I won't be replacing my NR70

[ErnieB]

Just spent an hour at Circuit City.  They have about 20 TG-50's in stock.  Believe me, the money was just burning a hole in my pocket.  But, I walked out empty-handed (well, I still had my NR70).

I beamed all my favorite apps from my NR70 to the TG-50.  They all worked, but they didn't all fit (you know, that whole 11MB thing).

The keyboard is cool, and it didn't take much getting used to before I was outperforming graffiti, TapPad, or even FitalyVirtual.  One major gripe--the TAB key doesn't switch to the next field.  However, the down arrow key seems to do the same thing, but not reliably, and not everywhere.

The TG-50 is about as thick as my NR70 (without the leather case).  The width of the TG-50 screen is actually smaller, which didn't thrill me.

The up/down button is a disaster.  Fortunately, I didn't need it with the jog dial available.

Popup graffiti is implemented well--about as well as you could expect.

Overall, I liked the TG-50 better than the NR70, but not $400 more.  If I was upgrading from an old Palm or a monochrome Clie, I'd go for the TG-50.  But there just isn't that much improvement over the NR70 (for 90% of what I'd use it for) to justify the expense.

I guess the NR70 is still a pretty good machine.

I also looked at the Tungsten T.  You really, really need to avoid this PDA like the plague.  Everything about it is mediocre, at best.  Blech!!!

[CapnDan]

I felt the same way - liked the overall design/very well done, but I almost always use my nr70v in tablet mode and I've been using graffiti for so long now that I almost find myself taking notes on paper using it! I've already gotten around most of the "dislikes" I had about a OS4 device through hacks - page up/dn for the hard buttons on the status bar, OS5 fonts installed with fonthack, etc. I also really missed the 320x480 screen with apps such as datebk5, D2G, and Zlauncher - fully agree that if you're upgrading from a 160x160 or 320x320 device that the tg-50 will be liked, but I just couldn't see dropping the $400 to "upgrade" from my nr70v either - it really made me appreciate what I already have even more and what a well designed unit the nr70v also is! Now when/if a vg 480x320 tg series model comes out I'll probably go for it... If my nr70v were to be damaged/lost, etc. it would be a tougher decision as I really don't like the larger size of the nx series with wifi card slot (which I don't think I'd ever use...).

[sstrasser86]

I must say i love my NX!

[Unregistered]

I'm a complete newbie to the PDA world, but I know I want a model with a good keypad--it's an absolute necessity. Should I consider the TG-50?

Thanks, everyone!

[ErnieB]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I'm a complete newbie to the PDA world, but I know I want a model with a good keypad--it's an absolute necessity. Should I consider the TG-50?

Thanks, everyone!

You have only a few options.

1) The keyboards on the NR70, NX60, and NX70 stink (my opinion).  The NZ90 and TG-50 keyboards are considerably better (though not perfect).

2) As for non-Sony devices, the Handspring Treo series has a decent keyboard (better than Sony, I think).  However, it doesn't have a hi-resolution display.  Do a side-by-side comparison to see what I mean.  Also, only the Treo 180 does not include an integrated cell phone.  The Palm Tungsten W is also a good choice, but it includes a cell-phone, making the whole affair rather expensive.

3) You can purchase OEM or 3rd party thumbboards for most PDAs, but I doubt they would exceed the quality of the TG-50 or NZ90.  Also, you can't really leave a thumbboard attached all the time, but you can use them "on the fly" without needing a desk of some sort.

4) You can purchase OEM or 3rd party portable keyboards.  "Portable" is a bit of a misnomer here.  Yes, they do fold up, but in many cases, you need a large, hard, flat surface on which to use them.  There is little difference between them and your PC keyboard, though.

Hope that helps.