The Palm Powered PEG-NX70V CLIE handheld is Sony's most powerful handheld yet, featuring the Palm OS v. 5.0 as well as an ARM-compliant 200 MHz CPU for enhanced overall performance and exceptional multimedia experience. PEG-NX70V comes equipped with a built-in digital camera (310, 000 effective pixels) for taking digital pictures and video. The camera resolution has been improved to 640 x 480 pixels (VGA) with an option to save the images on Memory Stick media in JPEG format. Furthermore, PEG-NX70V will record and playback video (MPEG-4) and store it on Memory Stick media. PEG-NX70V is equipped with a wireless communication slot for adding optional wireless LAN (802.11b) card. Browse the Web, check emails and synchronize data wirelessly with your PC via wireless local area network (LAN access point sold separately and Internet service provider required). This CLIE also incorporates a voice recorder feature to record and playback voice memo.
The Palm-powered PEG-NX70V Clié handheld comes equipped with a built-in digital camera (310,000 effective pixels) for taking digital pictures and video. The camera resolution has been improved to 640 x 480 pixels (VGA) with an option to save the images on Memory Stick media in JPEG format. Furthermore, the PEG-NX70V will record and play back video (MPEG-4) and store it on Memory Stick media.
The PEG-NX70V is equipped with a wireless communication slot for adding an optional wireless LAN (802.11b) card. Browse the Web, check e-mails, and synchronize data wirelessly with your PC via wireless local area network (LAN access point sold separately and Internet service provider required).
Display
The PEG-NX70V features high resolution on its 320 x 480 pixel backlit color display, which can display over 65,000 colors.
Operating System
The Sony Clié PEG-NX70V is powered by Palm OS 5.0 for more processing power, multimedia features, wireless connectivity, and higher security than OS 4.1.
Extra Software
The PEG-NX70V comes with the following Sony software: Audio Player, Clié Album, Clié Camera, Clié Mail, Clié Memo, Clié Remote Commander, Clié Viewer, Flash Player 5, Image Converter 2 1.0 (for PC), Memory Stick Backup, Memory Stick Export 1.1 (for PC), Memory Stick Files, Memory Stick Import, Movie Player, Movie Recorder, PictureGear Studio (for PC), PhotoStand, Photo Editor, SonicStage LE 1.5 (for PC), Sound Converter 1.0 (for PC), Sound Utility, Voice Recorder, and World Alarm Clock
Compatibility
The Sony Clié PEG-NX70V is compatible with Windows 98 SE, 2000 Professional, Me, XP Home, and XP Professional editions.
In the Box
The Sony Clié PEG-NX70V comes with a USB HotSync cradle, stylus, AC Adapter, stereo headphones, remote controller, plug adapter, plug adapter attachment, hand strap, installation CD-ROM, beginner's guide, add-on application guide, End User License Agreement, Graffiti sticker, and limited-warranty statement.
1 Good not Great
I think it's pointless to go on and on when writing a review so I'm gonna keep this short:
The Sony clie peg-nx70v is one wonderful piece of equipment.
I found that I extremely liked some of it's features like the compact design with the rotating screen, the thumb keyboard, the icon lay out, the camera/video recorder, and the voice recorder.
However, I rate it only good not great because of the annoying weight, how prone it is to being damaged, it's batery which tends to die rather quickly, and it's price.
Overall, I recomend the Sony clie peg-nx70v to most anybody!
2 me and my Clie
This thing has more buttons & bells than I'll ever use! I'm glad I bought a book "How to use Your Clie". The included paperwork doesn't begin to explain everything you can do. Screen display is sharp & clear. I like using Graffiti to enter data rather than the keyboard. (You have three entry methods to choose from.)
3 Great product
Unbelievable technology!!! Great sony software to improve the useability and increase the features available. Incredible leadership by Sony, very innovative. I purchased mine for $299 a display model at a local retailer, I had a 32 mb memory stick from a video camera I had, I have only had the CLIE for a few days but its wonderful, I have not tried to sync it yet, for mac you need the program the Missing Sync for 30$ you can download it I haven't yet, but I have read good reviews and it seems like a solid program.
No complaints, it seems that something like this should costat least $1500. The software that Sony provides for it is excellent Bravo Sony!!! I purchased the Zire 71 which is also an excellent product at a great price around $249, but if you can get the Sony for anywhere close to $369 or more its still a great deal.
4 Great Product
I have had one of these since they came out. I havent had any problems with it except a stuck pixle. I purchased mine from a retail store with the warrenty so i had it replaced.
5 Superb!!!
Sony hit a home run with this model of the PDA. This is my 8th PDA, and it's far and away the best. The display is very readable. The colors are great and really pop!! The machine is very customizable. The operating system is an improvement over the past offerings. I realize that Palm produced the basic OS, but Sony has added a lot of value for buyers of this most excellent machine. It's fast and accurate. YOU ROCK SONY!!!!!
The only drawback is that it doesn't use the Memory Stick Pro specification. But that's just a matter of a difference in specification maturity.
It can still use the 128 MB and 256 MB (128 MB x 2). It is enough storage for most folks.
The 70 is a splendid machine.
6 darn good pda
Bought it just before it got discontinued for such a great price($320US) from amazon!!!!!! I love its features, the mp3, clie launcher, camera, photo editor and photostand, the list goes on and on. *calming down and collecting thoughts*
It has a wonderful 320x480 screen thats very bright (depending on how you set it),
i use the keyboard frequently, despite my initial prediction.
after managing to get a few hacks, i put some great applications on it and it works great!!
Jogdial and back button combo is excellent, very useful
Battery life initially was so so, but as the days wore on and i charged it more, battery life gained substantially. After using it the whole day (mp3, video, games) stil had 35%.
Cons include the poor resolution of camera, and even poorer video, we're talkin webcam quality here. The other con is the ram, at just 16mb, its a little low compared to the nx80.
If you want a better camera, head for the NZ90 or NX80. If you want more ram, go for the NX80.
Overall, this is a wonderful pda, easily one of the best buys i have ever made.
7 Great Product for its Price
This is an awesome product, has great features. The camera works well except in the dark. if you buy a 128mb memory stick, you can do wonders with this thing.
I would definitely suggest buying this product from amazon.com.
8 Great Step up for the price
Up until this purchase, I was using a low end sony clie, sparingly. The NX70V is well worth the money. it is a handheld that makes sense and will be used everyday.
Things I like:
1)Excellent, read-able screen
2)Thumbwheel and back button on the side are very functional. They make the clie useable without the stylus.
3)Taking pictures and videos. Quality is quite good on pictures, and passable on videos.
4)Palm Reader software is great for reading books(separate software)
5)JFILE is the best program for databases (purchase separately)
6)Acceptable battery life.
7) Still fits in the shirt pocket, however, one should keep the camera end down in the pocket, otherwise it falls out of the shirt pocket if one bends over.
8)Durable - Can take a bounce off of concrete (see #7)
Annoyances -
1)Must have a smart card and card reader to make the NX70V useable. Your memory is out in just a few pictures. Very upset with Amazon for not including the smartcard and reader on the accessories list. I felt lied to.
2) MS Export does not work. Could be my computer, but I doubt it. Why don't these items work as card readers themselves?
9 FANTASTICBULOUS Sony
My first PDA, but i've been reading about them for a long time and seeing others use one. I shopped around a lot, for a portable device that is a "classic" PDA + camera, MP3 player, e-book reader, and (dream...) mobile phone! I do a daily train commute and wanted to read.
There is no single PDA out there today (Aug 2003) that does all these well AND is also a phone at a reasonable price. The strangest is the current Palm lineup! The Zire has a camera and color screen but no browser, ... The Tungsten is a phone but has no camera, etc... All the displays are pathetic.
The Sony NX-70V is all of these minus the phone. It is FABULOUS! Great engineering, great usability. Great display, the OS and the processor (200 MHz) are fast enough that when you are using the camera in movie mode, the screen renders fast and is not choppy. The swivel display is fantastic. The Graffiti area pulls down to use the full screen! (Not many applications support this currently) The backlight is great.
The great touch is the headphone with the clip-on basic remote control for MP3. It supports start/stop, skip, and volume. Best of all, it starts the music up without having to put the PDA on. Sony has provided a hold switch on the PDA that turns off the display and conserves power when you are not viewing it. I would suggest that they incorporate a pin (as on laptops) that is activated when the display is shut. More in a later review ...
10 great product- highly recommend
I thought getting a still and video camera as part of the PDA was a waste, but it is probably the feature I appreciate and use the most. You might be at a birthday party, or an office meeting, or a ball game and you might want to capture the unexpected moment. I highly recommend this product.
11 Great PDA, Recommendable.
Great PDA, beautiful design, light weight, excellent screen.
I can take pictures, and sent it through internet (with wireless
connection) in seconds. Plus, lot of software for almost anything.
I am a satisfied customer.
12 Sony is cool.
I bought this as a replacement for my Handera 330. I held off on replacing my Handera because it had several features others didn't have, that is to say, dual expansion, virtual graffiti area, and a voice recorder. However, the NX70V came along and boasted all of these features, except for dual expansion, which was quickly remedied soon after purchasing the Eruware driver. Now I can do more than I ever could with a Handera 330. The color screen is amazing, The HiRes+ allows for great detail in my pictures and and movies. I have a 128MB Memory Stick and a 256MB CF card, and both are nearly full with MP3s and the like. I no longer need a CD burner to carry my favorite tunes with me, I can just load them onto my Clie and I'm ready to go.
That being said, there are a select few problems with the device. There is, of course, the battery problem. This Handheld has the stamina of a kid with asthma on a treadmill. The casing also has the proclivity to become all scratched and junk just from being kept in a pocket, thus I had to buy a cheap aluminum case to keep it safe.
All together, the Sony Clie PEG-NX70V is the closest I have yet seen to a perfect handheld. It's the sure way to impress your geek friends.
13 AWSOME CLIE MUST GET
this clie is awsome, the colors are really clear, the keyboard is nice and is it just me or is it actually true the clie dosent seem that big when u get it, the battery life is no good though maybe like 4 hours at most playing music in hold or playing a game
the clamshell design thats holding up the screen seems to get a bit looser but no worries stil stable, read on forums that this is normal unless you want to take it apart and tighten it. stil relly nice clie. the music is great gives you the option of using bass, bass two, bass three. the supplied remote control is great also. keyboard is kinda hard to use though, even with my teenager sized fingers sometimes its stil hard to type there, (pressing wrong keys and all that), stil beats grafitti even though i already memorized all the grafitti charcters. hotsync operations are a breeze. THANKS AMAZON FOR THE GREAT EXPERENCE!
14 Alright, but Better Ones Coming Up
I got this PDA rather late, just before the release of the NX73 and NX80. As it is with technology, I had barely even won my first freecell game on this PDA when I was drooling again over the new NX models and wishing I'd held back my purchase.
On the whole, the NX70 has great features - a built-in digital and video camera, voice recorder, MP3 player etc, but quality is compromised by quantity. The digicam takes fairly decent photos, but works only in perfect lighting; video recording resolution is far too low and that lessens very much the fun of watching playbacks.
You'd need a memory stick (MagicGate compatible) to be actually able to make use of the NX70's multimedia functions, so factor in the cost of a memory stick when you decide to purchase the PDA. It also helps if you have a memory stick drive in your notebook computer for fast and easy transfer of data. I've had some problems with Memory Stick Import and Export that I haven't been able to sort out yet.
15 Great
Great gadget. The only reason I gave it four stars is that the battery life is pretty poor. I highly recommend buying a battery charger for this while on the road, especially if you plan on taking pictures or voice recording.
16 Sony Refuses to Learn From Their Past Mistakes
I was convinced that this device or its big brother the NZ90 would be the best thing since sliced bread for the student or businessman alike. Then I discovered Sony was up to its old proprietary tricks again by utilizing only their memory stick and no other method of storage such as the commonly used, less expensive, and easily procured CF or SD cards. When will Sony realize this type of marketing only reduces the number of sales and increases buyer animosity. Due to this tactic, I opted for the Toshiba and have not been disappointed yet.
17 A Quick Review - see Cliesource for more
This is a 200mhz computer so expect some complexity - you will need to read directions and ask questions at CLie Source and sites like that. But, it is great. Have had mine for three months now.
Nice big screen - makes the other pdas look so tiny.
This one is not too big to put in your pocket, but I could see someone wanting the TG50 or the new Tungsten C just cause of the size.
It can use a compact flash card now thanks to Eruware!! I have 300 mp3s on my pda.
The dependability of Palm software with Pocket PC specs!
This will soon be old technology, but for now - May 2003 - it is great!
18 Great! More memory!
Love it. I think it is right sized and priced for the basic features: largest screen, MP3 play, camera, etc.
Camera-Initially I wasn't that psyched but I found it great when traveling. I can take photos/movies casually and I can swap photos by e-mail with my wife. Resolution and quality aren't super but they are right for this device.
Voice recorder is easy to use and works well. Recording from my pocket I can hear people throughout a meeting room.
Memory-you need to buy a couple of memory sticks. At least 256M x 2. Keep one with just music and the other with photos and any apps you can move out of system memory. System memory should be 16M larger (you get 11M useable). The problem arises when you load up software to browse web, e-mail, etc. with your WLAN card--internal memory is filled completely and no workspace remains. I don't think you could even load all the applications included if you wanted to. Many of the apps software can only run internally so you end out with this great device and cool features that are useable only by carefully loading/unloading/arranging the memory--not for the average Joe.
Sony charges extra for web tech support/training. Manual covers the PDA nicely but the massive amount of software included and needed to use the features is not covered by the manual.
File system is primitive because Palm really didn't need a file system--each app was one file on internal memory. Now, that's all changed. For example, you could have movies on internal memory or on memory stick and in a folder of your own or of the application. Sometimes it won't play a movie because there is no way to navigate and it doesn't look everywhere for files. You will just have to keep moving it around until you find the right spot.
WLAN sucks the battery down. There is no hope of working all day, maybe a few hours. Also, it sticks out. Really should have 802.11a/b/g built-in to a package the size of the NX70V and it should run for a long meeting.
What's missing? Should have a vibrator alert, should have 16M more memory, should be 400MHz (just to match Palm), MS Import should be bidirectional (memory stick<-->PC), should have Expense, should rotate any photo it can view (rotation limited to smaller ones). A silk screen should be included with addition of launcher buttons for Datebook, Address, To Do, and Memos. Future generations will probably need a flash to make the camera more useable. Also, Sony should sell a USB synch and charge cable.
19 Another excellent unit from Sony. You guys did it again!
Pros: Top toy with lots of great features: cameras, keyboard, voice recorder, color screen, medium-res camera, audio/video/photo capture, Wi-Fi capability, fast CPU, Metal Case, Decent camera and video, lots of software included, faster processor, Clie Launcher, Clie Memo, Small, built in keyboard, swivel screen, color screen, and an array of programs.
Cons: Limited battery life, high cost, you should buy more memory to go with it, Not too much OS5 software available... yet, price, Clie Viewer, Internet, Sony's obsession with copyright protection, low memory.
Summary: As you can see this product comes basically fully loaded. Yet, in my opinion the best feature is the built in keyboard. On previous PDA's to enter in information you either had to write in grafitti(which is the most annoying thing in world) or purchase an external keyboard, which is really expensive. Entering information into my Sony CLIE PEG-NX70V is so easy now, that I feel as if I have a computer right in the palm of my hand. The HOT-SYNC function on this product is the fastest and most reliable syncing that I have ever worked with. Because of the state of the art high resolution TFT screen with built in back-light, you can even look at your Sony CLIE PEG-NX70V in complete darkness or in extremely bright sunlight. There is no discoloration while using it while being outdoors. I don't suggest leaving it in the hot sun for long periods of time, though, because it will ruin the screen. I have not personally used the internet feature on my device, however, I have heard that it is the best wireless connection for any PDA. This PDA is so small that I can comfortably keep it in my pocket without any restriction in movement. All in all, I say that this product is miles ahead of any other product of its type!
20 Connectivity where?
I purchased the Sony PEG-NX70V/U yesterday.
I was very impressed on how little effort it took to import the data from my Handspring Visor.
I downloaded the new Palm Desktop and got it running, no problem.
I also bought Sony 128MB memory. It doesn't talk about Magic Gate Memory until page 96 of the manual.
Today is a different story.
I can't get anything off my Clie! I created a really fun movie and because I don't have a memory stick reader on my computer, I can't get it off to e-mail to others.
I tried to get pictures off via the Picture Gear Studio supplied with the installation disk. The download was not intuitive. After I went to the website, I found out how to do it. When I tried to do it, the Binder program immediately crashed despite 3 new installs to try to improve it.
I tried to download music but the SonicStage program is cumbersomely slow. Also, I ran into the message that I need a Magic Gate memory stick, so I can't transfer anything!
Finally, it appears that you can get all of your files off the device by e-mail. I checked Earthlink, they don't appear to support Sony. I checked Comcast, they don't appear to support any wireless. Finally, I checked Cingular (my cell phone provider) and they don't support Palm OS 5.
The PDA works great, and as advertised. Just don't try to get anything off of it except the normal Palm schedule stuff. :(
21 A power toy
I don't want to repeat what others have said aplenty about the NX70V. I just want to provide a quick perspective from a casual user.
My overall impression is it's a power user's toy, and I'm very pleased with the built-in VGA-resolution camera, which has fast refreshing speed and high image quality. Sony packs in tons of features on this model, which makes the interface a little too cluttered and too busy. Palm OS is meant to be a simple and elegant experience, but the NX70V is rather daunting especially to the first-time user. The number of features and functions is just overwhelming, obscuring the ease-of-use trumpeted by Palm. And once you start using all the multimedia features, kiss good-bye to battery life: you'd better carry the charger with you at all times.
Would I want to own this nice PDA with everything but a built-in sink? Yes. But would I pay such a high price? Nope. I'm really happy with my [the brand I own], which has a better screen and a less stressful user interface and costs only half as much.
22 Great hardware, PC software needs work
The Clie NX70 is a bigger (320x480), brighter palm-OS based PDA with a lot more -- exactly what you'd expect from a Sony. Navigation among applications can be done with the traditional touch interface, pull downs, buttons directly to core functions or with the selector wheel.
Data input is done through graffiti or the built-in keyboard. I found the keyboard somewhat useful for quick jobs, especially while I've been learning the weirder letters in "graffiti," but any time I had to do upper case, punctuation or numbers, it's a pain because there are odd key combinations or locations.
The audio player works well, but you really need additional memory, otherwise you're limited to one mp3. Memory expansion is through Sony's memory stick format, which is unfortunately limited to 128Mb (compared compact flash, which can go higher). There is an additional compact flash slot, but it only supports Sony's network card.
The camera is a novelty and, in my opinion, not worth the additional 100 bucks over the NX60 model. Pictures max out at 640x400 and require perfect lighting. Any movement and you get blur.
The remote control is truly cool and supports Sony and select non-Sony TVs, stereos, DVD players and VCRs. It was really easy to set this up to control my hodge-podge entertainment center with a 12-year old RCA TV and a 8-year old Magnavox VCR.
The biggest weakness is in the PC software supplied. The installation program is a demo sheild front-end, and presents you with over two dozen things you can install on the CLIE or your PC. It's really confusing and requires administrative priveleges on your Windows box -- this presents some difficulty in an environment where my IT department has things locked down.
Installation of the core Palm desktop on Windows XP directed me to Sony's site for an unspecific patch that I never could find. (Indeed, finding software updates was at least a half dozen clicks away.)
After the Palm desktop was installed, I was faced with a laundry list of additional options, with no guide as to what was important. For example, a really important one: Windows XP also needed the memory stick driver operating so it would recognize the stick as removable storage when the Clie was connected. On the other hand, there was also a lot of clutter like "8 ways to relieve stress."
23 THE BEST
No doubt this is the best, most versatile pda out there. It's versatility is such you can come up with multiple ways to use your pda you wouldn't have thought of. For example, instead of taking a note of something I need to follow up on, I take a picture of whatever the product is. You can make great quality voice memos. You can go for a walk and listen to your mp3s.
The best features are:
*beautiful screen 320x480
*great voice memo quality
*good digital camera quality, not enough though for a 'real' pic
*audio is great-it also has an external speaker that plays your music and video audio (this feature is not noted on the box or on websites)
*video clip playback is gorgeous
*the version of documents to go it has works seamlessly for working on MS Office docs-you can create your spreadsheets on the road, and of course update them
*the export software makes it easy to transfer multimedia to the pda
*the screen is 10 times better than any color pda screen you've seen-no joke! I use to think my sony 610 had a beautiful screen, but it really is nothing compared to this
*the 200 mhz processor allows programs to run FAST and is what allows the phenomenal video playback capability
*you can put home video on it
*it's tough-I dropped it on a supermarket floor (nasty fall too) and I was sure it was dead but was pleased to fire it up as if nothing had happened
*it has a library of sounds so you can pick a variety of alarms-particularly great if you need a loud sound to wake you up.
If you can afford it, the 70 is the way to go!
24 EXtreme handheld powerhouse!
I just got the Sony PEG-NX70V and it is absolutely awesome. It's 200 mhz processor is very fast and way more than what's needed to run any current Palm OS software. It has Palm OS 5 which is nice and it also has CLIE launcher which is pretty handy for quickly getting to favorite apps. The 16 bit color is absolutely astonishing on a handheld and it reads images and video beautifully. The screen also has high res which is super nice. Another great aspect is that the grafiti pad is part of the screen so it doesn't have to be there if you want to view a picture at the full res (that makes me wonder why no-one thought of that earlier). Also the battery is just excellent. I have used it for hours on end and the battery will only be around 1/8 or 1/6 used up. Bottom line is, unless money is a big issue, this is definitely THE handheld i would recommend to anyone.
25 Great little device
I received the NX-70V for Christmas and I think it's an amazing device. Needing my PDA for medical school, I could have probably survived with a "bare bones" Sony Clie, but in the end I'm glad my parents sprung for the newest.
First off, let me just say that the graphics are really incredible. I had seen other people with PDA's that had the lime green colored screens and knew I wanted a color screen. But I've seen other PDA's with color screens that aren't backlit and let me just say the difference between those and the backlit color screen on the Clie's is the difference between night and day.
The camera takes some surprisingly good pictures when the Clie is absolutely still. Even the slightest movement makes the picture a bit blurry, which makes for quite a challenge considering that pushing the "Capture" button requires a slight movement. But with the Clie sitting on a counter or using the timer to take pictures, I've gotten some good quality pics. And the movies are entertaining and help capture the "feel" of a past moment, but don't expect to relive it in too much detail :-).
The battery life is amazing. I took my Clie with me on vacation for MLK weekend and brought the charger along, but I never even needed to use it. That may not seem too impressive, but when considering that I used it to take multiple pictures, a couple movies, and listened to mp3's for part of the flights to and from North Carolina, it was hard to believe I still had some battery power left to spare.
As others have said, don't even believe for a second you can use this product to its full potential without a Memory Stick. But spring for the cheaper one if you can. I bought the SanDisk one and it holds mp3's, movies, pictures, and everything else the Clie put on it. (And this was despite the fact that the guy at CompUSA told me I was wasting my time buying the SanDisk because he GUARANTEED me I would need a special MagicGate MemoryStick. Shows how much they know.)
In summation, if you need a PDA, want lots of bells and whistles, and have extra cash to spend, I say spring for the NX-70V.
26 Great!
I've had the NX-70V for a couple months now and have not had any problems with it or second thoughts about getting it. I got it as a replacement for an older Palm device. I also got a 128 mb Memory Stick so I could use the camera, movie, & mp3 featurs of the Clie. As a Mac user, I also had to download a software package called Missing Sync in order to sync the Clie with my Apple...
The camera quality is not great, but since I have the Clie with me most of the time during the day it is usefull to snap a picture here or there if I see something of interest. With a Mac (and the aforesaid software) you can import the pictures you take into iPhoto. You can convert the movies into Quicktime format and also transfer .mp3 files to and from iTunes.
While I don't find myself using the keyboard much, it is nice to have for the times when I enter large blocks of text. The keyboard does take some getting used to as the layout is somewhat strange.
My main concern before getting the Clie was the size. While it is fairly long, it is fairly slim and I have found that it fits easily into side pants pocket when wearing a suit or kahkis.
Bottom line is that it is a great unit. If you just want a PDA for PIM type applications there is no need to spend the money for the NX-70V. However, if you have the money to spend and want a PDA that does just about everything possible then this is your unit.
27 A great all purpose PDA.
This is the PDA for you! The NX-70V has everything you need to organize your schedule, contacts, music, notes. Everything! Now the main thing that you have to consider is what do you need from a PDA? No matter how much more is included on the PDA i think it will satisfy the needs of every buyer in one way or another.
The mp3 player was a bit tricky to figure out, but after some studying of the manuals I figured it out. At first I had read from a review, that the mp3 would not play and it seems that the sony line of products has a music format of their own the atrac3. You would need the included software to make your own a-3 files. In addition you would need MagicGate enabled memory stick (about $30.00 higher than Sony brand mem sticks)
Otherwise regular garden variety mp3's work on the NX-70V.
The camera is cool, since I am not a profesional photographer it does well as a camera. If you are a pro photographer, this camera is not for you.
The voice recorder does just that.
I have also read that the memory stick had problems with it
being read, I have not encountered any problems. Of course the manual says that Sony does not recomend using non sony mem sticks, but my lexar mem sticks work fine. No problems yet.
28 Such a Disappoinment
I was interested in buying a Clie until I looked at the specifics. The built in memory is 64mb, but it also features add in-cards. The biggest add-in card you can buy is 128mb at $80 a piece. So, if you add the two together you get approx 200mb. With 200mb, you can store about 20 mp3 songs by themselves but the Clie also runs word, uses your inbox, etc(which hog space) so you would probably only get in a couple of songs. The smallest ipod now carries 5000mb with the price at approx $350. That is about 14.2mb to the dollar! The add in card features about 1.6mb to the dollar! So, buying enough add-in cards to get 5000 mb would cost $3125.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If your going to use lots of storage space, and use ANY mp3s you should really be buying a different product. Thanks, and I hope this gives you some perspective(I also hope my calculations are close to right).
29 I'm Torn!!
Well, I bought my clie right about when it first came out. I was absolutely facinated with all of the features and had nothing but wonderful things to say about it. Now that I have had it for a while, and had a chance to use most of the applications, I think I feel torn about whether I like it or not:
Pros:
-Features, features, and more features!!
-Some people do not like the keyboard, but I really like having the option of having one, just in case I want to use it.
-The image quality is great.
-Camera is convenient, but I'll get into it more in the "cons."
-The regular daily capabilities of scheduling and phone book work flawless.
-Some of the games you can get for this bad-boy are wonderful.
-Hot Syncing to my pc is a breeze.
Cons:
-I have had nothing but problems with the memory stick. I even dowloaded the newest patch for it, and it still has problems. For some reason, it will just stop recognizing that I have a memory stick at all.
-The camera is pretty bad. I used it for the first 10 minutes, and haven't really touched it since. It is ok occasionally, but I would stick with the nr70 model.
-The memory is pretty bad. With all of the features on this system, there has to be more internal memory. I filled up the space so fast, and now I'm having to delete applications to make room. In fact, when you get down to less than 3mb, your system isn't even able to function.
-I thought that I could just expand my memory using the memory stick, but have had nothing but problems. At first I thought it was great until the memory stick is inserted, and the system doesn't even regognize that it's there.
-The audio player works great for about 10 minutes, and then for some reason it stops regognizing the memory stick (am I the only one with memory stick problems?).
I bought this system because I wanted the whole package; schedule, camera, games, mp3, etc. However, I have come to realize that all of the added applications really don't work very well. You might be better off buying all of the components seperately. Besides, all you are really getting is an organizer with mediocre applications. If you want something that plays mp3's, buy an mp3 player. If you want a digital camera, buy a digital camera. If you want an organizer, buy a organizer that has the simple daily applications you need to be organized. Conglomerate pda's with everything, including a microwave oven, are in their infancy, and obviously have several glitches. It will take a few years before integrated pda's really become integrated. As for now, at least with Sony, count on a seemingly great pda, falling terribly short of mediocrocy.
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30 Big and heavy.
First things first, this thing is huge! I'm used to carrying around the Clie-N760 in the front pocket of my scrubs. Great for quick and easy access, however, the Clie-NX70 feels heavy and uncomfortable.
In addition to the size and weight, the clamshell design (which seems kind of cool at first and offers those grafitti illiterates a keyboard) slows you down by hiding your quick buttons.
Another negative is the co$t. If you have any experience with handhelds you know that they just don't last, so it's hard to justify spending a large amount on what is basically a disposable item. Don't expect to get more than a year or two out of any of these devices if you use them regularly.
My last complaint is that there is only a minor memory boost; only 11mb (available) memory!
On the plus side, the large footprint does give you a great big screen, and the slide away graffiti area is functional and slick.
Sony throws in some cute things like a .3 camera (very poor performance), a voice recorder, and some software freebies like Documents to Go, and Clie memo which is a sort of post-it-notes free writing program.
The only thing I noticed about OS5 was that standard JPEG pictures can be read.
The major fix for me is that audio can now be played in the background; you can listen to your mp3's while clicking around on this and that =)!!! You can also change your playlist on the memory card.
Although the tried and true palm interface is still there, out of the box it defaults to the new Clie launcher. It looks cool and after a week or so of tinkering with it I have found that it not only looks refreshingly new but that it is just as quick if you can use your thumb on the jog dial and the back button to navigate.
Battery life seems spectacular. Click around all day with little loss of power.
I only give it 3 stars because even though it is great and cool and one heck of a handheld, for me it is too big and heavy and the clam shell/keyboard design is cumbersome and frankly unnecessary. When something like my Clie N760 gets OS5 I will be back adding it to my shopping cart.
31 Plus and minus for Clie PEG-NX70V
I recently bought a Clie NX70V and was surprised to find the amount of technology in a small shell. The quality of MP3 player is very good at 128 Kbps compression. I liked many options for input, Grafitti short hand is very easy to master and it is easy to synchronize with my notebook running under Windows 2000 Pro. I like the organization of directories and files. Speed of CPU at 200 MHz is not surprizing since it is commonly seen in this type of high-end PDA such as HP-Jornada 728. Remote control is nice, though not really needed.
Now what I do not like about this machine: The small on board memory limits the number of programs to run (16 MB for Clie vs 64 MB on Jornada 728). Battery life is short (2-3 hrs for Clie vs 14 - 28 hours of Jornada). Camera has no flash-- perhaps we we should not take pictures in the dark place. No MODEM connection-- I am not ready for wireless with this unit, not for now. I need a good dial-up-network connection with MODEM during my business trip. Music-- most obnoxious SonicStage uses Music drive which requrires you to register your music. It only accepts one type of MP3 and ATRAC3 format. (Sony will not allow playing WMA on Clie, though it supports on SonicStage.) I did not like it and removed it, but the registration trace cannot be removed from my PC. So, I converted all my WMA into MP3 and loaded in the memory stick music directory --- it plays very well. No serial connection--- I need one for my technical work in my lab. Afterall, this is an entertaiment PDA and not for a serious people? Perhaps Sony has an attitude problem. I use HP Jornada 728 for serious work.
32 Buy it-you will not regret it
This is THE machine. But when it boils down to it, it's the multimedia that's amazing-and it distinguishes the device from other pdas. The screen is simply stunning. My prior piece was peg 610 which I thought had a great screen. This 320x480 piece is radiant! The backlight at it's dimmest is alive with color and uses power very reasonably. Pictures are crytal clear on this thing. If you like having videos on your palm you will not be disappointed. The nx70 has 2 features which are not clear from any review or publication I have read: 1. videos (especially music ones) appear as they would played on a good desktop or even on tv. 2. No one mentions its external speaker which actually reproduces sounds (albeit not of great quality), not just midi or wav beeps. You get music, voices etc. The faster processor allows for an enjoyable multimedia experience. The digital camera is pretty good, the Sony remote software is fantastic, and it was about time a clie notepad came as part of its software to write down stuff. Buy it.
33 Play Your Clie Movies on Your PC or Mac
You CAN play the movies you make with it on your computer. Just get QuickTime Player V6. It plays the MQV movie files the CliŽ makes.
34 NX70V is the Best PDA Ever
I've owned 7 PDAs in the past 4 years including 1 pocketPC and 5 Palms. The NX70V leaves them all in the dust. I still cannot believe how great the screen is. I use it to take pictures and short movies as well as view them. With the included Docs to Go, I've put my frequently used spreadsheets and Word docs on it. Its actually a very usable word processor especially with the thumb board. Using spreadsheets and Word documents are a great improvement over Palms.
I was afraid the battery would not last long. I keep the backlight on whenever I use it and still get about 4 days of frequent use on 1 charge. Not as good as a b&w Palm but I can't complain.
The NX has so many features and is such a great improvement over anything I used before, I'm glad I spent the money. Sony has earned it and then some.
35 Almost perfect
This model is outstanding. I've used it for about a month now and the wow factor is immense. Pictures are OK for an PDA (!?!) and this model can also take movies...over and hour with a 128 MB memory stick. Two issues: first, the movies CANNOT be played on anything other than the PDA. For now, they are propriety and that SUCKS. Second, Sony needs to come out with much larger memory sticks. Buy a charger to go with this unit...whether it be car or battery or whatever, since you will burn through the charge on even a four-hour trip, listening to MP3s.
36 Great gadget
I had the NR70V for a few weeks, till I found out that the NX was being released, so I returned it. And I am so glad i did!!! The NX is a VAST IMPROVEMENT over the NR series. They have literally improved everything.
1. It takes advantage of the large screen for most of the apps.
2. Palm OS5 is great -- much faster and much more pleasing to the eye - all the icons are much more colorful and sharp.
3. Camera has a much better resolution (640x480) and actually takes quite good pictures (great for emailing) and comes with a digital zoom. Also, you can add pictures to your address book, so you will not forget what the person look like.
4. You can now record movies with sound in two different formats. And it is so easy to do. This also has a digital zoom, but the resolution is quite low.
5. It also has a voice recorder option.
6. I do not quite remember if the NR had this, but the NX has a replacable battery. In most of the PDA's out there if the battery dies you might as well buy a new one.
7. Comes with more apps (mainly due to the new features).
8. Wireless capability (have not used it yet).
9. 200 MHZ intel PCU.
However, all of the above need a memory stick, so you need to factor that into the price. I suggest getting the 128 meg, since you will need the space. In addition I have a Sony VAIO PC, and they communicate really well when it comes to transfering data (movies, pictures, etc.) between them. This has to be one of the best toys I have ever had, and will definitely come in very handy. I looked at a lot of handhelds and this one is by far the best (in my opinion). Just wait till you see the clarity of the screen (try comparing it to anything else out there).
37 Complete, midi and fun
Even if you need to be precise in the manipulation, this clie has every thing you dream to use on a pocket size multimedia computer.
Excell sheet, word, video, music,...
A great tool for people involved in audiovisuel field.
38 This is the one youo've been waiting for....
I'm glad I waited to spend money on a PDA. This is the 2nd generation of this model with a better camera that even shoots video with sound (something I was not aware of). The new Palm OS 5.0 looks and works with ease and this thing will even turn on your tv. It's expandable and has a slot for a much needed Memory Stick if you're going to also want to use this as an MP3 player. Some reviews squak about the battery life, but considering the vibrant color display and sound capabilities, I have no complaints. I put in the the charger cradle daily when I get home and so far I have not been inconvenienced. I'm still new to the PDA world and it's going to be a while before I'm taking advantage of all that this thing can do, BUT, until then, this is the BEST toy I've had so far. :) Make it an early Christmas for yourself, and I recommend getting the 128 MB Memory Stick.
39 GREAT!!!!
I had a Toshiba E740, but returned it after they recalled it. They didn't have any in stock and said that they could order one and it should come in within the next 2-3 weeks. Since I need a PDA, I couldn't wait, and the only other PDA in the same price range my E740 was, was this one. I don't regret my choice at all. I first had the peg sj320. It was a good palm, but I wanted MORE functionality. So I ended up returning it and upgrading to a Compaq Ipaq. I LOVED POCKET PC 2002, because of its features. But I soon realized that the Ipaq was not too good for the price and did an even swap with the E740. The E740 was great, but the screen was subpar and so was the design. A little big as well. However I used it, until it broke. I was happy with the Pocket PC operating system, and was skeptical about going back to Palm OS (the reason why i paid the upgrade, was because I like the Pocket PC operating system). Anyway I decided to do it. I forgot what a PDA should be until I came back to palm. The whole point of a PDA is to be able to access features quickly and with ease. The palm OS is great. The pocket PC is meant to be a laptop replacement and not ease. I feel that the Pocket PC OS will soon be outdated, considering some of the better models are around 700 dollars, you can buy a laptop for that price. Enough about the OS's. This Sony has all the bells and whistles you can EVER imagine...
40 Another excellent unit from Sony
OK, here's the lowdown on the brand-new NX-70V :
Screen - as good as the NR series. Great readability, both indoors and outdoors.
Palm OS 5 - haven't noticed much different from OS4 yet.
Built in apps - Sony has made all of the built-in apps HiRes (320X480) for this unit, which is a big improvement from the NR series. The NX series also comes with a registered version of Documents To Go (standard edition), so right off the Clie installation CD, it is possible to sync and edit Word and Excel files right on the unit. Very nice.
Camera - MUCH better than the NR70V. Still won't replace your standalone camera, but is very nice to be able to take halfway decent (640X480) shots with a PDA. Doesn't perform well in low-light situations.
Data Entry - I can't imagine using the tiny keyboard for almost anything - good thing graffiti is so good. On both the NX and NR series, the graffiti area is virtual (part of the actual screen), and they've made it so that it shows the ink as you draw the characters. Very nice.
Voice Recorder - a nice little extra for meetings, etc.
Compatibility with older Palm OS programs - better than I expected. I had a few that didn't run, but I would say 90% of the ones I was using do, with the exception of hack-type programs. Also, many developers have released, or are hard at work on OS5 compatible versions.
Battery life - this is the only downside I've experienced so far. It's about as good as the NR series, as far as I can tell. Just as a test, I didn't charge it for a few days. I got 4 days worth of normal use (probably 1 1/2 to 2 hrs a day on average) out of it before it needed a charge. I might have been able to eke another day out of it, but I didn't want to take any chances.
Other - Sony seems to have fixed the Memory Stick slot problem with the NX. I was experiencing drop-outs with my NR70, but have yet to have one with the NX. Also, speed launching apps, saving pics, etc. to the memory stick seems to be faster than the NR.
Haven't tried WiFi yet (my laptop has built-in wifi, so I haven't decided yet if I need it for an extra $150 in my PDA, too). I've also heard rumors that the CF slot will work with CF memory cards, if and when the memory card manufacturers write appropriate drivers. Don't know if this is so, but it would be very cool.
Personally, I love the clamshell design. Most of the time I use it in tablet mode, but being able to close it up is very nice, and saves the need for a case (at least as far as protecting the screen when not in use goes). It also has a very big WOW factor when you take it out and flip the screen around.
All in all, I have to give this unit a 5. I've owned PDAs from just about every generation of Palm (Pilot 5000, PalmPilot Pro, Palm III, Palm V, Visor Prism, Clie N760, Clie NR70, and now the NX), and this is unquestionably the best of the lot.
41 Sony puts Palm to shame!
Sony is really on top of the PalmOS game. I replaced my Palm M515 with a Sony NX70V this weekend, and was quite impressed. The hi-res+ screen is incredible! I was able to download a movie trailer for Spiderman in widescreen format and watch it. I'm still tinkering with all the bells and whistles, but I was able to take still photos and video clips just minutes after I unwrapped it. The camera's resolution isn't the best, but I bought a PDA, not a digital camera. Since I keep my PDA handy most of the time, it's nice to know I can snap a picture or get a quick video clip in a hurry.
The software I normally use doesn't begin to challenge the 200MHz processor, but some of the video apps may. I was very happy to see the difference the screen made with DocumentsToGo and Mapopolis. Much more useable, more readable. In SheetToGo, I can see more than 3 or 4 columns at a time!
The NX70 seems to access data from my 128MB memory stick faster than my old Palm M515 could read from an SD card. The Clie launcher takes a bit of getting used to, but it has its advantages, with quick buttons for your 8 favorite apps.
I looked briefly at the Tungsten T, which was almost as small as my M515. I'm glad I chose the Sony instead, as the virtual grafitti and virtual keyboard are much more practical to use, and that area can be used for the hi-res+ (320x480) video images. I don't have a use for the Tungsten's built in BlueTooth capability. The Sony's larger screen and built-in keyboard tipped the scales for me. I actually bought the NX60, w/o the built-in video camera, but I didn't even get out of the store before my wife convinced me (she didn't have to try very hard) that the built-in camera was worth the extra $$$ .
All in all, I am VERY VERY pleased with the Sony PEG-NX70V. I've spent the last few days trying to find new software to take advantage of its next generation of capabilities.
42 Fast & Colorful
This model responds very quickly with an excellent colorful easy to read screen. There are two keyboards as well as graffitti writing. Easy to learn and manipulate. The digital camera attached to it takes great pictures and the ability to carry around pics and mp3's on this is such a plus. It integrates well with MS Outlook and the synchronization is fast and easy. I used the CE protocol before so I am still learning the symbols but it is user friendly. A must have product! Can't wait for the accessories.
