Sony keeps up its tradition of supplying plenty of software. This time the range includes an MP3 player and Sony's nice PictureGear Pocket for viewing digital images. The screen does a good job of displaying these and other data--its 320 x 320 pixel resolution and 55,536 colours are clear, crisp and bright. Sony gives various battery life ratings, including one for four hours continuous MP3 playing with the backlight on. You'll get more with the backlight off and if you don't play MP3s, of course.

The hardware has a few nice features. There is a removable built-in lid and it is possible to see information such as contact addresses through the smoke-grey lid without actually lifting it up. Sony says it will make other lids in black, blue and orange.

The SJ33 doesn't have a docking station, but it comes with a data transfer cable. The main disappointment is the scroll button on the front of the casing, which looks nice but is too small and fiddly. Fortunately, the scroll wheel on the side of the casing makes this pretty much redundant anyway. This one niggle aside, the SJ33 is a very nice PDA indeed. --Sandra Vogel

Manufacturer's Description
CLIE SJ33 shows relaxed new style with a transparent hard cover to protect the display. Attached to the main body with hinges, the new cover lets you enjoy casual use more than ever! Just open and shut CLIE SJ33 like a compact, then slip it into your bag or jacket pocket.Store MP3 and ATRAC3 music files on a Memory Stick and play them back on CLIE SJ33's built-in Audio Player. It comes with original headphones and a volume controller, a hold button that prevents accidental operation, and a Jog Dial navigator. Enjoy up to 10 hours of continuous playback and pick an Audio Player graphic user interface (GUI) to suit your style and CLIE SJ33 color variation.Compared to other handhelds you'll notice a remarkable difference on CLIE SJ33. Sony's original ultra-high resolution 320 x 320 dot, 16 bit 65, 536 color LCD reproduces still and video images in exceptionally fine detail. Playing games is even more fun on the high-resolution color screen. And with enhanced backlighting, outdoors or indoors, no matter the lighting conditions, your view is always clear.Just scroll and click on Sony's exclusive Jog Dial navigator for true one-handed operation. Access phone numbers, addresses, check appointments, and with the help of Jog Dial assistant, navigate applications with ease. In addition, the Jog function fully supports Documents To Go, so you can edit Microsoft Word and Excel files on the go - and enhance your business efficiency! Located right next to the Jog Dial navigator is a unique Back button. Press it to go back one step. You can keep one hand on CLIE, the other on the phone!CLIE runs on the Palm operating system, which means it is fully compatible with thousands of Palm programs available for download. Featuring the Palm OS version 4.1, CLIE puts everything you need to organize your life right in the palm of your hand.