CLIÉ

Sony CLIÉ
Company type	Product line
Industry	Consumer electronics
Founded	2000
Founder	Sony
Defunct	2005
Fate	Discontinued
Headquarters	Tokyo, Japan
Area served	Worldwide (until 2004), Japan (2004–2005)
Products	Personal digital assistants (PDAs)
Owner	Sony
Parent	Sony Corporation

CLIÉ represents a line of personal digital assistants (PDAs) operating on Palm OS, created and sold by Sony between 2000 and 2005. These devices introduced features such as a jog dial control, high-definition screens, and Sony-specific technologies like Memory Stick compatibility and ATRAC3 audio support. The majority of the units were developed and assembled in Japan.

Distinguishing itself within the Palm OS ecosystem, CLIÉ devices emphasized multimedia capabilities, providing photo, video, and audio playback options ahead of many rivals. Subsequent releases contributed to revitalizing the Palm PDA market by closing the feature gap with Microsoft's Windows Mobile offerings, especially in multimedia performance and through Sony’s exclusive application launcher.

Name

The acronym CLIÉ stands for creativity, lifestyle, innovation, emotion, having evolved from an earlier meaning: communication, link, information and entertainment. Although coined as a unique brand name, it also translates to tool in the Jèrriais language.

Discontinuation of handheld series

In mid-2004, Sony declared that CLIÉ production would be restricted solely to the Japanese market. By early 2005, the company had fully discontinued the CLIÉ product line. The last models available globally included the PEG-TJ27, PEG-TJ37, and PEG-TH55; the final model exclusive to Japan was the PEG-VZ90. Following discontinuation, Sony withdrew official support for original installation drivers—including its Palm Desktop software—required for PC synchronization and complete device operation. Since then, dedicated user groups have made these drivers accessible online at no cost.

Models

CLIÉ devices were launched in multiple series, often releasing several models within each series. In later years, multiple series were produced concurrently.

Motorola Dragonball CPU: Palm OS 3.5, 4.x

S series (2000–2002)
T series (2001–2003)
N series (2001–2002)
NR series (2002)
SL/SJ series (2002–2003)

ARM-based CPU: Palm OS 5.0, 5.2

NX series (2002–2004)
NZ series (2003–2004)
TG series (2003–2004)
UX series (2003–2004)
TJ series (2003–2004)
TH series (2004)
VZ series (2004–2005) (Japan exclusive)

Macintosh compatibility

While Sony did not officially release Macintosh software tailored for CLIÉ devices, their inherent Palm OS compatibility allowed HotSync functionality with Mac OS. Initially, however, Mac HotSync software was unable to detect CLIÉ units via USB connection. PalmSource subsequently updated the Mac version of Palm Desktop by adjusting USB detection configurations to support older CLIÉ models.

Community members created guides to enable synchronization without requiring hardware modifications. Bluetooth synchronization operated smoothly; however, Wi-Fi syncing was not supported by Mac OS HotSync software. Third-party applications such as Mark/Space’s Missing Sync provided enhanced integration with Mac OS and supported unencrypted Wi-Fi syncing—though a known network stack issue in CLIÉ devices necessitated using a palindromic IP address on the Mac to establish a connection.

External links

Sony repair and parts replacement portal – Source for ordering spare components for discontinued Sony CLIÉ models.
One Source – Previously known as CLIÉ Source, this dedicated community site serves as a key hub for Sony CLIÉ discussions and information.
SonyClie.org – Offers PC-Clie drivers available for download that are no longer distributed by Sony.
Openomics – A guide detailing how to enable Apple iSync compatibility with the Sony CLIÉ TH55.