Sony CLIE PEG-TG50
The TG50 offers an integrated keyboard and Bluetooth connectivity.The TG50 isn't the top end of Sony's PDA line, but it is the cheapest unit to offer integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity. It's also the only PDA in our roundup to offer an integrated keyboard, something that the graffiti-challenged may find compelling.
Sony has higher-end units, such as the NZ90G, which tops the scales at a whopping AU$1,699, but if you just want a keyboard enabled PDA the TG50 is a solid choice. The TG50 is powered by Intel's older PXA250 200MHz processor and Palm OS 5. While 200MHz might seem a little underpowered compared to the 400MHz processors that PDAs such as the Axim or iPAQ sport, the Palm OS is generally more processor efficient, especially considering it wasn't that long ago that the fastest Palm processor ran at a paltry 33MHz.
The unit bears a brushed metal finish, and thanks to the integrated keyboard and Bluetooth antenna, has virtually no surface that isn't adorned by extra buttons. Aside from the keyboard, you get a jog dial and a large back button (much larger than that on the SJ-22G), four very thin application buttons and a so-thin-it's-useless selection rocker. Owing to the headphone socket at the top of the unit, the PDA stylus slots in upside-down on the side of the TG50, an arrangement likely to lead to a dropped stylus; that's exactly what had happened to the test unit Sony provided us with. For what it's worth, the stylus that comes with the SJ-22 fits quite nicely.
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PDAs
Introduction 1. Dell Axim X5 2. HP iPAQ h1910 3. HP iPAQ h5450 4. Palm Tungsten C 5. Palm Zire 71 6. Sony CLIE PEG-SJ22 7. Sony CLIE PEG-TG50 8. Toshiba e350 9. Toshiba e750 Editor's choice |
Sony pitches the PEG-TG50 as an MP3 player, capable of playing MP3 and ATRAC files. It does a fair job of this, although there are some catches. For a start, there's no supplied headphones, and the software supplied is a touch confusing to get to grips with.
The TG50 offers Bluetooth connectivity, although there are two catches with this. The first is rather minor; an alert light flashes when Bluetooth connectivity is enabled and it gets quite distracting if you're working on other tasks. More importantly, as with many other Bluetooth-enabled devices, it can be frustrating trying to get devices to connect and talk properly; we had no luck in our test period in getting the Bluetooth enabled iPAQ H5450 and TG50 to even see each other. Conversely, the much older technology behind the IR port worked flawlessly.
As we noted in our original review, the PEG-TG50 is bundled with a CD full of extra software, but it's a tough call working out what's mandatory and what's strictly optional. For example, the Sonic Jukebox software supplied with the TG50 is meant to simplify transferring audio to the PDA, but never once detected that the unit was plugged in while we were testing it. The user manuals are also found on the included CD however it must be noted that although the basic use of the PEG -TG50 is shown more advanced features are not included in the manuals. You can buy an advanced manual on the US Sony web site for US$9.95, at least in theory. We're not fond of the concept of paying AU$850 for a PDA only to find out that we need to spend another US$10 on the manual, but it may be a moot point -- the US Sony site doesn't appear to accept Australian credit cards, and the local Sony site doesn't sell the manual at all.
While they're not the only PDAs on the market with integrated keyboards, if we had to make the choice between the TG50 and Palm Tungsten C, we'd plump for the Tungsten; it is more expensive than the TG50, but the added memory and WiFi connectivity, along with a faster processor, make for a more compelling purchase.
Sony CLIE PEG-TG50
Company: Sony Australia
Price: AU$849
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1300 137 669
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I am interested only in limited features in a PDA like the Phonebook, Birthday or Anniversary date storages etc. etc.
So which pDA do you recommend me to have that should have some high Battery backup and long-life warranty?