Sony Clie PEG-NR70V

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.

Author: Tim Danton