Not only are the pictures real but everyone else who has posted them today has been contacted by the Sony legal dept within a matter of hours and told to remove them. Rooks rike a reak!
Looks like things are getting convergent here. With Palm OS5 we'll enter an odd phase where every handheld (PPC, Palm, Zaurus) is more or less hardware equivalent. I'm trying to decide if this is a good thing. Probably won't make life any easier for developers since the platforms are all radically different to write software for.
Yes, I am confident that the slot is Compact Flash, however, it doesn't except memory cards. It seems in the OS, sony only included drivers for their cards only, and I would assume sony made sure others couldn't make drivers for it. Sony could just make a bluetooth card to work with it as well. It is probably very difficult to hack it to accept all cards. Also, as someone pointed out, it seems that sony ported their cool launcher to Palm OS- and no, it's not a PPC rip off, it's sony 'icon' just like the hold switch, jog dial, and mem slot.
What makes this better than Pocket PCs?
-built in camera
-best screen resolution and and same technology used in the 3900 ipaqs
-dual slots, though limited
-built in keyboard
And guess what, it only costs 600 bucks, not 750 as some (hp/cpq) people think it's worth...
This is one of the best handhelds ever made. Also, I remember hearing this is using the StrongARM chip, same one in the older PPCs...
-built in camera
-best screen resolution and and same technology used in the 3900 ipaqs
-dual slots, though limited
-built in keyboard
And guess what, it only costs 600 bucks, not 750 as some (hp/cpq) people think it's worth...
This is one of the best handhelds ever made. Also, I remember hearing this is using the StrongARM chip, same one in the older PPCs...
It is also
• larger
• heavier
• uses a 200MHz ARM, not Strongarm - probaly same speed, but it isn't the SA. Actually, probably a ARM v5 processor, so better on power - maybe.
• no bluetooth
• no SD
• no file system for storage cards
• 16MB of memory!?!
this is one very nice unit.
i love the keyboard and the design etc.
the hi-res mode is very impressive - i hope pocketpc manufacturers learn something from it.
who knows about os 5 - prob it will be good.
i hate the cash cow - ooops i mean propriety part of it.
sony lost on beta, and i hope memory stick ends up on the same bin.
but i love the design and hi-res.
I have a Sony camera and a Sony Vaio portable (although most of the time I use a Mac TiBook--there are a few things I have to do with a wintel package), and I especially like the size and shape of the memory stick. My Casio uses the CF cards, but the Sony stick is the right size and shape to fit nicely in my hand and move stuff around. (I use a USB stick reader to get stuff onto the Mac, but the camera and the Vaio have slots, of course.)
The CF card is Okay but larger as you know, and the SD-size cards are just a little too small-feeling in my hands, if you know what I mean. JMHO
Regarding the Sony units, a couple of my son's have used them (the cheaper models) and have enjoyed them--great screens and good performance whem compared to other Palm OS devices, but they seem to have had problems with breakage: they seem to rather fragile, much more than the Palms they've had (and I've dropped my Casio with it's EB Cases Slipper so many times in the last two years I can't count 'em and the edges are all banged up but it has never suffered any sort of internal damage).
Sony makes good stuff. But, they don't make a PPC. Too bad--they could do a bang-up job of putting together s bunch of proprietary stuff. Heh-heh.
Not only are the pictures real but everyone else who has posted them today has been contacted by the Sony legal dept within a matter of hours and told to remove them....
The origional posters have been asked to remove them, though their are many sites like Thoughts and my own that still have them.
Maybe all they need for compatibility with other CF cards is drivers. I mean, who out there is making CF peripherals for Palm machines? I know Handera uses CF cards but do any of the other Palm OS handhelds have a CF slot? In any event it sure isn't a very large market. I'll bet if we wait there will be more CF cards for the Clie (assuming these photos aren't just a hoax).
I've seen rumors on Palm based sites, mainly the biased PalmInfoCenter site and one rumor has always been a CF periphial slot, but in regards to CF devices for Palm devices, companies like HandEra have asked companies to provide drivers for Palm based devices, a couple of CF 802.11 card makers made PalmOS drivers because HandEra asked. It takes a little time and little cost to provide drivers for a handheld manufacturer like Sony, all you need is demand and supply will come to meet it.
Haha, I just realized that once again the Sony release is before the Palm. Sony always manages to get their announcment out first and the probably will ship first too and the Palm Tungsten won't even be announced until the end of Oct.
-built in camera
-best screen resolution and and same technology used in the 3900 ipaqs
-dual slots, though limited
-built in keyboard
And guess what, it only costs 600 bucks, not 750 as some (hp/cpq) people think it's worth...
This is one of the best handhelds ever made. Also, I remember hearing this is using the StrongARM chip, same one in the older PPCs...
It is also
• larger
• heavier
• uses a 200MHz ARM, not Strongarm - probaly same speed, but it isn't the SA. Actually, probably a ARM v5 processor, so better on power - maybe.
• no bluetooth
• no SD
• no file system for storage cards
• 16MB of memory!?!
Larger - This handheld is High end, not for entry level consumers. Most people know when you have a Magnesium alloy case, with built in keyboard, built in CF (still rumor), built in MS, and a KEYBOARD in a flip top design, what do you expect? I will bet money that within 4 months of this release, sony will release a T style of the same thing, w/o the keyboard and CF slot, and probably w/o the camera, while maintain the current size! Then it's in line with the Zayo and Tosh e310.
Heavier - add a CF slot (even silver slider) and a keyboard to the iPaq, then see which one's heavier... oh, and a camera..., oh yeah, I forgot the casing needs to be metal instead a plastic... But then again, Toshiba managed to make theirs pretty small, but still no keyboard.
Speed - It's probably the Motorolo MX1 thing, but it could also be the StrongARM as it has been rumored for the last month; Can you prove that it's not a SA, besides they quoted 200 instead of 206? Anyway, remember, OS 4 was fast on 33 MHz, and OS 5 should be able to run very FAST on a 200 mhz arm, though it will lack in Video playback.
Bluetooth - Don't you kinda think WiFi makes up for that? They would probably lower the price if they bundled it with a Sony Bluetooth card... Is bluetooth a con for the e740?
SD - don't you think MS makes up for that too? Yeah, so it may be proprietory, but prices are still going down a bit. Plus it's desinged soly for memory now that they have an extra CF slot for IO, so it's biggie.
Memory - PPC NEEDS more memory, but I guess Sony could have squeezed in AT LEAST 32 MB in...
File System - that's more of a OS issue than sony's hardware, and the OS is designed differently that it really doesn't need a file system, but that could be useful.
Also, you said standard 160x160 interface- wrong. Palm is now standard on 320x320 in os 5, it's part of the API... They call it double density...
You see, PPCs have not gained that much recognition yet, and now that Sony and Palm are comeing out with all this stuff, no one will look at PPC when they still can buy just as good palms... Plus, PPcs need a higher resolution- VGA, don't just match half VGA like the clie's, we need to be the best!
The pictures are real
Linear Mode
