Rating: 
Summary: An upgraded SJ33? Not really.
Review: I traded in an SJ33 for the new TJ35, thinking I'd get an upgraded SJ33 and all the same benefits: top-line software bundle, good battery life, rich colors, MP3 playback, and so forth. Well, I've had this for a few days now, and I'm a little torn between the two.The TJ35 has a 200 Mhz i.MXL processor, so it now runs Palm OS 5 and has upgraded base memory to 32 Megs. This really does speed up existing software... if it has been recompiled for Palm OS 5. If not, be prepared to either upgrade your applications or look for replacements. Older Palm software may not run (older versions of powerOne calculators, A Texas Hold'Em game I own, the Frotz text-game player, are all applications that either bomb or flake on a Palm OS 5 machine). The biggest upgrades are the CPU, expanded memory, use of Palm OS 5, support for Memory Stick Pro media (carry a Gigabyte with you), and the redesigned jog-dial. The jog-dial redesign is welcome: lefties and righties can now enjoy equal use of a better wheel for navigation. Layout of the screen can be Launcher mode or the normal list/icon view. Launcher puts more of a digital dashboard feel to the experience: also check out the variety of color themes you can apply to your handheld now. Biggest downsides I'm seeing with the TJ35 are significant. Grafitti2 is awful, and the software bundle is a bait-and-switch for SJ33 owners. First, the Grafitti2 issue: you have add strokes to your letters "k" and "t", and support for Portuguese is non-existent (but it supports Swedish, which makes me laugh because five times as many people speak Portuguese as do Swedish). That means if you want to write "com minha coração", you can write the schwa-c but not the accented-a. Punctuation shift is a joke, as I have repeatedly hacked at it and I still can't make a semicolon. I was good for 35wpm with the old Graffiti. I consider Grafitti2 a detriment to this model. The software bundle grossly disappoints. Yes, it bundles Intellisync, but Bejeweled is no longer burned in ROM: Sony ships the trial version, which you can download on your own. Big deal. Also, forget Documents-To-Go, that's gone; the usual shareware trials are still available. Gone is Clie Paint, replaced with Clie Memo; you can probably accomplish many of the same things, but you no longer have airbrush tools or resizable canvases. If you do upgrade, keep a copy of your old CD handy for the old software bundle. In conclusion, I'm not sure I did better with this handheld. I was sure that my SJ33 was a world better than my Handspring Visor Deluxe, but now I suspect that Sony offset the upgraded hardware costs by leaving out the greater components of their software bundle. Plus, Grafitti2 could be a real deal-breaker for some of you experts out there: you know best that I'm not overstating the significance of an extra stroke to make "k"s and "t"s. Still, I think that I'd pick this handheld over many of the others today. It's a four-star pick; if I could have Grafitti back, I think I could be happy with it (and give it the fifth star).
Rating: 
Summary: a very fine product
Review: I've been through quite a few PDA's, mostly from Palm with the occasional Visor (I wind up killing most within a year). Let me first say, the TJ35 isn't perfect, but it comes pretty close. The operating system is fairly effortless, and the add-on third party software is intriguing. I'm still finding out how much it can do. So here are few thoughts: 1) The design guys at Sony got it right. It is a flat out elegant and beautiful product. 2) The MP3 function is quite good. I tend to be pretty picky about my music; I generally encode in WAV format. But the MP3 software will accept up to 320 kbps. I converted several files to 192 kbps, and I am very happy with the sound quality. Be warned though, you have to store all music files on a memory stick (cute, no?). 3) The Li-ion battery is user replaceable. 4) The included stylus is completely useless. If you do acquire the TJ35, do yourself a favor a buy one of those pens than can double as a stylus. Theirs is fit only for a (small) child. 5) The unit charges and syncs through an adapter that connects to the bottom of the unit. It's not exactly elegant, but not a critical flaw either. A docking module would have been nice. In summary, the TJ35 is a very well designed PDA that performs its functions admirably. Outside of some minor quirks with respect to the stylus and connection set-up, I happily recommend it to anyone looking for a new PDA.
Rating:
Summary: OK so far -- as long as the recall doesn't take too long
Review: I've had the TJ35 for almost a month, and it has been mostly outstanding (I used a Palm Vx before). Although I didn't have the backlight problem-- yet-- my unit is one of the ones on recall by Sony to have the flaw fixed, so it is about to be sent to Sony (using a prepaid fedex mailer they sent me when I signed in on the backlight problem website). The unit is very convenient. The size is right for a shirtpocket, Graffiti2 is easy once you know how -- it's OK to take 2 strokes to make t's and k's because you don't have to shift up to make capitals anymore. Decuma is not really that helpful-- the learning curve isn't worth the effort and I don't use it. The only problems I have noticed have been: (1) The Intellisync software that comes with it for syncing with Outlook refused to install properly, but I didn't mind that because I use Chapura's KeySuite instead (and it works fine); and (2) on rare occasions, HotSync doesn't work without rebooting my laptop. I use WinXP, but the laptop is normally connected to a port replicator and the Clie cradle is connected to a USB port on the port replicator. Sony's literature says this can be a problem with HotSync (i.e., that you should connect directly to the root USB port), but I had noticed no difficulty until the past couple of days. The display is easy to see (especially compared to the "old" Palm Vx). All in all, if the backlight problem is a thing of the past, and the HotSync issue doesn't recur much, it's a nice little unit.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for my needs.
Review: I've had this PDA for 2 months, and have resisted writing an early review such as "I just got this thing yesterday and it's sweet!".
I wanted a Palm based PDA that could play MP3's and had no camera. Software is not an issue for me since I can download and install whatever I want so I won't address that here, suffice to say that it does what I need it to - manage contacts, appointments, play MP3's.
Build quality is generally very good. The slider button at the side (which I is the only one I find myself using) feels very solid. My only complaint with the build is the roller in the center - it's made of light plastic which seems incongruous with the metal area at the side. It should be heavier to the touch. The wand could be bigger - people with large hands might find it awkward to use.
The screen is not extremely bright, but bright enough - no complaints. Battery life is very good, I haven't charged mine in 3 weeks and have used it a little bit every day.
My main complaint would be the lack of cradle, but I paid $140 for mine at CDW, so for the price it's no big deal - I can always buy one later.
Rating:
Summary: Stopped short of the perfect PDA !
Review: It's amazing how long it took for Sony to realize that "small is beautiful", at least when it is a PDA. It was so refreshing to see a product like this in Sony's line of "ugly-looking, keybaord-wielding" handhelds. Why on earth will I put up with the extra bulk of a keyboard when I have Graffiti and Decuna? And if you want to carry a camera everywhere, carry a Pentax Optio S :-) So, as you can feel, I was immensely happy when this PDA was launched. What made it fall short of being "perfect" was the lack of Bluetooth (I wouldn't mind an additional $50 if it had Bluetooth). It is hard for me to believe that the designers at Sony wouldn't know this. PROS:
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+ Sleek, compact and beautiful design
+ Lots of useful apps
+ Palm OS, which means I can get apps for almost anything I will ever need CONS:
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- No Bluetooth :-( :-( :-(
- The snap-on cover comes off too easily in the pocket
Rating:
Summary: Stopped short of the perfect PDA !
Review: It's amazing how long it took for Sony to realize that "small is beautiful", at least when it is a PDA. It was so refreshing to see a product like this in Sony's line of "ugly-looking, keybaord-wielding" handhelds. Why on earth will I put up with the extra bulk of a keyboard when I have Graffiti and Decuna? And if you want to carry a camera everywhere, carry a Pentax Optio S :-) So, as you can feel, I was immensely happy when this PDA was launched. What made it fall short of being "perfect" was the lack of Bluetooth (I wouldn't mind an additional $50 if it had Bluetooth). It is hard for me to believe that the designers at Sony wouldn't know this. PROS:
----
+ Sleek, compact and beautiful design
+ Lots of useful apps
+ Palm OS, which means I can get apps for almost anything I will ever need CONS:
----
- No Bluetooth :-( :-( :-(
- The snap-on cover comes off too easily in the pocket
Rating: 
Summary: Broke in less than a month
Review: The best I can say about this product is it worked well...for 3 weeks. Then the backlight suddenly stopped working. Since it is a color screen, it is useless without the backlight. I went looking on the net and found many other folks had this same problem with theirs. I was just relieved it decided to die before the 30 day return policy expired. I can say that Amazon was prompt in refunding my money.
I returned this model and purchased the Palm Tungsten T3. It was more expensive but a much better PDA. Hope this review helps in your decision.
Rating: 
Summary: Device is a disappointment to this traveler
Review: The new Clie is aesthetically beautiful but has two significant drawbacks, in my estimation. First, the battery life is very short. I was surprised one evening to receive the battery warning message as my clie had been plugged in and charging all day. Upon further experimentation, I've noticed that the battery will run down in a few days with only moderate use. This is terrible for travelers who don't want to bring along a charging cord. Also, Graffiti 2 takes a bit of adjustment - additional or new strokes are required for many characters. In all, I'm disappointed. Too bad...
Rating:
Summary: Backlight Hell
Review: The old saying "misery likes compay" has never been more true. I'm somewhat comforted by reading about others who have also expressed extreme frustration over the backlight issue with this PDA. Frankly, I loved it. It is smaller than my first PDA (a Handspring Visor) and had an awesome screen. It works like a charm with Outlook at work. A real nice machine. Then the backlight went out. And they fixed it. Then it went out again. And they fixed it. Then the light went out. And they aren't returning my e-mails. I'm officially done with Sony. I should have gone wth my gut that said up front, "don't buy a Sony product" but the guy at Best Buy assured me that my past bad experiences with Sony products were history. Live and learn. Go with your gut. Don't buy Sony.
Rating:
Summary: great for business!
Review: The Sony Clie is great....I did allot of research as well as read alot of reviews. Some of the comments I found were amusing in the respect people were expecting too much from something the size of your hand. These palms were designed for organization in business or home, if you need high quality stereo buy Bose if you want to airbrush and paint purchase Photoshop, play games?...buy a unit with a screen large enough to see what the _____ your playing. This Sony is a great tool for just what you need it for in business. The sound is great if your have a good set of HeadPhones....that's with any unit. Enjoy this Palm I highly reccomend it.
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