It's a back-to-basics approach from Sony with their new basic CLIE, the PEG-TJ35 - Anthony Newman finds out whether this ARM-powered, low-end handheld pulls it off.
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It seems that a new CLIE design comes out every other week, and we have to admit that even we get confused every now and again by the barrage of features. So let's slow it down a little and get back to basics with a no-nonsense Palm OS PDA. Sony have obviously perceived a niche for a neat, simple handheld and aim to fill it with the device on test here: the PEG-TJ35.
 | Simplicity is key for the PEG-TJ35, as it belongs to the lower-end range of handhelds
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Design
Simplicity is the key here for the TJ35, as it goes for an utterly traditional design, albeit with a couple of Sony flourishes. The unit is small (75.3 mm by 110.1 mm, and just 11.9 mm thick), square and symmetrical, feeling much like a Palm M505 in the hand and possessing at nice heft at 140 g. The exterior is brushed metal, with chromed highlights on the sides and bottom, as well as the buttons. General build quality is excellent, and one can certainly see the TJ35 handling everyday use with aplomb.
The display, traditionally a Sony forte, does not disappoint. Running in the now-standard 320 x 320, 16-bit TFT with a hard graffiti area, it is typically bright and well-defined. Owners are treated to a four-level backlight control which doesn't actually have much effect on the screen or on battery life. The touchscreen is glassy and a pleasure to use despite the horrible telescopic stylus, which proved to be just the wrong length, and left the hard cap pressing into the space between finger and thumb. Below the screen lie two pairs of application buttons for the normal Palm OS applications. These are dimpled and also slightly recessed, yet remain easy to activate with plenty of feedback, although some users might find them a little small.
Between the application buttons Sony have decided to place a scroll wheel, moved from its usual place on the side of the handheld. Although relatively easy to use, it does take some getting used to. Pushing in on the wheel (which is sometimes tricky to achieve) acts as an enter click. On either side of the wheel is a horizontal direction button in cheap plastic. We didn't like these at all, as the gave virtually no feedback and were prone to getting stuck in our testing.
The simple selection of buttons is rounded off by the chromed power / hold switch on the bottom-right side of the TJ35. This is quick to activate and placed out of the way, and the integrated hold functionality is appreciated.
A single green LED sits at the bottom-right of the device's face, alerting users to notifications and power status. Another tiny LED sits next to the Memory Stick PRO slot to indicate drive activity.
The TJ35 features a 3.5 mm headphone jack, mounted centrally on the top of the device, for playing music. The jack produced quality output at a very reasonable volume both for system sounds and through the included AeroPlayer music software. The mono speaker is less impressive, managing only very quiet output with admittedly even balance and nice definition for a handheld speaker. The main problem is that the speaker grille is small and on the back of the device, and output changes dramatically depending on where the user's hand is and on which kind of surface the unit has been placed.
Connectivity
The TJ35, being a low-end model, is rather light on connectivity. Expansion is provided by a top-mounted Memory Stick Pro slot, which is protected by a recessed flap. As on all Clies, card access is indicated by a small orange LED.
HotSync connectivity can be achieved over the top-mounted IR port or through the USB cable connection, which features a dongle for connection of the separate power lead. This is a frustrating and odd solution, although usual for Sony, as a saving grace Sony's AC adaptors are two-part affairs that play well with other plugs on a power strip.
As a budget model, Sony chose not to supply a cradle with the TJ35, settling for a sync cable instead. This is a little too short for our liking, but some may prefer the resultant freedom from tangles. The worst bit, though, is that there is no hard HotSync button - users must activate this functionality from within the program.
No wireless technologies are present on this device: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GSM / GPRS are all missing, leaving the cradle connection and IR as the only means of interacting with the unit.
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