Introduction
This is the second half of my review of Sony's new PEG-SJ30. The first part was published a week or so ago, after I had only had a chance to test the device for a few days. Now that I've had more time, I'm ready to do a more complete review.

I've covered the SJ30's screen, form factor, and Memory Stick slot already. If you are interested in those, you'll need to read the first part.

Battery Life
I always test the battery life on handhelds the same way. First, I install an application named UpTime. This tracks the amount of time a handheld is active between each recharge. Then I use it normally, reading AvantGo, playing games, looking up phone numbers, that sort of thing.

Because the major battery drain that is under the user's control is the backlight, I did several tests with the backlight set on different levels.

With the backlight at half power, the first battery warning came after exactly 6 hours of use. I think this is the most realistic test, as most people tend to keep the backlight set somewhere near half power.

With the backlight at full power, the first battery warning came after just 3 hours of use.

Finally, I wanted to see what was the maximum time I could get. With the backlight at about one quarter power, which I consider the minimum, the first battery warning came after 9 and a half hours of use. I didn't try it with the backlight all the way down or off because I think the screen is to dim to be useful with the backlight below one quarter power.

For a color handheld, this is very good battery life. If you keep the backlight on one quarter power, it will actually last longer than the monochrome SJ20 with its backlight on.

Speaker
As I mentioned in the first part of this review, the SJ30 has a standard speaker. This means it can't play polyphonic sounds like the T and NR series can. What I've realized as I've had a chance to use the SJ30 longer its speaker isn't very loud. In a side by side comparison, the SJ30's speaker was significantly less loud than an m500 series Palm.

I don't think this is a fatal flaw but it can be a bit tough to hear alarms with the SJ30 in your pants pocket and there is some ambient noise, like in your car.

Buttons
I wouldn't have to include a section on the buttons if it weren't for the now infamous ones on Sony's T series. Fortunately, the application buttons on the SJ30 have nothing in common with the one on the T series, and are therefore fine.

However, there is no space between the Date Book button and the Address Book button. On the other side, the To-Do List and Memo Pad buttons also touch. This can make it difficult to distinguish between buttons in fast-paced games.

The Up/Down rocker switch is kind of small, which makes it not as easy to use as it could be.

Still, these issues will only affect gamers. Average users won't have any problems.

The Jog Dial is one of the handiest features you can put on a handheld. Together with the Back button, which is just underneath the Jog Dial, you can control much of the function of the SJ30 with just one hand.

Sony has even gone the extra mile and added Jog Dial support to many of the built-in apps. Unfortunately, not all third-party apps are so cooperative. Don't get me wrong, most apps can use the Jog Dial in basic ways, like scrolling, but many could be rewritten to be much more Jog Dial friendly. Still, it is a great feature and one I'm glad Sony adds on all its models.

Software
The SJ30 comes with a nice selection of software. The most useful is Data Viz's Documents to Go Standard Edition 4.0. This will let you access Microsoft Word and Excel files on your handheld. You can't directly edit files in their original formats but the application comes with a Windows desktop app that will convert them into a format the handheld can display. You can make changes to the versions on the handheld and these changes will be made to the originals on your desktop the next time you HotSync.

The greatest strength of Docs to Go is how well it handles the update process. The handheld doesn't show all the formatting, images, etc from the original files but neither does it delete these from the original when the changes you make are copied back.

The SJ30 comes with a hi-res version of SheetToGo, Documents to Go's spreadsheet app. This lets you take full advantage of the hi-res screen for showing your data.

Like I said earlier, this is version 4.0 of the standard edition, which isn't the latest. If you want to upgrade to 5.0 premier, you'll need to pay $30. This will get you some new features, like a PowerPoint viewer.

Also included is a version of the World Alarm Clock that comes with other Sony models. Naturally, it can't play the polyphonic tones the version of this app that comes on the T series can.

The SJ30 also comes with a copy of gMovie for showing videos. This is pretty much pointless because if you want to show videos on your handheld, you should get a copy of the free application Kinoma Player. This is the successor to gMovie and runs in hi-res, unlike its predecessor. One thing to be aware of with this model is most of the Kinoma videos you'll find online that have been encoded for the hi-res screen assume you also have the enhanced speaker from the T series and therefore have no sound when played on the SJ30.

Motherboard
The SJ30 uses a standard 33 MHz Dragonball processor. That's fast enough for anything you'll need to do, and most things you want to do. If you want to play some of the really high-end games, though, I'd suggest you spring for a high-end model with a 66 MHz processor.

It runs Palm OS 4.1 and don't expect to upgrade this model to Palm OS 5. That new version of the operating system is only for handhelds based on a completely different kind of processor.

The SJ30 has 16 MB of RAM, which is a good amount. Actually, it is the most the current generation of Palm OS handhelds can have. It should provide you with plenty of space for storing applications and files. If you need more storage space, get a Memory Stick; that's why the SJ30 has that slot.

Accessories
One of the ways Sony saved money on the SJ30 is it doesn't come with a cradle. Instead, it has a pair of cables, one for power and the other for data. You can plug both of them into the handheld at the same time. Personally, I like a cradle but, if this is really important to you, you can buy one.

It also uses the standard Sony stylus, which I'm not fond of. It is really thin and gets painful to write with after a while. I understand why Sony uses it. It was designed to fit in super slim models and Sony has made the decision that its peripherals will be interchangeable as much as possible. But I still think it is too thin.

The SJ30's flip cover is a pale gray and clips to the back then stretches over the top and then down the front of the handheld. This means it gives some protection to the Memory Stick slot and Power button. Sony has redesigned the clip for this and it is much easier to put on and take off than earlier Sony flip covers.

Peripherals
This model uses Sony's standard HotSync connector so it can use most peripherals designed to hook to this port, like the new keyboards.

The HotSync port isn't the only way peripherals can be connected. There are also some designed to plug in the Memory Stick slot, like a digital camera. The SJ30 can use any of these, including the Bluetooth networking card.

Mac Users
As with all Sony handhelds, the SJ30 doesn't support the Apple Macintosh. Probably the best thing Mac users can do is get a copy of Mark/Space's The Missing Sync, which duplicates the features of Sony's desktop app on your trusty Macintosh, even if you are running OS X.

I wish this wasn't necessary. Sony is the only Palm OS licensee that doesn't directly support Mac users.

Conclusion
I like the SJ30. It is a good combination of features for a good price. It compares well with other mid-range models, like the Treo 90 and Palm m130. It has a few drawbacks, like the weak speaker, but its strengths make up for them, especially the hi-res screen.

Review: Sony PEG-SJ30, Part II http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/4140/review-sony-pegsj30-part-ii/

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