According to Sharp, the ZQ-770P 'looks great' but it's akin to one of those 'fine quality' jewellery boxes you might find in an everything's-a-pound shop. The turquoise sheen is indeed appealing from afar, but up close it seemed to us rather cheap and plasticky.

Inside it's much the same, and the squidgy rubber keyboard is okay for tapping in contacts and notes but little else. The screen operates in a rather ghostly fashion, with menus and options fading in and out through lack of performance rather than any fancy software intention.

Talking of software, it's not at all fancy either, but it's certainly functional. A simple-to-navigate, one-touch menu system leads you to any number of nifty organisational and tracking applications.

If you're used to the presentational finesse of, say, a Psion handheld or a Pocket PC, then the look and feel of the ZQ-770 will seem stark, but it matters little. If anything, the pared-down front-end makes the gadget easier to use. You don't need to learn the ins and outs of every menu just to make an appointment: simply select Schedule, find the date and time, and enter the details - job done.

Want a state-of-the-art PDA to impress your friends? This isn't it. But if you want an organiser that fits neatly into the cheap-and-cheerful bracket, then the ZQ-770P is in fine fettle.

Contact
Sharp: 0800 262958, www.sharp.co.uk Build quality *** Ease of use **** Performance **** Value for money **** Overall ****.