went from the... 150 m100 or m105 to the... NR-70V. What a leap! I had just returned from a summer vacation to Thailand. I always use a vacation as a diagnostic test on how effective an electronic device is. Why? Because while at home I am gingerly handling the device, careful not to scratch it, afraid of wasting the batteries, terrified of using it too much; while on vacation, however, thrown into, ironically, hectic situations (handling airline schedules, quickly converting currencies in line at the store, checking world times before flights, bringing up dictionaries to haggle with store owners), I am forced to break out the device to apply it to life situations. In Thailand, the PDA never left my side. Carefully protected in its Brando leather case, I used it for everything (see parentheses above). I even took pictures with it. Be careful to note, however, that the camera on this device is not top quality; they're pictures you take for fun, not ones you take to print out brilliant photos later. So, if you do want to take digital pictures on vacation, be sure to bring a capable camera. However, there's great value in having a camera with you all the time. The camera is great for taking quick photos when you don't have the time to whip out your digital camera (or even when you forget to bring it). "I wish I had a camera with me!" Well, now you do. A variety of programs can also make your NR-70V even more useful. BugMe! is a program that is designed like Post-It notes (you know, the pieces of paper I used to have all over the place pre-PDA); you just tap the icon on your device, bring up a new "sheet," and use your stylus to write right on the screen in your own handwriting. A great program for those who don't want to use Graffiti or type on the cumbersome mini-keyboard. Another program called Energy Dimmer is great for automatically dimming the backlight of your PDA after a number of seconds. If you are going to use this PDA for typing up notes, keeping the backlight on will drain the batteries quickly (along with using intensive programs such as games). Download this program so it will dim when it is idle, thus saving you batteries and the trouble of turning the device on and off every few minutes. After visiting three airports, countless stores and restaurants, and many scenic sights, I have to say that this is the best PDA on the market. There are several good reviews out there that contain more technical jargon than I've provided here; I just hope this review has been helpful for those seeking a more "day-to-day" review. Some more specific points and tips to help you decide: * The button placements are not ideal. They are awkward, requiring one to reach in and push into the heart of the PDA. * The built-in keyboard is not very user friendly. The buttons are small; not much of a relief from using the Graffiti. It is a pain to capitalize and use numbers. I recommend getting the newly released PEGA-KB11 keyboard. It's a fold-out and full-sized keyboard that allows you to type as though you are on a laptop. * If you want to use the camera instead of a digital camera (meaning these are just fun photos, not to be printed at great quality), use it with plenty of light, as there is no flash included. I took photos of some people in my tour group - one in a dark restaurant, the other in a bright restaurant - the difference is great. You can take pictures of people with this and insert the thumbnail photo in your address book. * The MP3 player, in my opinion, is not very useful. First of all, you need a special white memory stick (different from the blue ones) to store the files. The price can add up. The design of this PDA is also a bit bizarre, so it's not really convenient to use it as a music player. * The screen resolution is the best on the market right now. Some PDA screens will become almost unreadable with the backlight off; the Sony is still readable (with some reasonable ambient light) without the backlight. * Be sure you can live with the clamshell design. Many people find this design awkward and unnecessary. Personally, I think it gives the PDA a "mini laptop" feel and plenty of versatility. You can sit it open like a laptop, flip the screen over like a spiral notebook, et cetera. * If you don't want to use the cradle to charge or hotsync, purchase a cable that'll allow you to charge and hotsync via your computer (using the USB slot). In conclusion, the Sony Clié NR-70V is a great buy if you know it'll be compatible with your needs. It is always with me, and many programs and add-ons can enhance the experience. This is your all-in-one device: an organizer, a camera, a currency converter, a laptop, a photo gallery, a subway map, your international watch, a music player, a remote control, a movie player, etc. After having this for a few months, I can't believe I ever preferred a paper organizer over this. This is definitely everything you want it to be.
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