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CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 12/02/2002
- Updated on: 12/05/2002
- Released on: 10/02/2002
Measuring 0.9 by 2.8 by 5.4 inches and weighing 8 ounces, this CLIE is longer, thicker, and heavier than Palm's Tungsten T. However, Sony has put the extra room to good use, endowing the NX70V with a large, 3.9-inch screen and a minikeyboard that makes data entry so easy that you can forget about Graffiti.
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| The sizable Sony is larger than your average deck of cards. | The CompactFlash slot makes this PDA a bit stouter than previous models. |
It takes but a second or two to flip around this CLIE's screen, transforming the unit from a traditional, touch-screen machine to a keyboard-centric system that resembles a small laptop. On the downside, the 5mm keys are puny, but since they're spaced 2mm apart, thumb typing is tolerable. We liked the fact that the fold-up screen can be used as an easel, so you can prop up the CLIE NX70V. The bad news is that Sony skimped on the stylus, which can't be removed from its holder while docked in the synchronization cradle (the cradle blocks the stylus slot's opening).
The aforementioned cradle is good for syncing at your home base or your office desktop. Travelers can use the NX70V's converter, which plugs directly into the AC adapter and the USB cable, for charging and syncing without the cradle.
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| Thumb board: This swanky keyboard offers an alternative to Graffiti. | The CLIE can rest in its cradle at home or sync via a dongle while on the road. |
On the screen's hinge sits a full-motion video camera that does surprisingly well with four different white-balance routines and a variety of artistic effects. The 310,000-pixel lens swivels 280 degrees to catch shots from a variety of angles.
A new addition to the CLIE design is a CompactFlash Type II slot. This port accommodates another new item, the $150 Wi-Fi PEGA-WL100 wireless-networking card. Don't expect the slot to work with other CompactFlash accessories, though; such products won't be compatible with this CLIE until drivers for the devices have been written.From the start, the CLIE NX70V sets a new standard for Palm-based handhelds. Inside, you'll find the most up-to-date hardware: an Intel 200MHz XScale processor and 16MB of RAM, though only 11MB are available for use. Combine this processing power with Palm's OS 5.0 and Sony's high-resolution screen, and you have one capable handheld.
As noted, the NX70V sports an improved interface over the NR70V. In addition to a new category listing to the left of the program selections, the main page is less cramped, and there's room for a useful program list at the bottom. As with the previous model, the Graffiti-input screen is part of the display, meaning that you can write on it or hide it in order to make better use of the screen's real estate.
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 Like to see a menu? Sony vamps up the NX70V's interface. |
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Speaking of that camera: video and audio are the icing on the cake for the CLIE NX70V, and Sony largely delivers on its promise to merge mobility with entertainment. In addition to taking instant voice memos, the handheld plays MP3 or ATRAC3 sound files. On a critical note, we feel that the NX70V is a bit volume-challenged. Though the audio is rich and vibrant, it never really got loud enough with the included headphones to block out background noise. At least the CLIE comes with an MP3-player controller that lets you navigate, select, and play songs without having to open the unit.
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| Internet explorers, take note: You won't be surfing without this Wi-Fi adapter and a wireless network. | Camera obscura: The wireless card partially blocks the unit's built-in camera. |
All in all, we were impressed with the full-sound minimovies that the NX70V made. With a resolution of 160x120 pixels, these clips are pretty small but come out looking smooth and fairly detailed; the optics in this CLIE's camera are a definite step up from those of the previous model. Unfortunately, any video created on the NX70V is saved in Sony's proprietary MQV format, which is not supported by most media players. (After some digging, we found that MQV files will play with QuickTime 6.0.) The clips take up about 1.5MB per minute, so they must be stored on a Memory Stick, which isn't included. The camera can take larger still images--up to 640x480--but the focus is slightly fuzzy. The unit lacks a flash, so the lighting has to be very good, or the pictures come out grainy.
Most PDAs cut corners on software, but this is the CLIE NX70V's strong suit. In addition to Sony's version of Palm OS 5.0, the NetFront Web browser, and CLIE Mail, the package includes a CD that's chock-full of programs and utilities. The best of the bunch are a selection of games, a world clock, an image album, and a remote-control app. As good as the software is, each application needs to be installed separately, which is a bit of a drag.Overall, the CLIE NX70V performed well. With its aforementioned 200MHz XScale processor, it was more than responsive enough and outperformed a DragonBall-based Palm handheld on similar tasks. This Sony did have a slight delay, however, when returning to Web surfing after checking an appointment and making a note, but it handled the transition fine.
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| Fashion pose: You probably won't use the Sony with its screen swiveled like this, but it looks cool. | Bright idea: We thought that the CLIE's screen was one of the brightest and the most colorful that we've seen. |
In an informal performance test using Kinoma Player, the unit fell into place just behind the Palm Tungsten T, which also runs Palm OS 5.0 but sports an ARM-based processor. Running Kinoma Player's built-in performance test, the CLIE produced a maximum frame rate of 355 frames per second (fps) on a low-res movie, compared to the Tungsten's 485fps.
Without a doubt, the screen is the center of attention, and it is a beauty. The 16-bit display doles out a stunning 320x480 resolution and an excess of 65,000 colors. Bright, sharp, and with subtle color variations, it's one of the largest and highest-resolution handheld displays.
However, the screen is a major power drain. Nevertheless, with the system continuously playing MP3s, the NX70V lasted for 4.5 hours on its rechargeable, lithium-ion battery pack. On the other hand, the CLIE made it through more than 7 hours of stop-and-go computing, which means that you should be able to get a very heavy day of use out of this PDA before having to recharge.
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