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Sony Announces Excellent New Handhelds
PalmAddict writes "Sony Japan has announced what was only supposed to be a non-working mockup at Palm Source just a few short weeks ago, as reality. Palminfocenter has the scoop on the PEG-NR70, a thin, folding, half VGA, built-in digital camera picture taking, MP3 playing powerhouse." Nothing I can say except wow.
pictures from sony's japanese language site: http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/peg/Store/Clie/index.h tml
Sony Introduces Two Models with Keyboards, MP3 Players
.65 inches. They weigh 7 ounces, including the stylus.
Posted by: Ed on Monday, March 11, 200212:06:43 AM
Sony Japan has just introduced two new cutting-edge handhelds. The PEG-NR70 and PEG-NR70V both have built-in keyboards and 320 by 480 color screens. They also have built-in MP3 and ATRAC3 audio players. In addition, the PEG-NR70V has a built-in camera.
These have a clamshell design, with the keyboard on one side and the screen on the other. However, the screen can pivot around and then close again, this time with the screen facing out, allowing these to be used like a traditional handheld, with text entry done through a virtual Graffiti area.
The screen doesn not flip all the way around like a note pad does. It opens, the screen rotates on an axis located just above the hinge, then closes back over the keypad. When the screen rotates, it's image automatically flips over so it is still upright to the user.
Frequent readers will recognize the NR70V as the one a Sony executive briefly showed off at PalmSource last month.
The 16-bit color Backlit TFT screen is 3.8 inches tall. When closed, both of these models are 5.4 by 2.8 by
They are the first Palm OS models to use Motorola's 66 MHz Dragonball SuperVZ processor. They run Palm OS 4.1 and have 16 MB of RAM and 10 MB of Flash ROM.
Of course they have a built-in Memory Stick slot. They also have a Jog Dial and a Back button.
These have a built-in Lithium Polymer battery, which Sony estimates will last for 10 days, based on 30 minutes of use a day. They have an additional DSP chip for handling audio and this drains significant power. The company says these will last for 7 hours of music playback with the display off.
The PNR70V's camera is also on the hinge. It can take images with 100,000 pixels. It has a 1/6 inch CMOS Image Sensor and it can take pictures between 0.3 meters from the lens all the way to infinity. it saves images in PG Pocket format in sizes of 320x240, 160x120, or 88x88.
These models have the enhanced IR port from the T-series. They have other things in common with the T-series, sharing the same styli and HotSync port. This means the NR series should be able to use many of the same peripherals designed for the T series.
They also comes with ear-bud speakers and an audio control wand similar to previous Clié models with built-in audio players. Also like previous Sony models, the screen can be turned off while playing music. Because they use a separate DSP, the user can listen to music while using other applications.
In addition to software necessary to use the audio player and camera, they come with Documents To Go 4.0 Standard Edition to allow the user to access Microsoft Office files and Intellisync Lite for the Clié to synchronize with Outlook.
These handhelds have been introduced only in Japan. The NR70 will be available on March 23. The NR70V will be out April 13. There is no word yet on when they will be available in other countries.
The NR70V will sell for 59,800 Yen, or about $465. The NR70 will sell for 49,800 Yen, or $385. Again, these are the prices in Japan. They may or may not indicate what these will sell for in other countries.
Sony has also introduced the PEG-MSB1 Memory Stick Bluetooth module.
Thanks to SaxonMan for the tip and Eugene for his translations. -Ed
Related Information:
* ClieClub: Lots of Pictures of the new models
* PIC: Sony to Announce New Handheld in Japan Next Week
* PIC: Sony Prototype Pics
* PIC: Bluetooth Memory Stick Gets SIG Approval
* PIC: Sony Forum
for those too lazy to copy & paste :)
here's a link
Every once in a while I like to masturbate a new word into my vocabulary, even if I don't know what it means.
It seems that Sony has a hard time focusing on consumer products in the IT sphere. They tend to hit or miss. The VAIO line was a pretty tepid offering up until the previous iteration. The Playstation I & II were tremendously successful in their markets. The CLIEs were good(great?). Their MP3 players and MD players had terrible connectivity to PCs or Macs.
The new PDA looks good though. Maybe this will be a hit.
So that's why I can't get onto PalmInfoCenter today. Anyone looking for more info on this might want to try PDABuzz, another pretty good Palm site.
It hurts when I pee.
Here's the CNET Story
Is their server running off one of these or something? That was quite the fast slashdotting...
--
Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch.
Nothing I can say except wow.
Yeah, that's about the same thing palminfocenter.com is saying right now...
"...eleven-thousand hits in HOW LONG??!!"
Stuff a cell phone into this thing, and I'd think it was perfect.
Lots of pictures of the new models
It's not much besides pictures, but that's the first thing you want to know, right? That, and that they have a 66 MHz Dragonball SuperVZ processor, run Palm OS 4.1 and have 16 MB of RAM and 10 MB of Flash ROM. They also come memory stick slot and a jog dial. Battery life is 10 days, used for half an hour each day. Guess that means 5 hours.
:Peter
an OS is made useful by the applications which are developed for it. If PalmApps continue to stay simple in design and functionality, while still being useful, then the OS is still alive.
If however it goes the way of Windows, where Windows 3.11 ran fine, Windows '95 ran slower, and Windows '98 ran even slower, yes the hardware and software that runs on it will eventually be placed 6 feet under.
I'd pay for the new Slashdot subscription service if I got posts say 30 minutes before non-subscribers. That way I would half a chance to see the site befor it's slashdot-ed.
"Failure is not an option, it's part of the standard package"
do i get to say 'we beat you to it,' even though i'm from skokie? :)
Katsuyo Mori
"Excellent"? says who?
I see it was a comment of the submiter, but isn't
it a bad-thing to slip-in product endorsement into
article submissions?
I am afraid of covert ad tactics. You can never
notice them, for they disguise as a personal opinion.
Most of you will probably dismiss me as a troll or
flame bait, or even mod me as such, but some of you
will notice the subliminal impact of a header like
that.
First impression counts, and hidden presuppositions influence our choices later.
It is called "nesting" if you are not familiar with
propaganda.
--
Who cares?
Why on earth would you want to run linux on a handheld? The PalmOS is sleek, compact, and perfect suited to its purpose.
It's a downright bastardization by slavering fanboys who must run linux everywhere to put linux on this beautiful sony handheld.
Is it just me, or do you guys think that this thing would have been 500% better if they had turned the keyboard sideways... so that it could have been made large enough for human hands?
-Evil
There aren't any compusa stores in japan, therefore the compusa-theft-protocol is not legal to implement on a japan device do to export regulations.
Companies are planning to create a mod-chip for the device, but because it's fair use, sony will sue them according to the DMCA.
"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World"
1 John 4:14
Palminfocenter has the scoop on the PEG-NR70, a thin, folding, half VGA, built-in digital camera picture taking, MP3 playing powerhouse. Nothing I can say except wow.
/.ed) but I can only imagine that it's no more than 1.3 megapixels.
:: We Kill Trolls. We Worship Penguins.
Is this really what people want?
I'm not trying to flame here, but I personally would much prefer a small MP3 player that I could take with me on a jog or to the gym (or use in a business situation if necessary).
As for the digital cam feature -- again, I would rather have a more versitile and quite frankly, better quality, digital camera with 3.3 megapixels or something. I can't get to the specs page for this particular PDA (it's
Perhaps I'm out of the loop, but is the PDA as a tech Swiss Army knife practical (aside from the "gee-wiz" factor and showing it off to your friends, of course)?
monolinux.com
What's wrong with the processor? It suits the job. Low power, low cost. People don't buy these things for a mobile computer - PalmOS isn't supposed to be a rival to windows.
Synchronisation software allows "documents" on the device to be used on a PC fine.
And not everything has to be unix compatible. 90% of the population don't give a shit - and the companies are out there to sell as many as possible.
it is powered by the cushiony warmth of its user contingent's hairy palms.
Katsuyo Mori
They also seem to move away from the standard 'square' resolutions (160x160 or 320x320) of previous PalmOS devices. According to Sony's homepage these two new models run at 320x480.
--Ives
"Nothing I can say except wow."
(disregarding the screen for a moment)
All of these things have been done before by... guess who... Pocket PC. MP3, Digital Camera, high-resolution screen, etc. These are all standard features on Pocket PCs.
Still, Sony is taking the right direction by adding these fatures to their devices. Some people don't like to play MP3s or Videos, I find that it's a great way to pass the time on the long train ride to work every morning (I could drive but the traffic is really bad in my suburb).
What it looks like open and closed (from the Japanese site)
It looks like they have a Bluetooth card accessory coming out and a GPS card. There is also what looks like a wireless modem and another type of wireless adapter, but I'm not sure if it's 802.11b, or not.
a couple more views
It can also be used to transfer map/location data back and forth with your Sony Car Navigator (in Japan). And it can function as a programmable remote control for your home theater gear (TV, DVD, VCR, etc). It looks like the camera uses Picture Gear Pocket edition, so the photos are probably compatible with most of Sony's DV and digital still cams (and transferrable by Memory Stick).
It's surprising they didn't put a phone in, but I guess Japanese hipsters wouldn't be caught dead talking into a giant PDA when they have such amazing "keitai" cell phones.
my network is 100Baset T wired in the basement and 1st floor, I am 802.11b to the 2nd floor and whatever other 802.11b device I want to use (Company assigned laptop, hacked Compaq IA-1 on second floor, tuxbot robot I am building in basement). This $465.0 does not support 802.11
yet? Gee If I was going to use it to access my servers or the internet I'd want 802.11b capability.
Show me a pocket PC I can program to work as my Bike computer Multivoltage tester Pedometer with only 15$ in parts and I'll concede that palm is dead (and yes you can with just a few parts, a used serial cable and a soldering iron). Similarly, in audio, a lot of people said that XLR and RCA jacks would be succeded by digital and optical feeds by now. Guess what? They haven't. They're reliable (read, microsoft had nothing to do with them) relatively low cost, support a flexibility of implementation, and more importantly have a massive catalogue of products that works with them (ever looked at the available software for a palm vs a PocketPC?) I'm not saying that Pocket PC doesn't have it's place. But just like digital audio and optical feeds, it's a high end market that's so far seen much more limited penetration and will never be able to appeal on a pricepoint to those that are using a PDA as an organizer and general assistant (and not a mulitmedia wizbang toy not that I don't own one myself).
Find out about my new childrens book: SS Death Camp Criminal Batallion Go To Monte Carlo For The Massacre
The thing looks like a tricorder. Very cool design.
nokia are doing this with the symbian OS and thats shipping soon
http://www.nokia.com/phones/7650/
regards
john jones
Keep that in mind before buying a Sony product.
I agree that the 320x240 camera is very poor. Even the next Nokia mobile phone has 640x480 cam built in, as does the Sony/Ericsson T68i just released (though the cam is a plug-on). What on earth were Sony thinking?
Phillip.
Property for sale in Nice, France
First the battery life:
-10 days with 30 minutes a day = 5 hours. 7 days, if used with music and screen off = 3.5 hours. Ok, do the maths. This thing will less than 2 continuous hours with music and screen on.
- MP3: I've given before. DRM means special app on windows to convert your MP3 to Sony homebrew format with copy protection. So it's not really MP3. First you need another OS to do the conversion with their crappy app (Jukebox if I remember correctly), next you can't transfer more than once and in one direction.
- Memory Stick: Ok: Sony still doesn't get it. The most expensive format per MB. I still refuse to go this route. What is the point of adopting this format over other proven and more economic ones?
- Special keyboard rotation and cool design: Here too, I've given in this trap already. If I need a keyboad, I get a laptop. Graffiti doesn't cut it for me. Cool factor: I already have an iBook and an iPaq. I'll still with that.
The Sharp Zaurus Linux PDA is way more powerful and appealing to me than this new Sony model.
PPA, the girl next door.
-- I feel better now. Thanks for asking.
Looks neat!
I'm a 2000 man.
There are a lot of posts saying "but all of this stuff has been done before by other PDAs..."
While this is true, the 320x480 resolution with a full-tablet mode has only been done by one PDA, the Apple Newton 2000/2100, now discontinued for five years.
A screen resolution of 320x480 makes a HUGE difference when working with information, text, graphics, etc. With a resolution of 320x480 and a virtual graffiti area (which could conceivably be left hidden and replaced with a 3rd-party natural handwriting recognition system?!) we could FINALLY have a near-Newton-killer on our hands...
Of course, it is still lacking in some areas... Only a 66MHz Dragonball CPU vs. the 162MHz StrongARM in the Newton 2x00, PalmOS vs. NewtonOS (which is still a decade ahead of its time), no PCMCIA slot(s), no 3rd party natural handwriting recognizers yet available for PalmOS, etc.
Still, wow. For a long time, I've thought that since nobody would ever make another PDA with a 320x480 display, nobody would ever even begin to come close to Newton. But this does! In fact, get me that natural handwriting recognizer and a nice "natural" database like Notion for Newton and you could see me switch... Maybe... Well, okay, probably not.
STOP . AMERICA . NOW
Is it just me, or do these all-in-one gadgets fly in the face of the UNIX idea of compartmentalized utilities that do one specific function, and that's it?
Imagine if all apps had to be statically linked to a large library. Then the UNIX idea of compartmentalized utilities at 4 KB a piece breaks down. Under the current design conventions for handheld devices, every device has to be "statically linked" to at least a memory card slot, a display, and a case.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Yea, but think if it were made today! They wouldn't weigh a pound and you could stuff one of thsoe 5 gig HDs used in the iPods. Storage on the Palms is too small for me. I hate memory sticks -- to expensive.
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
I'm looking at buying a Clie T415. How bad's the display, really? Most monochrome displays are horrible by anyone's standards, so, relative to my Palm III, how is it? I've heard lots of bad reviews, and a couple of good ones, but I really don't trust hardware review sites that can spend 10+ pages "reviewing" the life, the universe, and lo! the actual hardware around half-way through the article.
Michael C. Hollinger
If the main processor is a Motorola, perhaps the DSP is Motorola also. If the DSP is a 56K derivative, well, that would be most excellent, as this is somewhat of an industry standard in the audio industry (Motorola 56K-compatible processors are used by Eventide, Digidesign, TC Electronics, the XBOX, etc.).
http://www.gweep.net/~shifty/ is the homepage of a project to hook a Palm Pilot up to an ADI DSP dev kit for music DSP. Maybe the new Sony would allow you to do the same thing without the external DSP.
If you want just an MP3 player, then buy one (I hear those iPods are cool, and oh so versatile). If you want a digital camera, then buy one. The Clie is a PDA, that happens to play music (saving from having to have two devices if you want both sets of functionality). I think the music playing bit is an obvious addition to a PDA. Just look, people are trying to make PDA's out of iPods.
Now the camera, I think people are just totally missing the point here. Do you honestly believe that Sony thinks that someone will say, "dude, I don't need to buy a digital cam now that Sony has this". Uh WRONG. No, it's Sony having a decent grasp of their home market, one in which such gadgetry sells. (i.e. Now take your NR70V, stick in the blue tooth module and start communicating with other similarly equiped individuals, including sending pix.)
Also, what's the big deal. If they sold it ONLY with a camera, then I could see some people getting a bit miffed, but hey, you don't like it, save some bucks and just buy the model without it, duh.
Would you mind describing how to get those regular MP3s to play on the 760? I haven't figured it out yet.
Thanks
"You done taken a wrong turn."
-Bill McKinney, in Deliverance
Uh, no.
An MP2100, with batteries, is 1.4 lbs. But coming from an MP2100u user, it doesn't bother me. I'd rather carry around one Newton than a backpack full of notebooks and handouts.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
While many disagree, I find the Newton's size a good thing. If it were produced today, the benefits of size could be gained in a smaller and lighter device, but unless you buy one of those laptop-sized WinCE jobbies, you're stuck with a tiny screen on any platform but the Newton, AFAIK. As a person who carries around an MP2100u most of the time when I'm out, I can say it doesn't bother me. Fits in my pocket, and is better than the alternative- bringing a backpack full of books and notepads. I have all of that information on my Newton. Taking all of my college lecture notes with no real HWR on a Palm would just be impossible.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
Is this the first Palm OS device with a 320@480 screen? Now that they have a decent screen, when will they get decent HWR? I suppose for decent HWR, they'd need a decent CPU. When will we see 320@480 Palm OS devices with a 206 MHz StrongARM running CalliGrapher?
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
> It's a downright bastardization by slavering fanboys who must run linux everywhere to put linux on this beautiful sony handheld.
I just got Linux running on my toilet bowl (RedHat 7.2).
It's great!
Now I have to type 'rm -rf *' when I'm done.
Of course, I replaced the stdio function 'fflush()' with a version that does the appropriate thing.
Next, I'll be installing Linux on a rock in my front yard. Yes, a rock. I'm not sure what It will do yet, but won't it be great to have Linux on a rock?
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
Memory Stick prices have dropped enormously in price over the last six months to a year - they're still more expensive than CF, but they're no longer insanely expensive for what you get.
fencepost
just a little off
That's odd. I'm doing the same thing, but the audio player refuses to recognize any tracks. They must include different audio software for the european market. I wonder if that software will work on the 760?
"You done taken a wrong turn."
-Bill McKinney, in Deliverance
For businesses, there are lots of things where a picture is needed but high resolution isn't important - I ran into someone the other day who has one of those wristwatch digital cameras and is quite happy with it for basic assessment use.
fencepost
just a little off
Personally, I think the Sony memory stick isn't really such a bad little product. Granted, it *is* another example of Sony making a new standard, rather than using something else that already exists.
Still, I had a Toshiba camera that used those smartmedia cards, and I thought they were rather flimsy and prone to breakage. The memory stick takes up less space, due to its "stick of chewing gum" shape (instead of a more square "shrunken floppy disk" shape) - and you can buy 3rd. party clones (Lexar, Sandisk, etc.) that work just fine. Therefore, you're not really locked into paying an inflated price just because the stick says "Sony" on the front of it.
Heh! Dude, are you having a bad day, or did a Newton user at some point insult you? Emotional knee-jerking is often the norm for slashkiddies, but you're taking this a little too personally for it to be the average.
/me scolds self for feeding the trolls...
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
idiot, you did it again. NEVER feed the trolls!
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
Hmm. So I take it you use another type of audio player software? If so, where can I find it?
Thanks
"You done taken a wrong turn."
-Bill McKinney, in Deliverance
...looked somewhat familiar...
:)
Not implying anything of course, it was just one of those "I've seen that somewhere before" moments.
SIGFEH
The Clie will play mp3's straight off the memory stick, no copy protection built in if you use the purple memory stick.
If, however, you do not know, and buy the white memory stick, copy protection is built in and you can only play their proprietary format, not mp3's. However, their software will convert your music to their own format. Personally, I will convert the music to Sony's format because you can get equal sound as mp3 but with lower bit rates.
I've never seen the white memory stick for sale in stores or on any online stores, so I'm not even sure if they are sold anymore. I have seen them offereed with Clies for sale on Ebay, however. So if you want mp3, just make sure you get the purple memory stick.
puck
I've been able to run 802.11b for HOURS on IPAQs and Palms. I have yet to see Bluetooth used effectively here... maybe Japan and other countries, but not in the US.