Brando Sony CLIÉ T & NR Series USB and Serial Cables

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes and Julie

June 06, 2002

Product Requirements:
Device:
Sony CLIÉ T400, T415, T425, T600C, T615C, T625C, NR70, NR70V

Here are two accessories from Brando for Sony CLIÉ T and NR series owners that want an easy and compact way to sync and charge while on the go. These items are great for travelers, people with laptops, or people that don't have a lot of space on their desktop for a cradle.

CLIÉ T Series USB Hotsync / Charge Cable
[Judie]

I recently reviewed the Brando Sync & Charge cable for the Compaq iPAQ. After seeing how easy and efficient that product was, I wanted the same for my new CLIÉ NR70V. Well, here it is.

As promised, this Brando cable will sync my CLIÉ to my laptop and will also allow it to charge, all directly from the USB port. This model has a hotsync button, which is quite convenient.

The Brando Sync & Charge cable for the CLIÉ T & NR series has earned a permanent place in my gear bag, and I won't be traveling without it.

CLIÉ T Series Serial Hotsync Cable
[Julie]

I wanted this cable so that I could sync my CLIÉ NR70V with my Windows NT desktop at work. Unfortunately, NT 4.0 can not use USB devices like the CLIÉ NR70V cradle.

When the cable arrived, I verified that it could plug into both my Sony CLIÉ NR70V as well as my T615C. The hotsync connector snaps in securely on both PDAs. To remove it, there are two spring loaded buttons on either side of the connector that you squeeze together. The other end of the cable is your typical 9 pin serial cable. It plugged right into the back of the PC.

The only bad thing about this cable is the fact that it doesn't have a hotsync button that you can press to initiate the sync. You have to turn on the PDA and navigate to the hotsync application manually. This isn't a make or break it point for me considering that the cable is inexpensive and an easy way to gain syncing ability at work.

The only other thing I should mention is that this is not a charging cable... it's only for syncing. So, you'll still need to plop the CLIÉ into your cradle when you need to top off the battery.

Price: $22.00 each

Pros:
Both are easy to use...plug it in and sync
Compact
USB version totally replaces the cradle
Serial cable allows NT users the ability to sync

Cons:
Serial cable doesn't have a hotsync button
Still need the cradle to charge the CLIÉ's batteries when using the serial cable