Sony Clie PEG-TG50 Handheld

[Archived in $200 - $300, Bluetooth, Games, Music, PalmOne, Products, Sony]

Manufacturer: Sony
Price at amazon.com: $268.94
This item is not stocked or has been discontinued.

Product Features:

• Palm OS v. 5.0, as well as an ARM-compliant 200 MHz CPU and 16 MB RAM
• High-resolution TFT color display (320 x 320 pixels)
• Built-in Bluetooth, MP3 player, and voice recorder
• Built in keyboard, remote control feature, and polyphonic audio alert feature, as well as lithium-ion rechargeable battery
• What's in the box: Sony Clié PEG-TG50, USB HotSync cradle, stylus, AC Adapter, AC cable, hand strap, installation CD-ROM, instruction manuals

Product Description:

Early Adopters Pick: March 2003 One of the most feature-packed handhelds ever, the Sony Clie PEG-TG50 handheld includes a high-resolution color screen, built-in voice recorder, MP3 Player, integrated Bluetooth networking feature and more. The PEG-TG50 Clié handheld, which features the latest Palm OS 5 software, provids everything you need to stay organized and entertained. The integrated keyboard can be used to type in new appointments or take notes on the go. Don't want to take your... read more


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Description from Manufacturer:Sony’s PEG-TG50 Clié is a bit of a maverick in terms of its hardware design which incorporates a rather solid flip-up lid which protects the screen and a tiny keyboard.

The PEG-TG50 runs Palm OS version 5, and has Bluetooth built in. The processor is a nice fast 200MHz Intel PXA 250, and 11MB of the 16MB of RAM on board is available. There is a Memory Stick slot if you need more. The screen offers a resolution of 320 x 320 and is square rather than the more usual rectangular shape we’ve seen in other Cliés with a clamshell type design. The keyboard is small so you’ll need to use the stylus or a fingernail to make the most of it, and entering text is pretty slow. Though on the plus side, an orange backlight provides illumination when you press a key, which could come in very handy in dark situations. There is a Graffiti area which is software driven so you can use this for text input instead of the keyboard.

Among the huge amount of software Sony provides pre-installed is a voicenotes tool so you can record memos to yourself, Sony’s own music player which can cope with both MP3 and ATRAC3, and the superb Picsel viewer for looking at documents and images in a range of popular formats such as HTML, PDF, Microsoft Word, and JPG. If you are a user of either Sony’s DSC-FX77 Cybershot or DCR-TRV80 Handycam then you can remotely control these TG50.

The hardware design makes this PDA a lot thinner than other ‘flip lidded’ Cliés, which means it should fit more easily into the average pocket, though it isn’t especially light, and it lacks the digital camera that other flip lidded Cliés offer. Still it does have something of a personality, being pretty unique in the looks department. --Sandra VogelAverage Customer Rating:

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Comment: Looking for a Palm OS 5 PDA, THIS IS YOUR BEST CHOICE Rating:
Currently, I won a DELL PPC, Palm Zire 71, and Sony Clie PEG-TG50. My favorite is the Sony Clie. Why? The Sony clie has a fast 200 MHz processor, good batter life, much better than my Dell PPC, and Has an expensive feel. This PDA also includes a Bluetooth, Keyboard, and Syncs very well with my MS Outlook on my Windows XP Dell PC, and MY Toshiba Laptop. This PDA has almost the same specs as the more expensive Clie Models, without the larger screen and graffiti area, but you can still use software graffiti built into the os. If you were to buy a Zire 71, then you must know that you're getting a product from China, whereas the Sony Clies are made in Japan. Also, Zire 71, has a weak MP3 player that doesn't sound loud when you use it with your headphones. Sony Audio Player sound louder and richer. Zire 71 also as a very cheap digital camera that doesn't look good when you transfer the pics on your computer. Don't even talk about PPC. Once I only used PPC, but Palm OS 5 seems to be very competitive. If decided to go with PPC, then you better get used to soft booting at least couple times a day and recharging the battery frequently. If you think the Sony Clie PEG-NX70V with a flip screen is good, then this little device is the same thing in a slick little package. At this point, for [the price] I would go with Sony Clie, since it has good software packaged, 200MHz processor, built in Bluetooth, and is easy to carry around. If you must have a graffiti area and need a cheap digital camera, I would go with Zire 71. I would know this because I own all three units I've just described.

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Comment: Most powerful device in the slim design. Rating:
PRO:
1. Palm OS5, 200 MHz CPU and the built-in keyboard. (Though the keyboard is a bit stiff, I find it prevents me from entering wrong letters.) The size of a notepad (It's 2 7/8 x 5 x 0.5)

2. Voice Recording with Built-in Microphone. One click to start recording and the quality is so SONY.

3. Browsing the web without paying an extra bill. Using Bluetooth enables me to connect to my cell phone (T68i which has built-in modem) and to dialup to Earthlink to get the internet access anywhere in the US. Getting my Earthlink account setup on the Palm and receiving the emails is also effortless.

4. Awesome color display. I can read the web page content without zooming in and scrolling left and right, even in 320 x 320 screen. I don't feel the screen is small at all.

5. MP3 player has three levels of BASS and you can create a playlist. The sound quality is really great and the device has a built-in speaker as well.

6. It¡¦s a TV and VCR remote. Setting up the remote is an ease.

7. Long battery Life. I tried 5 days without charging and it's still going. Also, you can save the battery life when you listen to MP3 by shutting down the screen. (Just switch to HOLD)

CON:
1. Most of the apps haven't been developed for this model yet. Ex: I installed the Document-to-Go that came with PEG-T615C but the text got all smashed together.

2. Little built-in memory. I need to make changes to my Memory Stick when I installed new programs on it.

Conclusion:
This device is designed for users who want to have internet access. Although the speed of the internet access can not be compared to Wi-fi connection, the dial-up speed through cell phone isn't unbearable. Besides, when you have a Wi-fi connection, don't you have a computer close by most the time. On top of which, I could save that extra money for the Wi-fi service for getting a faster connection. All I need is to read some news articles and to receive emails.
Personally, I think this is the best PDA out there. I¡¦ve seen many models and been waiting for this device for a long time; I want a device that is thin and light in my pocket. Having the same size of a 3 x 5 x 0.5 inches notepad, I know I made a right decision. When SONY named it 'Personal Entertainment Organizer', they are absolute right. I really have a lot of fun with this device and yet stay organized.

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Comment: limited sync abilities, poor tech support Rating:
1st, before you buy electronics on Amazon, ensure the 3rd party merchant takes returns. As for the Clie, it has limited abilities to syncronize with microsoft programs. It can not interface with microsoft outlook exchange servers unless you buy an additional cumbersome $70 program. The tech support from Sony is slow with limited knowledge of thier products by phone. Email response is fast. Stick with another brand for your PDA.

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)