 The Clie PEG-S300 is Sony's first attempt
at a PDA. It has chosen to use Palm's operating system, rather
than Microsoft's Pocket PC, and to launch its first PDA with a
monochrome rather than a color screen.
While Pocket PC and color
screens may be seen by some as the more glamorous end of the PDA
market, the PEG-S300 is one example that shows this is not
always the case.
Sony has, as it always does with its hardware,
put design at the forefront, and the silver and blue casing is
eye catching while the PDA is small, slim and sleek.
Usability is, of course, just as important as looks when it
comes to PDAs. Sony's use of a jog-dial button helps you select
applications and data one-handed, reducing the need to reach for
the stylus and tap at the screen. When it comes to augmenting
the 8 MB of on board RAM, the PEG-S300 has a Memory Stick slot.
Memory Stick is Sony's proprietary data-storage format, and is
not as widely supported as the Compact Flash or MultiMedia Card
formats. But if you are already a user of other Sony Memory
Stick devices then the slot, and the 8 MB Memory Stick, which is
thrown in, will be useful.
The Dragonball processor that powers the PEG-S300 runs at 20
MHz--not as fast as some, but fine if all you want to do is use
the device for standard PDA-type work. The PEG-S300 runs Palm OS
3.5--not the more up to date Palm OS 4, but the changes in the
later version do not add anything too momentous to the Palm
applications suite.
A more important issue, perhaps, might be the life expectancy of
the internal Lithium Ion battery, which Sony quotes as lasting
for just 15 days between recharges. To overcome this rather poor
specification, the PEG-S300 comes with both a docking cradle (USB),
and separate mains adaptor, the latter providing a charge when
you are away from your main PC.
The Clie PEG-S300 is not a state-of-the-art PDA. But it is a
stylish one, and the Memory Stick support will appeal to fans of
that medium. It is also, it should be noted, reasonably priced.
--Sandra Vogel
Features:
-
Palm
OS Software
-
Unlimited
Storage
-
Easy
Organization
-
Bundled
Software
Technical
data:
OS:
Palm OS version 3.5.1
CPU: Dragonball EZ 20 MHz -
Memory: 8 MB (DRAM) / 2 MB (flash memory) / 8 MB (Memory Stick)
-
Interface: USB cradle, Memory Stick slot, InfraRed PortJog Dial
-
Display: Backlit monochrome display (160 x 160 resolution)
-
Lithium-Ion Battery: Up to 15 days (average use 30 minutes per
day)
-
Supplied Accessories: USB cradle, AC adapter, Stylus, 8 MB
Memory Stick, Desktop Installation CD, Protective carrying case
-
Size:4.6"x2.9"x0.6" (H x W x D)
( 114.7 x 70.9 x 15.2 mm)
-
Weight: 4.3 ounces including supplied stylus ( 121 g)
System Requirements:
-
Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000 Pro
-
Intel Pentium (or Pentium compatible) 90MHz CPU or higher
-
32 MB RAM (64MB recommended)
-
64 MB available hard disk space
-
USB port
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CD-ROM drive
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Mouse
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