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Sony CLIE® PEG-NX60 Handheld
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Sony Clie NX60/U (or NX70/V): A new breed of PalmOS PDA claims fame.
Written: Nov 13 '02 (Updated May 08 '04)
Product Rating:
Pros: PalmOS5, Hires screen, rigid, fast, versatile, powerful, keypad, software bundle, virtual graffiti areaCons: big, expensive, compatibility issues, blue tooth extra, no internal modem, terrible supportThe Bottom Line: Sony did it again: Fabulous screen, fast processor, lots of functionality ... the best (big) PalmOS device ever!
theuerkorn's Full Review: Sony CLIE® PEG-NX60 Handheld
While Palm Inc. took an embarrassing approach to the low-end of Palm powered devices with the Zire (followed by a much more serious contender Tungsten /T), Sony set out to create the perfect handheld. They even got so close ... (Never mind, that this particular statement will seem ridiculous in a year or two.)
A new breed!
Table of Content
In the Box ... a quick overview of included parts
Sleek Hardware ... Details on the NX hardware
Hardware Summary ... The skinny on hardware
Software Galore ... Details on included software
Software Summary ... The skinny on Software
What about Palm's Tungsten? ... A comparison
Both Thumbs Up? ... the bottom line
Addendum (updates / additions)
In the Box
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Sleek Hardware
housing is very similar to the NR series with the exception of an added expansion slot (in addition to the memory stick slot), that holds the optional 802.11b wireless network card. Only suffering in thickness, the already not very small device gained another 6 mm over its predecessor. A penalty that may be not as significant since 73x140x24mm don’t fit in every pocket anyway. ... an argument that quickly looses steam when adding a protective case, especially an universal one which is usually oversized anyway. I deeply miss the sleek hard case of my old PalmV. Protection ($29.-) is recommended to keep it beautiful, as the housing may be magnesium, but still scratches easily when thrown in a pocket together with keys etc.. However, the screen is safe without due to the flip cover.
200 MHz . (Slightly faster than the Tungsten/T with 175MHz.) OS5 builds around the ARM technology and emulates the older Dragonball Z for compatibility of older software. According to Benchmark 2.0 (emulating), the NX is about 50% faster than a 33MHz processor found in 4.x PalmOS models. (Most likely due to non-native routines.)
resources and the increased memory (16MB RAM / 16 MB ROM) are very welcome (and necessary) to store and run new applications. (The hires also has a great part in the need for more storage.) Note that the Tungsten/T has 16MB RAM but only 4 MB of ROM!
screen had its premiere in the NR series and still represents the best display in any PDA currently available (whether PocketPC or PalmOS). The hires (320x480) contains 6 times the information of a regular lo-res (160x160) display and still 50% more than hires screens (320x320). The latter has been a Sony exclusive for more than a year until the recent introduction of the Tungsten/T. (The supported 65k colors became sort of standard whether hires or not. Nevermind the law suit against Palm Inc. regarding the M130 that displays only 58000 colors instead of the claimed 65k.) Visibility outdoors is good, but colors and contrast suffer a little. (Btw, the NR/NX sports twice the resolution of the PocketPC with 320X240)
swivel the screen 180 degree and use it as a TabletPDA. (The orientation of the picture changes according to the position.)
sound module and an integrated speaker, which is amazingly clear (considering the space it has to fit in). For instance, playing the Sony version of the latest Bejeweled!2.0 version brings the sound and looks of the PC version to the Palm. (A feast for eye and ear compared to other devices.)
microphone and recorder button. (Sampling rate: Longplay=8kHz / Normal=22kHz) Amazingly simple and reasonable sound quality makes the NX surprisingly versatile. The integrated DSP (as seen first in the PEG-N760) makes it possible, just like stereo replay of mp3 files, in good quality over the included head phones. The jack is universal, but the Sony version is best since it also sports a ‘remote’ control for the NX.
keyboard is a nice touch, and while not reaching the input efficiency of (external) full size keyboards ($89.-), it allows to have the Graffiti® area hidden and use the full screen for a program like the included DocumentsToGo 5 Standard. (Maybe with some more use I will reach better input speeds.) The buttons have good tactile feedback and the spacing is reasonable. However, the NX is a little heavy on the display side to have a comfortable way of holding in while using the keyboards. (International characters are not accessible over the keyboard.)
jog dial is standard within pretty much all Sony PDAs. The internal Lithium-ion polymer battery is good for several hours (3 - 4), and stands out from other handhelds due to the fact that it is removable. (Very good in case battery breaks or handheld gets wet.) Maybe one day, more potent batteries are offered for replacement.? Sony also reused the USB cradle from the NR series. This, however, points out a positive argument, only owners of the PEG-N series don’t share. All recent models by Sony use the same connector, and accessories like the external keyboard or the game pad are readily available from Sony. However, third party vendors are still a little slow in catching up.
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Hardware Summary
handicaps of the contender in the race for the PDA top. Further, the steep price is a good reason why not every user will immediately switch to these new handheld gems.
screen and swivel clam shell housing are excellent. Sony is apparently not willing to loose the crown for the most powerful PalmOS PDAs (and right now probably all handhelds). Keyboard , and polyphonic sounds as well as a powerful new processor in combination with a DSP are strong arguments for power users.
camera in the NX70 is good for basic needs but the 640x480 pixel resolution is not suitable for much more. Some users may find a reason to spend the extra $100.- but I did not. Then again, it's perfect for that snapshot, that otherwise would have been missed. (Since you may not have a camera with you everytime.)
accessories are not compatible. Good thing I had only a cable that connected my cell phone to it.
buttons hidden (for occasional use). Especially the standard function buttons (the NX sports the standard 6 keys) are not as easy accessible, since it always (!) involves opening the clamshell. Same applies for playing games.
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Software galore
standard applications that are included in the OS5 package is like repeating the same information over and over. Not much changed in any regard there and OS4.x users may wonder if anything did. Virtually identical are Address Book, Date Book, To Do List, Memo Pad, Card Info, Mail, Calculator, Security, HotSync, and the Palm Desktop 4.0.1 (for PC). Note that Sony did not include the latest revision of the Desktop (4.1). However, not to talk about the added Sony software would be a crime. It looks beautiful in hires and is very functional.
Audio Player: Converts the NX into a mp3 player. Due to the size of music files, the player doesn't even bother looking up the internal memory and plays only files from the memory stick. It will however seek thru the directories there and find any songs. The player takes advantage of the integrated DSP for decoding, since the CPU and bus would not be capable of playing songs in that quality. (The integrated recorder uses the same technology.)
CLIÉ™ Album: A new version that allows to sort and group pictures and videos pretty much like the name suggests.
CLIÉ™ Launcher: As seen in the picture, the NX comes with a new look, which by far is better than the standard PalmOS launcher. Some may argue they need more functionality, but for a bare launcher this oneis excellent (and quite beautiful). I am currently torn between Silverscreen and this one, though the first might win once the hires is fixed.
CLIÉ™ Mail: Is a noteworthy since it's the first included Palm mail application that does not (only) rely on HotSync and a PC to retrieve and send mail. The functionality is good and the outstanding feature is attachment of pictures or videos (1xRPT or hotsync suggested). However, it does not attach any file (as seen in Iambic Mail). It is the only mail application that uses hires (icons etc.) that I am aware of. (No small fonts though.)
CLIÉ™ Memo: A simple but effective memo pad that makes use of the whole screen and finally provides a usable sketchpad, a nice relief after the many but not very useful 3rd party attempts (in hires). Not to be confused with a paint or drawing program, this is the electronic version of a piece of paper and 3 color pens in 3 line thicknesses each. Nothing more, but not less either.
CLIÉ™ Paint: This program is listed online to be shipped with the Clie, but after looking 3 times and not finding it, I am convinced it's not included. (Must have been planned but in the end not made the cut ...)
CLIÉ™ Remote Commander: Good for you if you own name brand (especially Sony) AV equipment. In case you were looking for a universal remote control or simply tend to loose track of all the remotes in your home, this seems to be a good idea. The IR emitter is much improved over standard handheld versions and bridges greater distance.
NetFront 3.0: Installed it once and then had to remove it. Ever since it would not re-install correctly. Unclear where to find support as both Sony and Access (the maker of NetFront) have very (!!!) marginal customer support. (Btw, size matters and it is a whopping 2MByte for this browser.) ... Look towards the end of this review for the solution!
Picture/Video: Sony added these titles to enrich the multimedia functions of the OS5: CLIÉ™ Viewer, Movie Player, Movie Recorder, PhotoStand, Photo Editor. The Flash player allows to view Flash movies (or games) on the palm and is and integral feature of OS5.
Memory Stick: Backup, Export v.1.1 (for PC), Files and Import are little programs that allow to backup your PALM memory onto the removable media and restore while the others are used for managing files and importing them to the handheld without hotsyncing.
World Alarm Clock has been known from other Clie's (w/ OS4.1) and shows in a very attractive way, 3 time zones (freely configurable) and up to 5 alarms. This is by far the most beautiful clock I have seen so far for those who want a clock with alarm features only.
Value-added Software: While the name used to be misleading regarding the actual value of the software included (i.e. the PEG-N610C had nothing but demos, which can easily be downloaded from the internet), the trend is more towards bundeling these days. Anyway, OS5 packs DocumentsToGo in the standard version (Wordprocessor / Spreadsheet) and sony added a decent web browser as full versions. Now that is really value. The trial versions are mere marketing.
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Software summary
Graffiti® area (as pioneered by HandEra) allows space saving text entry, as it actually can be altered to a keyboard. That leaves 320x320 pixel for the actual software. (Or use the keyboard and access the full screen by hiding the Graffiti® area.) Excellent also is Sony's menu bar (bottom) that allows a quick overview of battery and speaker staus as well as basic navigation tools.
hires library . (I.e. Silverscreen, DateBk5, and Wassup are having problems dealing with the new fonts handling ... but either promised fixes soon) Bigger problems should be expected with software that is written directly for hardware. (i.e. most hires games) Fixes should be underway for recently supported titles. One may be out of luck for old ones that have been unhanged for a long time. (However good programming still works out regardless the age of the software.)
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What about Palm's Tungsten?
$499.- sticker price.
size going for it. It is still pocket sized and sports a slider that holds the buttons and reveals the Grafitty area when sliding it down. The buttons are new too. While the Zire had shortcomings, the Tungsten actually has an innovative 5-way cursor button and the standard 4 application buttons. Another plus for the Palm is the already integrated BlueTooth interface. (The Sony offers this option for the memory stick slot)
advantage is the crisp swivel hires screen 320x480, while the Tungsten finally caught on in the hires game (320x320) but cannot match the brilliance of the Sony.
software with the Clie than the Palm. The Sony software is a great addition and pretty much superior to Palm standard applications. (I wish OS5 came with the beautiful interface CLIE applications have.)
Tungsten/W , however, is a much more serious contender and with the build in wireless modem and keyboard, another good choice for the high end segment of Palm devices. (Only drawback here remains the screen, when compared to the NR/NX.) In fact, since it's 'only' 10% more expensive than the Tungsten/T, I wonder if it might canibalize the /T model considering the advantages. Then again, it's not OS5 or ARM equipped.
service is a big argument, the victory goes clearly to Palm Inc.. Just compare www.palm.com with www.sonystyle.com and one will find excellent updates and trouble shooting on the first while practically nothing on the latter. (I am not aware of ever seeing an update for any of Sony's included software. A few basic driver updates but no more. See http://www.ita.sel.sony.com/support/clie/nx60/softupdates/ for details.)
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BOTH THUMBS UP
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Addendum 11/18/2002:
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Update (28-Dec-2002):
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Update (04-Jan-2003):
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Update (08-May-2004):
Recommended: Amount Paid (US$): 470Recommended for: Gadget Lovers - Trendy and Hip
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