When first introduced nearly 10 years ago, the Palm (then Palm Pilot) was a small, easy-to-use monochrome handheld PDA. As the years went on, the company added features, better displays, and finally color. Sony has taken the lead in creating Palm PDAs that feature higher resolution displays, excellent color, and lots of features. As "Tech Live" reports tonight, its latest CLIE, the PEG-SJ30, is marketed to the consumer new to handhelds, and it hits the nail squarely on the head.
What a striking display you have
One feature that can quickly render a handheld useless is its display. These handhelds may look great inside, but take them outdoors and you can't see the display. The SJ30 features a high-resolution display -- 320x320, twice that of most Palm handhelds -- that's extremely bright, inside and out. You'll get 16-bit color, too, which gets you some 65,000 colors. Thanks to the quality display, you'll be able to take advantage of the included software, exclusive to Sony's CLIE line, including PictureGear Pocket, PhotoStand, CLIE Paint, and gMovie. You won't have to worry if you run out of space while stuffing your CLIE with pictures and movie files. You can expand its memory using, as expected, the Sony Memory Stick. Unfortunately, this CLIE doesn't include a Memory Stick, not even a 4MB one, so you'll have to buy a separate Memory Stick.
Go for a jog
A nice usability enhancement to the SJ30 is its jog wheel. It lets you quickly navigate through your calendar and menus using one hand and no stylus. And where the CLIE is bulkier than some other Palm devices, it's not heavier, so it will fit unnoticed in your shirt pocket or backpack.
Best of all, it has a built-in rechargeable battery. When you hook it up to synch, you'll also charge it, so you'll be assured it's always ready to go. Sony promises a 12-day battery life, an estimate we found close to accurate.
What's up, dock?
Unlike most Palm devices, the SJ30 doesn't ship with a dock. The result? When you need to plug in to charge and synch, you'll simply attach a cable to the end. This won't be too much of a hassle, but one benefit to a cradle is that you can use it while it sits charging on your desk.
However, it does ship with a USB cable, which will make it much easier to connect it to most modern PCs.
Overall, the CLIE-SJ30 is an excellent choice for a first PDA. Its strikingly bright display, higher-than-average resolution, and included software will please even the pickiest of users. And since it charges while you synch, you won't find yourself running for batteries every few weeks.
Summary: Entry-level handheld from Sony will please any newbie with its high-resolution display, color graphics, and included software. While you'll have to shell out additional money for a Memory Stick to expand its abilities, out of the box it will meet the needs of most users.
Pros: High-resolution display; good choice of included software.
Cons: No included Memory Stick; no cradle.
Company: SonyPrice: $299
Available: August 2002
Category: Palm OS handheld
