Product Reviews

Is it immoral to fall in love with a small electronic device? If so, I could be in big trouble, because Sony has surpassed itself with the NR70V. This compact little PDA has everything you need in a personal organiser, while adding all those extras that Sony is so fond of to make it an object of desire.

The most eye-catching extra is the design itself. Not content with a flip-up protective cover, Sony has developed a novel swivelling lid that includes the TFT screen. When you're travelling you put the lid in the closed position for protection; to use it as a traditional Palm-style device you swivel the screen round; and to access the integrated keyboard you flip up the lid.

And yes, I did just say keyboard. This is a huge bonus for all those who hate handwriting recognition and have steered clear of the palmtop design for exactly this reason, especially now that Psion has departed from the PDA scene. But it's unlikely that the ultra-compact design will lure away anyone who's mastered Graffiti, because it's slightly frustrating to use. The keys are tiny, the apostrophe and number keys can't be accessed without pressing a function key and there's only one Shift key.

But, as a non-Graffiti expert, I admit that I like it. I made fewer mistakes and entered text faster. Even though it's not as good as the keyboard on Sharp's Zaurus SL-5500 (see Reviews, issue 93, p124), it's a great inclusion.

Sony doesn't stop there with its radical design overhaul. The NR70V also boasts a brand-new screen with a magnificent 320 x 480 pixel resolution. The extra space is due to the Graffiti area being sacrificed - this now appears on-screen instead - but if an application wants to use the full screen it can. However, only Sony's PhotoStand currently takes advantage of this.

A bright backlight helped the screen to be readable in every light condition we could throw at it - it's undoubtedly the finest screen we've seen on a Palm-based device. Its only problem is uneven brightness near the top of the TFT.

So

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Sony has revolutionised the design, screen and keyboard, but was it content to stop there? No way. First, note the integrated camera - visible as a rotating wheel next to the power button. Activating it is as easy as pressing the capture button, which is conveniently placed for your left-hand thumb. Don't expect amazing images, though, with resolutions limited to 320 x 240 - these photos are for emailing rather than printing.

We should also mention the new 66MHz processor. If you already own a 20MHz or 33MHz Palm device, you'll notice the difference, with applications springing open with added zest. Sony is also generous enough to include 16Mb of RAM, with expandability via the Memory Stick slot.

The CLI's final claim to fame is arguably even better, because with very little effort it becomes an MP3 player. This feature comes courtesy of a sound chip and the bundled earphones (which include a remote control). You just have to transfer your music to a Memory Stick (a 128Mb stick costs around £70 plus VAT) and press the play button on the earphones' integrated remote control. Sound quality is exemplary, even if the usability of Sony's bundled music management software isn't.

Lots of the other software bundled with the CLI has a leisure angle as well. There's PictureGear Pocket for viewing still images, Remote Commander for using the NR70V as a remote control, plus gMovie for playing videos. Another big bonus is Documents To Go 4 Standard Edition, which allows you to edit Word and Excel files on the move - particularly relevant now a keyboard is integrated into the device.

Of course, this wouldn't be a Sony PDA if it didn't look stylish, and despite the CLI's huge variety of uses it remains a sleek device. The silver finish looks just as good in reality as it does in the photos, while the swivel screen adds even more to its wow factor. It also offers reasonable battery life. With the backlight on, it lasted for seven days, being used for roughly 30 minutes per day. And as an MP3 player, with the display off, Sony claims it will last for up to seven hours.

As I admitted at the start, I love this PDA. It kicks all other Palm-based devices into touch, but at a price. With £340 to play with, you can buy Toshiba's 12mm-thick e310 (see Reviews, issue 93, p123), while the superb Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 costs £39 more. Which to buy depends on what you want from your PDA - if work is your prime motive, buy the e310. If you're after a powerful, highly programmable machine, choose the SL-5500. But if you want simplicity and plenty of entertainment, go for the NR70V.