A New Friend
Written: Jan 03 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Rechargeable, High-Res screen, Compact.
Cons: Need backlight all the time; Accessories harder to find than for Palms
The Bottom Line: Slick and powerful handheld. Lots of standard memory for the money. Rechargeable convenience. Nice and compact; fits the hand.
|
|
|
| noo-yawker's Full Review: Sony CLIE® PEG-SJ20 Handheld |
After many happy years of using a Day-Timer, recently I decided to try a PDA primarily to keep my on-line calendar and contact lists in sync.
My major requirements: Rechargeable, Palm OS, $200 max, Not color (to save power); Basic functions.
What a great machine this is! It's exceeded my expectations. Compact, it fits my hand (and shirt or jacket pocket) conveniently. It's got a nice sharp, high-density screen. I keep backlighting on all the time because it's just not visible to me otherwise. This doesn't bother me but obviously takes power so it's something you may want to check out yourself if it seems important.
I don't use the Jog Dial much but it's conveniently there for me when I want it. Although there is a "back" (last screen) button, most software doesn't yet take advantage of it so pressing the button usually takes me back to the Home menu. The stylus snaps into its resting place easily and stays there.
The standard 16MB memory offers a lot of head-room and the SJ-20 comes with Palm OS 4.1; Two pluses.
I've found other Palm software and have expanded my world of options. I bought Agendus (Iambic Inc.) to enhance the calendar and address book and Thought Manager (Hands High Software), an outliner, to use instead of Notepad. Both add extra features over the standard applications.
Drawbacks: Nothing major. Graffiti, while easy to learn, is tediously slow when there's more than a word or two to write. (I really don't want to carry around a keyboard.) Accessories aren't as easy to find for Sonys as they are for Palms or more common brands.
Although I miss the nice tactile sense of my Day-Timer, I don't regret switching and I do like the convenience of synchronizing my calendar to my PC and carrying lots of information on my PDA. The Clie SJ-20 was a good choice for features, convenience, and value. It's a new friend.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 160
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID: noo-yawker
|
|
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
|
|
|