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Entelligence: Aiming high or another Mylo?
Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. We heard a rumor last week that Sony was working on new handhelds to compete with devices like the iPad. It sounds like a great idea: a PSP with integrated telephony and e-book functionality could perhaps give everyone in the market a run for their money. But I'm a little skeptical -- Sony's Clié line once defined state-of-the-art PDA, but the company ceded the market to Palm long before the PDA was eventually reborn as the smartphone. If Sony's seriously thinking about getting back to the handheld space, here's some lessons it might learn from its efforts back in the PDA day. 1. Innovation is great but only when you really innovate. Sony led the market in innovation when it entered the PDA space. It offered the first Palm OS devices with removable storage, the first devices that could play back audio and video, and the first high-resolution color devices. All of these clearly drove the market forward. Then the innovations became less innovative and more "gadgetry." There were 3D interfaces for the launcher that were confusing and awkward. Some devices had Bluetooth support but not others. Devices like the NZ-90 (pictured above) added so many features into the mix that it was big, bloated, and nearly useless.* In short, the innovations became less compelling and eventually stood in the way of. I'm worried that Sony's meshing the type of functionality rumored to be its new device without any thought how it all has to work together.
ASUS bringing 1008HA, UX50 and U80V laptops Stateside, we go hands-on
We've got the skinny on ASUS's latest North American foray, with the Eee PC 1008HA Seashell, UX50 and U80V "thin and light" all vying for your slice of the stimulus this summer. The quite familiar (by now) 1008HA will be retailing for $429, featuring 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, a new thin form factor and six hours of battery (thanks to the Super Hybrid Engine) to set it slightly apart from the netbook competition. The UX50 and U80V, on the traditional laptop angle, are a slightly odd couple, with the UX50 pairing a ULV Core 2 Solo processor with discrete GeForce G105M graphics, aiming for long battery life but in a standard 15.6-inch form factor, while the U80V does the "thin and light" thing with a high speed Core 2 Duo processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD4570 graphics and a 14-inch screen. Both laptops include 4GB of RAM and 802.11n WiFi, with the long-lasting UX50 going for $1,199, while the powerful but slim U80V retails for $899. To be honest, we weren't stunned by the U80V's thinness or weight in hand, but it's really pretty good considering what's under the hood. We didn't get to see the UX50 in person, but it better get some pretty epic runtimes to justify that price. Meanwhile the 1008HA is looking just peachy -- there's an odd adapter for the display output that conveniently stashes underneath the chassis, but overall this is just a straightforward and fairly excellent aesthetic refinement of the netbook. Our favorite part, however, has nothing to do with the shell: ASUS finally righted the wrong that was the Eee PC's funky shift key placement, and we couldn't be happier.
Sony Vaio UX180P shipping to US
Although the SonyStyle site still lists it under pre-order, the Vaio UX180P non-UMPC is apparently already en route to ecstatic US customers, as at least two of our readers have received shipping confirmations from Sony via email. The Core Solo-powered machines are scheduled to arrive on the sixth of next month, which jibes with Sony's promise of a July release, but we're still a bit surprised that they're getting them out this early -- as you know, we've been burned by Sony a few times before.[Thanks, Lee and Leland B]
SODIFF shows off new QWERTY WiBro handheld
If the recent flurry of UMPCs and other such devices hasn't quite hit the sweet spot for your mobile lifestyle, SODIFF has a new WiBro device in the works with a 4.3-inch screen and a slide-out keyboard that just might do the trick. We're a bit low on deets, but while we don't know what kind of OS this thing'll run (there's a Windows key on the keyboard, for what it's worth), it does boast Internet browsing, instant messaging and email. Media capabilities are also here in force, with the included video conferencing, PMP functions, FM radio, 2 megapixel camera and IPTV. We're spotting at least SD expansion, but we don't expect too much more than WiBro connectivity with the slimness of this device -- though we'd love to be proved wrong. SODIFF is hoping for a November release, for Korea of course.
Unboxing the Sony Vaio UX50
The unboxing ritual is an storied art form, passed from one generation of nerd to another. Some think the practice began among the ancient Ap'heelfanboi tribes, but today the practice of carefully documenting the mundane act of opening a box with a gadget inside has spread across all of geekdom. However, rarely have we seen the art taken to such heights as with Micro PC Talk's unboxing of the Sony Vaio UX50. Not only are there 187 pictures in total, but 25 of those are before the UX box is even breached. The soundtrack is also quite the touch, and we almost teared up when the chubby little device was brought from its polyethylene foam. Micro PC talk, you have done our ancestors proud.
Sony Vaio UX50 on pre-order
We know you're probably utterly sick of hearing about the UX50, but at this point Sony's probably not going to be able to milk many more stories out of us on the thing -- it's officially available for pre-order on their Sony Style store (or on Amazon -- or Dynamism if you want a Japanese version) for $1,800. Quite a bit of cash for a 1.2GHz, 512MB, 30GB Windows PC, but you know you're not buying this thing for its specs, you're buying it for its dashingly, erm, ok looks and head-turning portability. Not that you need to justify this thing to anyone (but your spouse), so enjoy.[Via I4U]
Sony's UX50 on the gray-market, ready to order
We know, we know, it didn't exactly pull the best reviews, still there's something undeniably sexy about Sony's UX Micro PC. If you can live with the lackluster battery life and a keyboard void of tactile feedback, well, wait no more friend for that wee XP fix. Dynamism now has the Japanese version of the 1.06GHz Core Solo UX50 available for import for $1899 -- a full six weeks or so ahead of the mid-July US launch. Sure you could wait it out and nab the domestic version with 1.2GHz Core Solo, US keyboard, and EDGE while saving a Benjamin or more in the process. But go ahead, scratch that itch, we understand the need to bleed on the edge.[Thanks, Scott J]
Sony Vaio UX previewed
Digital World Tokyo got an early hands-on look at the Sony Vaio UX50 micro PC when launched in Tokyo earlier this week. The obvious difference between this and those much maligned first gen UMPCs is the sliding keyboard. However, it's not exactly a tactile wonder as DWT reports. The reviewer found the keyboard "difficult to use" as the keys are almost flush with the case and don't move much when pressed. Still, he managed to enter text without any misspellings. The 4.5-inch screen was "sharp and bright" and its 1,024 x 600 resolution (UMPCs go 800 x 480 on a 7-inch display) made full screen web browsing possible if you don't mind uh, "squinting" a bit with those "handy" buttons along the right-side of the case giving a quick zoom when necessary. Although the reviewer notably only had a few minutes with the device, it's certainly a promising start for this micro device with massive features mirrored in its expected $1800 price tag. We'll reserve judgment, however until some proper full-reviews hit the sheets or we nab a UX for ouselves when they drop Stateside in July.
