Got my first hands-on look at the new Sony SL-10 today, and I really liked it.
The first thing you’ll notice about the SL-10 is the size. All the “unnecessary” vertical space from the T series Clies is gone, leaving a device that’s mostly screen, Graffiti area and– unlike the T series– good-size buttons.
The screen is the standard Sony 320×320, monochrome. Unlike the dim monochrome screen of the ill-fated T-415, the screen on the SL-10 is bright and easy to read. The background is a light silvery gray rather than the pea-soup green of monochrome Palm or Handspring devices. The backlight is a green “Indiglo” style, keeping the text black against the lighted background. The backlight toggles on and off by pressing and holding the power button, which is easy to reach on the top edge of the device.
The SL-10 runs on two AAA batteries like many of the older monochrome PalmOS devices. The battery compartment gives the SL-10 an odd “hump” on the back, given that the rest of the device is about Palm V-thin, but you don’t notice it after a while. I don’t know what the battery life on the SL-10 is like, but it’s reassuring to know you can use cheap rechargeables or alkalines that you can buy anywhere.
Like all Sony PDAs, the SL-10 sports a Memory Stick slot, Jog wheel and a back button. The controls feel solid, as do most Sony components, and the wheel/back button combo makes the Sony unusally adept a far as PalmOS PDAs go in one-handed use. The controls are positioned well, the overall small size of the device making it equally well-suited to righties and southpaws alike.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of the SL-10 is the price, a paltry $150. This puts the SL-10 at the lower end of the “entry level” spectrum, one of the cheapest PDAs available. And at that price you still get a jog wheel, card expansion and a great 320×320 screen.
Is the SL-10 the best entry-level PDA? Sony makes a compelling argument. I can’t find anything not to like about it, especially for the price. If you know anyone on the fence about getting a PDA, this could be the device for them. A great user experience at a price that minimizes “buyer’s remorse.”
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