Product: Sony Clie Price: HK$4,380 (PEG-NX80V) and HK$3,380 (PEG-NX73V) Pros: Dual memory card access plus slim 'Wing Design' so users can swivel, flip and rotate the LCD screen by up to 180 degrees Cons: Limited CF card application and low battery life when using multimedia functions
Sony says the latest models in its line of personal digital assistants strike a better balance between form and function. Users looking for a multimedia handheld that complements their library of Memory Stick or CompactFlash Type II memory cards now have Sony's Clie PEG-NX80V/H and PEG-LNX73V/H to choose from.
On the hinge of the device between the liquid crystal display screen and keyboard, the new NX-class Clie handheld has a 1.3-megapixel digital camera with a 'Capture Light' that illuminates subjects in low lighting conditions when taking still images or recording video.
For sunny conditions, the camera also features a light filter that helps to prevent over-exposing subjects.
The digital camera rotates 300 degrees for capturing images at up to 1,280x960 pixel resolutions and recording MPEG4 video clips at up to 60-minute intervals of continuous video (160x112 pixels) using an optional one-gigabyte Memory Stick Pro media.
The back of the unit reveals a redesigned communications slot that pops out with a flick of a switch. Sony has expanded the capabilities of the slot to support select CF type II memory cards for the storage and access of supported applications and data files - allowing the device to now accept both the Memory Stick and CF memory format cards.