Sony's second Clié handheld is a huge improvement over the original model. The Sony Clié PEG-710C ($500 street) is the most expensive Palm OS–based PDA on the market— easily the coolest. In addition to its unique 320-by-320 resolution and 256-color reflective TFT display (which is great for both sunlight and indoors), this Clié plays MP3 audio and even comes standard with small earphones and a wired remote control. If you require only basic handheld capabilities, save your money. But if you want a cool-looking handheld with multimedia functionalities, the Clié will tempt.
Weighing in at 6.4 ounces, the Clié measures a slim 4.5 by 2.75 by 0.7 inches (HWD). The device is a bit heavier and thicker than the Palm m505 (5.2 ounces and 4.5 by 3.2 by 0.45 inches), but odds are you won't mind: The Clié is a class act, with its shiny silver case and dark blue flip cover. The control buttons on the other hand, are a mixed bag. A clearly marked Power button on the lower front is helpful, but the almost-flush up-and-down scrolling controller is awkward to use. The jog dial introduced on the original Clié is augmented with a convenient adjacent Back button. A Hold button shuts off the display to conserve battery power while you play audio files.
Like most of the other recently introduced Palm OS–based handhelds, the Clié uses the 33-MHz Dragonball VZ processor and comes with 8MB RAM, 4MB flashable ROM, plus an 8MB Memory Stick for the integrated expansion slot. Sony keeps promising other peripherals for the Memory Stick slot (including a teaser application that hints about upcoming wireless support), but so far we've seen only memory modules. A compact USB-synchronization cradle is included and worked well in our tests. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is rated to last for 15 days of normal use (quickly reduced to several hours if you play audio files), which is average for Palm OS devices.
The Clié's best feature is its reflective screen. Indoors anytime and outdoors at night, the screen is illuminated from the bottom and is brighter than the Palm m505's display and almost as bright as the Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC's screen. In sunlight, the Clié joins the m505 and iPAQ in leaving all other color displays in the dust. The device's 320-by-320 resolution has the same proportion as conventional 160-by-160–resolution Palm OS devices and automatically scales Palm applications. Compared with the Palm m505, the Clié's screen fonts are thinner and finer; the difference in quality is quickly apparent.
If you want a handheld to do double duty as a portable music player, the Clié is up to the task, although it's not the device's strongest feature. The Clié can play MP3 and digitally protected ATRAC3 audio files. We found it cumbersome to use the included desktop and PDA software to transfer and play ATRAC3 files, but moving an MP3 file to the Memory Stick via the host PC and Windows Explorer was drag-and-drop simple. For playback, you have to use the included headphones. The worst drawback to using the Clié as a music player is the limited capacity of the 8MB Memory Stick. We could still fit only three MP3 files. You can play more audio with larger media, but it will cost you: Sony sells 64MB for $140 and 128MB for $260 on its Web site.
We transferred our own image files to the Clié, using the bundled PictureGear SE application; the process was easy and the images look reasonably clear. The bundled gMovie video player is good only for short videos--and even then you still see occasional image blurring.
The MP3 function, though limited, is very cool, but the Sony Clié PEG-710C's slick design, navigation aids, and all-lighting display keep the core PIM tasks in the forefront. Buy this one for the function and the fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment