Designed with convenience in mind, TJ27 CLI•À? Handheld lets you take snap-shots anywhere as well as keep your hectic business and personal life organized. PEG-TJ27 features a high-resolution color screen (320 x 320 pixels) that displays images and fonts in fine detail. It comes with Palm OS 5.2 and 32MB internal memory so you can add more applications as needed. Enjoy virtually unlimited storage for additional applications and data using Memory Stick media and Memory Stick PRO media - access information on-the-fly with the easy-to-use Jog Dial navigator.
1 It's the best you can get for its price
I bought my Sony CLIE TJ27 back in August from a local Staples. I was looking at a Zire, but another person that was looking at the Sony TJ27 said that for about $30 more dollars I could get this one, which is much better. So I bought it for $160. From all the features it had, it was a steal.
I've had a GameBoy in the past so I know how easy it is to scratch screens on PDAs. So I bought some plastic cover sheets with it. They fit perfectly and the screen is in perfect condition. The Stylus it comes with is very, very comfortable and the whole handheld is just downright sexy. I also purchased a 250 MB memory stick for it, which was over half the price I paid for the actual handheld. I shouldn't have bought one so big, because the included CLIE Viewer is a real pain when you have tons and tons of pics.
The built in camera is one of the first things I became fond with. I now have thousands of pictures, most of which I would consider priceless, and I still have over 200 MB left of my 250 MB card. The pictures look fairly well on the handheld but have poor quality when viewed on a computer. But still, this isn't for the professional photographer, this is for the average guy that just wants to save his best memories in picture form. One thing that I don't like about the camera, however, is that it eats up the battery severely. When using the camera, it's "open lense, snap, shut lense". Otherwise you'll find yourself charging it twice a day.
It comes with a built in attractive CLIE Launcher, but since I'm an old guy, I'm used to the old generic Palm style launcher, so I stick to that. It also comes with the standard Palm software. The screen is absolutely amazing. Very clear, high resolution, and lots of colors. The processor is quite fast, as well.
I've also read about a few incidences where the screen has broke... even just from falling a couple of feet onto a carpet. I've put my CLIE through a LOT of abuse. I've dropped it many times. Just recently I tripped over the power cord and it fell four feet from my desk onto a concrete floor. No scratches, and it works just as good. I've also dropped on many other occaisions. My assumption is that in the incidences that the screen broke, there was nothing protecting it. I've had the plastic cover screen on it since the day I bought it. So the plastic probably provides additional reinforcement. I also use the "flap" that it comes with, so I think that has also saved me a couple times.
All in all, this is a great palm that I'd highly recommend to anyone that is on a low budget, but wants a great bargain. Although, there is one thing that I strongly dislike about the TJ27 and this is why I rate it four stars instead of five. When I turn it off and put it in my pocket, one of the "shortcut" buttons always somehow manages to get pressed, and then it turns on for two minutes until it shuts itself off. I believe that it's the flap pressing against the "Memo" button on the far right. But when this happens, it wastes about 15% of my battery.
2 Pretty to look at....
One of the things that originally attracted me to the Clie was its sleek styling and compact design, especially since I carry it everywhere I go. However, after the disappointing technical/customer service I've received from Sony (ignoring my e-mails) and the difficulty in finding a replacement stylus for this product, I would not recommend buying this handheld. Even if Sony is discontinuing its handheld line, they should have some sense of loyalty to their customers and continue to support their product. After going to four electronics stores and visting the Amazon and Sonystyle websites, I am still without a replacement stylus (extends & retracts) for this product. If customer service and ease in obtaining replacement parts is a consideration in your purchase of a handheld, don't waste your money on Sony.
3 back light does not work
13 months ago ago I bought a Sony clie tj-35
The back light doesn't work and I am told it from their tech support website it is going to cost me $124.00 to fix it.
I am going to buy a palm tungsten E. I feel I've been ripped off.
4 Product great; service lacking
If I were reviewing the unit alone, I would give it five stars. However, one must consider the whole package, including service and support, and here there are problems. When my Clie first arrived, the battery had a serious problem: it would drain from full to zero in less than 24 hours, whether I turned the unit on or not. So I was all excited to get the Clie, only to find that it was unusable. I sent it in and waited. After being without the thing for almost three weeks, it came back from the Sony service department with the same exact problem! To call this frustrating is an understatement. So I called and emailed and called again, getting various stupid suggestions (one Sony tech insisted that I was leaving the unit turned on 24/7--I am no Einstein but for cripes' sake I'm not THAT stupid!). So I sent it in AGAIN. And waited AGAIN. This time the gurus at Sony decided there really was a problem and--at my insistence--they replaced the Clie. Now it is working great and I love it. So buy the unit, but be ready for some battles if you need service!
5 SONY CLIE PEG-TJ27 USED
I bought a refurbished TJ27. It came in about 10 days. The problem I had was there was no installation CD or user manual. First time buying a refurbished item so I didn't realize there would be items missing. I contacted buyselltrades.com. I got some excellent help from a man named Bruce. He was quick to respond to my emails and kept in contact with me. He went the extra mile to get me a download of the installation software and I was able to get the user manual from the SONY site.
6 Well, they're right about the glass
This is a great product, except, as several other reviewers have noted, the glass is EXTREMELY fragile. Treat your Sony Clie like an egg. It cannot survive the abuse you are probably accustomed subjecting your PDA to. I have (well, now, had) mine in a padded leather case and dropped it about two feet onto brick. The snap that held the case closed pressed into the screen and the Clie is now toast. Now, keep in mind I practically ran over the first Palm I had and it was fine. You could drop kick one of those things down your driveway and it would survive unscathed. Not the Clie!
All that said, I loved this Clie so much I will probably buy another one. I would have to pay much more for similar features in a Palm, and I'm not willing to pay much more. However, this time I'll get one of those padded metal cases for it!
Really, those of you who have a Clie or are thinking of getting a Clie, it's a fabulous product but be very, very gentle with it. Nothing about it (glass, toggle, etc.) is built to last. If you don't break the sceeen, you might get 2-4 good years out of it, which is about all I'd expect from any handheld these days.
7 Better than a Palm Zire
I am new to the PDA marketplace and did some research before I purchased. I thought the Palm was going to be the best buy for my dollar. However, after only two days of using, there was a black line across my screen that wouldn't go away. I then talked to a few people and found the Sony Clie to be a great value for just a few dollars more. I LOVE MY CLIE -it does everything I wanted it to. I didn't buy it for the camera, so I doubt I'll use it for that purpose except occasionally. The battery life is awesome (way better than the Zire) and holds all the info I wanted it to. It's been a great addition for me. The only thing I need now is a hard case to put it in, so I can carry it around and not worry about any damage to the screen.
8 TJ27 - Fragile Glass
I've had my Clie TJ27 for 3 weeks and generally liked it. However, the glass cracked when I left it in my vehicle due to the heat (about 80 deg F) outside. Customer Service wasn't interested, claimed it had been abused because I left it in my vehicle and so not covered by the warranty! Also, the replacement glass was quoted at $130.
Just note that Customer Service/Warranty don't count for much on this product, spare parts/repair costs are "over the top" and the glass is fragile.
9 Poor Product Design - Worse Customer Support
I purchased the Sony PEG-TJ37 (identical to the TJ27 but with added WiFi) to replace my trusty old Palm 505. The key selling point was the high resolution screen and the WiFi 802.11b. The screen looked great even after I put a screen protector on it. The 802.11b left a lot to be desired... very slow. Web surfing was pitiful and hot synching via WiFi took 10 minutes. WiFi use also sucked up the battery. 30 minutes later and you needed to recharge.
Here's the real nightmare. 2 months after I bought the TJ37, Sony announces that they were bailing out of the handheld business. Great! Now the entire Clie product line is an orphan.
Then 1 month later my TJ37 slid off of a chair and traveled 1.5 feet to a carpeted floor. Much to my horror the screen cracked and lost all touch sensitivity. COME ON!... 1.5 feet to a carpeted floor! My previous 4 Palm's all took much worse wear and tear that this. A quick call to Sony's service and I was told that the repair would not be covered under the warranty. The charge would be $70 for a screen repair. I begrudgingly boxed up the unit and sent it in for repair. 10 days later I still had not heard from Sony so I called to check on the status. Now they tell me the screen charge is $138. The unit was $299 new. Why should I fix something that is this poorly designed? I requested that they return the unit. I'm out $299, but Sony is out several thousand dollars of my future electronics purchasing. I'm headed back to Palm for my next PDA (Treo 650?). Toshiba for my next television, Apple for my next computer. Canon for my next digital camera, Epson for my next scanner.
This will be my last Sony product.
10 good palm great buy
well i had a tugsten e but it broke so i was thinking of the palm zire 72 or the clie tj27 and i chose the 27. it has great features. the digital camera is preaty good. you have to get a memory stick for this palm it has alot of memory but not enough. also you can swich interfaces from the clie to the palm its preaty cool. the battery life is good better then my old one.
11 Lousy Software Support
If you want to synchronize with Outlook or Lotus Notes- you can't get your past appointments to show on the handheld. There is a patch provided for Outlook 2003 but not for 2002 which is what I have. I bought my handheld back in April, and just figured this out.
I don't know if Intellisync or Sony will help me since I haven't gotten a response from either one yet- but I am not holding my breath.
VERY FRUSTRATING
12 Very Pleased!
As a first time PDA buyer, the TJ27 is exactly what I was looking for. Essentially, I wanted a handheld device that would let me store, edit, create, and synchronize MS Word documents, keep an address book, memopad and scheduler, plus take a few snapshots without having to lug a full size camera around. Of course, these days, most PDAs will do all of the above, but I wanted something with an attractive design, plus good color resolution, a minimum of 32 megs internal memory, plus Memory Stick option, and at a resonable price. This particular model satisfied all of those needs.
Upon registering with Sony you're issued a code that allows you to download a free copy of Documents-To-Go Professional, the software that enables you to use MS Word and Excel documents on the PDA. The Clie installation disk comes with Data Export (lets you use the Memory Stick as a removable drive on your PC), Palm Desktop for Clie, HotSynch and much more. Unfortuntely, most of the additional software included is of the time limited or stripped down variety, most of which I decided not to load. So far, the unit has held up well, producing pictures that are adequate for emailing or viewing on the PC desktop, and documents that synch flawlessly with the originals on my hard drive. Both keypad and Grafitti Pad are functional and comfortable in relation to the overall size of the device, although using the Grafitti Pad takes some practice.
The only real drawback I see is that the battery can't be easily replaced by the user, however, it does fill up pretty quick after the initial charge. And I would have gladly paid an additional $20-$30 bucks to have a cradle (very difficult to find in the stores) included in the package rather than wires, but that's just a personal preference. Overall, I'm quite happy with this device.
13 Excellent version of old Palms + camera
This is basicly an old palm with more reliable software, the Sony name and support (lacking), a new (yet surprisingly poor) camera and a color screen. Moving from an M105 these are the only differences I see. Oh and syncing time is cut in 1/2. Still very fun and very sleek! Best cost-minded palm device out there now.
14 Great for the Price
I had a Handspring Visor Edge and the battery died on me, so, I thought it was about time to upgrade my PDA. I purchased the Sony PEG TJ27. I was shocked on how easy it was to convert all of my calendar and addresses information from my old PDA to my new one. The jog dial is very nice and the camera is a nice perk. The camera does not compare to a real digital camera, but it is fun to have. I do think that I should have paid the extra $100 to get the PEG TJ37 with the sound and wireless capabilities, but overall I enjoy my new PDA and I am very happy with my decision. As far as battery life, I have not yet tested, but it does require a lot more charging than the Handspring Visor Edge.
15 Solid, Reliable
The TJ27 isn't a terribly exciting PDA-it has no sound capabilities so it can't play MP3s or video (with audio)-even though the rest of the hardware is more than up to the task. What it does have is Sony's typically high build quality and reliability. The screen is excellent (and unlike most PalmOne models, it doesn't hum loudly, and the backlight can be toggled on and off).
The button layout is questionable. A jog dial sits between two left/right buttons in the location that most PDAs have either up/down buttons or a 5-way navigator. Depending on the program, the left/right buttons sometimes function the same as up/down buttons on older PalmOS models, and sometimes the jog dial and left/right buttons function the same as a 5-way navigator. The 4 application buttons are a bit too small, too close to the left/right buttons, and are connected together. (The calendar and address book buttons are connected, and the to-do and memo buttons are connected). So the layout isn't the greatest, but it does work okay.
The camera, as with all integrated cameras, is almost completely worthless, but since it doesn't really raise the price any, it's not a big deal.
System speed is excellent. The TJ27's 200Mhz i.MXL CPU (Motorola's ARM chip) benchmarks only 27% slower than Intel's 400Mhz xScale. Of course that power is basically complete overkill, especially since the TJ27 can't really play video, but programs like Documents to Go, and the basic PIM apps respond very quickly.
All in all, this is possibly the best "basic" PDA on the market right now. No audio, a somewhat strange button layout, but far better reliability than you'll get from other companies.
16 Good Value
I replaced my Palm 105m with the TJ27 shortly after the first of the year. It's a good value for the $200 price tag. Of course, it has the usual fearures such as addreess book, calendar, etc.
I also like the built-in digital camera (the picture may lack some quality, but it's quite good for everyday use). I also can give the back light screens high marks. The only two negatives are the battery has to be recharged frequently and unlike the plam there's no free built-in games. For your everyday use this is a great little unit. One last thing - their customer support: once you finally get through Sony's stupid phone menu and speak to a real live person, they are friendly and helpful. I had a small problem with the Hot Sinc and they fixed it right away.
17 SONY CLIE TJ27 vs. Tungsten E
The TJ-27 is SONY's response to the $200 Tungsten E. Since the TJ-27's price is slipping to below $170 it's easy to see who's winning in the marketplace.
The TJ-27's great strength is that it DOESN'T have PalmOne's hacked up extensions to the PalmSource OS. That's why I sold my T/E and bought the TJ-27. That's not to say it's a great product; there are no great pocketable PDAs available today.
(...)
18 DO NOT BUY A SONY CLIE TJ27!!!
The Clie TJ27 is a piece of garbage!!! I wish I had stuck w/Palm. Not only do very essential features not work, but Sony product support is worthless and time consuming. Here is a list of what is not working:
1. Power/Hold button does not correctly, therefore the screen backlight is always off. I've trouble shooted this w/Sony, the power button is not working correctly & they confirm this
2. The 'capture' button for the camera is inoperable.
3. Silk screen area is unresponsive, rendering this PDA worthless
4. Sony support sucks. As I write this, I have been on the phone w/them on hold for over 2 hours!
I have attempted to return the Clie to the place of purchase, but they would not take it because I bought it 38 days ago & their return policy is 30 days. NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A SONY PRODUCT ON ANY KIND!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY!!! GET A PALM OR HANDSPRING!!!
19 MAC Compatibility Update
I have had my TJ27 all of one day, so I am withholding the 5th star until I have a chance to get to know it better. But so far I love it! I had a Visor Prism, and this has all the functionality of that and more. With all that you get, including the camera (which I plan to use for info-gathering purposes rather than artistic ones), it does seem like a great deal.
REGARDING MAC COMPATIBILITY--The TJ27 will NOT sync to a Mac without MissingSync. I purchased the software online, downloaded it, and was able to sync my Clie all in about 15 minutes. The software is $30 ($40 if you need it on CD). Even with that, I consider the Clie an excellent deal.
20 Delighted first time PDA user
I researched PDAs fairly extensively before I settled on my Sony Clie TJ27. Well it has been about a month, and I am delighted with it so far. Originally I was interested in a Palm but was frightened away by all the negative reviews everywhere. My Clie came with free Dataviz software (upon registration of the product on the Sony website), including word, excel and "Slides to Go" (similar to Powerpoint) and I have had no trouble transferring data from files on my PC to my Clie and performing hot sync operations.
I've taken pictures (okay, you need to get fairly close to your subject with the 2x zoom limitation, but if you want topnotch photography, buy a digital camera). The only area needing improvement is the battery power. When you use the camera, it eats batteries faster than if you were just working with data. All in all, I love it and would highly recommend, especially to first time users who don't expect it to be their morning alarm clock (honestly, who would rely on a handheld for this); a top-notch digital camera or their desktop. It is what it is - a great value for the price.
21 Not a workhorse
This is the second handheld I've owned, the first one being a Handspring Visor Edge.
I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed with my new Clie. Although it has lots of memory, a nice backlit color display, and a Memory Stick interface, it's just not the workhorse my Visor Edge was. For one thing, the battery is just too puny to power the thing for any length of time (except perhaps when the backlighting is off, which makes it virtually unviewable). I could use my old handheld for reading e-books, and never worry about running out of juice. Not so with my Clie. And so far, Sony doesn't even offer the option of a beefier battery.
The alarms are also anemic, even at the highest volume. I could use my old handheld as an alarm clock. I wouldn't dare trust my Clie with that function.
Some of the native software, which I thought would be standard across the Palm platform, is inferior to my old handheld's. The Calc on the old machine did math, trig, finance, logic, statistics, wieght, temp, length, area, and volume--right out of the box. My Clie, with all its memory and computing speed does simple math. As another example, the cut-and-paste buffer in Memo Pad is so small that you can only copy short stretches of text. Why so stingy?
The PEG TJ27 just isn't the workhorse I'd hoped it would be. But I shot my wad, and I guess I'm stuck with it. Sigh...
22 Mac Compatible? +comments on camera, too
Hi,
I've read that it isn't Mac compatible and that you'll need MarkSpace.com's MissingSync software. BUT, try it and see first. Many Clies work fine with Macs WITHOUT needing MissingSync. Needless to say, MarkSpace doesn't mention this.
The camera is not as good as the PalmPix* (the 480x640 pixel one), but will focus closer (8" to the PalmPix's 36" ) and that might be part of the reason. It seems to be better than the Zire71's camera (by the way, 310,000 pixels is basically = 480x640 pixels, despite one reviewer's statement) both in terms of image quality and speed (less shutter lag and less time to wait before you can take another photo). *My tests were "run" at my local Circuit City so it may do somewhat better with more light present. Mine's due to arrive wednesday, though I hate forsake my PalmPix (attached to a m105), especially after constructing some closeup lenses for it. :(
By the way, I'm not a "PC Hardware Fan"; I'm a Mac user and have no idea how that got there.
Will
23 MAC Compatability
Check out www.markspace.com. They sell "The Missing Sync" software that makes Sony's Clie devices compatable with Macs. I am an avid mac user and have ordered both this and the PEG-TJ27...hopefully it works as well as reported. Hope this was helpful!
24 Sony Clie TJ27 Perfect for beginners!
This is my first handheld. I absolutely love it. The hotsync worked perfect with my computer without a hitch. It is light, convenient and very easy to use!!! The stylus is very thin and a little uncomfortable to hold, but I wound up buying a stylus that was pen-like and fits in my case perfectly and works with the clie with no problem. The photo feature is really cool too. It is not the best quality,but hey, when you a need a camera quickly, just snap a quick photo with the clie. It is easy to use, you can store photos on the handheld or use a memory stick and it's very convenient! My tasks, contacts and calendar sync quickly and easily with Microsoft Outlook. I don't think it will work with Express, but you may want to research that. I do all of my work on the computer and then sync it to the clie and boom, there's all the info! This is a great choice for a first time handheld...
25 Glad its not a Palm! - Good product
My Palm m500 died 2 months ago (never dropped, stoped working from one day to the next) and was very PO'ed with the COMPLETE lack of service from those fools - wanted to charge $100 to fix or 20% off high end replacements. I refused to purchase anything from them, but all programs/data backed up on "palm" device. So purchased this device.
Very good product for the price. Fast. Charge does not seem to last long 3-7 days depending on usage.
Love the Clie launcher program.
Only problem is with the stylist. It is retractable and it gets caught when taking it out. Going to see if there are other options.
Not rated 5 since too early to tell, but so far its great!
26 MAC COMPATIBLE?
ONLY I WANT TO KNOW IF THIS SONY IS MAC COMPATIBLE?
