CLIÉ
The Sony CLIÉ (creativity, lifestyle, innovation, emotion, formerly communication, link, information and entertainment) is a series of personal digital assistants (PDAs) running the operating system (OS) Palm OS, developed and marketed by Sony from 2000 to 2005. The devices introduced many new features to the PDA market, such as a jog dial (or jog wheel) interface, high-resolution displays, and Sony technologies like Memory Stick slots and ATRAC3 audio playback. Most models were designed and manufactured in Japan. The name was initially an attempt at a new coinage term, though it means tool in the Jèrriais language.
The CLIÉ N760C Audio with its included headphones and the Audio Player program. | |
| Manufacturer | Sony |
|---|---|
| Type | Personal digital assistant |
| Release date | 2000 |
| Lifespan | 2000–2005 |
| Discontinued | 2005 |
| Operating system | Palm OS |
| CPU | Dragonball, ARM |
The CLIÉ handhelds were distinguished from other Palm OS models by their emphasis on multimedia abilities, including photo, video, and audio playback, long before any other Palm OS PDAs had such abilities. Later models have been credited with spurring competition in the previously stagnant Palm market, closing many of the gaps that existed between Palm OS PDAs and those using Microsoft Windows Mobile OS, more so for multimedia, but also with Sony's proprietary application launcher interface.