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Sony CLIE PEG-NR70V/G

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By Darren Gladstone
May 16, 2002

Sony is putting a new twist on PDAs. Not only does the CLIE PEG-NR70V have a slick clamshell design with a swiveling display, it also houses a built-in digital camera, a keypad, and a host of multimedia functions. Roughly the size of a swanky cigarette case, this CLIE will no doubt turn heads. But with an asking price of US$599, Sony is catapulting Palm devices into the high-end Pocket PC range.

Look At That Screen
When you open the NR70V, it's easy to confuse it for some ultramodern cellular flip phone, but unfortunately, no wireless features are built in. The large, colorful 320x480-pixel transflective LCD is the first thing that you'll notice. The high resolution makes photos look especially good, although the difference is somewhat less noticeable when using third-party applications such as AvantGo.

The screen feels extra large because this model--like all Pocket PCs and the HandEra 330--uses a virtual Graffiti area. As an added benefit, you see your stylus strokes on the screen, which makes it easier to write accurately.

If you prefer the BlackBerry school of data entry, the small, built-in thumb keypad is one of the better that we've tested, largely because the keys are well spaced. Above the keypad, you'll find the typical four application controls. Between those buttons are two tiny scroll buttons, which we found too small and flush to be very useful. Like all CLIEs, the NR70V has a jog dial on the side.

Too Big?
The design of this PDA is pretty clever. When closed, the brushed-aluminum case feels rugged, and the screen is well protected. You can open the casing up to use the keyboard, or you can rotate the screen 180 degrees, fold it back down to cover the keyboard, and use the NR70V like a traditional Palm device. Measuring 70 x 18 x 140mm and weighing 198g, this CLIE is bigger and heavier than almost every PDA we've reviewed recently. It slips easily into a jacket pocket but would weigh down your shirt pocket.

The big difference between this model and the US$499 NR70 is the inclusion of a built-in CMOS camera. Now, before you get too excited, this 100,000-pixel camera is able to capture only 320x240 still images at its highest setting. The pics we took around the office came out nice enough so long as our subjects were well lit (there's no built-in flash). But this camera is better suited for quick shots to e-mail to a buddy than to print for posterity. Coupled with the included CLIE Paint program, the NR70V lets you easily add mustaches and thought bubbles to your friends' faces.

Multimedia Madness
The NR70V is the first Palm OS device to boast Motorola's new 66MHz DragonBall Super VZ processor. The faster processor allows for better video playback, but the 16MB of built-in RAM can't hold much in the way of video files. So count on buying a large Memory Stick to hold your videos, photos, and MP3s. Yes, that's right--the NR70V also has a built-in audio player.

While the music player works as advertised, the SonicStage software that Sony provides for moving tunes to and from the CLIE is a disaster. Fortunately, Memory Stick Import/Export, another bundled application, makes the NR70V appear as a hard drive on your PC's desktop. Thanks to that application, it's simple to drag and drop MP3s onto the PDA.

Sony also continues to bundle Intellisync Lite for the PC with the CLIE line. While this program has some distinct advantages--field-level synchronization, for instance--it is more difficult to use than Chapura's PocketMirror, which comes with other Palm devices. The continued lack of Mac support is another thorn in Sony's side. Mac owners will still need to buy Mark/Space's Missing Sync software, which is sold separately.

Though the NR70V is the largest, heaviest, and most expensive (US$599) Palm OS PDA, its clever design, great screen, integrated keyboard, and built-in digital camera make up for a lot of that bulkiness. Ultimately, however, this CLIE will appeal primarily to gadget lovers with deep pockets who are looking to own a unique and stylish handheld. To put it another way: We applaud Sony for the NR70V's innovative design and strong feature set (though we wish it had wireless capabilities), but we just don't know how practical this device is in a market where there's an increasing desire for smaller, lighter models.

Click here for more pictures of the Sony CLIE PEG-NR70V

Note: At press time, Sony Singapore has not announced when this CLIE will be available in Asia. However, we should expect to see them in the region some time in the near future.