03-11-2002, 11:12 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 135
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New Cli�s in Japan
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=3123
I arrived home today to find that Sony has released two rather innovative new Palm OS devices in the Japanese market that look to be as cool as the PalmOS 4.1 will allow. They both utilize a completely new form factor, an even higher resolution screen, and a processor with an (almost) respectable speed. It's almost a shame that this is PalmOS, because with a few minor tweaks this could make one killer Pocket PC.
Why don't we look at the numbers?
�320 x 480 16 bit Screen
�ATRAC3 and MP3 audio capable
�Built in thumb-keyboard and virtual Graffiti area
�Clamshell design
�Pivoting Screen
�Weights Seven ounces
�66 MHz Dragonball Processor
�The PEG-NR70V model has a built in Camera
�16 MB of RAM and 10 MB of Flash
I think the flip design while possibly fragile could be a real winner and the screen isn't anything to cry about. It does still use PalmOS, and that certainly subtracts a hefty sum from the appeal of this device. There isn't any clue as to what this device will cost, but I get the feeling that it isn't going to be cheep, my beat would put it on par with or more likely above the current crop of Pocket PCs. If this device is going to upset the Pocket PC, it's going to have to be cheaper than a Pocket PC; otherwise, there really isn�t any point.
Thanks to Chris Coulter, Michael Creasy, and countless others for pointing me to this one.
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03-11-2002, 11:20 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 64
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d'oh!
if only it had a 400MHz Xscale and ran PocketPC...
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03-11-2002, 11:22 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 64
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http://www.palminfocenter.com/ is reporting $465 for one model and $385 for the other... not sure of the differences between the two, but their article probably explains it...
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03-11-2002, 11:28 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 6
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New Cli�s in Japan
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Originally Posted by Sam Kleinman
... and a processor with an (almost) respectable speed. It's almost a shame that this is PalmOS...
... it does still use PalmOS, and that certainly subtracts a hefty sum from the appeal of this device.
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I dunno about you, but my Compaq H3835 feels roughly as fast as my Palm m505. Just because it doesn't run your desired operating system doesn't make it an instant losing proposition.
I happily use both devices, as well as some other non-MSFT, non-PALM devices. For me they each serve a unique purpose... there are places I would never tote my Pocket PC, and just as many places where my Palm is miserably equipped. Sigh... Pocket PC propoganda is sometimes just as tiring as Palm simplicity propoganda.
Since I doubt any of us have even touched the new Sony, it seems a little to pass judgment, no?
/rant
Pricewise, it looks like it will be in the PPC price range... between 350 for no built-in camera, to about 450ish on the high end -- if you take the Yen prices and assume that Sony is not going to pad the price for the US market.
I for one am very excited about the new Sony, even though I probably won't get one unless it has a good wireless solution.
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03-11-2002, 11:40 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 217
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Sony wants the PDA market
Innovation like this is fantastic for lovers of both Palms and Pocket PCs. It will force other OEMs of both platforms to continue to come up with new and daring designs.
They are using the most powerful Dragonball processor made to date with the 66MHz CPU. I'm sure if they had their way they would have had an XScale processor inside. Only thing holding back Sony now is the PalmOS 4.x. You can bet that once PalmOS 5 is released supporting ARM processors that Sony will without a doubt have an XScale Palm on the market soon afterwards finally with the horsepower that Sony has wanted for multimedia etc since day one.
I myself will never purchase a Clie, now or in the future, as long as they are using proprietary technologies such as Memory Stick. That said, I truly admire what Sony is doing with their PDAs after a slow start. Better PalmOS devices will mean better Pocket PCs for consumers to choose from. A win win, I'd say. 
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03-11-2002, 11:43 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 6
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Sony wants the PDA market
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Originally Posted by mar2k
Innovation like this is fantastic for lovers of both Palms and Pocket PCs. It will force other OEMs of both platforms to continue to come up with new and daring designs... Better PalmOS devices will mean better Pocket PCs for consumers to choose from. A win win, I'd say. |
Thank you! Couldn't have said it better.
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03-11-2002, 11:58 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 134
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I just wish that Pocket PCs had that resolution! That is 6 times the resolution of most Palms!
If we ever get PPCs with 640 x 480 resolution with 400+MHz XScale, I will be the happiest person in the world!
I hope you are right about the forcing other OEMs to innovate. If not, then Sony takes most of the high-end market and the PPCs lose. That's not going to happen, though. I just pray that we get VGA resolution before that thing comes out! I am really starting to get paranoid, here. When will XScale be released? When will a higher resolution display for PPC be released? I have had the best class of multimedia PDA since 1999, and if this thing comes out with a 400MHz processor and more RAM, I am scared that I would need to buy a Palm in order to stay on top! Then, the only thing holding the Pocket PC up on the multimedia stage would be the software. I would never, ever buy Palm, though.
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03-12-2002, 12:00 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 134
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I don't have to "like all PDAs for their best qualities". I can be prejudiced against Palm if I want, and so can Jason, even though he is not doing that right now.
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03-12-2002, 12:01 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 134
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Another thing, this thing is definitely at least as big as an iPAQ.
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03-12-2002, 12:03 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 6
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Robotbeat
I just wish that Pocket PCs had that resolution! That is 6 times the resolution of most Palms!
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I think what's even more significant here is the pixel density... Sony is packing a ton of pixels into a very small space. We are slowly but surely approaching printed page quality. Imagine ClearType on a screen like that!
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Linear Mode
