Slashdot Mirror
Sony Clie PEG-UX50 Review
securitas writes "In case you can't wait until September to find out what it's like, Walt Mossberg reviews the Sony Clie UX50 (as previously discussed). He likes it, but with reservations. The keyboard lacks predictive text (unlike the Handspring Treo and RIM BlackBerry) and the Clie Mail e-mail software can't read graphical e-mails and has poor attachment support. The audio player only reads files from a particular directory. He likes the 802.11b WiFi and loves the 450x320 screen. The biggest problem? The $700 price tag ($600 for the non-wireless UX40 model) - equivalent to a low-end laptop - especially since it doesn't come with a Memory Stick. If you can read it, here's a Japanese Clie UX50 review and PalmInfocenter press release rewrite."
(Funny though, after Microsoft themselves killed their HPC clamshell market and told the world HPC was dead and keyboardless pen-driven PDAs were the future.)
However, the new clamshells are still significantly overpriced when compared to devices in their category (compare to a Ipaq 2215 @ half the price). In the same breath you have Sony pushing devices such as the U101, which is a PDA-like laptop. Granted its 2x the price of the Clie clamshell, but it can run linux and is a fully fledged 'PC'. This race can't go on forever, and more manufacturers are making sub-laptop devices running desktop OS's. I predict that the lifespan of the clamshell Clie' is limited because of this, and it may not be a good buying decision unless you are a current Clie' user with hard-on for the product line.
The best current bets seem to be the Sony U101, Fujitsu 2120, Libretto L5, and JVC subnotes. Alternatively if you want the super-small form factor, go with the clamshell Zaurus. At least you have linux on it and are not left with a device that may die when discontinued!
I have the U101 and a HP 2215. I hardly use the 2215 as of late. Nothing beats being able to run the apps I use on the desktop on a smaller form factor. Nevermind the fact that Microsoft Pocket IE is totally useless.
You should be able to sync to a Macintosh using Mark/Space's The Missing Sync just like I do with my ancient (over a year old!) NR-70v
I already have replaced my "personal computer" with a PDA.
Over the years, I've slowly been moving more and more of what I do to a PDA. The first PDA I had which I used like a small personal computer was a Newton 2100u. On it I could do many things- develop NewtonOS applications, browse the web, SSH/telnet, write and compiled papers with a TeX subset, word process in NewtWorks, admin via VNC, email, Usenet, print my documents via the network or IrDA and play some games. And I could do it all via ethernet or an 802.11b connection without having to ever sync or dock with a Mac/PC. I still turned to my Mac or PC for some tasks- more complex web browsing and coding in Squeak Smalltalk. Since Squeak is pretty much my desktop, I didn't use the MP2100 at home- where my regular computer is- as much as I did when out of the house.
Since the MP2100, I've had a few other PDAs. For the last year, I owned a Jornada 720 that became even more my main machine. On it, I could do all of the stuff I listed above that I did on the Newton, and more. I no longer had to turn to the iBook for some web browsing- IE for WinCE [1] handled the vast majority of webpages without any problems. I could even run Java applets. I could also do all the Unixey stuff I wanted as well- write and run Perl/Tk apps, as well as write non-gui apps in python, ruby, REBOL, and others. And, with the switch to Windows CE, I was also able to develop, compile, test and run code in Squeak Smalltalk- all on the device. The J720 has a nice keyboard, something on which you can touch type. After a couple days of first getting it, I was able to type just about as fast as I could on my desktop.
And just recently, I've obtained a Sharp Zaurus SL-C760. For one, it has a 640x480 screen- incredible. Awesome for web browsing. I have Opera and NetFront on it, and both (via wifi or usbnet) load pages about as fast as I'm used to on a desktop on IE or Safari. And luckily, I can still do Squeak on this machine. And thanks to the wide memory bus and fast CPU, Squeak is damned fast- thanks to Dynapad, a Squeak-based PDA environment is available now. Like the SL-5x00, software is pretty spotty for the Zaurus, but I don't need anything from the Qtopia environment other than a web browser. It's kind of funny- I had more well adapted Unix ports running under Windows CE than I can find for the Zaurus under Qtopia. Sure, it's easy to just do a recompile and run the app under X11 or the console, but the interface is entirely ill-suited for the device.
Yes, the Zaurus C760 is very expensive. But since I've had it, I've pretty much given my girlfriend the iBook. Unlike the J720, which had a really good keyboard (Psion quality), the C760 has a thumboard. OK for entering names and dates, but not for much more. So I bought a PockeTop keyboard and am now back in business using this PDA as my main computer. What more can I ask for? It runs Squeak pretty damned well and has the most full-featured and fast web browsers you can get on any PDA, and one of the best browsing experiences I've had on *any* computer.
This school year will tell whether or not the Zaurus cuts it, but I have high expectations. With the new version of qpdf, I can finally read the articles I get from professors, which was a *huge* barrier when I owned a SL-5500.
I went through a few other PDAs in between- an iPAQ 3150, Sharp Zaurus SL-5500, and a Dell Axim X5 Basic. None of them could cut it. The SL-5500 was a huge disapointment in a number of areas- screen was total shite, battery life horrible, and there are few decent applications. The Axim was a good machine, but after having been used to bigger screens for my whole PDA career, I just couldn't downgrade to a wee 240x320 screen. (although the Dell has the brightest and sharpest 240x320 screen I've seen!)
M
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad