New Clies Released in Hong Kong

The new Clies just announced this week in Japan have now also been announced in Hong Kong. The Sony Style HK site has full details and information about the TH55, TJ37 and TJ27 Clie handhelds in English.

Sony Clie TH55 Japanese ~ Click for larger

The website has a feature overview of the new Clie Organizer software, full specs of the devices, movies and other marketing material in English. There are also a number of photos and examples of applications for the new models.

The TH55 runs Palm OS 5.2.1 and has a high res+ 320x480 pixel, TFT 65k color screen. The model features built in Wi-Fi (802.11b) as well as an, 300k pixel VGA digital camera on the back, IR port, stereo headphone output jack and a Memory Stick PRO slot. It comes with 32MB of RAM, of which the full 32MB is user available.

The TJ37 has a 320x320 pixel, 65K TFT color screen and a built in 300k pixel VGA camera on the back. For number crunching is has a 200 MHz Motorola i.MXL dragonball ARM processor. For memory the model has 32MB of RAM (of which 23MB user accessible). It also has a IR port, stereo headphone out jack and a Memory Stick slot.

Sony Clie TJ37

The TH55 is selling for $3,580 HKD, or roughly $460 USD. The TJ37 sells for $2580 HKD, or roughly $330 USD. It is expected to be available in Hong Kong around Feb 17th. There is no official word when they will be released in North America.

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Amazing THing

mikecane @ 2/5/2004 6:17:30 PM #
Having gone through all of that Hong Kong material, I really really really want to get my hands on that baby now more than ever.

Could this be the Close to Ultimate CLIE?

Yes.

RE: Amazing Thing
erikssonal @ 2/5/2004 6:28:06 PM #
Almost there.

No Bluetooth, the RAM should be at least 64K and it should all be wrapped up in a phone.

I'm still hoping for only one device.

I think Palm is listening. Let's see.

RE: Amazing THing
mikecane @ 2/5/2004 6:47:44 PM #
Sez you!

I don't need BT.

I've been getting by with just 8MB on an S320, so 32MB is roomy to me.

And if you want a phone grafted to your PDA, get a Treo.

And if you have a phone, why would you even want WiFi?

RE: Amazing THing
Hal2000 @ 2/5/2004 7:26:30 PM #
Glad to see this site stop worshipping pa1mone handhelds exclusively. Say what you will, but my last sony was just so solid, dependable, and efficient.

Zodiac2/T616
1.128 gigs under the hood.
RE: Amazing THing
Timothy Rapson @ 2/5/2004 8:09:14 PM #
Three things keep me from buying a TH55

1.The PalmOne T3 is the same price, faster, more memory and more developer support.

2.The TE2 will be here next month with 90% of what I want the TH55 to do and it will sell for half as much.

3.The Zire 71+ will probably match the TH feature for feature for $100 less.

And each of these will work just fine with the new Minolta camera I got today.

RE: Amazing THing
mikecane @ 2/5/2004 11:56:18 PM #
>>>Three things keep me from buying a TH55

You fiend! Popping my lust bubble!

BUT!

Do any of them have a transparent flip lid?

Can any of them do over five hours of WiFi?*

Can any of them do over 24 hours of MP3?*

(*Well, that's what Sony says. Don't blame me if it's wrong or just hype...)

Will any of them have a JogDial (OK, dammit, even a Roller!)?

RE: Amazing THing
a3 @ 2/6/2004 8:25:53 AM #
Don't you dare forget the beautiful black finish. It is very nice!

____________________________________________
Former Tapwave's Helix fan, now a T|T3 fan.
RE: Amazing THing
a3 @ 2/6/2004 9:05:53 AM #
Just one more thing, the memory stick will be hidden under the plastic door in the side? I hope so, though suspiciously I have not seen any pic to prove this...

____________________________________________
Former Tapwave's Helix fan, now a T|T3 fan.
RE: Amazing THing
a3 @ 2/6/2004 9:11:46 AM #
forget my previous question, I found the answer through Cliesource...

____________________________________________
Former Tapwave's Helix fan, now a T|T3 fan.
RE: Amazing THing
Wollombi @ 2/6/2004 5:01:44 PM #
>>"Will any of them have a JogDial (OK, dammit, even a Roller!)?"<<

I've found the D-Pad on my T3 (and the T1/T2 before it), while not completely replacing the Jog Dial, go a long way towards it. I haven't miss the jog as much as I thought I would.

_________________
Sean

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

Hong Kong Fooey!!!!!

snugglefart @ 2/5/2004 7:07:44 PM #
Damn, was just there Monday, coulda bought me one

Close, but no cigar...

sgingras @ 2/5/2004 7:18:09 PM #
...the pic above notwithstanding, it does not appear to go landscape.



RE: Close, but no cigar...
JKingGrim @ 2/6/2004 7:08:39 PM #
No it does not. It uses that same status bar from those NXs, and no landscape.

Landscape
Marshall Flinkman @ 2/7/2004 11:30:04 PM #
Isn't there a 3rd party app to do that by this point? Between the NX/NZ lines, the UXes and now these, I should think someone would have put that out for Sony and maybe for others...

For that matter, a 3rd party app to customize toolbars (add functions, hide any that aren't used, etc.) would be fantastic... I'd love to have a mini-battery icon on the toolbar of my T3 and not have to tap the time to see it, and have it not change color in some apps...

RE: Close, but no cigar...
mikecane @ 2/8/2004 12:47:27 AM #
There is no app that will enable global landscape. Some apps can do it individually, such as ebook readers. I don't know if the Netfront browser in the TH55 can do it. I hope so.

New Datebook

Moose Man @ 2/5/2004 7:43:11 PM #
This new datebook clie organizer software has my interest peaked.....and I'm getting tired of opening and closing my T3 to see the whole screen which is what I want most of the time anyway.

A Palm wannabe fanatic
RE: New Datebook
IndyDave @ 2/5/2004 9:25:39 PM #
Don't know about the datebook, but I say try before you buy. This would actually be a step DOWN.

RE: New Datebook
a3 @ 2/6/2004 9:04:27 AM #
I tend to agree with you, this datebook may be a step back... anyway, my main use is TO DO so I'll have to wait for that.

____________________________________________
Former Tapwave's Helix fan, now a T|T3 fan.
RE: New Datebook
Altema @ 2/6/2004 12:26:58 PM #
"I'm getting tired of opening and closing my T3 to see the whole screen"

You don't HAVE to close it everytime, but on the same token, you can usually see all you need while in the compact mode. The "T" is for transformable... it can be big or small depending on your tastes.

It does sound like the TH55 would be more in line with your preferences though.

RE: New Datebook
JKingGrim @ 2/6/2004 7:10:57 PM #
Or say, the Te2? Even if the Te2 is OS5, it is still waaaay better than the TH55 (unless wifi is your preference) because it actually supports landscape and has a dpad. The jog dial is no substitue.

RE: New Datebook
mikecane @ 2/7/2004 11:31:03 AM #
Eh, I don't like the looks of the TE. Otherwise, it and its sequel are/will be good machines.

RE: New Datebook
Wollombi @ 2/8/2004 10:46:35 AM #
Hey Mike, just a thought here. I've had a couple of PDA's that provided the functionality I wanted but I didn't like it's appearance. The HE330 was one of them (although it's appearance did grow on me over time). IMHO, a good solution/compromise is to buy a nice case. I like flip-up lids, so I generally get one from E&B or Vaja, depending on how much money I have at a given time. Both cases have turned out to be elegant solutions.

I know you're in love with this Sonly, though. I was just offering a suggestion if you just happen to not like it once you get your hands on it. =)

Hmm...that reminds me, I wonder how the case makers will adapt to this thing, given the funky position of the front buttons and back jog dial?

_________________
Sean

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

Like an evolved Z-71

Tuckermaclain @ 2/5/2004 8:02:04 PM #
Looks sweet. When I broke the screen on my Z-71 I replaced it with a T3. Love the ripping-fast CPU, but not the slider or the battery life. This looks like a good compromise, even though it has the dubious distinction of using the slowest OS5 CPU to date. I just bought an m500 for a backup and realized how very painful it is to go back to a slower unit. Still, I would have bought this if it were available. Kudos to Sony for such a well-balanced product.

european version rocks - us version sucks

awdr @ 2/5/2004 9:07:53 PM #
The european version (WLAN + Bluetooth) will be the version everyone will go for and in no time there will be grey market imports.

I don´t understand Sony why they excluded BT from the US version. Adding a BT chip costs nothing and they had to do the R&D for the european version anyway. The target group for this PDA are people who for sure have or will buy Mobile Phones with BT. The target group is the same for the US and Europe.

I think Sony hit a homerun with the Clie TH55 and it´s new PIMs. The only things I would like to change are:
- SD cards instead of the memory stick
- exchangeable batteries

Anyway It will be a huge success!!


RE: european version rocks - us version sucks
davidtcollett @ 2/5/2004 9:32:00 PM #
Does anyone know if the USTJ37 will have wifi? I heard a rumor about that, and if so, it would make a sweet device

RE: european version rocks - us version sucks
a3 @ 2/6/2004 9:00:32 AM #
and exactly where did you find the info about the european version?

____________________________________________
Former Tapwave's Helix fan, now a T|T3 fan.
RE: european version rocks - us version sucks
rtrt @ 2/6/2004 12:00:42 PM #
the HK version have wifi..... dunno about the US version....

RE: european version rocks - us version sucks
a_nonamiss @ 2/6/2004 5:03:50 PM #
The largest two mobile carriers in the US (Verizon and Sprint) still do not support BlueTooth. I am not really sure what the holdup is. My sales VZON rep keeps hinting of rumors of a BT GSM phone, but it's been over a year since he's been telling me that, and I don't know what VZON is currently doing to improve their GSM network support. I know they are building one, but word is, it's only available in large metro areas. I keep hearing that no CDMA phones support BT, but I tend to think that the two largest carriers in the US could exert at least a little pressure on the manufacturers to change that. That is, unless there's some technical reason CDMA phones don't support BT. (Maybe a conflict in frequencies or something?)

Arthur

Palm Pilot 1000 > Palm Pilot Professional > Palm III > Palm M100 > Sony Clié PEG-T415 > Palm T|T3

RE: european version rocks - us version sucks
phoneboy @ 2/6/2004 7:56:45 PM #
Verizon isn't building GSM. They are evloving from CDMA, through IXRT, through EVDO, eventually to UMTS. (Slow data, faster, faster, even faster!)

I agree though, why can't any CDMA carriers implement Bluetooth?

RE: european version rocks - us version sucks
Alric @ 2/6/2004 10:38:45 PM #
There is a CDMA bluetooth phone. Its the Sony-Ericsson T608. Its supported by Sprint.

RE: european version rocks - us version sucks
talos4 @ 2/7/2004 5:32:24 PM #
Still lugging around my Motorola 270c, which verizon sold before they realized it had bluetooth.

Stays in my laptop bag as a "mobile WAN access point".

R

Battery Life is GOOD

bmari20007 @ 2/5/2004 9:27:39 PM #
Is very very good. If you go to the specs page for the hong kong site the battery times are pretty formidable: 5.5 hours WLAN, 9 days at 30min/day, 17 hours WLAN at Minimum brightness, 6 hours recording, 4 hours MPEG movie playback, 24 hours with display off for music, and 7 hours with maximum brightness for music.

I think those who were complaining about its processor need to stop a this point and weigh playing really processor intensive games for 2 hours vs having a reliable, top of the line 320 x 480 screen palm pilot with very respectable speed and battery life for all the less intense card/board/thought games they'd want to play and still be able to get work done with it before recharging for the night.

RE: Battery Life is GOOD
Konstantin @ 2/5/2004 10:21:20 PM #
Well pretty much of those figures owe to the CLIEs handheld engine wich goes from 8MHz to whateverMHz.

Inteligent power usage.



RE: Battery Life is GOOD
mikecane @ 2/6/2004 12:00:35 AM #
>>>weigh playing really processor intensive games for 2 hours vs having a reliable, top of the line 320 x 480 screen palm pilot with very respectable speed and battery life

That's the cause of most of the complaints: It'll suck for games.

But I don't plan to play CPU-taxing games, so it's a damned good machine for me.

I just hope that when it comes to running real WP (Textmaker, WordSmith, or QuickWord), I won't regret these words...

RE: Battery Life is GOOD
rened @ 2/6/2004 8:50:06 AM #
>I just hope that when it comes to running real WP
>(Textmaker, WordSmith, or QuickWord), I won't regret >these words.

Do these work smoothly on a UX? Has anyone tried large Word/Excel-files on a UX?

RE: Battery Life is GOOD
Altema @ 2/6/2004 1:47:51 PM #
Impressive battery life, anyone know what size battery is in the TH55?

RE: Battery Life is GOOD
madmaxmedia @ 2/6/2004 6:04:21 PM #
Go check out Cliesource.com. Most UX owners report significantly slower performance on office-type apps, so the TH55 will likely be slower too.


RE: Battery Life is GOOD
phoneboy @ 2/6/2004 8:01:02 PM #
I run native office apps on my UX-50 using DTG6. It does pretty well. Simple Word docs and Excel spreadsheets open right up. Larger sheets take a moment, but nothing inconvenient. Sure, the T3 I had for a while was faster, but not by as much as you'd think. (Converted docs still run faster.)

I love the handheld engine. It's the same philosophy as a Pentium M chip, or a turbo charger on a car: power only when you need it. I love that I can play MP3's on my UX-50 for hours and hours, where I couldn't on the T3.

RE: Battery Life is GOOD
bmari20007 @ 2/6/2004 8:10:21 PM #
I'm just curious, does slower mean as slow as a Palm OS 4.x 33mhz/66mhz device?

Cuz a large market of T615/T665 owners will probably be eyeing this having held out from the awful developments in Clie history sense then until now (tiny thumboards, monstrous sizes, mediocre battery life, medicore to awful pricing, small screens on biz oriented PDAs)

This would be me for one...

RE: Battery Life is GOOD
HoPpeR @ 2/7/2004 6:05:35 AM #
There is a third party program that was put out to fix the problem with the T3 getting hung up after media clips, but they also added a setup where you could set the bus speed and processor speed for each application. I found that by dropping the processor speed down on all the applications that didn't need it, I could easily triple the battery life from my T3. The software was free and it still worked fine after Palm put out the bug fix. I would say that this program should be a must have for T3 owners. I think the name of the program is T3 Optimizer.

Bluetooth really sucked the battery life out of the T3 and it is easier on batteries than WiFi. I really need WiFi for some software I am developing for sale and if a user can only get 1 hr of use out of WiFi or Bluetooth, it is pretty worthless to me. I think that the Sony TH55 looks like exactly what I have been looking for. I do wish it had bluetooth built in. I suspect that this is a marketing ploy. Release a later version in the US with Bluetooth and get all the suckers that have the TH55 to buy the new one. Bluetooth is also much more common in Europe where GSM is the norm. I suspect that Sony's marketing people decided that leaving Bluetooth out of the Euro version would inhibit sales. Unfortunately, this is how the decisions are made on these type of things in the bored rooms of corporations.

This is my first post here so I would like to also just say hello to everyone. I hope that this forum will help educate me and that I can give something back. I am pretty new to the PDA scene. I got my first on about a year and a half ago. Since then I have been working on how to produce and supply custom programs to industry for use on factory floors. I own a business that works with instrumentation and controls and I see this is a natural evolution for my company.I want to put real time info into manufacturing production managers pockets. I can think ofmany possible applications. On that note, I would welcome feedback and suggestions if anyone wants. Hopefully that statement did not violate the TOS for this message board. This was not meant to be spam and I hope no one sees it as such.

Thanks

HoPpeR (PaulM@wiredog.com)

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