Pretty Darn Amazing (PDA)

I spent some time researching a new PDA to replace my aging Palm IIIxe. One thing I really was sick of was the screen (160x160 grayscale) and the Sony Clié line with the high-resolution (320x480) screen pulled me into the Sony camp. I love Sony stuff and their PDAs were on my list, but once I started to actually use them (and the competition) I started saving my pennies. You really have to use the high-resolution screen to appreciate how much it improves your day-to-day usage. I also wanted MP3 playback capability (which bumped me up to the top 3 models). Sony has just announced the NX70 series that has a faster processor (200MHz), voice recording, and a better camera (640x480). This meant that the NR70 series has dropped in price. I jumped at the opportunity and bought a NR70V. The only difference between the NR70 and NR70V is the V model has a small camera located in the hinge. The camera can capture up to 320x240 but there is no zoom or flash. The photos are OK for emailing quick pictures but don’t get your expectations too high. It is great for snapping face shots to put in your address book or for documenting something when you don’t have a “real” camera. Just make sure your subject is in good light.

There are plenty of websites devoted to the Clié line (www.cliesource.com is a great one) and aftermarket accessories are starting to emerge. Sony uses special connectors and stuff so a lot of the existing Palm add-ons won’t work. One thing that bugs me is that Sony didn’t include a Memory Stick with the purchase. They should have at least thrown in a 16M one to play with. I have a few laying around from some other Sony stuff so it wasn’t an issue for me. But if you got home and then discovered that you had to go back out and buy a MS you might be upset. Having the MS really expands the usefulness of this device. The MP3s can be stored on it, and the player software is included with the Clié. I read about some people having problems playing back some MP3s but I haven’t had any problems. I think they were using VBR, which the Clié doesn’t support. Another amazing thing is that it can play back movies! The screen is kind of small but talk about watching people’s jaw drop. The included player is OK (Gmovie) but I like the Kinoma player. There are a lot of cute short films out there. I have even heard of someone encoding an entire move that fit onto a 128M stick!

This device is bridging the gap between the Palm and the Pocket PCs. I know that this isn’t a PPC but boy is it close (and way more compact). I installed Documents to Go and now I can view/edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents! Sony has really gotten this one right. It was originally priced at $599 (which I couldn’t swallow) but now that the price has dropped to $450 I have reached my price/performance point. I don’t think that this could survive a tumble down some stairs without a protective case (which you can get), but then again I don’t think my IIIxe could either. The pivoting screen is a concern but Sony has been making them for their camcorders for a while and I think it will last (as long as a dog doesn’t pick it up and shake it by the screen). I did break down and get the extended warranty from Best Buy though.

Overall I am very happy and I will update this review as I get more experience with it.

Update

My wife fell in love with my Clié and I got her one. Best Buy has dropped the price to $430 so I got a $20 price match refund on my first one. There has been a lot of talk about the NX series (the newer version of this one) but one thing I didn't quite realize is that it is one of the first Palm devices released that is running OS5 (my Clié is running OS4.1). This means that any 4.1 software run on it will be running in an emulator that can cause it to actually run slower than on my NR! I'm glad I decided to get the NR. I would like the better camera, but now the price difference has spread to $170. I think this baby will keep me happy for a while.

I also got some of the new games that are written for the Clié NR screen (320x480) and boy do they look good. I almost can't play some of my old Palm favorites.

Bradman