Sony's CLIE PEG-TG50 is more than just a pocket organiser but not quite the cream of the crop. Is this the handheld you have been waiting for? Find out in our Australian review.
The CLIE PEG –TG50 is Sony´s upper middle class handheld. It's powered by an Intel PXA250 200 MHz processor and priced at AU$850. At that price point users expect a bit more bang for their buck than the average handheld device and the Sony device offers those extras with enhanced multimedia features including MP3 support, a built-in keyboard and a relatively large colour screen all with the convenience of a relatively small and light device.
The PEG –TG50 has a distinct stylish look with a brushed metal finish and from initial glances is one of the finest looking handhelds to walk into our offices for review. Though the device looks rather metallic and has a flip-top it is relatively light at approximately 175 grams and measuring in at 7 x 12 x 2cm it is not the smallest handheld on the market.
Running on Palm´s OS 5 the PEG-TG50 has a relatively large TFT screen capable of 320x320 resolution depth and 65,536 colours. On the left hand side is a nice scroll wheel and a Record button for the voice recorder that is convenient for use when the flip top is down. Also on the left side is the power hold switch that is a welcome feature for some users as it means buttons cannot be accidentally pressed.
Along the top of the handheld is the Memory Stick slot along with the headphone jack, Bluetooth and Infrared sensors. Like other Sony devices the Bluetooth light flashes when enabled. It's good to know it's working, but at the same time it's seriously distracting while you're actually trying to work on the PEG-TG50.
Keyboards are becoming very popular as inbuilt PDA devices, and whether you'll like the keyboard on the PEG-TG50 a matter of pure preference; we'd suggest a road test prior to purchase. The backlit QWERTY keyboard sits below the screen and looks rather small to use as a proper keyboard. The buttons are well laid out and easy to press even for rather chubby-fingered users. In saying that, some of the keyboard features are difficult to use when one has to use the SHIFT or CTRL keys.
With the ability of this handheld to play both MP3 or ATRAC3 sound files and MPEG movies it surprised us that no headphones or Memory Stick were supplied with the PEG-TG50. However in saying that the sound quality through our headphones was very good and the picture clarity while playing movies was equally well executed for such a small display. A memory stick will be essential to the use of this handheld and will increase the cost of buying a PEG-TG50. For such a device we would recommend a Memory Stick of at least 64MB capacity(~AU$110) to take advantage of the multimedia capabilities or 16MB(~AU$70) if users are going to use the PEG-TG50 for business applications only.
The PEG-TG50 comes with a rechargeable cradle for syncing the device to your PC via USB. While USB is fine for small file transfers between your PC and handheld, larger multimedia files did take an extended time to transfer and it would be nice to see a PDA vendor embrace USB 2.0 or Firewire.
The PEG–TG50 features an internal Lithium-ion rechargeable battery. In a week's intensive testing we didn't manage to fully exhaust the battery, which gives a good indication of the power of the battery. Sony rates it capable of up to 11 days usage of an average 30 minutes per day, and we put it through tougher paces than that.
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.
Overall the Sony Clie PEG –TG50 is a practical, well priced and stylish handheld that will be your organiser, MP3 player and office on the road. It would have been nice if Sony did include some extras that would enhance the multimedia capabilities such as headphones and a Memory Stick but overall the PEG –TG50 will be good buy for those looking for a bit of fun from their handheld experience.
Sony Clie PEG-TG50
Company: Sony Australia
Price: AU$850
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1300 137 669
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