Slashdot Mirror


New Sony Clie PEG-UX50

webguru4god writes "Sony Japan has just released a killer new Clie, complete with integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a camera, in a small laptop-like enclosure. It runs Palm OS 5.2, has a 65,000 screen, and a built in keyboard! " I've always been a bit skeptical of handhelds that have flip out keyboards like this, but have repeatedly been impressed with the quality of various models of Clie. This might be worth a look.

46 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Yay! by Eric(b0mb)Dennis · · Score: 4, Funny

    All I need is this and a pack of sidewalk chalk and it's time for some fun I hope I don't get stopped for vandalizing :( ALL WIFI POINTS ph34r my chalk!

    --
    Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
    1. Re:Yay! by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Funny

      War-getting-a-ride-from-mom-ing

      But then everyone gets a ride from his mom.

      --
      I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  2. Ouch! by mattrix2k · · Score: 4, Funny

    The handheld body is made of magnesium.
    Better hope it doesn't rain!

    1. Re:Ouch! by guacamolefoo · · Score: 5, Funny

      The handheld body is made of magnesium.
      Better hope it doesn't rain!


      It serves as firestarting tool as well!

      GF.

    2. Re:Ouch! by Edward+Teach · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Magnesium is great for fires.
      SODIUM is what you do not want to get wet!

      --

      Setting his threshold to 5, Sparky eliminated most of the trolls on /.

    3. Re:Ouch! by sh00z · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As others have already pointed out, you probably meant sodium. Magnesium will put on a pretty fantastic show, if you can get it to burn, but as this NeXT-torching geek discovered, that's not quite so simple.

  3. No Graffiti by berkeleyjunk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At last somebody understood people wanted to type on their PDAs instead of learning how to use Graffiti or a soft keyboard. I have a Sony PictureBook and I love it. This is going to rock.

    1. Re:No Graffiti by TedTschopp · · Score: 4, Informative

      There is a keyboard and Graffiti and a new input system which does trainable handwriting recognition.

      --
      Fantasy remains a human right; we make in our measure and in our derivative mode... -- JRR Tolkien
  4. 65,000 Screen? by lcsjk · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What is a 65,000 screen? How do you interpret that? Maybe I just don't get around as much as I used to.
    Anybody else in this boat?

    1. Re:65,000 Screen? by donutz · · Score: 2, Funny

      it actually has 65,000 screens, each of which is visible in an alternate universe, a la quantum physics.

    2. Re:65,000 Screen? by stonecypher · · Score: 2, Funny

      it actually has 65,000 screens, each of which is visible in an alternate universe, a la quantum physics.

      Waitwait. Screen is quantuum branching?

      (breaks leg)

      screen -d -r OtherHistory

      waitwait. screen is quantuum branching?

      (breaks leg) ...

      --
      StoneCypher is Full of BS
  5. Battery Life by pheared · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sony rates the battery life at 14 days with 30 minutes of typical use per day.

    So, just say 7 hours. Unless of course sustained usage drains the battery faster.

    Either way that's pretty good since my iPaq can now barely run for 45 minutes without a charge. I have a backpaq arriving soon with extra battery capacity so that should help.

    1. Re:Battery Life by zmooc · · Score: 4, Informative

      On my clie NX70V the battery-life varies a lot on the applications used; the cam uses quite a lot, memorystick access as well. Wifi really drains it. So no matter how long they tell you the battery life is, it's utter bullshit anyway since it depends heavily on the application used. Taking pictures and immediately e-mailing them over wifi can drain the battery within half an hour while using it exclusively as an electronic agenda will get you somewhere around the mentioned 7 hours.

      --
      0x or or snor perron?!
    2. Re:Battery Life by BenjyD · · Score: 2, Informative

      The battery life is affected by how long the device is on (just keeping the screen on uses some power) and also by what you do with it. If it's not actually doing anything (i.e. it's just sitting in the event loop waiting), the whole processor bit almost switches off, so power consumption drops.

      The other power consuming action is maintaining the contents of memory, which happens all the time whether the unit is on or off, although it doesn't consume that much power.

  6. You're all pigs! by tevenson · · Score: 3, Funny

    It looks like a laptop for midgets. I guess that's not bad. Even Willow needs to check his email.

    1. Re:You're all pigs! by MikeXpop · · Score: 3, Informative

      Since the linked site is slashdotted, here's a site with pictures I found from 2 seconds of googling.

      Pictures

      --
      Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers.
  7. Another Article Link by jared_hanson · · Score: 4, Informative

    Another article with more detailed information can be found at infoSync World.

    --
    -- Fighting mediocrity one bad post at a time.
  8. What I want to know is by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Funny

    More details and an official US announcement are expected tomorrow (7/18) when Sony's handheld President, Masanobu Yoshida,

    Why did they make him president if he needs someone to hold his hand ??

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  9. Sony wants ubiquitous wifi by dspyder · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Talking to a wireless engineer at Sony, they are really interested in finding a way of having ubiquitous 802.11 access everywhere. With devices like this, who can blame them.

    Trouble is, he also said Sony wants a piece of the service market offering that access. Seems to me I would stick with being a hardware provider and let the ISPs sort out the delivery. Of course, with Sony being in the content business as well........

    --D

    1. Re:Sony wants ubiquitous wifi by yelohbird · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Sony already owns a big chunk of the Asian ISP market, with ventures for broadband services in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other markets. With their financial leverage, I would not be surprised if they are able to deploy ubiquitous 802.11 (b/g) access in those same markets, where the dense metropolitan population and high demand for tech fads would make it feasible to carry out this project.

      And then, maybe 20 years down the road, ubiquitous wi-fi will finally be "feasible" and make its debut the United States...

      --
      h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-org
  10. You misunderstood. by Prince_Ali · · Score: 4, Funny

    He doesn't need to have his handheld. He is the handheld President because he is small enough to hold in your hands. It is really great for when a full-sized Sony president just won't fit in your luggage.

    1. Re:You misunderstood. by Arcaeris · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but some people complain about the lack of power, features, and "input/output devices" that come with the smaller version.

  11. Mirror by H0NGK0NGPH00EY · · Score: 2, Informative

    Check the story here: http://myhome.spu.edu/time/mirror/Clie-UX-50.htm
    The enlarged pics are here and here.

    --
    Do not read this sig.
  12. I'll wait by tarquin_fim_bim · · Score: 2, Funny

    The next one will surely have GPS, duct tape dispensor, phasor, bowie knife, ball of string, elastic band compartment and five loaves & two fishes.

  13. embarrassing question by AssFace · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of the owners of the company I currently work with has taken me aside many times and has me on a quest for what I think is the unattainable... mainly because the idea is retarded.

    But I have to ask, since this seems about like the perfect place to do so. Or instead of asking - maybe I should just describe what he wants and enthusiasts can chime in.

    He wants a handheld device. He loves Sony products, and hates Handspring products. He has no real reasons or logical justification for this as far as I can tell - but he isn't going to change.
    He wants something that will keep track of all of his appointments. He wants something that can play mp3s.
    Ideally it would also have a camera and a phone in it, but that isn't necessary.

    But what he *really* wants... and this is the part that I find amusing - he wants this thing to have a phone jack in it.
    For two reasons - the first reason is so that he can put a phone line into it and record conversations. For some reason he thinks that there is a large demand for this, just because he wants it.
    He also wants this thing to be able to check e-mail - but he doesn't want to pay cell phone charges for checking e-mail, and bluetooth and wi-fi are out because he wants to travel the globe with this thing and plug into the phone lines at hotels and then dial up and check his e-mail. Via the modem jack of course.

    I thought I had him sold on the cool Neuros, but then this phone jack idea occurred to him and he is now focused on that.

    The worst part is that he finds the fact that it doesn't exist and that nobody else would want this a personal failing on my part.
    As if I'm just not trying hard enough.

    I feel like telling him that if he clicks his heels together, rubs a lamp, and also *really* believes in it, then it will happen.

    Anyway, anyone know of such a beast to exist? (he has a laptop, but apparently that is "too bulky" - so that solution is out - and I know that Handspring has plug-ins for all of that stuff, but he hates Handsprings and refuses to ever own one)

    --

    There are some odd things afoot now, in the Villa Straylight.
    1. Re:embarrassing question by British · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Find a PDA that has a standard "mic" plug on it, and go buy a telephone convo recorder at Rat Shack. That might work.

      Or if you want to be more enterprising, open up the recorder, and put shorter cords in it so it won't tangle up with his other things..

      Then find a way to mass-produce them and sell them at a high price so other people like your friend will buy them.

    2. Re:embarrassing question by kinnell · · Score: 4, Funny

      You have clearly been given a special assignment to spend your whole day surfing the internet, checking out all the latest cool gadgets for your boss. Keep him interested as long as you can.

      --
      If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
  14. Re:capacity... by fluxrad · · Score: 3, Funny

    Your iPod has 30GB of RAM???

    Holy shit!

    --
    "It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume
  15. Re:Too bad it's a Palm by Desco · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Unfortunately, Sharp doesn't appear to be in any hurry to release an english version of the Zaurus c760 (Same form factor as this Clie), which would be more expensive and wouldn't inlcude the bluetooth, wireless, and camera that make this device so spiffy.

    And you'll NEVER see a PocketPC in this form factor. Microsoft very narrowly dictates the hardware that a PocketPC device can have. The closest you'll ever come is a iPaq with a detachable thumboard.

    -Desco-

  16. Nifty but what's the price? by anagama · · Score: 5, Insightful


    If this thing tops $500, won't people start just looking at a laptop?

    It's neat and all in a gadgety way, but PDAs need to be small and light so they fit in your pocket. The problem of course, is that when they are tiny, data input is a bear - and it always will be till voice recognition/mind plugs replace grafiti and thumboards.

    --
    What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
    1. Re:Nifty but what's the price? by kinnell · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I can type on my psion revo almost as fast as I can on a fullsize keyboard, and it fits in my pocket just fine. I know some people find it difficult, but give me a PDA with a keyboard any day.

      --
      If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
  17. but wait, check this out: by ed.han · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "welcome slashdot visitor! you have been redirected to a ligher version of our article in order to conserve bandwidth and keep the site running smoothly for everybody. this is the whole text of the article, if you would like to read the story along with our reader comments, please click here."

    slashdot provides anti-spam armoring, and the sony site apparently offers anti-/. effect armoring?

    ah, if only i could find a way to bring that full circle, my karma would be mighty indeed...

    ed

    1. Re:but wait, check this out: by xswl0931 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Sony isn't doing the anti-/. effect, Palminfocenter is smart enough given previous links from slashdot to protect itself.

  18. Zaurus by pergamon · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ooh. I feel my previously-unwavering desire for a Zaurus 760 beginning to wane...

    1. Re:Zaurus by fishynet · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Why? The Zaurus c760 is better in most ways... (Zaurus vs. Clie) Better screen (640x408 vs. 480x320) Better processor (Xscale vs. ARM) Better keyboard Better OS ;) (Linux vs. Palm) Better (more) memory (128+64 vs. 32(16 usable) Better (more) expandibility (CF+SD vs. nothing) The only places where the Clie is better is: Built in Wifi/BT (This could be negiative when you can't upgrade later on.) Built in Camera

      --

      Cats: All your base are belong to us.
      Captain: Take off every sig !!
  19. Smartphones by erixtark · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Kind of makes you wonder, once again, what Sony will do with Sony Ericsson and its' smartphones, such as the P800. The PDAs and the smartphones are getting more and more similar. Seems kind of foolish for Sony to have different strategies (not to mention different OS platforms - Palm and Symbian OS) for the two.

    So far Sony is using Sony Ericsson to keep one foot in the mobile phone market, which is pretty much controlled by the operators (who Ericsson has steady relations to). This won't last forever, however, as the two markets merge and wireless internet access becomes transparent.

    Then, as with the PC market, developers and content makers will be ones leading the market. They will choose the platform that provides the greatest leverage for their applications. If that platform is Palm OS, Symbian, Java or .Net remains to be seen. I guess that's what Sony's waiting for.

    This new Clie is pretty cool to have while waiting, though. I most certainly want one! :o)

  20. not released, announced by acm · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sony Japan didn't release it today, they announced it. It will be released in Japan around August 9th, and no date has been given for the US. Sony's handheld president Masanobu Yoshida will hold a press conference in Sanfrancisco Friday announcing a new PDA (almost certainly this one) for the US.

  21. Eh...but the price? by Qweezle · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Okay, okay, this is all well and good. I think the thing is cool as anything I've seen in the PDA market, but we all have to keep something very important in mind: the price. I hope I'm not the only one who has realized this thing will undoubtedly be as expensive, if not MORE expensive than the $800 NZ-90, which may be worth its weight but is still too expensive for the average income-bringer. I wish that Sony could, instead of constantly coming out with expensive, fully-equipped PDAs, come out with a few solid, varied budget machines. THe SJ-22(or whatever it is) is a good PDA, and cheap, but Sony should be able to provide more in that price range. Still, I am very excited about the prospects of wardriving with a laptop-style PalmPilot! I should also point out to the unknowing that this model shares a close form factor(not size) with two Japanese Sony Micro-notebooks, which are available from Dynamism, the U3 and the U101.

  22. I heard there's already a recall planned... by naner42 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I heard that if you're:
    Using the integrated Wi-Fi while having the blue-tooth disabled
    and touching the casing of the unit
    and standing on carpet
    and someone IMs you
    it gives you a mild electric shock...

    --
    Self realization: I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said: "I drank what?"
  23. small but not small enough... by pioneer · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think all these companies have the wrong idea. Here's my idea. You build a ultra small form factor PC that has no display, no cdrom. Just wireless, VGA maybe some USB and a great battery. Then you buy one of these nifty goggles and figure out some kind of input device and you are money.

    now, if only some one kind find me one of these ultra small form factor PC's ... I found something called the Mini-PC-EX1 which is 450g (pretty light!) but it has a CDROM and is still a bit clunky...

    So, the question i ask is this? Anyone know of a truly ultra small form factor displayless pc? (that runs linux)? And, anyone know how I could input into this device with enough speed/accuracy to code?

    Just imagine entire corporate headquarters transforming into parks where people wander around with eyeglass mounted displays, and pocket size pc that are wireless connected... No need for small stuffy offices or cubicles...

    If you know anything please contact me with information...

  24. Still not as good a Psion! by G4from128k · · Score: 2, Interesting

    GRRR! Another poorly designed handheld. Looks like the typical hard-to-touchtype keyboard that is so common on these little things. Rounded buttons tiny buttons are inferior to indented square buttons. The battery life of 7 hours (30 min/day x 14 days) also sucks for sustained note-taking applications.

    Why don't people want usable keyboards and long battery life anymore? Why did Psion die?

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
    1. Re:Still not as good a Psion! by G4from128k · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Can you thumb-type that fast for hours on end? I guess my thumbs don't have the endurance and speed. I need a keyboard of modest size.

      I've owned a range of good ultra-portables over the years. My Cambridge Instruments Z88 was good, my Prolinear Palmtop was a little better, and my Psion 5 & 5mx are nearly perfect. If/when the 5mx dies, I will probably go back to an earlier machine because nothing on the market is as good as these older devices. (So much for progress)

      IMO, too many handheld devices follow the Microsoft school of design -- cramming too many features into a device to the point that overall usability is very low. Like Microsoft, these other companies have learned to play the specsmanship game.

      But the real determinants of usability are seldom obvious in the store, on the box, or in the web press release. Its only when the consumer has bought the device that they discover how much it really sucks.

      --
      Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
  25. Zaurus C7x0 or PEG-UX50? by xeno · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Oh, my heart skipped a beat there.

    I'm expecting delivery of my Zaurus C750 today(!). After a long and relatively constructive affair with PalmOS devices, I decided to bite the bullet and get a device that I could actually do some work on (text & spreadsheet documents, email, browsing), rather than just coordinating the work. The last straw was HandEra EOL'ing their PalmOS hardware just as I was looking forward to turning in my 330 for an upgraded version with a color screen.

    But Sony has never been a viable alternative from my POV. Why? All that proprietary crap. I don't want to get into a PalmOS vs Linux/Qtopia debate (I like both), but the Sony custom menu-scrolling-rolodex thing is just horrid (my def of "horrid" is that it slows down usability and doesn't even look cool), and the screen resolution breaks some of my most useful apps. The hardware is the same: Memory sticks are a "non-starter" as those inside the beltway might say. Sony-only accessories? Nah. I really dig having two standard (CF and mmc/sd) ports, and I'd be hard pressed to give that up. It's nice having extra memory, a communications device, AND a keyboard at the same time, ok? So the 5600 Zaurus seemed like the natural progression. Then the C7x0 series came out, and I could resist no more.

    Now, am I sorry I didn't wait for the PEG UX50? Not at all. The UX50 will likely be in the same price range ($650+/-) as the C750/760's and has the same swivel-screen keyboard setup. Nifty. But the screen resolution of the UX50 is half that of the C7x0, it's got only a small fraction of the user memory, you can't expand with standard devices (CF memory, modem, serial, external monitor, etc), tho the built-in wifi i nice. A 0.3 Mpixel camera is the same as the PalmPix, no? I have one; it's useless. The screen swivels in the UX50, but does not switch display orientation. The only advantage I can see is that it *might* be available in the US with direct manufacturer support before Sharp starts selling the Zaurus here.

    Just my $0.02US.

    J

    --
    I think not...(*poof*)
  26. Wifi? How about GPRS? by gad_zuki! · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was hoping they would have a GPRS modem in the new Clie. If I'm in a "wifi zone" I'm probably near a computer or laptop.

    Of course people use technology different than I do, but my Sidekick and GPRS through tmobile keeps me attached to the product. I get mail, web, and chat anywhere I go.

    I'm going to hold back my gadget lust back until the Treo 600 comes out. They've already announced plans for GPRS support and I believe Compaq is putting GPRS modems in their future PocketPC models.

  27. Product Info by dmccarty · · Score: 3, Informative
    Since the comments on this story have been limited so far to the usual it's-against-my-religion-to-read-the-articles-but- I-think-I'll-post-a-+1-funny types, here some information on the unit from the Japanese product page at Sony:
    • Specs:
      • Sony Clie PEG-UX50
      • 802.11b
      • Bluetooth
      • Sony-developed Handheld Engine CPU (8 - 125MHz on demand)
      • 3.2", 16-bit, 480x320 resolution (locked to landscape mode?)
      • 4.1 x 3.4 x .7" (103 x 86.5 x 17.9mm) and 6.2oz (175g)
    • Wireless connectivity: Comfortable wireless LAN network connection, or Bluetooth with automatic switching (corresponding equipment required)
    • Battery life: 14 days of "normal use" (apparently 30min/day, backlight off) with a LiIon polymer battery. An extended battery is available for 35 hours of continuous use
    • Built-in camera: The camera can rotate 300 degrees and take low-resolution stills (.3 Mpixel) or video (160x112) (w/ audio). It has a digital 3X zoom, white balance, "effects function" (It can possibly be used as a remote webcam via Bluetooth?)
    • Web browser: Can be set to a one-button push (woo! note to Sony: check if Amazon already has the patent)
    • Screen: Wide-screen, bright, video-supported, 480x320, 65,536 colors
    • Storage:Memory stick, 22MB built-in, 16MB "of the substance" (?)
    • Build: Lightweight, magnesium case and chassis with security loop
    • Web browsing:
      • Supports: "Forward," "Back," bookmarks, JavaScript (not all), JPEGs, GIFs (animated, too), PNGs and SSL
      • Doesn't support: Flash, Java (?)
    • Video: Can display video up to 30fps, converting AVIs on your computer to MPEG1 or QuickTime. (Can store 130 min of video on a 128MB memory stick, or 460min--wow, nearly 8 hours!--on a 1GB memory stick)
    • Audio: Support audio playback for MP3 or ATRAC3 formats for appx. 16 hours (?) with the standard battery
    • Software: I won't get into the software because unless you get yours now from Dynamism it's almost certain to change in the US version.
    --
    Have fun: Join D.N.A. (National Dyslexics Association)
  28. Reminds me of the old Psions by stevarooski · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I had thought this form factor had died out? It is DAMN hard to type on those little keyboards!! If you want more input functionality than a handheld, get a subnotebook like the Sony Picturebook or Fujitsu's Lifebook P-series. If you want more computing power in a handheld, get a tablet pc.

    I had a Psion Series 5 for a while, which also feature a keyboard plus pen input. Despite how dated it is, I still consider it a great little machine--responsive, neat software, worked well with windows, etc. But that keyboard made my hands scream. Eventually, that became the key factor why I gave up using the thing.

    I guess one caveat is that I haven't tried the new thumb-boards that are on the zaurus and the new palms, but at least they don't even pretend to be for real typing--and I can see how they'd be useful for passwords, etc.

    --

    - - - - - - - -
    Don't worry, being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep in a giant blender.