Richard Baguley

Sony Clié PEG-S360

The Clié PEG-S360 is a relatively inexpensive PDA in a compact package. The $185 monochrome unit measures barely more than half an inch thick, including a Jog Dial positioned high on the left side for scrolling and selecting with one hand. A Memory Stick slot on top provides a way to further expand the S360's already healthy 16MB of internal RAM. The bundled Dataviz Documents to Go 4.0 enables editing and creating Microsoft Office documents while on the move.
The price doesn't include a cradle for syncing, just a USB cable that plugs directly into the universal connector on the bottom of the unit. The bundled AC adapter cable also uses the universal connector, so you can't sync and recharge at the same time, and there's no status indicator light to show the unit is fully charged. A USB 1.1 syncing cradle costs an additional $60. The S360's lithium ion battery is sealed inside and can't be removed, which means you can't carry a backup rechargeable battery as you can with many Pocket PC PDAs.
Simply but attractively designed, the S360 sports a brushed aluminum body. A silver panel on the front contains the four standard application shortcut buttons and a centered vertical scroll toggle. The oval, slightly concave application buttons are comfortable and easy to push, but the power button on the top of the case is a little awkward to press. A plain black stitched cover attached at the top by two plastic connectors flips over the front of the unit to protect the screen. The S360 weighs 5.2 ounces including its cover and gray-and-silver stylus. The monochrome screen's resolution is 160 by 160 pixels; we found the screen easy to read indoors and out. In low light with the backlight turned on, the screen is a bright blue-green square. You can turn the S360 into an MP3 player with Sony's $130 Audio Adapter kit, which features headphones. The kit includes video and photo software, too, but these are less tempting upgrades, considering the S360's low-resolution monochrome screen. Sony sells two modem sleds for the S360: a standard 56-kbps unit for $130 and a bulkier model equipped with a slot for a wireless PC Card for using the Mylo monthly Web clipping service.
If you don't have much to spend on a PDA and don't mind a monochrome screen, you could do worse than the workaday Clié S360. But if you can't live without the convenience of a desktop cradle for syncing and would prefer a color display, go with the Palm M130 instead.

Buying Information

Sony Clié PEG-S360 Palm OS 4.0, 16MB internal memory, 2-by-2-inch active screen area, 160 by 160 resolution, Memory Stick expansion slot, lithium ion battery; 4.3 ounces; one-year parts and labor warranty, toll-free 24-hour daily support. $ 185 Palm OS 4.0, 16MB internal memory, 2-by-2-inch active screen area, 160 by 160 resolution, Memory Stick expansion slot, lithium ion battery; 4.3 ounces; one-year parts and labor warranty, toll-free 24-hour daily support. http://www.sonystyle.com/micros/clie 888/595-8246