I agree with many of the reviews (buttons poorly placed, keyboard arguably not faster than Graffiti, excellent screen color, etc.), and love the device in general; but would like to give you more info about the camera to help choose between the V and non-V models. I have owned a 3.2 megapixel digital camera, and the Handspring expansion Eyemodule camera for comparison. The CLIE camera takes descent color photos. They appear particularly nicely on the small PDA screen, and can easily take photos in good light (mandatory, no flash), especially of close objects (within 5-6 feet). Great for quick photos of people (can even take mini size and attach to address files!), kids, etc. At a distance, slightly grainy for sure, but I have photographed my house, my car, and even my flagpole with good success. Again, bright light is required for a good shot. Can take MANY shots without wearing down the battery (exactly how many i do not know, but would guess dozens and dozens), and they are all thumbnailed in tiny size in the PDA program to allow access, review. Can import/export to Memory Stick, and I have a 128MB Memory STick in the slot [price] and can store hundreds of color photos. Uses: I have a friend househunting who uses his to take photos of each home. Take car wreck damage photos, take people you meet at a bar photos, take road sign photos for directions, a quickpic for on-line sales, covertly snap people you work with to show the spouse ("this is Jennie that I work with...see, she ain;t so cute"), etc. The fact that you have the camera all the time is a major plus! Can change effects, can take B/W pics, can change lighting sensitivity, can even do some (useless) fun picture effects (solar, negatives, etc.). All photos can be modified on the CLIE with PaintWorks (included) right on the CLIE to add funny gestures, change some colors, and such (but does not crop, enlarge etc.) Negative: unlike my Eyemodule Handspring that can hotsync the images to a PC, Sony has decided to make us buy a Memory Stick and Reader/Writer ([price]; the knock-off reader only is [price]) to get the photos from CLIE, to Stick, to PC. Once on the PC can modify with any software program you use, as these are JPEG images. Can email, print hard copy and the like. The Sony Memory Stick reader/writer is also very helpful, but I do not beleive required, to get your CD collection on Memory Stick MP3s for CLIE listening. So, bottom line, you will be spending another [price] dollars beyond the PDA price to get a large size Memory stick and the reader, count on it. I personally use the camera every few days, which is more than I can say for my digicam that I never seem to have when I need it. For the extra [price] bucks, the camera, in my humble opinion, is very worthwhile. Happy shooting!
Little did I know that seeing a PDA on the web is very different from seeing a PDA in person. Like supermodels and magazine covers, most photos of PDAs seem to go through this "retouching" phase thanks to Adobe. When I saw the Palms, I was immediately disappointed; the screens were barely visible to me. When I saw the Handsprings, I was again disappointed; the supposedly vibrant "colors" turned out to be rather dull and unimpressive. After asking others for their opinions, I was told that the Sony Clié was the best way to go. The Sony what? I had never even heard that Sony was in the PDA business. A sales guy showed me the Sony Cliés it was instant love. I first purchased the Sony T-615, a perfectly competent model that did everything I hoped it would; until, that is, the NR-70V came out. As someone who loves the latest and greatest, I traded it in for the newest model. A built-in keyboard? Better resolution? A camera? I was sold! Of course, there were those who jealously defended their Palm Pilots, insisting that Palms were the best in this and that, that Sonys can't even touch what they had. Well, I was already taken by the Sony. I now laugh that I went from the... 150 m100 or m105 to the... NR-70V. What a leap!
I had just returned from a summer vacation to Thailand. I always use a vacation as a diagnostic test on how effective an electronic device is. Why? Because while at home I am gingerly handling the device, careful not to scratch it, afraid of wasting the batteries, terrified of using it too much; while on vacation, however, thrown into, ironically, hectic situations (handling airline schedules, quickly converting currencies in line at the store, checking world times before flights, bringing up dictionaries to haggle with store owners), I am forced to break out the device to apply it to life situations. In Thailand, the PDA never left my side. Carefully protected in its Brando leather case, I used it for everything (see parentheses above). I even took pictures with it. Be careful to note, however, that the camera on this device is not top quality; they're pictures you take for fun, not ones you take to print out brilliant photos later. So, if you do want to take digital pictures on vacation, be sure to bring a capable camera. However, there's great value in having a camera with you all the time. The camera is great for taking quick photos when you don't have the time to whip out your digital camera (or even when you forget to bring it). "I wish I had a camera with me!" Well, now you do.
A variety of programs can also make your NR-70V even more useful. BugMe! is a program that is designed like Post-It notes (you know, the pieces of paper I used to have all over the place pre-PDA); you just tap the icon on your device, bring up a new "sheet," and use your stylus to write right on the screen in your own handwriting. A great program for those who don't want to use Graffiti or type on the cumbersome mini-keyboard. Another program called Energy Dimmer is great for automatically dimming the backlight of your PDA after a number of seconds. If you are going to use this PDA for typing up notes, keeping the backlight on will drain the batteries quickly (along with using intensive programs such as games). Download this program so it will dim when it is idle, thus saving you batteries and the trouble of turning the device on and off every few minutes.
After visiting three airports, countless stores and restaurants, and many scenic sights, I have to say that this is the best PDA on the market. There are several good reviews out there that contain more technical jargon than I've provided here; I just hope this review has been helpful for those seeking a more "day-to-day" review. Some more specific points and tips to help you decide:
* The button placements are not ideal. They are awkward, requiring one to reach in and push into the heart of the PDA.
* The built-in keyboard is not very user friendly. The buttons are small; not much of a relief from using the Graffiti. It is a pain to capitalize and use numbers. I recommend getting the newly released PEGA-KB11 keyboard. It's a fold-out and full-sized keyboard that allows you to type as though you are on a laptop.
* If you want to use the camera instead of a digital camera (meaning these are just fun photos, not to be printed at great quality), use it with plenty of light, as there is no flash included. I took photos of some people in my tour group one in a dark restaurant, the other in a bright restaurant the difference is great. You can take pictures of people with this and insert the thumbnail photo in your address book.
* The MP3 player, in my opinion, is not very useful. First of all, you need a special white memory stick (different from the blue ones) to store the files. The price can add up. The design of this PDA is also a bit bizarre, so it's not really convenient to use it as a music player.
* The screen resolution is the best on the market right now. Some PDA screens will become almost unreadable with the backlight off; the Sony is still readable (with some reasonable ambient light) without the backlight.
* Be sure you can live with the clamshell design. Many people find this design awkward and unnecessary. Personally, I think it gives the PDA a "mini laptop" feel and plenty of versatility. You can sit it open like a laptop, flip the screen over like a spiral notebook, et cetera.
* If you don't want to use the cradle to charge or hotsync, purchase a cable that'll allow you to charge and hotsync via your computer (using the USB slot).
In conclusion, the Sony Clié NR-70V is a great buy if you know it'll be compatible with your needs. It is always with me, and many programs and add-ons can enhance the experience. This is your all-in-one device: an organizer, a camera, a currency converter, a laptop, a photo gallery, a subway map, your international watch, a music player, a remote control, a movie player, etc. After having this for a few months, I can't believe I ever preferred a paper organizer over this. This is definitely everything you want it to be.
Buy Sony CLIE PEG-NR70V Handheld PDA Now
I was looking for a new PDA to replace my outdated, stuffed-to-the-brim, b&w handheld. When I just happened on Sony's site and saw the PEG-NR70V Bam! Love at first sight!The clamshell design is wonderfully different and the hi-res color, 180 degree rotating screen will make you the envy of everyone in the room. Games, pictures and even movies (!) look marvelous on the large crystal-clear display.
Those "gee, I wish I had a camera on me" moments will be no more. The built in camera takes decent pics on the fly. You can even edit them with the CliePaint app.
The 66mhz Processor makes your apps fly and the more the merrier with the 16mb of internal memory. Considering that the Clie also supports Memory Stick expansion, you'll always have room for that must-have application, or your collection of MP3s. Listen to musuc on the train as you read your synched morning newspaper with the AudioPlayer software and included earphones with remote!
If you must have the latest and greatest, then the Clie NR70v is definately for you. I've had no problems with mine and love the stares!
Read Best Reviews of Sony CLIE PEG-NR70V Handheld PDA Here
This PDA kicks [rear]! I've been waiting for about a year to replace my Palm V and saw this model at a party and had to have it. Sony has sone a great job coming up with ways to make the platform better that I would never have thought of. Example: when you write on the grafitti area, the Clie traces your stroke, to show you briefly what you've written, so that if you're consistantly writing a letter wrong, you'll see why. Don't like grafitti? No problem. The integrated keyboard is as easy to use as a blackberry or any of the small attachable keyboards currently available. The screen is bright and sharp, the mp3 sound is as good as my mp3 player, and the photo and video is sharp as well. The third-party software is easy to install fun, and easy to use as well. It uses the same Palm desktop as my old PalmV and so I was able to transfer all my old data with no sweat.The memory stick works just like an external drive when the unit is in its cradle, so it's a snap to transfer files, music, pictures back and forth from my PC. You don't even have to hotsync.
The camera is actually useful, although it has no flash or adjustable shutter.
If I have any complaints it's that it doesn't go as long on a single charge as my Palm did, but then, my old Palm didn't have an MP3 player and camera running down the battery, and, to be really petty, the stylus is very thin and not as comfortable to hold as the Palm's. I'm not usually one to jump on the first new technology as soon as it hits, but this is just too cool not to have.
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OK, so I'm one of those gadget guys that has to go out and always buy the latest everything...and much to my wife's dismay, spend a lot of money in the process. As far as PDA's go, I have been from the Palm (m505), to Pocket PC (Ipaq) and now I'm back to the Palm again with the Sony Clie. Always looking for new features, I have been attracted to different PDA's for different features...and of course, the industry cannot come out with one single unit that does everything because that would hurt their bottom line, so I have been forced to buy several different types of PDA's.The Sony Clie does not disappoint when it comes to features and overall aesthetics/appearance. Sony is the first that I've seen to realize that it's a smart idea to include the "case" as a feature of the unit itself. If you want to purchase a leather case to protect your unit even further, you can definitely do so, but the design of the NR70V has a nice titanium looking hard case on the outside of the unit which protects itself. No need to carry the bulky pocket-book looking leather cases.
This isn't a review that will list every feature of the unit because you can get that by just visiting the Sony web site ... Instead, I'll highlight some of the good and bad features for you so that you can make an informed decision.
First of all, as of the date of this review (6/11/2002), the price of the unit was still in the high [$$$] range, which is an extremely high price for a PDA. Waiting a few months, you may find the price will drop a couple hundred bucks and let you pocket that hard earned money.
The digital camera that comes with the unit is nothing more than a novelty. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you'll use this to take pictures at your next social function or Holiday party. The resolution is horrible, but with that said, you are buying a PDA folks. Despite Sony's attempts to promote this unit as an all-in-one "Personal Entertainment Organizer", it is still a PDA. Which means that you shouldn't expect a 4 mega-pixel camera. The camera should be used in its context, which for example may include taking a picture of a book in a bookstore that you want to make sure you read in the future, or a picture of the CD in the music store that you want your wife or parents to buy you for your birthday. Bottom line on the camera is don't set your expectations too high and you won't be disappointed. It might be cool at first, but should not be a deciding factor in your purchase decision.
The music player feature is great. You can play mp3's and use your PDA just like a walkman. The thing to watch our for here is that unfortunately Sony does not include a memory stick with this unit, despite its price (not even a 4MB stick to get you started!!), which I found extremely annoying. If you're going to play more than a few songs at a time, you'll need to invest in at least a 128MB memory stick which will run you upwards of [$$$] depending on where you buy it (cheapest place I found was by using the shopping comparison on Yahoo!).
The screen that the Sony comes with is superb to any that I have seen. The resolution is great, pictures show up clear, and movies are also pretty good. (this technology has a long way to go, but Sony is still at the top of the list).
Having experiences the ease of use of the PocketPC, I find several features of the Palm OS, and in turn, the Sony Clie, extremely frustrating. For example, there is no software that allows you to see all files that you have saved on your unit in one screen, and allow you to open/delete/change or beam them. The unit comes with MS Gate which is a program that attempts to do this, but unfortunately is extremely lacking. The features I found most annoying is that it lists ALL files, including system files that you don't care about, and it also will not let you open any of the files from this program. In contrast, the PocketPC lets you simply use something just like the Explorer included with Windows (as a general comment, if you are used to Windows and do not want to deter from it, go with a PocketPC and stay away from Palm).
The QWERTY keyboard is a great feature of the unit. It makes entering everything much easier, and for those of you that find Graffiti frustrating, this is your savior.
For some reason, the people that designed this unit put the audio speaker on the bottom of the unit in the exact place that your hand goes when you're holding it. This muffles any sound that comes out, and seems like poor design....just my humble opinion.
The size of the unit is great. It's nice and slim and rivals the M500 and Palm V series. Something frustrating to note hear is that the screen is a good size, but unfortunately you cannot always use its full length. Only certain applications that have been specifically designed for the full screen will let you take FULL advantage of it.
Well...have I said enough?? Overall, I think the Sony Clie NR70V is a step above the rest and Sony has made a good and pioneering effort to include several features that you can't find on any other PDA's. The question is, whether or not these features will make you fork out the extra few hundred dollars. For me, the answer was Yes, but being the gadget guy only means that I'll be doing it again with the next model, and the Clie NR70V will be a thing of the past. Spend wisely.
