Need some advice on New Clie Purchase

[nestersan]

HI, greets from Jamaica.

I know Sony is out of the PDA market, but I love the look, the keyboard and the jog/dial. I bought a Nr70V off EBay 3 years ago, love it, still use it, primarily for Reading, and Notes etc.

I have decided it is now time to upgrade, because i want to be able to:
1: use OS 5 apps/games

2: Connect to my PC at home so I can run my Invoicing software and send out the Invoices via email without having to go home. (Jamaica is becoming more and more wired/wireless and DSl is available almost everywhere)

3: Chat online to friends overseas/surf web.

I have no problems buying a well cared for used model of any pda that can accomplish the above.

I cannot do without the JOG wheel, since I read ebooks alot, the one handed operation is lovely.

I need bluetooth/802.xx

I need the ability to switch between portrait and widescreen, just for Spreadsheets and Web Browsing.

I would like a keyboard.

I need a memory card type other than memory stick as well.

Also the ability to play video without slowdown would be a plus.

I have no idea what is out there, which is why i am asking for help.

I would actually contemplate a non sony PDA is there was a JOG wheel equivalent.

I dont need prices, i will research myself, I just need Model Names.

Thanks

[jjesusfreak01]

Thats harsh...

Something like that is not going to be easy to find, but in the Palm OS world, you are going to be best off with a UX-50. It has BT and WiFi, as well as a keyboard. It doesnt have the largest screen, but it is the same resolution as other PDAs.

On the PPC side you will have alot more challengers in the arena. If I were looking for this feature set, I would highly consider a PPC device.

[Cyker]

The Sony Clie UX50 sounds pretty much exactly what you're looking for, although obviously it only uses Memory Sticks. Frankly, the bit about VFS other than Memorystick will be tricky.
Most PDA's only have Memorystick or SD/MMC card slots, but not both.

A Few, like the Clie NX80 come with a CompactFlash slot too 'tho (That also has a keyboard, but it's not a big one like the UX50. The NX80 is sorta like an NR70V but with OS5, faster, and with more stuff. WiFi is an add-on extra that takes up the CF slot (And costs more money), but I think it has Bluetooth built-in...). Needs the Landscape program by Mobile Stream to get Landscape mode.

The TH55 doesnt have a keyboard, but you can get it with WiFi and BT. It's main strength is it's battery life. These are hard to get because they are much sought after by people like me, and as a result the price tends to be a bit on the high side. Also needs the Landscape program by Mobile Stream to get Landscape mode.

The Zodiac 2 is a very good media player, and has two SD/MMC slots (Very rare feature!). Has BlueTooth but no WiFi, but it's one of the few PalmOS PDAs that support the Sandisk WiFi+256MB SD card. It's also the cheapest PalmOS PDA you can buy brand new (£99 in UK!!). No jogdial, but the 5-way pad is pretty neat.

The Tungsten T|5 and Life Drive are the new Palms - Both have lots of Memory space and CPU power. No keyboard. T|5 has BT, LD has WiFi and BT and is (AFAIK) the only PalmOS device currently out that can use both at once. Neither come with a jogdial either, but have a 5-way pad. Not as easy to use as the Zod2's in one hand, but not hard either.

Tungsten T|3, Zire 72 are the older Palms - T|3 is similar to the T|5 except it uses real RAM instead of NVFS RAM, reputed to have not-very-good battery life. Zire is more multimedia - Has a fairly decent camera, but also has the smallest screen out of all the ones mentioned here. Both have no WiFi but have BT.

[nestersan]

Hmm, thanks, so it seems the NX80 or the UX50 are my choices. I cannot live without the jog dial, cause i do a lot of stuff using one hand like cooking, and waiting at banks etc. so i read a lot and use my thumb to scroll the pages using dial.

I would only need the landscape mode for spreadsheets and webpages. I dont understand something though, as I said i use my pda for Ebook reading and my Gf is addicted to the this billiards game which runs in portrait/normal hires+ mode only. if i get the UX-50, wont it mess up my reading ? will it stretch text to fill widescreen, or will i lose nearly a third of the screen, which seems a huge waste.

[daver]

i agree with Cyker, the UX50 seems to be the perfect candidate for you.

and i believe the billiards game will work fine on the UX50. it will just orient itself sideways to seem like it's in portrait mode. if you really worry about that problem, you could try the Portait utility from Mobile Stream, that is if you get the UX50.

[SonyStyle]

lol, u have a lot of restrictions, ppc devices seem to offer more of these features than the palm os world. i would say nx80 if u want one hand operation but u would need to purchase a bt ms stick and wifi card. ux50 is not great for one hand operation but has everything in it

[nestersan]

Final Question, I think it is either a UX50,NZ90 or NX80 but, what I would love to know from anyone using these devices, is where is the JOg-Dial located ? My Nr70 has it on the left side about two inches from the top on the bottom part of the device (the part with the keyboard) Perfection. As I said one haneded operation is extremely important!!

Could any owners of those devices tell me where the Jog wheel is located, esp when being used in one hand.

[SonyStyle]

nx80 and nz90 is in the left hand corner like the nr70 but hte ux50 is abit awkward, on the bottom left side

[Kosmonoko]

BUt when you make it table mode doesn't it goto the top left side or not?

BTW how big is the screen of the UX50 when measured diagonally?

[SonyStyle]

its the same when u go to tablet mode, no change for all sony devices