FIGURE C


Here's the Sony CLIE sits on top of a Palm V; the CLIE is thicker but less wide. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Read on for my quick comparison of the CLIE versus the Palm m500 series.

Compare the screens
You'll immediately see that the Sony CLIE's 320 x 320 resolution really makes a difference. On the Palm m505, I could see vertical lines in the display if I looked closely, which make it less attractive when compared to the CLIE's smooth display.

Memory Stick versus MultiMedia Card
Yes, the Memory Stick is a proprietary format, but Sony uses it in so many other devices that if you own another Memory Stick-compatible device, you can share it or swap it. And besides, with all of the flash memory formats out there, it's hard to figure out which will prevail.

Now hear what?
The lack of any audio capabilities in the Palm m500 series was definitely a deal-killer for me. If I was going to upgrade, I wanted to get some substantial new feature, and the MMC slot on the Palm m500 series just wasn't that useful of a new feature for me. After all, so far I've ended up storing only MP3 files on my Memory Stick and haven't yet used it for data storage or applications.

A little more cash for a lot more device
For only $50 more than the price of a Palm m505, I get an audio player in addition to my Palm handheld. When the Palm m505 came out, I was a little disappointed by both the quality of the color screen and the fact that there was no way to listen to audio on the device. And now, with the introduction of the PEG-N610C, you can get a more feature-packed device than the Palm m505 for only $50 more.

Accessorizing
Switching to a totally new manufacturer means having to throw out (or give away) all the accessories you've purchased for your Palm handheld. For me, this meant giving up the OmniSky modem (which I was rarely using anyway), my Dual-Action Stylus, and my Palm Portable Keyboard. I'll share how I've managed to cope with the transition.

Wireless
Sony has plans for wireless capabilities for the CLIE. If you go their Web site at http://www.sonystyle.com/micros/clie/wireless/index.html, you'll see a very interesting device and service called Mylo which is a cradle solution based on the GoAmerica service.

Stylus
I use the Pilot Dr. Grip Pentopia stylus when I have to enter a lot of data and don't have my keyboard handy.

Keyboard
Targus manufactures a keyboard that works with the PEG-N710C, PEG-N610C, and PEG-S320, according to their Web site. I've confirmed that this keyboard works fine with my PEG-N710C, so don't be confused if you see a picture of the old Sony CLIE on the box. Hopefully they'll update this soon. You can find it at http://www.targus.com/default_product.asp?sku=pa830u. You can see my CLIE hooked up to the Targus portable keyboard in Figure D.

FIGURE D


The Targus portable keyboard works great with the CLIE. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Which Memory Stick, purple or white?
When you start shopping for a Memory Stick to expand your device, you'll find that there are two different types of Memory Sticks: purple and white. The purple ones are normal, the white ones use Sony's MagicGate technology, which allows copyrighted data to be transferred to the Memory Stick, which is essential if you want to listen to protected music from sites such as eMusic (at http://www.emusic.com).