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New Clie Handhelds

Posted by michael on from the things-to-break dept.

Carthis writes "Sony has officially released their newest Clié handheld, the PEG-NR70, in the USA. This one has a clamshell design, a high resolution 480 x 320 screen (half VGA), Sony's MemoryStick slot, built in MP3 player, enhanced IR port (like the Sony 'T' series), and a REAL SPEAKER for once, instead of the typical piezo buzzer. I want this to have my children. PalmInfoCenter has this story about this tasty new handheld. Following past trends of Sony, this handheld probably won't be available for at least 6 months for us Canadians *grumbles*."

16 of 226 comments (clear)

  1. Excellent! by Loki_1929 · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is wonderful news! It'll give me another expensive product tiny enough to be lost in hours having not yet been in my possession long enough to me to get my full use (playing with it) out of it.

    --
    -- "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else."
  2. Wow...Tres Futuristique by waldoj · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This thing is crazy. It takes pictures, communicates wirelessly, stores information little gumstick-sized cards, has a remote control, recognizes handwriting...can you imagine seeing one of these things 5, 10, 20, maybe 50 years ago? Even just 5 years ago this would have been quite tremendous, but 10 or 20? It would have boggled the mind.

    This is the kind of thing that Popular Science told us that we'd all have in The Year 2000[tm]. Turns out that they were just a couple of years ahead of things.

    -Waldo Jaquith

    1. Re:Wow...Tres Futuristique by Mononoke · · Score: 5, Funny
      Popular science is the same magazine that predicted that we'd be using zero emmisions vehicles by now too.
      We do. They're called bicycles.

      --
      NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
    2. Re:Wow...Tres Futuristique by jandrese · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hmm, I don't know if even Bicycles would count. They seem to help produce increased levels of CO2 and increase the saline content of the local groundwater.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    3. Re:Wow...Tres Futuristique by Loligo · · Score: 3, Funny

      >>Popular science is the same magazine that
      >>predicted that we'd be using zero emmisions
      >>vehicles by now too.

      >We do. They're called bicycles.

      I dunno what YOUR diet consists of, but I've never been accused of being zero-emission regardless of my mode of transportation.

      Then again, if I could harness those emissions for powering an engine that runs on methane...

      Or maybe I've said too much.

      -l

  3. The resolution of the screen... by yobbo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Is 320*480

    just thought someone might want to know the truth...

  4. Officially released? Is this early May? by Software · · Score: 4, Informative
    The site says it's available early May, not now.
    Preorder today & receive FREE overnight shipping!
    ...
    Shipping early May
  5. Canada. by saintlupus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Following past trends of Sony, this handheld probably won't be available for at least 6 months for us Canadians *grumbles*.

    Yeah, but just think of how organized your hockey equipment will be in six short months.

    --saint
    (Who has lots of family in Canada.)

  6. Did Sony actually innovate? by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm stunned! I like the swivel job they did with the screen. That's the type of feature this device needs. One thing I hate about my PocketPC is having to lug a seperate keyboard around. With this device, it nicely integrates the two and even gives the unit an extra usability mode. I wasn't expecting this from Sony, they usually put their money into marketing instead of research. Just look at the Playstation 2. *YuCk*

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  7. Yes, but... by Aryeh+Goretsky · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Hello,

    It certainly looks very polished, in the SONY style of doing things, but how well does it work in every day life?

    The magnesium case is a plus, but how long do the pivot mechanisms last, and how solidly-built are they? Is the keyboard adequate for "thumb typing" or is it going to be limited to a "hunt-and-peck" style?

    How compatible is it with existing peripherals and software? One of the things I that annoys me about my Palm III and Palm V is that the peripherals are not interchangeable. Separate cradles, chargers, external keyboards, stylii, and so forth. Does buying a PEG-NR70V mean having to re-purchase all the accessories? I noticed that SONY has separate Memory Sticks for music and data. Which does the PEG-NR70V require to play MP3s? And does it actually play MP3s or require them to be converted to SONY's own ATRAC3 format?

    Also, I know it is hard to make comparisons between PalmOS and Windows CE devices, but does a 66MHz CPU have enough cycles to play MP3s and run an application in the foreground?

    With my Compaq Ipaq, I at least know there is a decent amount of expandability available via PC Cards. This device, while intriguing, seems to be lacking in backwards-compatibility and expandability.

    Regards,

    Aryeh Goretsky

    --
    Dexter is a good dog.
    1. Re:Yes, but... by k_187 · · Score: 5, Informative

      but does a 66MHz CPU have enough cycles to play MP3s and run an application in the foreground?

      There's a seperate DSP to handle MP3 playback, so the processor won't be handling that.

      --
      11 was a racehorse
      12 was 12
      1111 Race
      12112
    2. Re:Yes, but... by screwballicus · · Score: 3, Informative

      I have to agree as to the CPU's questionable capabilities. I can't speak for the Dragonball, but I know under PocketPC OS on my Casio EM-500 running the MIPS CPU at 200MHz (hardware overclocked), I really couldn't expect MPEG1 to decode at a reasonable framerate at any resolution higher than 320x200, even at a lower bitrate. At 150MHz (standard), there wasn't much point even trying. That's under either Casio's built-in MPEG app or PocketTV. Even IPAQ users have to tweak a bit to get adequate video playing (and they've got it easy, cause they have a software overclocker). I find it hard to believe that the Dragonball is going to be able to do it better at one third the clock rate, MHz Myth notwithstanding. I know, I know. Playing The Matrix in your pocket isn't everything (I can fit the whole thing on a 128MB SD Card at an adequate res to watch), but if that isn't what these devices are about, what are they about? If I wanted a Palm III, I'd use the one I have. I'm getting one of these machines because I want to play Pocketquake and music videos. But is my now ancient Casio going to be significantly more capable than this new technology, cause EM-500s sell on ebay for $180 at the moment.

    3. Re:Yes, but... by Keith+Russell · · Score: 4, Informative
      Does buying a PEG-NR70V mean having to re-purchase all the accessories?

      Most of the accessories listed on sonystyle are also compatible with the T-series. Unfortunately, T- and NR-series accessories are not interchangeable with the N- or S-series. Rather like pre- and post-Universal Connector Palm devices.

      I noticed that SONY has separate Memory Sticks for music and data. Which does the PEG-NR70V require to play MP3s? And does it actually play MP3s or require them to be converted to SONY's own ATRAC3 format?

      In reality, it's separate sticks for ATRAC3 and (World + Dog - ATRAC3). I believe the NR-series is like the N-series, which means it will will work with both ATRAC3 on MagicGate and MP3 on Memory Stick, with no conversion necessary. Interestingly enough, sonystyle always listed both MagicGate and Memory Stick as accessories for the N-series, but only list Memory Stick for the NR. The only other devices that ever required MagicGate were their Network Walkman ATRAC3 players. Maybe they've finally realized that nobody will voluntarily choose Digital Rights Management when given an unencumbered alternative.

      ...does a 66MHz CPU have enough cycles to play MP3s and run an application in the foreground?

      No. That's why N- and NR-series Clies use a separate DSP for audio and gMovie playback.

      --
      This sig intentionally left blank.
  8. Camera as disappointing as expected by horza · · Score: 3, Informative

    As with the original Slashdot announcement of exactly the same story, it's a shame to see the camera with a poor 320x240 resolution. Even the tiny Nokia 7650 phone can manage 640x480. Huge disappointment in something I would otherwise consider as a purchase.

    Phillip.

    --
    Property for sale in Nice, France
  9. Re:All things considered... by Yorrike · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I'll agree it does look rather cool. Pity I've boycotted Sony products outright, though, due to these comments made by (at the time) Sony Pictures Entertainment US senior VP Steve Heckler.

    Any company that decides they know what I should and should not have access to, will not have access to any of my cash ;)

    --

    Looks can be deceiving. Or CAN they?

  10. This is SWEET! by inburito · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I just came back from tokyo and happened to visit the sony building where they had a ton of these to play with(aside new aibos and lot's of other cool stuff that they didn't even have in japanese electornics stores yet)... and it is SWEET!

    It has everything you could possible want. You can use it as a regular looking pda or as a flip open communicator with a keyboard on the bottom. The screen looks amazing compared to regular palms.

    Graffitti area could be turned into a click keyboard too (meaning that it was part of the screen) and the videos were actually worth watching. Sound was decent and of course it came with a sony style headphone plug(with the remote pins too) for when you actually want to listen to music.

    I did not have too much time to stay there(how much can you do in a day and a half in tokyo) but the immediate impression (and for an aibo too) was that I want one! If only half of the programs on the display model hadn't been in japanese I might have been able to play with it a little more extensively..