Inexpensive, does what it's meant to do
Written: Aug 12 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: fast, small, nice screen, and inexpensive
Cons: not color, can't use springboard modules, no vibrating alarm
The Bottom Line: For the money, the S320 has the best features, speed, and size for what I wanted.
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| malis's Full Review: Sony CLIE® PEG-S320 Handheld |
I used to have a Palm III, but a few months ago, I dropped it, the screen cracked, and I didn't feel like spending the money to replace the screen. I read around on the internet and found the S320 had what I was looking for. I basically use a PDA for scheduling, phone numbers, and as an alarm to remind me of appointments. With a new job, I needed both weekly and monthly reminders that made a paper organizer less helpful. I figured it was time to get a new PDA.
I looked around at different reviews including google groups and CNET, but there wasn't much about the S320. When I compared basic features, it seemed like the S320 was as good as any of the others at a better price. It has 8 megs of RAM, Palm OS 4.0, and a rechargeable battery. Some people have said that the Handspring has the spring board modules, but I did not think I would ever use them.
I debated getting a color PDA, but realized that it would serve no purpose for me (other than the coolness factor).
If I do ever want to store a large database or other program, the Sony offers the memory stick option. It has a built in memory stick port (NO stick included) and the necessary software included. I know Best Buy had a 32 meg stick on sale for $50, and I would expect prices will only continue to come down in the future.
The Clie also has a jog dial - this is a roller on the side of the handheld that you can rotate to select different options. I have not used this feature yet, but other poeple have commented that it is a nice way to scroll through different programs with only one hand.
Some programs included are:
the standard palm apps - scheduler, phone, memo, todo, etc
PG Pocket - a nice program for viewing pictures on the palm
gMovie - a nice program for viewing movies - I deleted this one as it takes up a lot of memory and I have no plans to watch video clips on my handheld
Avantgo - a great program for reading web sites offline - it automatically updates the content when I hot-synch - very cool.
And then several games, including a race car game and a tetris like matching game.
The device itself is smaller than the Palm III, mostly because it is narrower, but also thinner and lighter. I read that it is very similarly sized to the older Clie s300. It does not have the hard cover flip top like the Palm III had, but instead has this firm, vinyl wrapped cover that clips onto the top. It flips over and seems to protect the screen. This cover is (in my opinion) an ugly blue - I don't know if they come in other colors. The cover clips onto the top of the device by two plastic clips, so it is removable. While the cover is flipped over the screen, you can't pull out the stylus or use the IR port. You can however hook up the hotsynch or recharger. There is no memory stick included, so the cover also seems to protect the empty slot from collecting dust.
The device itself seems fairly sturdy. The screen has nice resolution (160x160) and is easy to read. It has a very nice back light as well. The touch screen works well. The stylus is slightly smaller than the Palm III's, but has a decent feel to it. Unfortunately, I am not able to use my Palm III stylus as a back-up, as it doesn't fit in the slot in the back.
The hardward included is the S320, a USB hotsync cable (no cradle, which some people will not like), a charger cable, and the clip-on screen cover. Because the 2 cables are separate, you can’t charge and sync at the same time.
After charging the device (3 hours for a full charge), I went to set up the software. It was very easy to install all of the included software, and it automatically backed up all of my old programs from my Palm III, including the databases for phones and appointments. After using the device for 1 week, with moderate usage, I am just now seeing that the battery is not 100% (no charging since the initial charge)
From what I read on performance, it uses a 33mhz processor, which is the same as the Visor Platinum. It is noticeable faster than the Palm III was.
Overall, I think the S320 is an excellent value at $199 suggested retail (I paid $189 at Best Buy on sale). It seems to have good construction, is small, and has nice features. The closest other systems I found were the Palm M500 ($399, has vibrating alarm and an expansion slot),the Visor Platinum ($249 and Palm OS 3.5.2, NOT flash upgradable, but has available Springboard modules), the Palm M105 ($199, 20mhz, smaller screen), and the Visor Deluxe ($199, 16mhz, Palm OS 3.1)
For the money, the S320 has the best features, speed, and size for what I wanted.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 189.92
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Epinions.com ID:
malis
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Member: Richard Malis
Location: Coralville, IA
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 1 member
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