The
Clié PEG-SJ33
Technical Summary
Processor: 66 MHz Dragonball Super VZ
Memory: 16 Mb
Screen: 16-bit colour, backlit, 320x320 resolution.
Operating System: PalmOS 4·1
Form Factor
In terms of absolute size, this
Clié model is about the same length and width as the Tungsten
T3 (before you extend the case)
but is a little but thicker – see below for a comparison of these two devices. It is especially noteworthy for being thick;
it feels chunky in the hand. The case is
smooth to the touch and reasonably comfortable to hold in the hand – but see
below about my comments regarding Sony’s choice of stylus.
On the left hand side of the
device you’ll find a jog dial, back button and slider power switch. Along the top edge you find the infrared port,
headphone socket and MemoryStick slot. There
are no buttons on the right hand edge of the device.
The SJ33 ships with a translucent
black screen cover, which you flip open to use. This contributes to the device’s bulk but
it’s useful in protecting the screen.
Unfortunately, Sony use a very
thin stylus, which is uncomfortable to use for any length of time. Palm show Sony the way home here.
Screen
The SJ33 uses Sony’s high
resolution colour screen with a variable backlight. It’s easily possible to have the screen dim enough
for night time use. It does not need the
backlight to be fully visible in daylight.
The screen’s performance is excellent
for a PalmOS 4 device, being fast and fluid. Colour reproduction is very good.
Where the screen does struggle
is in the execution of Sony’s high resolution technology, which isn’t as
comprehensive as Palm.
Sound and Notifications
The SJ333 has Sony’s enhanced
sound set up for PalmOS 4∙x devices.
The unit has a decent quality speaker capable of producing the usual
variety of beeps plus music. The SJ33
ships with Sony’s AudioPlayer software although at the time of writing I have
not used this functionality.
In addition to the decent
speaker set up the SJ33 has a notification LED on the front. Unfortunately, the LED is far too
bright at night and is very distracting.
It may be used as a torch! One of
the first modifications I did to my SJ33 was put some brown parcel tape over
the LED.
Storage
Sony wisely gave the SJ33 16 Mb
of memory.
This is one of the Clié’s key
strengths and the reason why the device is so thick: battery life is good. The SJ33 will turn in ten hours of uptime.
Expansion
Being a Sony device, it is of no
surprise that the SJ33 ships with a MemoryStick slot.
Summary
There is much to like about the
Clié SJ33. It’s the fastest Dragonball-equipped
PalmOS 4 device ever made, it has an effective screen, adequate memory and good
funcionality.
The
device passed the functionality test and was put into use as my primary device.