Customer Reviews

Sony Clie PEG-SJ20 Handheld

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This being my fourth PDA, and being myself an unabashed technophile, let me say this is a fine piece of machinery. I have owned a Palm IIIe, a Visor Deluxe, a Palm m105, and now this, but believe me, I get my hands on every model I can. (I'm poorish, you see). In the passing time, I've learned a simple meter for evaluating a piece of digital equipment: It's in the details.

If you are new to the PDA world, you want these details. I speak from experience. Like bateries that recharge, instead of disposable alkaline. Such a relief. Saves you money in the long run, plus you can hotsync more often. (Hotsyncing is a huge battery drain on less enlightened cradles).

The backlight hi-res screen is also a delight. Try one. You won't ever go back. The black and whiteness is fine by me. Color still strikes me as gratuitous, too much money for too little gain. If you can't think of a really good reason for one, you don't need it. Seeing a backlit b and w screen will only confirm this.

Finally, there is just a lot of fit and finish. You get the feel that this is a solid design statement, whereas even nice Palms like the Tungsten have this feeling like they might just fall apart if you look at it the wrong way. The Clie feels solid and looks great, which doesn't change anything (I've never had a PDA break on me). But it's one of those things that just makes me smile, and is indicative of the overall product. This is a solid buy, more PDA than most people need, well executed, and at a wonderful price. Buy it.

p.s. This model works perfectly well with Mac OS X, if you are curious. If you have Palm Desktop 4 installed (and if you're running X, you must), you're all set.

I finally decided to replace my beat-up Daytimer with a PDA. I'm very happy with the CLIE. The back-lit screen is easy to read, the battery life is excellent, and the PalmOS apps are easy to learn. I was relieved to see that the basic apps for calendar, address book, etc., are all PalmOS standard apps so my data will be portable to my next PDA, even if it's not a Sony. The SJ-20 doesn't have a headphone jack, vibrating alarm, or built-in camera, but for[$$$] (or less), it's a great little tool. Acrobat Reader for PalmOS v2.0 runs fine on the SJ-20, so I can review PDF documents on the road. Nice!

Complaints: nothing serious. The power button is a recessed a bit too far, and the Clie comes with some useless Sony software that seems to be un-removable (why would I want to play movies on a 360x360 monochrome screen?) But these are minor gripes.

Another reviewer mentioned the Clie documentation was poor. Actually, there is a decent user's manual in PDF format on the installation CD but you have to dig for it. Click the "Manuals" link on the installation screen and double-click a PDF file.

Sony continues to rock the entire PDA industy with its Clie line. Within weeks Sony introduced a low-end, mid-range and high-end unit in the SJ series. Other then price these units clearly target a particular consumer group. Its just a matter of weighing the features with the cost to determine which unit is best for you.

With virtually the same number of models ever released as palm there is really no question about quality and reliability.As a matter of fact some may argue that despite the much larger share of Palm over Sony in terms of units sold, with the past year it has been Sony who has picked up the slack as the Industy leader in innovation. In an industry which is highly dependent on innovation, Sony has done more for PALM in the past year and a half then PALM has done for PALM in the 5 years that they have been around.

Since all three units have identical exteriors I will review three at the same time. The buttons are a vast improvement from the T-series but may still pose as a problem with them being to close to each other. Otherwise the screen is terrific on all three and visual output is crisp whether monochrome or color. Hi-Res or 320x320 pixels is a huge improvement on palms 160x160 pixels. I may be exaggerating going back to 160x160 resolution is like going back to playing PONG on the Atari after playing Mario Brothers on the Nintendo.

In terms of battery life the SJ-10 and SJ-20 will give you a week's worth of battery life while the SJ-30 will give you 3-4 solid days of typical use before requiring a recharge. Although clie's are known to have slightly less battery life as its Palm counterparts, it certainly makes up for it with its screen.

Preference is really what will dictate which unit is best for you. If color is not important and all you need to do is input dates, contacts and notes then the SJ-10 will fit the bill. But if you need to do all those things plus games, documents and to view web clippings then the SJ-20 might be better suited for your needs.

This series is a great addition to the clie line with a unit for virtually everyone. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Previously I owned a Handspring Visor Deluxe and I must say that this handheld is superior in many respects. It is small and stylish and being compatible with SONY's memory stick the amount of information you can store is greatly expanded. A nice feature of the SONY handhelds is the jog dial which allows you to scroll through adresses. The high resolution screen (320x320 pixels) is also a big improvement over older models. This model comes with a white backlight and should be on when viewing your screen unless you have this PDA in direct sunlight. Unfortunately, the screen without backlight being extremely dim. However, continued use of the PDA with the backlight on will allow you to use it for at least 7 hours without recharging, thus this should not besuch a drawback for the average user. This handheld does not come with a cradle, but does have a AC adapter that allows you to recharge your batteries as well as a USB connector that allows you to do hotsyncs to your PC. Note that this handheld is not compatible with MacOS.

Bottomline: Great B/W PDA with very nice hi-res screen (be it with backlight on) that fits all your basic needs at a very affordable price.

When I first decided to look for a PDA, my main goals weren't a big, flashy device with a full-color display and tons of built-in accessories - if you're looking for these, then the SJ-20 probably isn't for you. However, it excels in my main areas of usability - portability, ease of use, long runtime on battery, clear screen, and wide range of programs. The clie's high-resolution screen is crisp, excellent, and very readable in the sun or a brightly-lit indoor room, and the backlight allows for hours of productivity even during power outages, something that can come in handy during the winter months. It's also incredibly light (lighter than the hard case for my sunglasses), and fits more nicely into your hand, in my opinion, than palm-brand organizers. Overall, if you're looking for a good PIM with excellent runtime, readability in any conditions, greater productivity capabilities and expansion, and a built-in battery so you don't have to keep buying AAs, then this is the device for you.

Let me start saying this, I'm new into PDA's so I decided to go with the CLIE PEG-SJ20 after long hours of research over the internet. The price for this unit is very decent and and its functionality makes it a very valuable tool for school and work. The size of this clie is simply diminute and the quality of the screen is remarkable. I use it in bed during the night, in the morning, in class at all times. The battery life is very long and I can easily go for a week without a charge. Let me say that I use it for more than 2 hours a day but about 3/4 of the time with the backlight off (yes you won't need it in a decently illuminated area).

Some people complian about the quality of the screen, I say it serves its purpose and it does it well. I don't use my CLIE for more gaming than some strategy games and I've no issues with the screen whatsoever. Let me add the fact that this PDA is NOT an entertainment system, if you are looking for such a PDA you will need to spend a lot more for it, but this is a serious tool for any person with a tight schedule (NO you don't need to know about computers to use this handheld)

Let me simply say that if you know how to use a cellphone you will do just fine with this CLIE. The expansion slot is extremely useful and even though the loading speed from the memory stick is a little slow it is not an issue for me (I use a 128MB memory stick).

It does have the standard functions of most PDAs and there is a ton of free software to download from the internet. Keep this organized and never forget a detail anymore, if you are serious about making your life a little bit easier try this product. If you don't like it returne it and get something else but trust me this little helper saved my life a couple of times over finals week. Don't buy it used simply because the price difference is too small to take a chance. Look for profesional reviews over the internet before you decide but beware that these people are using handhelds with the capabilities of a ... desktop computer. The color display is not necessary and you will agree with me when you see your friends running out of batteries and you still have days to go.

I don't know what I would do without my Clie! I am fairly new to the PDA world. I did a lot of reading and comparing of PDAs before I purchased my first one which unfortunately, was NOT a Sony Clie. I had purchased a Handspring Visor Pro and shortly after I purchases it, I noticed that they were getting harder and harder to find. I was unhappy to hear that Handspring has put all of it's eggs into the Treo basket - but that is another story. The main reason I switched to the Sony Clie is that a friend of mine had purchased one and when I saw it's compact size, the handy jog dial, back button and detachable but convenient flip top screen cover, I was impressed. What really sold me however was the backlit display. With the Handspring (and most other PDAs I have seen) it is very difficult to read them unless you are in a "daylight" or bright light situation. Trying to read the screen in your average restaurant in the evening, was not possible. I also liked the very portable charging unit that came with the device. The Handspring and many other PDAs come with charging and syncing cradles, but they don't pack away very easily when you need to travel and want to be able to charge your unit while away from home. I would have had to spend more money to get a portable charger for the Handspring, while a very portable charging (and syncing) cable comes with the Sony Clie.

I love my Clie - and recommend it to all who are looking. It has a lot of memory and benefits at a very good price (as far as PDA prices go).

I have recommended the Sony to many friends already.

I did a ton of research before settling on the Clie SJ20 from Sony. In the end, it just made sense to go with the best. I wanted an inexpensive PDA because I wasn't sure it would "catch on" with me. So that narrowed things down to the Dell Axims (the only Pocket PC worth buying) and low-end Palm OS models. The Axims were out because after all the accessories I'd want, I'd spend closer to 500-600 dollars.
I then compared other PDAs from black and white used Handsprings to the flashy new color Tungstens.
The built in memory and high-resolution of the SJ20 sold itself with the only detraction being the proprietary Sony memory sticks. Amazon just happened to be provideing big rebates on both Lexar Memory sticks and Clies, so I bought the SJ20, which has the same features as the SJ30, minus the color screen and half the price. I also bought it because it's only a few dollars more (on Amazon.com) than it's competition from Palm, the Zire which is worthless in comparision.
Let's compare shall we?
SJ20 vs. Zire: 16 MB vs. 2 MB built-in memory, 320x320 vs. 160x160 screen resolution. The Clie has lots of included software for watching movies and pictures as well as editing and viewing Word documents and Excel spreadsheets. It's also fully compatible with all black and white and greyscale third party Palm software.
It's been my experience that Sony = quality, from their televisions to their video game consoles. The Clie is no different. For being so small (like a deck of cards, only thinner) it sure is sturdy.
So, if you're new to the market of PDAs like I was, you too will see the value inherent in the SJ20.
I know if this PDA proves its worth to me, my next one will be another Clie, with built-in keyboard, MP3, camera and full color screen, the NX70V!

After 3 years of reliable service from my palm III, it finally stop fuctioning. I was ready to replace it anyway because the screen was just to difficult to read (I'm getting older), with the backlight on or not. Thank goodness that Sony had the smarts to utilize the Palm OS. The SJ20 has a much improved screen (even for poorly sighted individuals like myself)over the palm III. What a relief. Thanks Sony. Also the memory stick was a big plus. I have several sony products that utilize this technology. I have found it to be an effortless method for transfering data. I also like the size of the Clie. It is a little thicker than I had hoped but you can't have everything. I gave it 4 stars because I have never seen a 5 star product of any kind. But this is a fantastic PDA. The improvement over the JS10 (Better screen and rechargable batteries) were just what I was looking for. Good job Sony, you made this old man happy again.

First of all, this the best deal for someone looking for a budget Palm (much better than the childish Palm Zire). I previously had a Sony Peg S-320. The alarm is an embarassment. I used to be able to make notes for things to do at home and stick my PDA in my book bag and when I'd get home I'd still hear it in the bag, but now it's impossible to hear. There is no excuse for that. The stylus top is unscrewed/stripped etc. already, but I'm obviously not going to send it back for that. The flip screen is much more secure than previous Sony's. I'm very disappointed in the inability to hook a Targus mini-keyboard at the bottom. Sony sells some ridiculous keyboard with a cable. This is a big turn off for me as I am constantly throughout the day writing down long notes or facts (Stocks and politics, world events; I keep alot of info. in it, but writing 4-5 sentences would be much better with a keyboard. I don't get excited about color, but the extra [money] may be worth it to you. CAUTION, I have had numerous problems getting this unit to Sync with both XP Home and Pro. I've downloaded and installed all the drivers. This is unacceptable, so be warned. Size is nice, backlight is great in typical Sony fashion. Bottom line: Nothing better for [the price] but much room for improvement.