Comments on: Review: Sony PEG-S320

Recently, Sony has been moving aggressively into the handheld market. Earlier this Summer, they introduced their first mid-range model, the PEG-S320. News Editor and occasional reviewer Ed Hardy had the opportunity to use one of these for a while and brings us this review.
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good buy!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 12:40:44 PM #
I might have difficulty regarding m505 vs. N710 (price, screen, and form factor trade-off), but as to m500 vs. S320, the price difference is way too big that S320 would be my only consideration (well, handera aside, which has 2 expansion slots)...

RE: good buy!
dwarchbold @ 8/23/2001 12:49:08 PM #
No doubt! The m500 is listed on the Palm web page for $399. The price Ed quotes in this review is $200.

Seriously Palm, the m500 is a joke, right? I don't mean this as flamebait, but come on! Give the consumers one good reason to justify that price.

Almost certainly, Palm will drop the price of the m500 unit shortly. Still, they would have to lower it by $150 - $200. That would be a major price drop, which I have a hard time seeing Palm go though with. It would cross the line between the m125, when/if it comes out.

I foresee Palm eliminating the m500 shortly after the m125 comes out.

RE: good buy!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 1:32:58 PM #
The TRGpro offers a better expansion option at essentially the same price. The Sony is smaller though.

RE: good buy!
ImpReza @ 8/23/2001 1:35:04 PM #
I agree with dwarchbold. The m500, the Clie's main competiton, costs TWICE as much. For the money i saved buying the S320, I can buy a cradle, for 60$ and a 128 MB Mem Stick for 150$. Even after all this, I would have still pocketed 90$.

Palm needs to get a clue, the m500 wont get any sales unless it is competitvely priced (at least $300 maximum). Especially with the Sony out in the market. Until it does so, my business will stay with Sony.

PS, the m125 which should be Sony's new main competitor, will hopefully do all the things that the m500 does at a price 150$ less. The m125 is what the m500 should have been. Maybe then the S320 will have some real competition (though the Clie does look a lot better than the m1xx series.)

RE: good buy!
ImpReza @ 8/23/2001 1:44:45 PM #
I'm sorry, my math was wrong. However, a 136 MB Clie for a measly ten bucks more than a regular m500 doesnt sound too bad does it? :)

RE: good buy!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 3:00:32 PM #
TRGpro does have better expension support, but its screen is much worse than S320, it's slower(16.5Mhz/OS3.5Vs33Mhz/OS4.0) and it is uglier.

---a TRGpro user

Great Review!!

rldunn @ 8/23/2001 1:44:22 PM #
Another great review Ed. Very comprehensive. I was one of the first to get the S320 and have had it for over a month now, and there's nothing I would add. I didn't even know about the Attention Manager thing; I'm testing it on my unit now.

RE: Great Review!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 3:19:36 PM #
I think attention manager is one of improvements of OS4, not solely from Sony, please take a look at http://www.palm.com/software/palmos4.html.
Ed might want to mention that in his excellent review.

RE: Attention Manager
Ed @ 8/23/2001 3:42:21 PM #
The mention of the Attention Manger is in the OS 4.0 section of the review. I thought it went without saying that all the features mentioned in that area are available on all handhelds running OS 4.0.

---
News Editor
RE: Great Review!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/25/2001 9:48:11 AM #
I haven't been able to find Attention Manager on my Clie 610 which also runs OS 4.0. Was it omitted on this model or am I not looking hard enough (did a search in the electronic manual on the CD).

RE: Attention Manager
Ed @ 8/25/2001 9:57:34 AM #
The Attention Manager only appears when a second alarm goes off before you have acknowledged the first. If you want to see it, set an alarm for 5 minutes from now and a second for 10 minutes. When the first goes off, don't hit OK or anything, just let it sit there. When the second goes off, they will both appear listed on a single screen. That is the Attention Manager.

---
News Editor
RE: Great Review!!
Ia3n @ 8/26/2001 11:56:35 PM #
or when you hit snooze, and then tap the blinking icon in the menu bar.

The really good thing about S320 is....

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 2:16:53 PM #
the backlight, it is a real backlight, not like other Palms, their backlight is a big joke!!

Palm Inc, Handspring should get a clue on how to improve their product so that customer feel every penny they spend worths it!

RE: The really good thing about S320 is....
allapon @ 8/27/2001 2:44:45 AM #
I can't agree you more about this issue.

My old PDA is Visor Deluxe. I like it a lot because of expension, I used CF adapter and it is very useful.

However, Handspring didn't release their patch to update OS, 3.1H3. That makes me a little disappoint because I try to use some program that support 3.5. Their Backlight for Handspring is not quite bright, comparing with Palm IIIxe.

Back light is another issue that advange on sony unit than Palm. Evenif in Color model, PEG-N610c, their backlight is a lot better than Palm (in my opinion). When compare Sony PEG-S320 with Palm IIIxe and Handspring Visor deluxe, I noticed one thing that Sony do some homework to improve their product. That is why they are one of the most successful electronic consumer product around the world, even if in US.

Hello !!

M500 can not compete with S320, nither can M125

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 2:19:12 PM #
Why? The design of M125 is a big flaw, round shape looks like a toy!

RE: M500 can not compete with S320, nither can M125
kevdo @ 8/23/2001 2:31:01 PM #
Well, I for one do GREATLY prefer the m500 form factor to the Sony models. If priced competitively, that would be a reason to go with the Palm over the Sony. Also, I do prefer the open SD technology rather than Memory Stick as well.

Lastly, the issue of bundled software does favor the m500 currently. The add-on software such as Documents to Go and PhotoSuite are really good.

RE: M500 can not compete with S320, nither can M125
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 2:44:33 PM #
I can't understand why the SD vs. Memory stick is such a big deal. I have an m505, and I use my SD slot with a 64Mb SD Card in it. It is loaded with at least 25 megs of apps and games.

Once all of these cool SD devices start coming out, am I just going to abandon my SD card with all of its apps on it so I can use a Bluetooth module? I think not.

We need devices with more than one SD slot for it to become real useful. Until that happens, neither Palm with its SD cards nor Sony with its memory stick has any advantage over each other.

I guess the Handera has it almost right with their two slots. I just wish they went with two SD slots.

my 2¢

RE: M500 can not compete with S320, nither can M125
rldunn @ 8/23/2001 3:22:06 PM #
Well said. Who cares what the storage medium is, as long as it's going to be around for awhile to get replacements/upgrades. And I totally agree with you about the storage slot devices. The vast majority of my apps are on my MS now and I don't want to nor have room to move them back to RAM.

RE: M500 can not compete with S320, nither can M125
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 5:59:22 PM #
>>
Who cares what the storage medium is, as long as it's going to be around for awhile to get replacements/upgrades.
<<

Well, I think that's the main problem. As Sony is the only manufacturer, they could decide tomorrow to stop making them, and that's the end of them. However, Sony has changed their Memory Stick license agreements, and a couple of other manufacturers are starting to make Memory Sticks, so MS has a much better chance than Betamax ever did.

The other thing is that other devices use CF and MMC cards, so you can use the same cards in your PDA and your digital camera, MP3 player, etc. Sony is the only manufacturer that makes these devices with Memory Sticks, so if you want to be able to take a picture and then pop the card into your PDA, you need to buy all your stuff from $ony. Here, again, though, other manufacturers are starting to license Memory Stick, so we may see non-Sony MS-equipped devices soon.



m500...m125...Clie...

Davy @ 8/23/2001 7:09:10 PM #
The point of the m500 is not to compete with the Sony 320. You need to understand that Palm doesn't try to compete with Sony. Sony is the heavy underdog, and Palm doesn't aim its models to beat out Sony's (as many I.M. Anonymous's seem to believe).

The m500 is a replacement for the Vx, and it's a good one at the. Right now the Vx is $299, and the m500 is $399 (Straight off Palm's page.) The m500 has a faster processer, usb cradle, expandable memory, vibrating alarm, and access to a whole variety of peripherals (that the Clie will never have). I personally believe that's worth 100 dollars, don't you? I have an m505, because I value color, but should the m500 cost less than the current Vx? No! The m500 is probably the last high-end grayscale device. The m50x case design is way better than the Clie's (excluding the internal components), and the handheld was perfectly designed, for a grayscale palm.

The chief competitor for the Clie 320, is in fact, the m125. Already, even with the head-start, even the most glazed Clie owners can admit that the m125 will heavily outsell the Clie 320. Most people have bad memory's of the first Clie, the new one just a new second digit. Although Clie products may innovate, they will not-outsell, at least not for the forseable future.

-Davy Fields
m505 Yahoo Group Moderator
Owner m505 FAQ
www.davyfields.com

RE: m500...m125...Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 8:44:27 PM #
I just couldn't diagree with you more: I am in the market for a monochrome PDA, and up until the Sony 320 came out, I was debating between the Vx and the M500. I really wanted the removable memory slot of the M500, but the price was just too high for me to take the leap, especially since I want to get two - one for me and one for my wife. I love the Palm Vx and M50x form factor, and really love that it is an American company and American made, but the Sony's price is just too good to ignore: For the same technical specs (speed, memory, O/S, etc.), I can get TWO 320's for the price of one M500. I can't see paying literally twice as much just for a better form factor and a different memory slot (SD vs. memory stick) - especially when considering buying two PDA's at the same time. Almost all the software differences can be addressed with freeware or cheap shareware equivalents. Since I am a new buyer, I have no legacy issues to make me go one way or the other. In my book, the Palm M500 is a DIRECT competitor with the Sony S320, and the Vx is no longer even in the running. I have compared both in stores, but I can't justify the M500 over the 2-for-1 deal I can get with the Sony at this time. I'm actually on your side about Palm, though: I want them to succeed. To that end, I have decided to hold off on a PDA purchase for now, hoping that Palm will lower prices and that the new M125 will come with something that will clearly justify the rumored $50 premium over the Sony 320. In a perfect world, the M105 should replace the M100 as the entry level model, at $129 (or even better: $99.99), then the M125 at $199, the M500 at $299, and the M505 at $399. If Palm sets those prices before Christmas, they will regain momentum, but as of now, Sony is going to gobble up all the new PDA users who have not already established a bond with Palm PDAs.

RE: m500......m125......Clie.......
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2001 10:04:20 PM #
Might you be a tad biased? Expecting a product to sell mostly on name and reputation rather than features suggests that palm is no longer innovating. Your point about the price of the M500 is kind of silly since the Vx is so overpriced. You're reasoning as if no other clone has a chance in the market that palm created, regardless of quality. That kind of hubris will be the end of the hardware phase of Palm.

No offense intended- I would not expect the person who maintains the CLIE faq to be unbiased either.

RE: m500......m125......Clie.......
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/24/2001 4:08:31 AM #
What, exactly, are these "bad memories" of the first Clie? I own an S300 and can't think of any advantages that the S320 has over it, besides OS 4 and maybe slightly faster speed.

As for the Palm vs. Sony debate, I think it's childish. Each company adds its own special features that not everyone will need. Personally, I don't care to spend oodles of money on expensive peripherals for my Palm device. If I wanted all the peripherals, I'd buy a notebook or subnotebook computer instead.

The vibrating alarm in the M50x would be nice, but it's way above my price range for a basic PDA with external memory expansion.

RE: m500...m125...Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/31/2001 1:18:48 AM #
What a blinkered viewpoint, ".....point of the m500 is not to compete with the Sony 320.". And if this attitude persist, that'll be what cause the death of Palm. If they are going to stay in the hardware business, then any hardware maker will be a competitor. I am sure the guys at Sony are laughing their heads off at this, if the guys at Palm don't see them as competitors, even as the cash registers at Sony keeps ringing in the cold hard cash of reality. Wake up!

As a consumer, if I am in the market for a PDA, I'll naturally consider ANY PDA first, and then narrow down my choices to what I perceive as value. The Vx in its time was value because we had NO choice. Today, you are still talking about the Vx? Wake up, it is history! It was great; I even own one but today .....if this same kind of mindset persist, it'll go the way of the Oldsmobile ....extinction.

If the M500 is a replacement for the Vx only, without any regards to the wide variety of SIMILARLY configured devices, check out how many Vx owners will upgrade to it. What about the new users, who will be just comparing ALL the available devices - nearly two S320s for the price of ONE M500 .....simple maths ....unless you are such a Palm bigot.

Can Palm accept one fact that Sony can blow them off ??

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/24/2001 12:27:39 AM #
Dear sir,

About issue that m500 can't compare with Sony Clie PEG-S320, Are you crazy ?? It can be a big problem for you, m500. O.k, m500 have some extra feature, who gonna use it and pay for $200 more !!

I think that palm should figure out about one thing, Comparing yourself with competitor. Like microsoft do, they try to expand and alway compare themselves to compatitor.

m125 is the competitor for Sony Clie S320, yeah right ??? If the rumor about m125 is correct, it use normal battery....... 555555555555 It is like to m105 with expansion slot and still, can't upgrade OS !!!

If Palm said that they will not compare m500 with Sony Clie PEG-S320. In next few year, you are in the big trouble !!!

RE: Can Palm accept one fact that Sony can blow them off ??
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/24/2001 6:36:46 AM #
Do let us know when Sony starts taking OS upgrades seriously themselves.

RE: Can Palm accept one fact that Sony can blow them off ??
sub_tex @ 8/24/2001 10:36:18 AM #
heh. that was good.

RE: Can Palm accept one fact that Sony can blow them off ??
rldunn @ 8/24/2001 11:02:20 AM #
One thing I don't understand is why everyone is giving Sony so much grief about the OS upgrade issue. Even Palm is not releasing their upgrade until November, which is 3 months away. Sony is just being conservative and not announcing the upgrade until it's ready. Since everyone on here lambasted Palm for pre-announcing the M50x series, shouldn't the same people be applauding this conservative approach? If Sony doesn't release the upgrade when others do, then give 'em hell. But it seems that we should cut them a break until then.

RE: Can Palm accept one fact that Sony can blow them off ??
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/24/2001 12:18:19 PM #
well said.

RE: Can Palm accept one fact that Sony can blow them off ??
allapon @ 8/26/2001 2:33:38 AM #
I think that the issue about Sony PEG-S320 become a big prank for somebody.

I just point out that Palm should be concern about another company right now. And Palm is not only one in PDA market anymore. Yes, Palm still hold for PalmOS. But if in next few years, Palm still release new model of PDA, but no one buy it!! That is what I concern.

One thing that I found after I read some of comment in this review (and I just laugh) is You just see the world from your point of view and think that you are always correct. When I was young, I used to think that same way. But after I saw the world and get older. You have to accept another point of view from other persons. That helps you to improve your viewpoint and create a wonderful idea !!

Just be patient, stay cool and laugh. That is the way I do...



Hello !!

RE: Can Palm accept one fact that Sony can blow them off ??
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/27/2001 12:59:38 AM #
Allapon, are you from Thailand? Sawadeekrab. Agree about the importance of knowing that there are other equally valid viewpoints.

Stay cool & laugh. The thais are inspiration in that regard.

RE: Can Palm accept one fact that Sony can blow them off ??
allapon @ 8/27/2001 2:37:53 AM #
Dear I'm Anonymously,

You are right, I am thai. But I don't stay in Thailand right now.

I just saw somebody in this article mention about their good view point and complain about some crazy thing abou being adult. Yes, they didn't have a lot of time to involve with kind of thing like that because they have some responsibility to take care of. If they didn't try to understand the people around you. You will have a big trouble for anybody to understand you and finally, you will be one guy in your world !!

Hope you understand and I am sorry if I make you feel angry. I just feel that we talk about the fax and consumer who think about budget before feature.

Hello !!

N610C Review

l@urie @ 8/30/2001 10:37:17 PM #
Is your review of the N610C still in progress Ed? I am anxious to see your comments on this model.

Thanks.

Write Right Screen Overlays

I.M. Anonymous @ 11/21/2001 9:53:57 PM #
Has anyone used the Write Right screen overlays on the Clie S320? I'm wondering if the screen material on the Clie is the same as other PDAs, or if using the screen overlay (for example) made for the Palm PDAs will destroy the Clie screen. Any suggestions? Besides taking an Xacto knife to carve out Write Rights to fit Clie? hehe

Very happy Clie owner!

Sony PEG-S320

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/23/2002 8:45:17 PM #
I bought a Sony PEG-S320 from Sony directly. Initially, I was pretty happy with the handheld until my
nightmare started. After few months of using the clie, I noticed a slight crack on the screen developing
from within. I immediately called the Sony customer service (it took me 45 minutes to reach a live person)
and informed them of the problem. They told me that the warranty of the clie did not cover breaking of the
LCD screen. I advised the customer service rep that the crack had developed on its own. I also told
that I kept the clie in a protective pouch. It seemed ridiculous to spend $106 on a screen for a few months
old clie which was bought at a cost of $169. Despite my best efforts, Sony customer service has
demonstrated that they are not willing to listen. If I had known that Sony has such "wonderfull" (of course in the wrong
sense) customer service I would never have bought the clie from them.

For any new buyer the message is BEWARE. There is something wrong with the screens and many people
have complained that it cracks and then Sony earns an additional $100+ for something which they
should supply free or at a more affordable accessory cost.

Please buy other PDA handhelds for number of reasons, the most important being that you would
get good customer service unlike Sony, who seemed to be sanguine about their customer base. I
am sure a drop in the ocean will someday become an ocean.

RE: Sony PEG-S320
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/23/2002 8:59:19 PM #
I agree there is a serious problem with the Sony Clie's. They should consider doing something about the
LCD screen. As to the customer service, even I have had long waiting experiences with Sony. Best thing is to
compare the clie's with other handhelds and buy the one that is most durable and customer friendly.
RE: Sony PEG-S320
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/4/2002 12:44:35 PM #
I've been using an s320 for almost a year now, and no problems what so ever.

You need to realize that this is a delicate electronic device, DON'T PUSH SO HARD!!! That will solve your problem.

Don't blame the product for OPERATOR error. CSC101

Fax software for Palm OS

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/23/2002 10:05:45 AM #
I'm at wits end looking for a software that supports receiving. All the software out there only supports sending function. Any idea?

CHARLES Q.

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/19/2002 7:50:06 PM #
PLEASE...I BROKE UP MY USB-CRADDLE OF MY PEG-S320 IF SOMEONE HAVE ONE PLEASE WRITE ME AT E-MAIL KARLOSQUINTERO@YAHOO.COM
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