(This was actually written on Friday, which is why it may seem a little late.)
A few days after the news was leaked via PalmInfoCenter, Pen Computing carries the story of Sony announcing a new low-end Clié. Touted as an entry-level PDA for students, the Clié SL10 is retail priced at $149.99; it will replace the Clié S360, which is being discontinued. Like other Clié models, the SL10 will come with PictureGear Pocket and Documents to Go.
The SL10 appears to be a cross between the discontinued Clié T415 and the old-style Palm PDAs—offering the PalmOS 4.1 operating system, 8 megabytes of RAM, memory stick port, jog dial, and 320×320 high-resolution monochrome screen of the 415, in the AAA-battery-powered “brick” form factor of the Palm III or Visor Deluxe-type models. However, looking closer, there are some interesting differences.
Sony has changed the buttons yet again; the SL10’s buttons are wide and flat, harking back to the Palm III or Visor Deluxe. This can only be an improvement over the T415, whose buttons were stylish but uncomfortable.
In addition to the standard Sony hotsync port, the SL10 has what appears to be a standard USB port built into its lower left corner. Though this port is not even mentioned in Sony’s announcement or its SonyStyle specifications webpage, it opens up some interesting possibilities for the device’s use. Could the device be attached directly to a computer’s USB port to allow files to be uploaded and downloaded directly? Could it enable two Cliés to link up for direct file transfer or head-to-head game competition? What will the cadre of hobbyist PalmOS hackers be able to do with this feature?
The SL10 fills a niche in Sony’s PDA price/feature spectrum that had long been conspicuous by its absense. For months, PDA pundits such as Memoware’s Kenneth Rhee had been remarking on Clié’s lack of concentration on the lower end of the price spectrum. Now, the SL10 brings to beginning or budget-conscious users the double-resolution screen that only Sony has been able to offer—the screen that makes an ordinary Palm or Visor look like an etch-a-sketch. Now the PalmOS PDA competition is fully joined…and may the best PDA win.
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