Sony Clie PEG-SJ22 Handheld Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had the SJ-22 for about two weeks now. (It's probably my fourth or fifth PDA, I don't even remember at this point.) I normally prefer the old Palm III form factor, but the SJ-22's smaller size works fine. It's still a pretty "normal" thickness, so it's comfortable to hold even despite it's diminutive appearance. It feels very solid and well built too, and actually feels better than any metal PDA I've used (including Sony's high-end PDAs).
The buttons and controls on it are well designed (even the odd choice of an up/down rocker that's harder to press up than down works fine). The screen's excellent, for any price point really, let alone the price Sony's charging for this thing. It's significantly better than Palm's Tungsten T or M515, though maybe not quite as good as the Zire 71 or Sony's NX line. When inserted, Memory Sticks are flush with the casing, so they can be left in the unit all the time. I would have liked a slightly easier to press power button-but that's a minor complaint. Even the included leather flip cover does its job better than I expected. It also includes Sony's standard metal stylus. It's a bit too thin, as all Sony stylus' are, but I appreciate that it's metal. Many significantly more expensive PDAs include plastic stylus, which really don't feel as good to use. I don't find the job dial and back button particularly useful, but they're well designed, unlike the PocketPC PDAs that include them (the jog dial actually rotates completely around, it doesn't just tilt up and down).
The SJ-22 also uses Graffiti. REAL Graffiti, not "Graffiti 2/JOT" that the PalmOS 5.2 devices are using. For me that's a big deal, as I can't stand JOT (to the point where I may never buy a PDA that only uses it).
While it has "only" the same 33-mhz Dragonball processor that's been in PalmOS PDAs for years, it actually feels and benchmarks faster than any other 33-mhz Palm I've used...meaning it's very fast. For the heck of it, I tried playing some movie trailers I created in the Kinoma video format, and was surprised to find that the SJ-22 actually plays 30fps full screen video extremely well (looks almost identical to the faster ARM based PDAs). If this had more advanced sound instead of the standard old PalmOS speaker, it would actually be very good at multimedia (without more advanced sound, video is more of a curiosity than anything else). Obviously the included 16MB goes far on a PalmOS device, especially when many programs and documents can be stuck on a memory stick. Unsurprisingly (since it's a Palm), I haven't had a single crash or any strange behavior since I've started using it. I'm sure there's SOME weird piece of software out there that doesn't agree with it, but the dozens of programs I've been using for years work great.
One small complaint is that the SJ-22 doesn't seem to do that great of a job displaying photos from a memory stick taken from a Sony digital camera. It seems to `cheat' when displaying them and cut out a lot of detail-something Sony's higher-end NX line doesn't do. Importing pictures from a computer to the SJ-22 using Sony's Picture Gear software DOES use the screen to its full potential (which is really quite amazing looking), but it would have been nice to get the same quality when viewing pictures directly out of a Sony camera, as the SJ-22 has a larger screen than most cameras.
Battery life seems to be excellent. I leave my PDAs plugged in to my computer while at work, so I rarely go more than a day or two before recharging. That said, even with fairly heavy use I don't think I've seen the battery indicator drop below 100%. A Tungsten T I tried seemed to blow through the battery when just browsing through a To-Do list for a few minutes. The battery compartment is user accesable. I don't think Sony has any official replacement for the battery (the compartment was designed to be opened so that the battery can be recycled), but it may be possible to use a third party battery when it dies in a few years.
The only `issue' with the SJ-22 is that, as has been mentioned by others, Sony cut corners with what comes packaged with it. No cradle (a $30 extra), although the included cable works fine, so it's not a big loss (it just means one has to manually click "hotsync" from the hotsync app rather than hitting a button on the cradle). It also lacks software to sync with Mac OS, or Outlook, and lacks an Office type program (though all are available separately if desired). I don't feel remotely cheated though-the SJ-22 is a great piece of hardware, and is worth the price just for the hardware even without many included extras.
One last note-I was hesitant to buy the SJ-22 because for some reason every store display model I tried seemed to have inaccurate Graffiti. Letters just seem to come out semi-randomly for me. So far, after two weeks of use I've had no problems at all with my unit. It might just be that the graffiti area is a bit smaller than on most PalmOS PDAs, and I just wasn't used to it.
The SJ-22's price is cheap, and they cut some corners on the software bundle, but they didn't cut corners on the hardware. The hardware's actually a great design, and in many cases preferable to or competitive with PDAs three times it's price (aside from the lack of much media support). Well worth considering if you don't care about playing videos/listening to music, or if you just want a good price on a good PDA.

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The PEG-SJ22 Clié handheld provides everything you need to stay organized and entertained. Compact and lightweight, you can take your Clié handheld wherever you go.The high-resolution color screen shows images in full detail and color. In addition to the 16 MB internal memory, the Memory Stick media expansion slot offers unlimited storage capability for all your favorite applications.Plus, the unique Jog Dial navigator provides easy access to your stored information. Finally, PEG-SJ22 comes bundled with a variety of entertainment and productivity applications to fit both your needs and your lifestyle.
Display The PEG-SJ22 features high resolution on its 320 x 320 pixel backlit color display, which can display over 65,000 colors.
Operating System The Sony Clié PEG-SJ22 is powered by Palm OS 4.1, which comes with programs such as Address Book, Calculator, Card Info, Date Book, Mail, Memo Pad, PalmDesktop v. 4.0.1 (for PC), Security,and To Do List.
Extra Software The PEG-SJ22 comes with the following Sony software: Clié Paint, Clié Mail, Memory Stick Autorun, Memory Stick Backup, Memory Stick Export v. 1.2 (for PC), Memory Stick Gate, Memory Stick Import, PhotoStand, PictureGear 4.6 Lite (for PC), PictureGear Pocket, and World Alarm Clock.
Compatibility The Sony Clié PEG-SJ22 is compatible with Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000 Professional, and XP Home and Professional Edition (not Macintosh).
In the Box The Sony Clié PEG-SJ22 comes with a USB HotSync cradle, stylus, AC Adapter, AC cable, protective cover, installation CD-ROM, Start Up Guide, End User License Agreement, Graffiti card, and limited-warranty statement.

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Sony Clie PEG-TG50 Handheld Review

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(More customer reviews)The best thing that I can say about this product is that when my original one was stolen, I immediately replaced it with another of the same model, even though newer ones (like the high-end UX-50) had become available.
I bought this one because it was the smallest & lightest PDA available with a keyboard. After 4 years of struggling with Graffitti, it took me roughly 30 minutes to adapt to the admittedly tiny keyboard on the TG50. I found that I could two-thumb data using the keyboard far faster, and I've never used Graffitti again.
The two most important considerations with this model are the size and the keypad. Graffitti junkies should avoid this model, but I suspect that I'm not the only person who finds the Palm OS handwriting recognition technology is troublesome. Likewise, those who want a really big screen for watching movies should get a different PDA. Personally, I like carrying it in my jacket pocket, and find the lid to be convenient and not the least awkward. The metal case is sturdy & scratch-resistant, and for me, it would be silly to put this PDA into a carrying case. Its a tool to use on a daily basis, and I'm not taking heroic measures to avoid scratching it.
Battery life is a bit disappointing, and I recommend purchasing the battery adaptor which allows you to recharge the internal battery using 4 AA cells. I have no reason to believe that battery life is any worse than competing units, though.
I already have memory stick devices, so this is a convenient media for me. I'm using a 512Mb stick without problem. Although earlier Sony laptops cannot be upgraded to read these larger sticks, its easy to put MP3s and other data onto the memory stick by using the Import/Export utils. This is a very useful capability in which a TG50 in the cradle can function as a removable drive in Windows.
Its a bit disappointing that only 11Meg of internal memory is available, but in practice, this hasn't proven a problem. Most 3rd party apps support add-on memory. I've put all my BDict foreign language dictionaries on my memory stick, for instance. Those with a large number of applications can even store & run the apps from the memory stick, as long as they use a third party launcher, like SilverScreen.
Speaking of MP3, the player is a bit vanilla, but does a fine job of playing music. Ironically, Sony's proprietary ATRAC3 format is not supported by the Memory Stick Pro standard necessary for 256Mb and larger memory sticks. After experimenting with ATRAC3, I never use it any more, ripping my CDs to MP3 instead. I'm not sure why you'd want to view movies on a dinky little screen like this, but the movie player does work. Its very practical to use a Sony camcorder to store an MPEG on a memory stick and play it back on the PDA. Ripping DVDs is a lot more complex (look to one of the Clie discussion boards for suggestions on how to do it), and I don't have the patience or desire to do it, but I have downloaded and watched about 40 minutes of video, just to prove it could be done.
The jog-dial and backup button on the side of the PDA are quite useful, allowing simple left-hand operation of all the built-in applications and many 3rd party applications. Although the jog-dial was useless on laptops, its perfectly suited to PDA use. When talking on the phone, for instance, I can pull my PDA out of my pocket, flip open the lid, and review my schedule and contact info with my free hand.
Speaking of phones, I do not have a Bluetooth mobile, but I've tested this, and it does connect to the Nokia, so I have every reason to believe that it would integrate well with mobile phones.
I do use Bluetooth to synch with my laptop, which works very well. Its nice being able to travel without needing a synch cable. Also, the TG50 can receive files sent by other Bluetooth devices. It only recognises .VCF and .TXT, asking your permission to store the received object in either an address book entry or memo. An inexpensive 3rd party utility called ReceiveIT will let you add support for additional file extensions, so you could accept JPGs and .DOCs, storing them in the memory stick, if you like.
PicselViewer will let you view either of those types of files. The screen is small for viewing full-sized documents, but in a pinch, you can scroll around and read the whole thing. Its kind of handy sometimes to be able to view PDFs, Word docs, and graphics.
The built-in applications for manipulating bit maps seem pretty weak, and I'm not interested in doing that on my handheld. You can setup a slide show, and given how cheap memory sticks are, its perfectly practical to carry around slide shows showing your family, your vacation, whatever.
The ability to store voice memos was appealing to me, and I do sometimes 'jot down' ideas verbally when it isn't convenient to use the keypad. I have accidentally left the voice recorder running a couple times, but I've trained myself to always leave the Power button in the 'hold' position, so it isn't a big problem.
Although the built-in applications are decent, I'd already been using some 3rd party apps on my Handspring, so I put the latest versions of them on my Sony. All of the following work fine with the Sony, supporting the jog-dial, color, and the high-res screen mode. I launch them one-handed using the row of 4 application buttons across the top of the keypad. Datebook5 for calendar and todos, KeyContact for contact list, and WordSmith for memos and larger documents.
I'm totally pleased with this PDA. Its fast, convenient, attractive, and sturdy. It fits my needs perfectly.

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Sony Clie PEG-TG50 Battery. This is a 3.7 Volt, 1000 mAh, Li-Polymer Battery . Dimensions: 2.27 x 1.44 x 0.20.100% OEM compatible.

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Sony Clie PEG-SJ30 Color Handheld Review

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(More customer reviews)I had very clear evaluation criteria when I started my research on my quest to upgrade to color PDA. I wanted (in that order) -
1. Color screen with high resolution so as to allow me to show my huge collection of pictures.
2. Good form factor - so that I felt at ease as I continued to use my new PDA.
3. Expandibility - because the gap between the PDAs and the PCs are closing faster than you think.
4. Battery life - Often times I take notes on my PDA during long meetings and the last thing I wanted was to have the battery drained out in the middle of an important meeting.
5. 802.11b compatibility (if possible, NOT a key decision factor)
I had been using Palm OS based devices for over 5 years but still I was very open to move to Pocket PC because of a huge upper hand of the Pocket PCs over the Palm devices in networking capabilities. And also because in the last couple of years, the Pocket PCs have shed a lot of their bulk have become reasonably small to be carried in a pocket.
I narrowed my search down to 4 PDAs -
1. iPaq 3975 - mainly because of its bluetooth capabilities and highly sharp transflective TFT screen
2. Toshiba e740 - because of built-in WiFi (802.11b), expansion slots for both secure digital as well as compact flash and changeable battery pack
3. Sony Clie T665
4. Sony Clie SJ30
Eliminated iPaq 3975 because even after paying that high a price, the PDA would still not have compact flash and built-in 802.11b. The screen resolution was good but not close to that of the Clie.
Eliminated e740 mainly because of extremely bad form factor. The device just did not feel good in hand. The record and power-on buttons could easily be unintentionally turned on. Its battery consumption was also a little peculiar. All of a sudden, it would drop from 80% to 10%.
The Clies beat every other PDAs in their screen resolution. The iPaq and the Toshiba appeared amateurish as compared to the Clies as far as image sharpness was concerned. On paper, the difference in resolution was only 25% (240 horizontal dots as opposed to 320,) but it looked a lot different.
The Clies were also a winner in the category of third party applications (Palm clearly out numbered Pocket PCs in this category).
The Wireless compatibility of the iPaq and the Toshiba was negated by the terrible battery life especially when the wireless connectivity is ON. If your PDA battery is drained out in minutes, there is no point in having networking advantage.
The SJ30 beat out the T665 because I did not want to pay the extra money for MP3 because I have a good MP3 player and I want to use my PDA as a PDA not as a music system. Secondly, the SJ30 is significantly smaller in length though its depth is a little more. But overall, the device felt good in hand and the difference in processing power (33 MHz as opposed to 66MHz for T665) did not make much difference in the performance of the device.
My conclusion was that the Pocket PC based devices are closing the gap with the Palm based devices but the Palm devices are still ahead in feature over price ratio. Pocket PC have a huge advantage in networking and wireless connectivity but the Windows operating system drains out so much power that the devices start groping for it very very quickly. And when it comes to Palm OS based devices, you just can't beat a Clie.
I have been using my SJ30 for a couple of weeks. All my colleagues and buddies who have seen my new PDA have all been amazed with the sharpness of the screen and the amazing form factor for a price that does not dent holes in your pocket.

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The Palm-powered PEG-SJ30 Clié handheld provides everything you need to stay organized and entertained. Compact and lightweight, you can take your Clié handheld wherever you go. The high-resolution color screen shows images and documents in fine detail. In addition to the 16 MB internal memory, the Memory Stick expansion slot offers unlimited storage capability for all your favorite applications. Need to get some work done on the road? You can view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel files on the handheld with Documents to Go Standard Edition by DataViz. Plus, the unique Jog Dial navigator provides easy access to most of your stored information.
Display The PEG-SJ30 features high resolution on its 320 x 320 pixel backlit color display, which can display over 65,000 colors.
Expansion With this Sony Clié's Memory Stick expansion slot, you can get virtually unlimited data storage with Memory Stick removable media. You can transfer digital content between your Clié handheld and other Memory Stick-compatible products, including digital cameras, digital camcorders, and PCs.
Operating System The Sony Clié PEG-SJ30 is powered by Palm OS 4.1, which means it comes complete with all the standard Palm OS applications you need for organizing your life, including Date Book, To Do List, Memo Pad, Mail, Expense, and Address Book. HotSync software is also included.
Extra Software In addition to the built-in applications that come with Palm OS 4.1, the PEG-SJ30 comes with the following Sony software: Clié Paint, Clié Photo Stand, Memory Stick Autorun, Memory Stick Backup, Memory Stick Export (for PCs), Memory Stick Gate, Memory Stick Import, PictureGear Lite (for PCs), PictureGear Pocket, and World Alarm Clock. Value-added software includes: AcidSolitaire, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet, Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard, BalanceLog, Bejeweled, Bump Attack Pinball, ContactsPro, Documents to Go Standard Edition, gMovie, Mobipocket Reader, powerOne Personal, Presenter-to-Go, Race Fever, simpliWrite, StreetFinder Express, Vindigo, WorldMate, and Zap!2016.
Synchronization Connect to your PC and synchronize your contacts and date book using the included USB cable. You can also beam information to other Palm OS handheld owners using the IrDA infrared port.
Compatibility The Sony Clié PEG-SJ30 is compatible with Windows 98 SE, 2000 Professional, Me, XP Home, and XP Professional editions. PCs must have a minimum 133 MHz or faster processor, 64 MB RAM (128 MB recommended), and at least 128 MB of available hard drive space. A USB port is also required.
In the Box The Sony Clié PEG-SJ30 comes with a USB HotSync cradle, AC adapter, stylus, protective cover, installation CD-ROM, application manual, Graffiti sticker, and registration materials. The Sony Clié PEG-SJ30 is covered by a one-year limited warranty.

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Sony Clie PEG-UX50 Handheld Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had an older Sony Clie for a few years. I was thoroughly impressed with that one. It served me well. I then had to replace it, and was solidly leaning toward another Sony product. The features of the UX50 series impressed me very much. But it does have some shortcommings.
Pros:
* Small size. Without a doubt, this is a great unit that fits nicely in my shirt pocket.
* Beautiful screen. It is clear and bright. It is a bit smaller than the older unit, but it is perfectly legible.
* Lots of internal memory. This means I can record a bunch of voice memo's or quick low-res pics from the built in camera w/o using a memory stick.
* Toolbar. There is a little toolbar along the side next to the silk to pull up commonly used features quickly. (like clock, speaker and memory stick media info)
* Built in Keyboard. I love it. It even has a backlight. Not too difficult to use, unlike smaller kbds on other units. The keys are slightly raised.
* Landscape working environment. The "silk" is along the side, and when not being used, the silk can be hidden giving an expanded screen to show text or other items in the silk area. This widescreen mode is a much more efficient use of screen real-estate.
* New handwriting recognition. Decuma is very natural, and has a very good recognition rate. But... see below...
* Rotate/Swivel screen. Use the unit as a micro-laptop, or as a micro-tablet.
* Bluetooth and WiFi. Very easy to setup and use.
Cons:
* This unit only works in landscape mode. I prefer holding the unit in my hand in portrait mode. There doesn't appear to be any setting in software to change this.
* The design favors wireless hotsync, since USB cable is very awkward to plug into side of unit. The cradle should provide the USB connection, and when inserted in the cradle, the USB connection is passed through the cradle (one less wire to insert)
* The battery life is terrible on the UX50 (even compared to the three year old unit I replaced). Perhaps the keyboard light uses up much more energy.
* The memory stick and stylus can come out too easily. I have nearly lost my stylus twice. The end of the memory stick protrudes just a bit too far, and can be easily unlocked.
* New Graffiti is difficult to get used to after a few years of proficiency with the old Graffiti. Some of the strokes are not as easy to use. Perhaps I'll get used to it, but my entry rate is significantly slower.
* Decuma takes up a large amount of screen space when used. There doesn't appear to be any way to shrink it. Also when in wide screen mode, decuma still only uses 2/3 of the screen (the rest of the screen is unusable)
* Decuma should be used in Portrait mode (replacing the Silk). This would free up more screen space, and would still be natural.
* The speaker mute feature should have a timeout, so I can mute for only 1/2 hour or so while in a meeting, but then get my audible alarms afterward.
* Cannot "type" special symbols from the keyboard. I use the bullet symbols all the time, but must enter them using graffiti.
I like the unit. Everybody I show it to is very impressed. The hardware is well designed. If they come out with software that fixes some of my above issues, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this above any thing else presently available.

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The PEG-UX50, a new Clie handheld from Sony, is a personal entertainment communicator. It is extremely portable, at 6 oz. (including stylus), and features integrated wireless LAN (802.11b) and Bluetooth interface. The high-resolution TFT Color Display (480 x 320 dots, 65,536 colors) has swivel screen design. The automatic data back-up feature backs up data to non-volatile memory (16MB). There is a dedicated internal media memory (29MB) for storing multimedia content. Other features include a built-in 310K pixels CMOS rotating camera with 3x digital Zoom (JPEG, 640 x 480 resolution), built-in QWERTY-layout with a wide-pitch keyboard with backlight, video recording (MPEG-4 compatible, 30 fps, 160 x 112), and playback. Other features include:*Dedicated Application Buttons for Launching Web Browser, Mail and Date Book Applications.*Integrated Memory Stick Slot. (Compatible with Memory Stick Pro Media)*Center Jog Dial Navigator with Back Button*Built-in Voice Recorder with Adjustable Recording Sensitivity (Built-in Monaural*Built-in Audio Player (Compatible with MP3 and ATRAC3 audio formats) *Polyphonic Audio Alert Feature*Key Applications (CLIE Mail, World Alarm Clock, etc.) Pre-installed in the ROM*Bundled with Decuma Input Handwriting Recognition Software (Decuma AB).*Bundled with Picsel Viewer Software (Picsel Technologies, Ltd.) for Viewing Native*PowerPoint, PDF and HTML Files*Rechargeable Lithium-ion Polymer Battery (Internal)Box Contents: Clie Handheld, Charger Cradle, USB Hot Sync Cable, AC Power Adapter, Hand strap, Retractable Stylus, Installation CD-ROM, Instructional Manual, Graffiti2 Card, End User License Agreement

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