We've got another one, folks: Sony's doing a tablet. The Dash Internet Viewer is a touchscreen WiFi device which can be propped up like a digital photo frame or
toted around the home like... a tablet. Still, a
Chumby comparison might be more appropriate: the 7-inch device can run Chumby apps (there are over 1,000 free ones out there already), to which Sony will be adding its own Sony Music and Sony Pictures properties for movie trailers, music videos and so forth. The $199 unit can be stood on end or tilted quasi-flat for a variety of hands-free viewing angles, and works as an alarm clock, waking users up to the sweet sounds and visuals of internet videos. The Dash ships in April.
Update: We just confirmed that this device runs Chumby OS and is
not portable (as in, there's no built-in battery). Rest assured, this is no slate / tablet rival -- in fact, it's more like a sophisticated alarm clock.
posted January 6th 2010 7:49PM
@dedparrot and I appreciate people with a sense of humor. Cheers!
@mehmet now it makes sense - this is a Chumby content licensed Sony photo frame...
@mehmet The more I see, the less impressed I am. I was much more excited 40 minutes ago.
@d0mth0ma5 same here - this is getting very boring and pity to see such named vendors as lost hype followers...
@d0mth0ma5
What if you compare with their Vaio CP-1 ? It's way more value / functionality with lower price. Where you can find a "feature filled photo frame" @ 199 USD ?
how the f*ck do you call that a tablet? that's at least 10cm thick at the base.
@dedparrot it is not a tablet, description has been corrected - it is Sony's photo frame (pardon me; correct jargon would be connected display) running Chumby's content...
Once again, what is the point of a Chumby? I have a Roku box which does everything interesting a Chumby can do. I have a Lenovo S-10, and an old Westclox windup alarm clock. What does a Cjumby do that the Lenovo and Westclox don't do?
@Dr Yusuf AlKindi I was wondering the same thing. What does this thing do that iPhone, Android, or whatever couldn't do while docked? I mean, yeah, it has a bigger screen, but does that really justify an entirely new device? How many devices do we need just to access weather and Facebook?
Tell you what I would do with this is buy it for my mom. She's not much of a computer user, though she does have one. I could easily update things for her, pandora, facebook, weather, local news, I could from across the country fiddle with it. Whenever I add photos from trips she would have it available, instantaneously. I see it as a non-tech savy, managed interface.
Not portable = instant fail
@DariaMorgendorffer I completely agree! $199 for an alarm clock that's not portable? Why would anyone think this was good?
@DariaMorgendorffer whoa daria! you're my hero... heroine?
MTV should've kept you for 10 years
Damn my dyslexia to hell. I swear it said "Darth Vader touchscreen tablet" On topic, it looks too fancy to be a photo frame, yet too lame to be a tablet.
not portable = stupid waste of time.
some of the attempts to head off Apple's rumored tablet are just lame.
Sony has reserved an early place in "Worst Product" Awards of 2010
Dude, it has a Snooze button on top and a speaker on the bottom, it's at least 145 inches deep... did you REALLY think it was a tablet? It looks like an alarm clock clear as day. Engadget bonked this write-up big time.
That's a much better one compare with my Vaio CP-1 photo frame (when I bought mine it was 299 USD w/o touch screen, everything but only WiFi Picasa access ....)
Aww. Now engadget reminded me that I want a Chumby.
If the "internet radio" is a fully accessible, unfettered one, that allows access to all 11,000 stations, like any true dedicated wifi internet radio, and not limited to, say, "just Pandora", or "just LastFM", etc... then this is an awesome product at a great price.
If, on the other hand, it's limited to "Chumby's selections", then it's a fail, except as a fancy alarm clock "+".
Chumby cannot play many of the common internet radio streams that are in current use. Will this be any different?
Internet radio is what makes a clock radio and AWESOME clock radio.
This looks a lot like a Philips digital frame clock radio I have.
Come on Sony get in the game!, add a rechargable battery and charge about $100 more and make it a tablet. The Ipad wont be able to stream netflix thats for sure.