Sony Clie PDA (PEG-S320)
[Archived in $100 - $200, Products, Sony]
Manufacturer: Sony
Price at amazon.com: $169.99This item is not stocked or has been discontinued.
- 160 by 160 dpi monochrome display
- 8 MB built-in memory
- Expansion slot
- On-screen keyboard data entry, optional portable keyboard available
- What's in the box: Clie Handheld, USB HotSync Cable, AC Adapter, Stylus, Installation CD-ROM, Applications Manual, Graffiti Sticker, Protective Cover
Product Description:
Your life is a whirlwind of information. Now keeping track of it can be easy und painless with the Sony Clie. With Palm OS« software v. 4.0S, the Clie provides access to everything from your Address Book und Calculator to your Date Book und To-Do List. Some handhelds stop there but not Sony. A built-in Video Player allows you to view digital images on the Backlit Monochrome Display und the Memory Stick« Expansion Slot provides virtually unlimited storage. Take control of your busy life with the Clie.
Average Customer Rating:
Comment: Good, but... Rating:
Well I bought this about a month ago, and I'm ready to return it. This is a great PDA and I can see why so many love it, but there are a few things that soured me on the Clie PEG-S320.
First, the good:
- great form factor, fits easily in my hand
- very good backlight
- fast processor
- Jog dial
- rechargeable battery
What I didn't like:
- flimsy cover
- no cradle
- screen is hard to read, and wasn't that responsive to the stylus
I find having a cradle helps me work more efficiently, so the Clie S320 not having one is a big negative for me.
As well, I found the dark green screen difficult to read a lot of the time (and I have perfect vision). There isn't enough contrast between the screen and the text, so it's hard to quickly glance to get info. When I was trying to read an e-book, I had to squint and often lost my place because of this. The screen was my deciding factor in taking it back. It was a very hard decision because I loved the form factor, jog dial and backlight, but I think readability is a lot more important.
I'll be sticking with the big, bright screen of a Handspring Visor.
Comment: Lotsa Bang for the Buck Here! Rating:
The CLIE S320 was my third PDA in the sub $... price range and in terms of features and performance, it stands head and shoulders above the competition.
The main thing that makes the S320 such an attractive buy is that it is one of the few (if not the only) PDA in this price range to feature a rechargeable lithium battery. Second, although the display appears to be slightly smaller than on a 100 series Palm, it is easier to read and features a much more usable backlight. Third, it is expandable. The lowest priced expandable PDA made by Palm is the M125, which typically sells for about $... more and does not have rechargeable batteres. Fourth, the jog dial makes it much easier to navigate through the desktop than using the stylus, although it admittedly takes some getting used to.
The only negatives about the S320 is that it does not come with a hotsync cradle, although it does come with a separate sync cable and battery charger. I don't find this to be much more than a minor inconvenience. The display to me appears to be slightly smaller than that of a Palm, but the fact that it is much easier to read and features a better backlight than the Palm more than makes up for it.
I have had only a brief opportunity to compare the S320 to the Handspring Visor series, which I also think is a good buy for the money. To me, the CLIE has a more contemporary look than the Visor's cheap "plastic calculator" look, although they are similar in performance, depending on the Visor model (I'm speaking about the Neo series here).
Overall, Sony has managed to provide a number of good and useful features in the S320 for its price. It can be bought almost anywhere for approximately $.... This one is well worth a look. Unfortunately, I'm selling mine because my wife bought me a Palm M500 for Christmas, a PDA which is only slightly better than the CLIE but costs twice as much.
Comment: My First PDA, but now I can pick a better one! Rating:
I was a firm believer in writing things down on paper - My dayrunner was always with me and worked well for me for many years... I took the step a few years ago to a PDA, my husband bought it for me for xmas, and it was amazing how much i learned to rely on it and use it!
Excellent way to keep track of addresses, phone numbers, and organize your busy schedule (both professional and personal).
Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to this unit that I would like to share with you, and when i get a new one (I think this xmas i'll be upgrading!) I will know what is important to me in a PDA --
No backlight, this is annoying when you can not see your screen in a car or somewhere else, a backlight would be great.
Not compatible with my MAC - i have a PC at home, but at work we are on MACs, and i can not synchronize my schedule electronically at work, nor can I hotsync at work.
When your battery runs out, all of your information is lost, forever! This was a shocker! I had hotsynched a few months ago, so i was able to reload my old, out of date information back to my clie, but it was pretty awful, since all of the new appointments were not in the PDA, nor were updated phone numbers and addresses.
The buttons get pressed when it is in my purse, since the stick up slightly, they get pressed when in my purse, and then it runs the battery down.
It locks up - i would say it will freeze up and lock up about once every 2 months. that is frustrating and has no apparent reason for doing this.
I try to charge the battery every few days, so that helps with the memory loss.
I have found I really do enjoy having all of my information at my fingertips at all times, and this helps me manage my many meetings and events at work and home - and now that i know i will actually use and enjoy this device, it is time to upgrade to color, backlit display and MAC compatible software! I'm looking at the Zire 71 (it has a digital camera!).
Posted at November 11, 2003 07:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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