Comments on: Sony Clie SJ33 Announced in HK and Japan

Sony Clie PEG SJ33Sony has officially announced the rumored SJ-33 model in Japan and Hong Kong. SonyStyle's U.S. site does not yet say anything about this new model. The information given on SonyStyle HK confirms most of what was rumored before. New features include, a integrated translucent flip cover, new button designs and an mp3 player.
Return to Story - Permalink

Article Comments

 (63 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Comments Closed Comments Closed
This article is no longer accepting new comments.

Down

Nice looking machine....

Clemau @ 1/27/2003 10:59:18 AM #
... but shame abouty the weight. Guess it must have a whopping battery.
RE: Nice looking machine....
Altema @ 1/28/2003 2:26:36 PM #
Which is a good thing... I passed on the T615 for that reason. If this device had been around I probably would have bought Sony.

Sony's stab at Pocket PC

Foo Fighter @ 1/27/2003 11:03:27 AM #
Looks like Sony is responding to low-cost PPCs by adding more advanced features (multimedia) to midrange hardware, which is a wise move. Sony knows that digital audio is no longer a "high-end" feature...it belongs in midrange devices now as well. At $299 this device should compete quite well with similarly equipped PDAs on the market.

Now my only question is; do I go with the graphite or Sapphire blue? ;-)

"it's better to be a pirate than join the navy." - Steve Jobs

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
EdH @ 1/27/2003 11:12:10 AM #
I still think this is too much. For $299, you get an iPAQ h1910 that is smaller and lighter, has 48MB of usable RAM and a replacable battery.

This would be great at $200-250 or so, but $320? I wonder if this has the new Memstick Pro.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
Foo Fighter @ 1/27/2003 11:18:09 AM #
Yeah, I would have preferred a price-point of $250, but at least this is a foot in the door. Right now it is imperative that more advanced features, like digital media, begin to migrate down to lower end devices. The current product line is a farking joke. SJ35 is just a stop-gap, but it's a start.

"it's better to be a pirate than join the navy." - Steve Jobs
RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
Admin @ 1/27/2003 11:32:29 AM #
dont forget how fast the price drops some on these models...

and 16mb of palm memory is almost like having 48mb of PPC memory

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
Altema @ 1/27/2003 12:11:37 PM #
We also need to remember that a 66Mhz DragonBall is pretty fast, but the h1910 is near the bottom of the barrel, speed-wise.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
painted_dog @ 1/27/2003 12:51:49 PM #
I agree its a great device, but PPC is finally making serious inroads to the Palm domain, it used to be that Palms were very affordable, but now for $200 you can walk away w/ a nice Dell Axim X5 @ 300mhz. [this is of course not counting all the PPC OS issues] it really hit me when my friend was looking for a PDA for his girlfriend for christmas. he set his limit @ $200. & the Dell offered the biggest bang for the buck, color screen [16bit infact, not the 12bit m130 stuff], the ability to play MP3's, there really wasn't anything comparable in the palm version. I'm disappointed that Palm device are now the higher price tag item, i can see them becoming like macs [eventually, though that isn't the case right now] [also before everyone brands me as a PPC yahoo, be it known that i have an M125 & a Clie T615 & love them both & look to stay w/ Palm OS devices, but for the new comers, PPC makes a compelling lower to midrange arument] Just somethings to think about !

:: dk ::

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
Altema @ 1/27/2003 1:45:19 PM #
I have to agree with your point. Even though the Dell is the equivalent of a PPC Zire, I think I would buy the Dell if I had to pick between that and the Zire.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
treo007 @ 1/27/2003 3:21:31 PM #
>>I still think this is too much. For $299, you get an iPAQ h1910 that is smaller and lighter, has 48MB of usable RAM and a replacable battery.

This would be great at $200-250 or so, but $320?

Yes, but that's for a PPC device. It has an OS that few use and even fewer like. If someone is upgrading to this unit, chances are they're coming from a Palm OS unit already. They'll pay a $50 premium for that.

If they haven't used a PDA before and they play with this and the HP unit in the store, I'll bet I know which one 8 out 10 people are going to go the checkout counter with.


RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
gfunkmagic @ 1/27/2003 5:01:05 PM #
I think this device represents a wise move by Sony to shore up its mid-range lineup. Right now their current lineup is the NZ90 at $800, NX series for $600, T665 for $300, SJ33 (replaces SJ30) $300, SJ20 for $180, and SJ10 for $130. The one device that doesn't fit is obviously the T655 in this lineup. I think we might see an OS 5 T series for around $400 before too long. However, wish all these price pionts were at least $50 bucks cheaper to be more compettive...

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
xolstis @ 1/27/2003 6:08:14 PM #
Yes sony does seem to have a tendency to make their stuff rather pricey. And with DELL now in the Arena on the PPC side, the price wars don't look too good for the palm side of things.

Sony has just upgraded the S series so the T665 will probably be phased out sometime soon considering the rate at which Sony pumps out new devices(Go Sony). Hopefully the next T model will use OS5?

xolstis

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
Fzara2000 @ 1/27/2003 8:53:49 PM #
You should definitely understand that the price wars in the PPC camp arent hurting the Palm OS sales as much as they are hurting the PPC sales of other manufacturers.

"Now thats just PRIME!"
RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
pete999 @ 1/27/2003 9:29:38 PM #
Palm is now going the same road as MAC, while PPC is following the road as IBM Compatible PC. High price? Who care? Maybe right as this time, but surely not for the future.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
hotpaw4 @ 1/28/2003 3:34:17 AM #
someone wrote:
>Palm is now going the same road as MAC, while PPC is
>following the road as IBM Compatible PC.

Actually it's the exact opposite. Palm is following the road of the IBM PC (first to market, leader in market share, cheaper low end hardware such as the Zire, lots of applications), while the PPC family is late to the market, trying to catch up from behind, strong only in specialty niches, and with a higher average purchase price.

The PC's had the 640k barrier to overcome, while Macs could use a Meg. Now Palm has the 16M barrier to overcome, while PPC's have up to 64 MB.

etc.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
carioca76 @ 1/28/2003 10:55:04 AM #
Is there really a 16 mb limit?
It seems that way when you see sony not exceed 16 even with these crazy amazing devices but ... how then is the garmin ique 3600 comes with 32 mb?
I am wanting this garmin device more & more. I'll never use the gps but i want the 32 mb & 320 X 480 screen so bad it seems worth it.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
pete999 @ 1/28/2003 11:16:26 AM #
16 MB is of coz enough for OS4, but if you are using OS5, think twice.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
Altema @ 1/28/2003 2:14:23 PM #
"Now Palm has the 16M barrier to overcome,"

The 16Mb barrier no longer exists for Palm OS... they are just following their typical pattern of releasing a device, then releasing an upgraded version with more RAM.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
quengho @ 1/28/2003 3:24:16 PM #
1. Sony doesn't need to "stab at" the Pocket PC. Sony's handheld market share is on a par with *all* the Pocket PC market share in the US (and has been frequently higher... I thought it was still higher until Foo up there corrected me) and it's rapidly heading towards parity in the rest of the world. The h1910 is a stab at Sony from the Pocket PC world.

2. The available address space in a Dragonball VZ or Super-VZ is 128M, of which a maximum of 16M can be in any one "bank". The VZ also provides refresh for a maximum of 16M DRAM. You can go over 16M with multiple banks by making all but one of the banks static, flash, or smart DRAM with its own controller. For example, a Visor Pro can go up to 32M directly addressed memory with 16M RAM and 16M flash.

What I think Sony should do to finagle the 16M 68000 bank problem on their high-end units is give them separate banks for the heap and the store, that way they could have (say) 8M split between heap and their special apps (the ones that eat up 5M on the NX models) plus a whole 16M of store all for the user.

RE: Sony's stab at Pocket PC
xolstis @ 1/28/2003 4:22:41 PM #
Fzara2000 wrote:
You should definitely understand that the price wars in the PPC camp arent hurting the Palm OS sales as much as they are hurting the PPC sales of other manufacturers.

You;re probably right there, the AXIM probably has got the ppl up at HP more worried than those at palm and sony. But still, one must admit new users coming to the world of PDAs will be very tempted to compare the ARM processors and 64MB of RAM which are the standard of most PPCs as compared to those of palm. Of course WE ALL KNOW that 64MB and a 200MHz ARM is very much comparable to a 66MHz Dragonball with 16MBs or RAM on a palm, but new users? True there are now ARM processors on palms but its so far limited to just 2 models if I'm not wrong.

Think the zire was a good move by palm for my part. Of course I personally think its a joke having used other devices before, but its a good attempt to capture the hearts(and pockets) of new users....and chances are their next upgrade will be a higher end Palm and not a PPC = ).


xolstis

Yet another OS 4 device?

asiayeah @ 1/27/2003 11:24:42 AM #
I am still expecting an OS 5 device from Sony, which doesn't use the form factor of the NR/NX/NZ series.

--
With great power comes great responsiblity.
Ummm - isn't this just a repackaged Sony T665?
rsc1000 @ 1/27/2003 11:30:23 AM #
The specs are identical to the T665 - 66mhz,mp3,16mb ram, 320x320, OS 4.1, etc. The only thing different is the case. Am i missing something? I guess this is just Sonys attempt to reorganize their 'branding'. No more t series?

RE: Yet another OS 4 device?
frauen1 @ 1/27/2003 11:35:53 AM #
Probably due to power utilization - Sony's more "tolerant" of quick power draw, but at this form factor it's hard to fit in enough battery to run even a relatively slow ARM chip. It'll come, though...

RE: Yet another OS 4 device?
BiffK @ 1/27/2003 11:52:22 AM #
Actually this looks a little better than the t665.

The Headphone outlet is placed at the top of the device which is a minor annoyance with the t665 that I have being on the side.

The price point is $100 less than the original t665 price (I would imagine that getting this for $250 will be easy.)

I can't tell, but the up down rocker looks like a D-Pad in other pictures I've seen.

The battery life is VERY much improved and this is a big deal, that is the largest complaint I have about the t665 is that I must continually charge it.

-Biff K

RE: Yet another OS 4 device?
Foo Fighter @ 1/27/2003 12:01:02 PM #
Guys, the SJ33 is meant to replace the existing SJ30. Sony dropped the price on the T665 to $299...so obviously something else is coming. Just wait a bit.

"it's better to be a pirate than join the navy." - Steve Jobs
RE: Yet another OS 4 device? (Not A D-Pad)
nXt @ 1/27/2003 12:03:10 PM #
It's not a D-Pad form this picture:
http://www.sonystyle.com.hk/clie/sj33/popup/image/hd_front.jpg

the up and down scroll buttons are half circles and the middle is a power light.

nXt's Clie Club
Place To Be For Sony Clie Discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nxtclieclub

RE: Yet another OS 4 device?
M3wThr33 @ 1/27/2003 10:25:38 PM #
Yes... wait for another Sony device...

I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. We're in space.
RE: Yet another OS 4 device?
JKingGrim @ 1/28/2003 1:03:50 PM #
Too bad about the D-pad. Did Palm copywright it? How long will Palm get to keep it before it is rolled into the OS?

RE: Yet another OS 4 device?
quengho @ 1/28/2003 3:33:04 PM #
The SJ33 is branded as a replacement for the SJ30, but it's a functional replacement for the 655. The SJ22 will be a functional replacement for the SJ33, even if it's branded as a replacement for the SJ20. I suspect they'll be doing something in about 6 months to refresh the SL10 with a better screen, and maybe even come out with a Zire-level unit.

RE: Yet another OS 4 device?
xolstis @ 1/28/2003 4:30:06 PM #
Haha yeah asiayeah, maybe u can change your quote to:

"With great (processing)power comes great battery draw" ???? = )

xolstis

RE: Yet another OS 4 device?
epall @ 2/14/2003 1:05:05 PM #
Sony doesn't need to come out with a new Zire-level unit. The SL10 is $130, the Zire is $100. For $30, you get Hi-Res, Backlight (stupid palm), and an expansion slot. I'd say that's worth the $30.

is 172grams = 6.06oz?

dhchung @ 1/27/2003 11:32:16 AM #
5.5?

RE: is 172grams = 6.06oz?
Admin @ 1/27/2003 11:39:31 AM #
thanks, I fixed it. I won't be using that online converter again ;)
RE: is 172grams = 6.06oz?
Altema @ 1/27/2003 11:56:05 AM #
There is always Converter 2.1 by Matt Marsh for Palm OS... good app and free :)

RE: is 172grams = 6.06oz?
graph @ 1/27/2003 6:45:40 PM #
its heavier that t66c and all of the SJs



RE: is 172grams = 6.06oz?
tritan @ 1/27/2003 8:03:05 PM #
Its casing has been redesigned. It is now 4.2 by 2.9 by .9 inches including the integrated flip cover. It will come in three colors: Azure Blue, Lucent Black, and Flame Orange. It weighs 7.8 ounces.


this paste is from brighthand. Its heavier then you guys thought.

May the Palm os be with you

RE: is 172grams = 6.06oz?
Palm_Otaku @ 1/28/2003 2:15:29 AM #
tritan: "It weighs 7.8 ounces. this paste is from brighthand. Its heavier then you guys thought."

Uh, did you ever think that Brighthand may be incorrect? (7.8oz = 221g) I'd sure put more trust in the specs direct from Sony...

- Dan

RE: is 172grams = 6.06oz?
xolstis @ 1/28/2003 4:31:10 PM #
*sigh* thats cutting pretty heavy, using a visor prism which is just a tad over 200g I think, feels like a brick in my pocket..... = (

xolstis
More battery = weight? ;-)
Palm_Otaku @ 1/29/2003 3:42:29 AM #
The SJ33 is 6oz, compared to the SJ30 and T665C at 5oz. It has improved battery life over those two models, which will be a more than acceptable trade-off for a lot of folks.

- D

Memory Sticks?

kev @ 1/27/2003 11:48:41 AM #
So, what's the limit on the memory sticks? are we cursed with that half-assed 128M limit still or will it take the new, larger capacity, memory stick ?

MemoryStick Pro compatibility?

HandyMan @ 1/27/2003 1:01:29 PM #
Any word on MSPro compatibility? I currently have the T665 and love it. The SJ33 seems to be exactly the same specs expect the T665 but with approx. twice the battery life. If it supports MSPro too, then we definitely have a winner. I pefer the T-series form factor but the SJ/ALs aren't too bad.

RE: MemoryStick Pro compatibility?
gfunkmagic @ 1/27/2003 6:28:25 PM #
I dunno if this is true but on other forums the assestment is that the Dragonball Super VZ's limitations prevent the use of MSpro in the SJ33. Does anyone know if this is accurate?

RE: MemoryStick Pro compatibility?
Admin @ 1/27/2003 6:32:44 PM #
on the Hong Kong site, it lists it as "memory stick" compatible but does not say anything about memstick pro. I would wait for the US announcement for final confirmation
RE: MemoryStick Pro compatibility?
graph @ 1/27/2003 6:43:19 PM #
In the comparison it says its "magic gate" compatible.

i cant believe this thing is heavier than my t665
Approx. 140g (including stylus)

this thing is Approx. 172g (including stylus, hard cover)

RE: MemoryStick Pro compatibility?
mashoutposse @ 1/28/2003 9:54:06 AM #
It's heavier because it has a cover and bigger battery.

RE: MemoryStick Pro compatibility?
xolstis @ 1/28/2003 4:32:44 PM #
Erm think it doesn;t support MS Pro guys sad to say. And magicgate is not MS pro, I am not sure if anyone thought that but.... just clearing up the air = ).

xolstis
RE: MemoryStick Pro compatibility?
sazk84 @ 1/28/2003 10:04:09 PM #
I've heard the MemoryStick Pro is only available for the NX and NZ series only...not sure whether is it true or not...

RE: MemoryStick Pro compatibility?
kev @ 2/3/2003 4:48:50 AM #
from http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,109034,00.asp

.
.

"The SJ33 does not support Sony's recently introduced Memory Stick Pro memory card format."

D'OH!

RE: MemoryStick Pro compatibility?
saajjj @ 2/14/2003 5:27:53 AM #
hello,
I just got the sj33 about a week back and no it's not memstick pro compatible! which is a sad but then again i'm quite okay with 128MB

More user available RAM than the NZ90?

robrecht @ 1/27/2003 1:25:48 PM #
Interesting if this is verified for US market

Thanks, Robrecht
RE: More user available RAM than the NZ90?
Admin @ 1/27/2003 1:33:25 PM #
Yes, this is true. The NZ90 only has 11mb available to the user.

IR and Speaker

mohammedkarim @ 1/27/2003 1:35:51 PM #
What about the enhanced IR that has basically become standard and a better speaker?

Even Worse Buttons

I.M Anonymous @ 1/27/2003 3:19:19 PM #
Those recessed buttons look like they will be a REAL pain to press. I'm quite impressed -- I never thought Sony could do worse than the T series.

cover

carioca76 @ 1/27/2003 4:04:28 PM #
This reminds me of my see thru palm IIIxe. It was green & a really nice machine but that cover ... always in the way. sticks out from the machine so you now have a device that feels like it is 4 inches longer instead of fitting nicely in your palm. I love the way the t series & many others have a cover that flips behind or can be completely removed. Hopefully this is just for the sj series & the they leave the t series alone. I may have to leave sony all together if they don't come up with something that compares to the garmin gps pda. forget the gps I want the 32 mb & 320 X 480 screen. but I love my clie ... guess I'll wait & see.

RE: cover
hkklife @ 1/27/2003 4:11:44 PM #
For the record, the clear Palm (only factory produced model ever in a clear casing, AFAIK) was called the IIIse and was just a standard IIIe (2mb ram, not the 8mb the xe had) in the clear casing. Palm also had some fruity day-glo colored flip covers and styli for it, if I recall. I never actually saw one in the store, though. It was funny, because Palm's PR shots of the unit at the time made it look like it had a slight orange tint to the screen. I know more than one person thought it was an amber monochrome screen of some kind.

I had a standard IIIe and I always disliked the flip cover for it. The flip cover with the little window was the one feature the m100 had that I wish my IIIe had featured. I've really gotten to pushing the center d-button on my T|T to check the time, by the way.

RE: cover
tritan @ 1/27/2003 7:50:41 PM #
I had a IIIxe and love the flip cover. It did what you needed it to do and that was basic protection .It had the star trac feel and was easy to quickly flip open to check an appointment or todo. I have a TT and like the unit but hate the clear flip cover that brakes off and isn't connected. I have an I90c nextel and love the flip cover. Protects the buttons and keeps it safe. I wish Palm had a built in flip cover. I think this unit will fit great in a purse for front pants perfectly.

May the Palm os be with you
RE: cover
quengho @ 1/28/2003 3:40:49 PM #
I have a Jornada 568 and while the hard snapon cover on my visor is nice I've sworn I'll never again get a handheld that doesn't have a hard flipcover. The SJ33 is the first Clie I've really considered. If inly they didn't keep pushing that stupid Mammary Stick.

You seen their latest solution to the 128M MS limit? A memory stick with a little toggle to switch it between banks, like a Nintendo cartridge. Eugch.

RE: cover
Peregrin @ 1/30/2003 9:55:58 AM #
I wonder if the sj33 is really any thicker than the sj30? do the dimensions of the sj30 take into account the thickness of the flip cover? I assume that the sj33's dimensions do take the hard case flip cover into account and that would mean that the sj33 would not make any more of a bulge in our pockets. Weight is another matterhowever...

vibrate alarm?

gjs @ 1/27/2003 5:18:15 PM #
Anyone know if the SJ33 will have a vibrate alarm like the T665C?

Greg

RE: vibrate alarm?
Gazpacho @ 2/16/2003 6:37:32 PM #
Yes, it has a vibrating alarm.

Sony, Sony, Sony...

ipZent @ 1/28/2003 3:14:55 AM #
Well..
what can i say.

Personally, I lived most of my life with Sony electronics. Starting from headphones and ending with a nice set of home theatre speakers. Never came around pdas from sony tho, except at our PalmUserGroup meeting once.
Everyone knows, Sony is playing a very dangerous game with its customers and the market. Apparantly its doing ok. But sometimes, Sony has to back up a bit for a while, like they are doing with this handy multimedia device, by reducing prices as soon as they sence customers slowing down with their shopping at Sony stores all over...

However, all the Sony's creations are well designed
and well "cooked". So, this "HMD" could me my next toy.
:-)

Some more pictures...

eywleung @ 1/28/2003 8:08:39 PM #
http://the-sun.com.hk/channels/computer/20030129/20030129003244

RE: Some more pictures...
eywleung @ 1/28/2003 8:12:51 PM #
According to the site listed above, SJ33 will offically release and in stock on Feb 7th. Also there will be a "BLUE" version at the end of Feburary. By the way, there is a orange version in Japan.

Eric

Top

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: