Sony's Clie NR70VG boasts features normally only found as add-ons to existing PDAs. Will the concept of a PDA with the lot convince customers to bite down?
Sony products typically have eye catching design, and the NR70VG is no exception. Its main hook is its multifunction screen, which has a unique twisting mechanism that allows it to act as a clamshell, fliptop or ordinary front facing PDA. It's a neat trick, but again we suspect that it'll get the most use when you're showing it off to friends; in real world usage we found we tended to use it flip-top style most of the time. We're also somewhat concerned about the robustness of the turning screw; it only turns in one direction. Twist it too hard in the other direction and you'll have a two-piece PDA with serious functionality problems.
The PDA design is enhanced with the super-slim PDA cradle, although we did encounter several problems with the cradle in actual use. The NR70VG is very slim, and so is the cradle connector, and bringing the two into alignment proved tricky. Get this wrong, and the Clie won't sync or charge properly. Also vexing was the position the stylus is stored in. Because the screen rotates, the Clie stores its stylus in the base of the unit -- right where you can't get to it if the Clie is docked.
Part of the way the NR70VG attempts to woo potential customers is by integrating a number of features that are normally sold as addon devices for other PDAs. There's the inbuilt keyboard for a start. While devices like the Treo 180 might come in either Graffiti or keyboard variants, the Clie supports both. We found ourselves using Graffiti more than the keyboard, which like many keyboards that are shrunk to fit PDA dimensions, was too small to consistently type quickly with.
The Clie also boasts an inbuilt camera. It's a cute inclusion, right down to the obligatory sound file of a camera shutter, and acceptable for taking very simple photos at the drop of the hat. It's all part of Sony's claim that the NR70VG is more than a business unit. Certainly, the business case for a tiny camera is pretty slim.
Sony also loads up the NR70VG with plenty of bundled software. Remote Commander allows the NR70VG to be used as a remote control, athough it's worth reading the manual beforehand; it took us some while to sort out how to set up individual component profiles. Clie Paint is a simple, MS-Paint style application, and media player allows imported MP3 or ATRAC3 files to be played back via the supplied headphones. They're of the predictably awful bud type, but come with a clip-on remote for audio control. The end of the remote can also double as an emergency stylus. With the NR70VG screen off, Sony claims seven hours of playback time, making the NR70VG a decent MP3 player as well. Sound quality with better headphones was very good, although the usual chore associated with transferring files via Sony's proprietary software -- in this case SonicStage LE -- reared its ugly head once more. The other catch is that music must be placed on memory stick, not internal memory, and the NR70VG doesn't actually come with a memory stick; that must be purchased seperately.
The NR70VG has much to recommend it, but sits in a curious position for a lot of its target markets. Existing Palm users will be mostly impressed by its features, but left with little in the way of an upgrade path from their existing Palm, as the unit is memory-stick dependent. Existing Palm users are also probably wary of investing in a new PDA right at the moment, with Palm OS 5 due to ship very soon.
In terms of taking on Pocket PC devices, the NR70VG certainly packs a punch. Its battery life is still the envy of every Pocket PC we've ever examined, and the inclusion of multimedia features such as audio playback move it beyond the standard Palm organiser routine.
For anyone pondering dipping their toes into the world of PDAs, the NR70VG has a lot going for it. The concept of a PDA with everything is a good one, as long as you'll use more than 50% of the everything more than 50% of the time; otherwise a cheaper unit that can be discreetly upgraded may be better suited to your needs.
Sony CLIE PEG-NR70VG
Company: Sony Australia
Price: AU$1,349
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1300 13 7669
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