Sony CLI PEG-TH55

Sony releases CLIs at such a pace you'd be forgiven for rolling your eyes at the sight of another one. But the PEG-TH55 is something special. In fact, this is the best CLI yet.

Take the design. Quite apart from looking fantastic - only the transparent, smoked-glass style flip lid won't be to everyone's taste - it measures just 13mm thick and the whole unit feels robust. The 320 x 480 resolution TFT is equally gorgeous, with natural colours that mean photos look great.

But the TH55 isn't just for showing off photos: it can take them too. Sony squeezes a camera into the back of the unit, able to capture images up to 640 x 480 in size. As ever, the small lens and limited resolution mean photos are better suited to web use than printing, but we appreciate the lens cover to protect it when on the move.

There's even a practical use for the camera, thanks to Sony's clever built-in software. If you meet someone for the first time, you can take a photo of them then add that to their entry in the enhanced Contacts program. Plus, you can take a photo, record a voice note or write a note on screen, then drag the item into the DateBook. This bears no resemblance to the standard Palm fare, with a day view that takes full advantage of the large screen.

Sony has enhanced all the organiser-related apps in a similar manner, and it's now possible to flick between them thanks to tabs at the right of the screen. You can even use the Jog Dial - located at the back of the device - to navigate through entries without the telescopic stylus (made more useful by the transparent cover, so you can just pull the CLI out of your pocket and look at the information).

The sole drawback to the software is that the CLI can be sluggish when switching between tabs, but generally we found it to be very nippy. Much of this is due to the Sony processor, which automatically adjusts its frequency depending on the demands of the active application. This helped the TH55 last a staggering 17 hours, 35 minutes when we set it idling with the backlight on low.

If you want to listen to music, expect five hours from a full charge - just start the tracks playing and switch the power button to Hold, which automatically turns off the screen. Note, though, that Sony doesn't include headphones in the box, and you can't just drag and drop MP3 files to the Memory Stick (again, none is provided - and note that it must be a MagicGate stick for copyright protection reasons), as Sony would like you to convert all your songs to its own ATRAC format.

There's no docking station in the box either, just a USB synchronisation cable, but we can't fault the TH55 for communication: infrared is kept company by both 802.11b WLAN and Bluetooth. And with NetFront 3.1 on hand for web browsing and CLI Mail for accessing POP3 email, there's everything here for people who need to keep in touch on the move.

We still wouldn't recommend this PDA for business deployment, as it takes time to understand Sony's way of thinking and even longer to work out what all the buttons do. But for anyone looking for a personal PDA, and who will take advantage of the CLI's numerous features, this is the machine to buy. Just beware that you must wait until March for it's full release.

Author: Tim Danton