Did I make a mistake with the SJ-33?

[volt9]

I recently purchased a Clie SJ-22 for my GF (girlfriend). Upon getting in home and playing with it for a week or so, I really got sucked into this whole world of palm OS and the respective software titles. Needless to say, I decided to get one myself.

I did some quick research on other Sony models and opted to go for the SJ-33, mainly because of the faster CPU and battery. I figured that MP3's was an added bonus, but not one that I would be making daily use of by any means.

When I got the SJ-33 home and charged the battery, the first thing I noticed is that the bottom of the screen is not a uniform color, where as my GF's SJ-22 was perfect. This bothered me a little bit. I found out that this is a common problem with the SJ series and I shouldn't wory about it. Okay, that sucks, but I guess it will be fine.

Initially, I loved the design of the SJ-33. I like the black smoked flip top and the high-gloss finish of the product itself. But the un-forseen problems with this design quickly manfested themselves. (Like fingerprints from hell) It's also noticably fatter and heavier than the '22. Wasn't too happy or too pissed, just a little upset. No biggie...

So, within the first 2 days of ownership, I notcied tiny little scratches forming on the outside of the face. A quick investigation revealed that any dirt or dust particles trapped between the flip top and the face would be imprinted on the face itself. This sucks. I selected SONY because I love the look of their products. I wanted this unit to remain as flawless as possible, for as long as possible. Well I can toss that dream out the window, because I have a feeling that in about a months time this unit will look like it is two years old! This in my opinion in a MAJOR design flaw.

Also, I absolutley HATE where the power switch is located on the SJ-33. In the small amount of time that I was using my GF's SJ-22, I got very used to where the switch was, (not to mention that I like the removable flip on the '22.) I don't like having to open the flip every single time I want to do even the quickest of note taking. Very annoying.

And finally, my real reason for selecting this unit over the '22 was the CPU. 66MHz vs. 33Mhz. Well honestly, I can't help but feel ripped off. I paid a premium of $200 just to get 33 more MHz (which I can not percieve as an improvement), a better battery (which I wasn't THAT concerned with because I'm already in a routine of charging my cell phone before bed, so why not my Clie too?), and MP3 capability of which I'm only going to use ocassionally. (Not to mention I don't feel like shelling out another $100 or so for a decent sized MS for playing MP3's)

So my question is this; Other than the MP3's capability, what is the big advantage of having those additional 33MHz? In all the software that I've used on the '22. I can't notice any difference that I can equate to the extra $200 I unfortunately spent. And I have a feeling that this CPU is just slightly different enough from the 33MHz to cause some incompatibilities. I've only owned the unit for about a week and have already suffered 2 hard crashes and two boot loop errors. (The only questionable app that would have caused the bootloop is maybe fastCPU? I had no other hacks installed!)Is this normal? The '22 has not crashed once yet. Maybe it's luck, maybe it's not. Go figure...

Anyways, I'm strongly considering taking it back and getting an SJ-22. You think I'm crazy? Well then please, tell me why...

Barry

[PaulNB]

Originally posted by volt9

Anyways, I'm strongly considering taking it back and getting an SJ-22. You think I'm crazy? Well then please, tell me why...

Barry

If you're not happy with it, take it back. From everything you've said you're VERY unhappy with it so why keep it ? Personally I'm very happy with mine. I noticed a big difference in speed with the programs I use & I like having alarms that are louder & more than just simple beeps. It does get marked up, that's life. Any PDA will show signs of use if you use it so you have to get over the cosmetic issues. It seems like you made a rush decision considering the number of complaints you mentioned but I guess that's a side effect of liberal return policies, some people leap before they look.

[volt9]

Originally posted by PaulNB
It seems like you made a rush decision considering the number of complaints you mentioned but I guess that's a side effect of liberal return policies, some people leap before they look.

I agree with you 100% there. It was somewhat of an impusle buy, but these annoyances that I described did not show up with the '22. That's why I leapt at the '33.

BTW, I'm not bashing the '33 in any way, it's a kick a$$ looking 'sony-style' PDA. I just don't feel that the extra cash was worth it. And believe it or not, (even after all the ranting) I'm still on the fence about returning it. (that's why I wanted somebody te really lay out the speed differences) I just might end up keeping it, once I get over the 'cosmetic issues' as you put it (And get used to the button layout and such). But we'll see.

Thanks for the comments. :)

Barry

[Serotta]

I went from a 33MHz T415 to the 66mhz t665, and it's a very noticeable difference, especially with anything having to do with the memory stick. From what you've said, you may want to hunt around for a 665 and trade in your SJ33.

[Jeffry]

If you don't like the SJ33, try the Zire 71.

[Gazpacho]

Or try the discontinued t665c. Both this model and the Palm Zire 71 are good choices which I personally would prefer over the SJ33.

[PaulNB]

Originally posted by Gazpacho
Or try the discontinued t665c. Both this model and the Palm Zire 71 are good choices which I personally would prefer over the SJ33.

Don't forget he mentioned battery as one of his factors in choosing the SJ33, the T665 is well known for it's short battery life.

[hherbzilla]

Originally posted by PaulNB
...It seems like you made a rush decision considering the number of complaints you mentioned... I have to agree. You obviously made a mistake and bought a PDA that doesn't meet your needs. Take some time to figure out what'll work best for you and trade it in.

[ratbird4@aol.com]

I am so happy with this little gadget! Its my first pda! all my friends want one now. when i first got it i thought it would be a useless rip off! well its not! the only flaw as you said was the design. finger prints are everywhere, and the back is scratched up! ahhhh ok so i went to ebay and got me a leather case, adn some screen protectors! COOL ! it works!

[acraniotes]

Not that this is likely to sway your opinion any, but 128MB MemorySticks can be had for about $30 these days.

With respect to your "cosmetic" issues, trust me, I know exactly where you're coming from. I've been playing the PDA game ever since I received a Sharp DialMaster as a present back in high school (I'm 30 now), and I've always strived to keep my PDAs in perfect condition. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. Intially, once a new device finds its way into my posession, I treat it with kid gloves - screen protectors, cases, constant polishing... And god forbid I catch someone using their fingers on the screen! Blasphemy! The problem here is that I find that I don't actually "use" the PDA to its fullest potential during the "honeymoon." I won't always bring it out with me, and if I do have it, depending on the situation, I might not whip it out for fear of damage. It's only once I get that first major scratch or dent on le PDA du jour that I find that I actually start using it, as opposed to babying it -- afterall, once the honeymoon is over, the real work begins...

Case in point, my NR70V spent its first six months of life living in a bubble, whereas now it's naked and in my back pocket at all times. It sure looks like hell, but it works like a charm. That said, it certainly won't bring in much dough when it's time to trade it in (which will probably be never since I'm waiting for Sony to get its act together and release an OS5 hi-res+ tablet PDA with Bluetooth...).

-Adam

[OcellNuri]

The 66mhz is most notable when you start using a Memory Stick. As stated, you can find a 128meg MS for about $30 on the web.

I had a T615 (33mhz) and got my 128meg MS for it. I loaded it up with programs and pictures, using a third party launcher (YiShow). Things were good, but running applications from the MS was not fast. As I loaded more and more apps, the wait times became more and more irritating. So I upgraded to a NR70V (66mhz, like the SJ33) and instantly noticed that my apps were loading off of the MS twice as fast as they were on my T615.

So basically, the area that 66mhz really shows its superiority to 33mhz is in Memory Stick access.

[elo]

I tend not to be a fan of our return/refund culture, but this case might be an exception. It sounds like you gave this product every chance, but it really wasn't the best choice for you. So I think you can return it in good conscience, if that's what you decide to do.

Personally, I think the SJ-33 is an acceptable PDA, but it does not win its price category the way that other Clies typically do. If I were you, I would look very seriously at the Palm Zire 71 or consider upgrading to the TG-50. While you may not notice much of a speed difference now (I don't either), you will be much more aware of it downgrading to the SJ-22 than you are coming from the -22.

As far as cosmetics, there's something kind of cool about a well-worn unit. That's much better, I think, than treating it with kid gloves, which ultimately gets in the way of your productivity.

Anyway, let us know what you decide - I'm curious.

elo

[Chanbingo]

Like everything else in life it's a personal preference.

First things first. So return it if you don't like it.

I got my SJ33 last Feb and quite happy with it. True enough there are cosmetic issues like finger prints glore all over the case.

But as "acraniotes" mentioned you've gotta finish your "honeymoon" with it to really start using it as a PDA. I did place screen protector, a home made fabric casing and cleaned it ever too often. But it's something which adds something useful to you life, productivity, fun or whatever. But not a thing you should keep under wraps. When you use it at it's fullest potential, you get scratches, dirt, crashes and may occationally drop on the floor.

See my post:I dropped my SJ33 on the cement floor (http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10118&highlight=dropped+my+SJ33)

It's basically a part of the deal. And once you really really fedup go and upgrade to the next cutest thing you find. Don't toss your dream out, just use it and have fun.. I know you can...

If you really fuzzy about the speed, 66MHz does really improve the reading speed of the MS, If you do place a lot of JPGs on it like me you'll love the benifit.

Otherwise go trade it in to something else...

Rgds,
Chan

[volt9]

Wow guys, thanks for all the comments!

Since my rant earliear yesterday, I've since discovered something that is QUITE significant in swaying me back to the '33. I borrowed a MS from a friend of mine to play with (who actually owns a SJ-20) I took a handfull of JPEGs and scaled them down to 320x320 with Photoshop, then saved them out as JPEG quality 9. This gave me about a 60K average file size for each JPEG.

I timed the difference between the sj-20 and my sj-33 for loading the same jpeg file. Using YiShow, the sj-20 took 1 minute and 7 seconds to view the 64K jpeg. The SJ-33 took about 3 seconds to view the exact same pic. (HOLY SH1TE) Now there's probably better and faster jpeg viewers out there, but I feel that this demonstrates something because it's the same software and the same pic. I also have a feeling though that it may be taking longer because it's converting the pic to monochrome in order to view it. But whatever, I'm going to try the same test on my GF's '22 tommorow. This will be a deciding factor. If the '22 is no different from the '20, then no question, I'm keeping the '33.

Barry

[palmgeek]

Yes, JPGs load pretty slow on the SJ20, especially off the MS. :-(

The real question is: "Is the extra speed worth $200?" If I had a 6-figure salary, I'd say "yes" (but since I don't, and probably never will, I'll live with my SJ20's slow speed).

[PaulNB]

Originally posted by palmgeek
Yes, JPGs load pretty slow on the SJ20, especially off the MS. :-(

The real question is: "Is the extra speed worth $200?" If I had a 6-figure salary, I'd say "yes" (but since I don't, and probably never will, I'll live with my SJ20's slow speed).

If you did have a six figure salary I doubt you'd own either of those devices though....:rolleyes: