Lots of Palm owners have said, "I'll buy my next PDA when they make a color Palm in the package of a Palm V, with the wireless potential of a VII." This mythical PDA has been a long time coming but has finally arrived as the PEGS500. But the PEGS500 isn't from Palm Computing, it's from Sony. And though it runs the Palm operating system, it has loads of features no other Palm has.

Sony's PEGS500 brings together all the qualities of the best Palms. First, at 2.8" x 4.5" x 0.6" thin, and only 4.2oz, it's about the same size as the Palm V. Incorporated into the elegant design is a handy new "jog dial" that allows the user to scroll without using the touch screen, for easy one-handed access. It also has a stylish blue color, which is a little better than the purple favored by other Sony products of late.

The screen of the PEGS500 is reflective TFT (Thin Film Transfer) color, which provides brilliant colors even in direct sunlight. This is an improvement over the Palm IIIc display, which some users have complained about. The screen is unfortunately a tiny bit smaller than other Palms. The included media player software will allow video files and pictures to be shown, and improvements to the address book function allow a snapshot to be attached to each contact.

Best of all is the Memory Stick slot. The Memory Stick (MS) is a Sony invention, and many of their laptops, desktops, MP3 players and cameras already use the Memory Stick for extra RAM storage. The PEG's onboard 8 megs can be expanded by up to 64 megabytes for file storage, including pictures. The MS slot can also be used for other devices, much like the Springboard slot on the Handspring Visor (another PDA that runs the Palm OS). Sony is developing MS cameras and GPS units, and a host of other add-ons to expand the usefulness of the PEG - including a Bluetooth wireless module. Eventually, Sony will likely develop MS two-way pagers and cellular modems too.

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