Rating: 
Summary: It's only ok; pay a bit more and there are clear differences
Review: I just got this a week ago and it is awful, when compared to what else is available. Sony's CLIE line is awsome, but this model is the lowest of their low. The screen is hard to see under less than perfect light conditions, even with the lime green backlight (I was expecting white, as it says on Sony's website, appearently a different letter at the end of the model number was the difference here). I got a Sony CLIE PEG 615-C and the difference is huge. Add a color screen to the CLIE's 320 x 320 and you have a beautiful display that is easy to read. I only paid 229 for it at Costco, so the color screen, extra memory, rechargable internal lithium battery, and cradle (this is a more useful feature than you would think, especially after using the SL10's USB cord) were well worth the extra 100 dollars. The SL 10 features are awsome (far better than anything you could get in another similarily priced PDA) and the 320x320 is impressive even on this monochrome screen. If you are willing to pay a little more, what you get in return is more than worth it. If you must stick with a ceiling price around $130, I would take this one over a PALM model any day, as it's screen resolution and included features are superior by far. Ultimately however, you can do better by paying a bit more. It's been worth it in my opinon.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Value !!
Review: I have now had my new Sony PEG-SL10 for about 24 hours, and I have to say, overall, I am very impressed.This is my 2nd PDA - my first being a Handspring Visor Deluxe. I wanted something that had a somewhat better display and had better memory expandability. And while color would have been a nice feature to have, it was not something I needed to spend the extra money on. The hi-res display is really sweet !! Letters are no longer "blocky" looking. It just has a nicer, smoother look to it. The size & weight is fine for me - I'm not looking for something that will fit in my wallet - and its much smaller than my Visor anyway. The cover is adequate, and I may ultimately opt for a more protective case in the future. The buttons on the front are just fine (a little smaller than the standard Palm or Handspring buttons). Overall, this unit feels solid. I had read an article on another website where people were complaining that the touch screen on this unit wasn't very responsive. Me personally, I did not find this to be the case (but this could be a subjective issue from person to person). But aside from the new hi-res display, what really drew me to this model was 1) the ability to use standard Sony Memory Sticks, and 2) the Jog Wheel & Back Button on the side - this was a brilliant move by Sony to add this to the unit. Its like using the scroll wheel on a mouse. You just scroll to the item you want selected, and then just press the wheel. My only criticism with this unit does have to do with the display. In a room with softer lighting, the display is a little hard to read. For me, this is minor because I don't mind using the backlight feature. Yeah, using the backlight draws more battery power. But I always keep a healthy stock of batteries in my house anyway and won't mind changing the batteries a little more often. And the display looks GREAT with the backlight on !! But I could see this being an issue with some people. Compare all the other PDA's on the market in this price class. Personally, I don't think any of them will come close to what you get with this Sony. This price class is typically for the "entry level" PDA. But I do not consider this Sony to be an "entry level" unit. BUT, before you buy this model, I do recommend seeing it firsthand to determine if the display is to your liking, because I can see some people NOT liking it.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Trust about "Expandable Memory"
Review: I really like to express the problem I have struggling with Sony SL-10. I thought it was a good buy with additional Memory Stick (MS). I found out it was really a waste becuase I cannot run/read a text book from MS with an application such as Reader in internal system. I had to transfer everthing (all data: a whole textbook)from MS to internal; then, it runs. So, my point is "Don't get fooled with Memory Expandable." What is the point of getting a memory stick which you cannot run the programs from? All you can play is with 'internal free space, 7 MB.' I called twice to get help from 1-877-760-7669, but nothing helps. It blames on low memory space. Believe me! Most of us using this product are
undergrads, grads and professional students. We need more memory space (without a memory stick).. I regret that I bought it. Now I am in search of a Palm pilot........other than SONY after 2 years frustration with this product.
Rating: 
Summary: Can recommend it :)
Review: This PDA is a great for the price. Eve though only 7MB of 8MB is available to user. But you have the memory stick. You can use memory stick as your internal memory with some third party software. I guess the name was Pidirect2 or something like that. Till somepoint it was free but I am not sure if it is anymore. You can run aplications from the memory stick with that software.
Now the screen. Yes the screen can use some work. But it isnot that bad. Under sunlight the screen is wonderful unlike many other color pocket pc.windows ce units. (A really good example should be Casio Pocket manager. Try to read it under sunlight. I can bet a dime on it)
And if it is dark, the backlight is perfect.
But you might have some problems if the lighting conditions are somewhere between dark and bright. Which I dont really frequently be under such conditions. So I dont have any problems with the screen. And did I mention it is sharp. Perfect for spreadsheets, pictures etc.
2 AAA batteries are good for me. I used some pda's with built in batteries. And sometimes I forgot to charge them. But with this baby, it is not a problem. And the battery life is loooonggg.
I could recommend this unit to anyone. Just try it, if you dont like it, you always have the right to return it in 30 days. What to loose. But I am pretty much sure, you will fall in love this baby.
Rating:
Summary: Great Budget Palm PDA
Review: the choice between Palm OS and Pocket PC was a tough one for me to make. PPC has built in MP3 and video while having little battery life. Palms are typically half the price (at least this one is)and it still does Microsoft word and excel like a PPC. Past that the unit is great, ive gotten about 20 hrs of life out of the FACTORY batteries, though some might want to have internal Li-ion batts, just so theres less hassle, but with traveling away from a syncable pc, and AAAs everywhere, it seem fine to me. the display is sorta hard to read in dim light, though outdoors and brightly lit indoor areas are fine. the backlight provides a lot of illumination with very little extra battery drain (great for playing solitare or reading emials in bed. the only qualm i have is sony hasnt made screen protectors and they say there arnt any on the horizon, so im goin to have to find some that fit, regardless of what they were meant to go on. Oh and the fact that the sync cradle is "optiona: for [more money] (?) seems like a money making ploy to me. the cable works fine, its just a pain to plug in that little hole in the side, plus pocket lit may get jammed up in there as well, but thats true for all open spaces. I have yet to used the Memeory stick slot, but it and the jog dial and back button are just little extra perks. For [the money], this is a great little sleek Palm PDA for those who just need to know when and where to be, without the snazzy color or MP3 or video features(those these are expansion options from sony)
Rating:
Summary: An *excellent* PDA, a fantastic value...
Review: I've owned 4 PDA's in my time, and have had extensive experience with everything from a PalmPilot Professional (my first), to the Handspring Visor Edge (my most recent before the SL10). Here's the scoop: It does everything that you need it to do. It handles all the software, has enough memory to hold all the dates and addresses you're likely to need, and is *very* compact. It's solidly built (unlike the Handspring units, which feel flimsy and fragile - and are flimsy and fragile), very light, and the interface is the standard Palm. It easily fits in a pocket unobtrusively, and is so light you can barely feel it in there. The jogwheel and back button are *ridiculously* amazing additions to the interface, and I can honestly say that while I thought it was kind of gimmicky in the past (the jogwheel has been featured on many Sony products), now that I'm using it, it's downright indispensable. It allows for excellent one-handed operation. It's b&w, but colour, in my experience, is pretty useless in a PDA (except to suck battery life). The screen is clear, crisp, high-res, and is clear in all lighting conditions. The backlight is also excellent, and provides clear operation in near-dark to dark conditions. Graffiti recognition seems to be enhanced, perhaps because of the higher-res screen. I find that there's less backspacing (if at all), even when powering through notes. It comes with an excellent set of included software, most of which is utterly useless for the most part, but with a few gems (the drawing program is quite nice). Also, the memory-stick utilities are excellent. The memory-stick capabilities are also yet another compelling quality in this PDA. You really will be hard-pressed to use the 8mb of onboard RAM, but why pay more for 16mb when you have near-infinite storage? Very nice. All of this for around [price]. There's simply nothing on the market that can compete at that price-point. Honestly, this PDA competes with *much* higher-priced units for sheer usability and convenience. It fills a niche for a disposable PDA; I'm not afraid to lose it or handle it (unlike a [price] PDA, where it's a ritual to use, and you're always afraid that it'll break, or fall, or whatever.) If anything happens to it, your data is backed up and you simply pick up another one. At that price, it becomes a secondary data-retrieval device, much like a cel phone, instead of a high-priced toy. The only caveat is that it's battery-operated (as opposed to the Lithium Ion rechargeables out there.) Personally, I'd prefer a rechargeable, but it adds a *lot* more weight, and the unit lasts a good two weeks with constant use, so it's not bad. For an excellent PDA with functionality, convenience, and style, the SL10 is, in my opinion, the finest choice on the market. After a month of operation, I am both impressed and happy with my decision to purchase this unit.
Rating:
Summary: OK, for a while...
Review: I received this product as a gift a year and a half ago. Initially, I noticed the unit was getting turned on and the batteries drained while being carried around in my bag, thanks to the wonderful "feature" that turns the unit on when any of the front buttons are pressed. These buttons are constantly pressed when pressure is applied to the flip cover. I read on the SONY site there's no way to turn this feature off. Bummer. I started carrying it around in a cardboard box so this wouldn't happen, but that sort of negated the benefit of its small size. Also, if you use the backlight you can literally watch the battery meter drop. The big problem is that once the AAA's are drained, the small internal battery drains as well. Normally this small battery is only supposed to make sure you don't lose everything when you change the AAA's, and is supposed to be kept constantly charged by the AAA's. Now EVERY time I change the AAA's, whether they're discharged or not, the system resets and I lose everything. I have to back everything up on the MS (which leaves you SOL when you don't have enough juice) or HotSync all the time to combat--but not fix--this problem. I inquired about sending the unit in for service to presumably replace the small internal battery (it is out of the warranty period) and they quoted the fix at $138--more than the unit cost brand new a year and a half ago, and well over what they're selling for now. I'm so completely annoyed at this, I'm not sure if I'll try another PDA (NOT SONY), or go back to old fashioned paper. In summary, OK for the first 1.5 years, pretty useless after that.
Rating: 
Summary: Defective battery cover design
Review: The AAA battery cover slips out easily - causing battery mispositioning & complete data loss. Recommend frequent Hotsync. The rest of it is not too bad for the price.
Rating:
Summary: battery life is awful
Review: great display, looks, etc. Terrible battery life. Don't buy this PDA.
Rating:
Summary: Great PDA!
Review: SL10 is very lightweight, small in size, reasonably fast for most PDA tasks, low priced, runs stable Palm OS 4, very well designed with silver casing and great is you don't need multimedia on your Palm. I have been using this for about 2 weeks now and like it very much. Lots of people here claim it has dark and unreadable screen, which is not true. You will need to install a free Palm application called ThinFontFix to make font more readble. Here's the breakdown, Sunlight/cloudy outdoors or bright conditions : good readability, use of backlight(BL) makes no difference. Indoors (medium light) : average readability, BL is a must, some reflection on screen but acceptable. Dark conditions : excellent, BL must, perfect for your eyes. I think that the reviewers who claim dark screen didn't turn on the BL all the time or enable ThinFontFix. I installed X-Master and KeepLitHack (both free Palm applications) to keep the BL always on irrespective of lighting conditions. Now people who are used to 2 months battery life on old low-res Palm's will claim it has poor battery life. 5-6 hrs on rechargeable batteries (w/BL on always) is good enough for atleast 1 week. Its no big deal to put in freshly charged NiMH AAA's, say every Sunday evening. Its better than LiIon rechargeable batteries since they die within 2 yrs of manufacturing date and can't be replaced. Another advantage of SL10 is that it comes with no cradle or others propreitary items to worry of. Only a *standard* USB cable, metal stylus and very well designed flip (eliminates need for a case). Jog dial is very useful when reading something & memory stick expansion slot is excellent. Included SW bundle with Documents-to-go, MobiPocket Reader and other memory stick backup utilities is good. More importantly there are tons of free Palm application on the web like DiddleBug HR, Plucker, NoahLite, ThinFont, Shoplist, Runtime, etc. Yes this won't snap pics, play mp3's or color pics, games or movies, but I don't those things in my PDA. PDA has to be simple, reliable, easy-to-use, good battery life and not-priced-as-much-as-a-new-Dell-PC. Overall for double digit price I paid I am pretty happy.
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