Of course all of my impressions are subject to change. As I get more familar with it, I may change my opinion on one point or another. That's to be expected. I should also point out up front that my Clie is the Japanese version, so all of the original software is in Japanese, and a few of the features may be slightly different from the US model.
There are a few things left that I really want to try. The biggest thing that I want to check out is the video capability. The NZ90 cradle has a video output connector, and I'm dying to see how functional it is with the Clie. Is it just for photo slide shows, or can I use it interactively when I'm doing a training or workshop with some of my clients? In the past I've used a tripod with a video camera trained on my PDA, but if I can get the display output directly it would be magic.
Physical Design: I really like the way that the NZ90 fits my hand. The button placement is perfect, though there are way too many buttons. I can easily operate it with one hand for most tasks.
Weight: Of course I would prefer a lighter design, but the NZ90 is actually lighter than I expected from the spec sheets. You should keep in mind that I'm a big guy, so I probably don't notice an extra ounce here and there.
Audio Recorder: Nice feature and easy to use, but I doubt that I would use it much. I have accidentally triggered it a couple of times when I picked up the Clie because of the button placement. It's not a big issue, just irritating.
Color: The matte black finish is perfect - at least for my taste. I was concerned that it might show marrs, or oil from my hand, but that doesn't seem to be a problem.
Keyboard: I've used the keyboard a few times, and have mixed emotions about it. I tend to do most of my editing on my laptop system, so my text input on the Clie is mainly quick notes that I can handle with the screen input. The keys and placement is okay, but the marking for the 'fn' mapping is extremely poor. It's almost impossible to read the tiny purple/blue characters on the matte black background.
Display Quality: The screen quality is better than any of my previous PDAs. I'm able to view fairly dense graphics, and beautiful photos with very little difficulty
Camera: The built-in 2 mega-pixel camera was the feature that ultimately sold me on the NZ90, far and away. That feature has turned out to be invaluable. I've used it to take visual notes, record notes off a meeting whiteboard (much better than the copyboard 'fax paper' printouts), and to record the memories of a dinner with my wife.
Camera Orientation: The camera module is a fixed part of the screen. Unfortunately that means that unless you're trying to take self portraits, you have to rotate the screen to the open position. It's workable, but not as convienent as some of the other Clie's where you can rotate the camera independently.
Camera Flash: Functionally the flash works fine. The big issue is that it drains the battery in a flash as well. It only takes about 10 flash shots before a fully charged battery drops to the point that the camera won't function.
Battery Charge: I have several problems with the battery. The first is that the unit comes out of the box with zero charge. I hate it when I have to plug something I just bought into a charger and wait for hours before I can start to play with it. The second factor is that it takes about as long to charge as to discharge. If you use the camera actively, then you can easily drain the battery in less than the four hours it typically takes to fully recharge. The third issue is very relevant to me living in Japan. That issue is the Japan pricing for spare batteries. It's almost double what the same battery costs in the US.
Lens Cover: The mechanical lens cover design is really sweet and well executed. It's one of those small design touches that really turn on mechanical and stylistic designers, but are overlooked by everyone else.
PalmOs: Upgrading from my old Palm units to my first Clie was easy with no data problems. This time, moving from the NR70J to the NZ90 was even easier. Basically it was 'plug-n-play'. I did have to manually replace a couple of applications (PhotoStand) because for some reason my PDA ended up with the NR70J version.
Sony/Palm Applications: All of the applications that came with the Clie have been easy to use and intuitively designed. I'm ususually pretty demanding in that regard. If I have to resort to the user manual for anything, then I feel that the application design was a failure, so I'm pleased with the applications so far. Some users have pointed out that the Clie Viewer application is slow- like a turtle. I have to agree. Still, I don't do much photo management directly on the Clie. I prefer to move my photos over to my laptop, and then process them.
Dictionary: This doesn't apply to the US version, but the Japanese unit has Japanese/English/Japanese dictionary software. I've used a lot of stand alone electronic dictionaries over the years. Doing the same thing in software on the Clie is MILES ahead of any stand alone unit. I can be viewing some text in WordSmith, copy it to the clipboard, switch over to the dictionary and immediately see the translation. I can also switch back and forth between the English and Japanese so that I can check the phonetics - something that's very difficult with most stand alone dictionaries. It's a real pleasure to use.
3rd Party Applications: I'm using a mixture of various Palm OS applications like WordSmith, HX Draw, RepliGo, etc. I haven't run into any compatability problems yet, so I'm optimistic. I've developed a real confidence level that I will be able to purchase any Palm application without worrying about compatibility.
Jog: At first I didn't like this function, but it's grown on me. Once I figured out how to change the program entries and placement, and my fingers got comfortable with it, it became almost natural.
Memory Stick/PC Interface: My previous Clie had some problems in getting this to work smoothly. The NZ90 seems to have all the bugs worked out. Moving most files, including my photos, back and forth is just like moving them from one PC disk folder to another. The speed is very good - about the same as I experience with other USB interface disk devices.
Size: The NZ90 is 'pocketable' only if you're over 6 feet tall and wear at least a 2X shirt. Thankfully I meet those qualifications and regularly pocket my Clie. The camera module makes the PDA thicker at that end, so I have to be careful how I place it, but so far I haven't ripped any shirt pockets. I am a little concerned that it will fall out of my pocket when I have to bend over.
Other Stuff: Things I haven't really checked out yet are - the Bluetooth interface; the audio player; and the slot for a lan, WiFi, or CF memory card. I hope to get around to those eventually, especially the Bluetooth interface.
Edy/Suica Reader: This function is only offered in Japan. The reader checks your pre-paid cards and lets you know how much yen you have left. I found it to be a novelty, but not practical for an individual user. It would make a good applications platform for a company with a large mobile employee base. One of my friends, who bills his time to his clients, thought it would be great because he could capture all of his commuting expenses with it.
Hold Switch: The Clie has a nice hold switch feature that allows you to put the display on hold when you're using the Clie as a music player. That's great. So what's my problem? Only that the hold switch is right next to the power switch. I don't know how many times I've inadvertently put my Clie on hold while turning off. Then when I try to turn it back on again it acts just like it's dead. It took me quite a while to figure out what was going on the first time.
Stylus: The NZ90 stylus is smaller, lighter, and appears to be less robust than the previous Clie's. Perhaps it's just that my fingers are so large and clumsy. The big issue, however, is the slot that Sony designed for the stylus. It kind of fits into the side of the display, but you have to be extremely careful about making sure that it snaps in place. I've wound up chasing the stylus under my desk a couple of times.
Cradle: The NZ90 has it's cradle connector built into the back of the unit instead of the bottom like the previous units. To protect the connector, Sony added a small black rubber cover that you have to snap open and shut every time you take the Sony in or out of the cradle. At the same time, you have to be very careful to make sure the unit is correctly seated. With the NR70 I could just drop it into the cradle and not worry. With the NZ90 I have to pay close attention and check to confirm that the charging led lights up.
Screen Durability: The NZ90 screen seems to have a smoother sheen to it and to be more resistant to scratching. I tend to use the same areas of the screen over and over again. With my previous PDA's I always had small scratched areas develop over time. The NZ90 seems to be more scratch resistant.
So, all that being said, what's my current opinion of the NZ90? Very positive. I'm glad I bought it, and love using it every day. I'm going to have to buy another battery, and perhaps an extra cradle so that I can charge it at the office and at home.
Would I recommend it to power PDA users?
Yes - no question.
I had the opportunity to visit the CEATEC Trade Show at the Makuhari Messe convention center on Friday afternoon. CEATEC bills itself as-
It appears that the first shots have been fired in the Japanese e-Book Wars. While most of the press attention in the US is focused on music downloads - both legal and illegal, there's another battle being joined here in Japan that may have just as much impact in the long run. The Japanese are avid readers and devour books and magazines by the carload. Drop by any Japanese Seven-Eleven at almost any time of the day or night, and you will see people standing in front of the magazine rack, sometimes two or three deep. The local book stores have enjoyed the same public devotion to reading. And of course Japanese manga are famous world-wide. Now, suddenly, people are downloading their books and manga over the internet. Some of the material is even cell phone friendly, so they can read it on their cell phone display during the long daily commute. The Japanese publishing industry, just like the music industry before it, tried to downplay or ignore the trend for quite a while. Now the Japanese eBook market is starting to soar, and they can't continue pretend it isn't there.
After a couple of weeks using the NZ90, it's time to step back and take a look at the things I really like, things I'm undecided about, and the few things I really hate-
Want to watch your favorite TV program while you're at the beach, on a long flight, or on the train into the city? Sony's come up with an answer. They just anounced the PEGA-VR100K recording device. Basically it's a programmable TV tuner that incorporates a Memory Stick. You can prerecord your favorite program (up to 130 minutes), then pop the Memory Stick into your Clie and watch video to your heart's content - or until your battery runs out.
It's really amazing how quickly engineers have been able to shrink electronics and packaging over the past decade. Of course there are the obvious benefits, like being able to pack more functionality into one package, or making devices lighter. There are also less obvious benefits, like dramatically increased reliability, lower total power consumption, and lower manufacturing costs.
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