As for the thumb keyboard, it is comfortable to use, though the buttons don't stick out as far as with the Tungsten C's keyboard, an implementation we prefer. However, the Tungsten C's keyboard doesn't have a backlight like the NX80V. The light makes typing in the dark easy. To capitalize a letter on the Sony keyboard you need to press a shift key like a regular full-size keyboard, which is not very efficient when thumb typing. With the Tungsten C, for example, all you have to do is hold down a letter to capitalize it.

In regards to memory expansion, no other Palm OS handheld currently offers what the newest NX series PDAs do, dual expansion. Like all other Sony CLIE's, the NX80V has a Memory Stick slot, in this case located on the right side of the unit. But unlike other Palm OS devices, it also has a Compact Flash slot, which is uniquely designed so it retracts back into the device, hiding a memory card after it is installed. This Compact Flash slot is an improvement over past Sony implementations in that it accepts some, though not all, memory cards instead of just Sony's proprietary Wi-Fi card, which runs about a $150. In addition, you can't play MP3s directly from Compact Flash but only from Memory Stick.


Tablet Style

In terms of multimedia, the NX80V includes a good digital camera implementation that is as easy to use as the one found in Palm's Zire 71. All one has to do to launch and use the 1.3 megapixel camera is to press a Capture button located on the top left side of unit. 1.3 megapixels lets you take pictures at up to a 1280 x 960 resolution. The camera itself is located on a hinge, above the application buttons situated north of the keyboard, for close to 360 degree rotation, There is also a second set of application buttons conveniently placed just above the display.

Instead of bundling a power hungry flash, a chief complaint of the NZ90 and its 2-megapixel camera, the NX80V's camera uses a capture light. Though the light isn't good enough to take pictures in a dark room, a limitation, it is useful for adding some light to a dim room. There is also a button for a filter on the camera itself that is helpful on bright days. Another nice feature of the digital camera is the ability to capture low resolution video.

The CLIE NX80V combines a large number of features elegantly. It is worth considering for those who need an excellent PDA, good MP3 player and a digital camera in one device. The chief caveat on the device is its $600 price. For those who are a little more budget minded, the NX80V's sister model, the NX73V, costs $100 dollars less, but offers only a .33 megapixel (310,000 pixel) camera for 640x480 pictures, no capture light and half the amount of RAM.