Comments on: Rumor: Sony Preparing PEG-SJ20, PEG-SJ30

One thing I do wonder is how the battery life will be on the new color handheld. I sincerely hope its better than both the T665 and T615.

I for one would take a T615 over a plastic case SJ30 (if it really uses plastic).

If you have a model for every $N increment, the odds are that customer who intended to just pay X for a widget will "slide up" the price range to X + $N, or maybe even X + $N + $N since it is "just a bit more" than than their original X price point.

It's a slick way to tweak more margin out of every customer.

I had a friend who bought the first Sony with the high-res screen and MP3 player (whatever it was called -- I can't even remember now). When the NR70 rumors started (after that Sony guy showed one on screen). I e-mailed my friend the link. He wrote back and said he didn't open the link, because he "didn't even want to know" what Sony was releasing now to render his device obsolete.

I think that's how I'd feel.

And doesn't anybody else find it odd that even Sony's own peripherals aren't available in the U.S.?

By virtue of being on this site, we are generally NOT the sort of people who can remain perfectly content with a device that is superseded by more advanced things later on. We're ALWAYS on the prowl for an upgrade -- that's why we all clicked on the "new Sony rumor" article. Of COURSE it bothers me if my expensive device is quickly superseded by a better one. That's pretty normal. It happens with cars ("Dammit, my 2002 didn't come with the retractable cupholders and clip-on floormats!"); computers; TVs -- pretty much everything that is regularly updated.

I've got an m505. It does the job fine. But when the m515 came out, I had to resist my impure urges to go buy it, because it is better. If I bought a Sony, I'd wage these battles against my gadget-freak self constantly.

Anyway, now I'm just fighting to wait for OS5.

Notice that while Sony releases a new model every 3 months, it's *usually* an alternate between low end and high end. So, the actual life span of a Clie is more like 6 months, approximately.

It's just a marketing strategy for Sony. Palm uses a different approach. Pick the one you like -- it's all about choices, friends.

I agree with moosecat that if you are reading this site, you are not average joe, and might feel kinda "cheated" by Sony that they release new models frequently, and somehow has a strong urge to upgrade. Sony is exactly targeting people like us.

But we have a choice to choose to resist or fall for Sony's marketing plan. Either way, no point to complain. I personally would prefer PDA coming out more frequently, just like all other consumer electronics.

Yup, we have choices, and that's great.

As if a model has to be out for a yr with no new models for it to be considered great and the company not be blasted.

The more new stuff the better, I say. The pda you can buy in year is a heck of a lot better than the ones that were available in the year gaps just 3 yrs ago.

1998 - palm III
1999 - palm IIIx

ouch.

that's like comparing a PC to xBox or PS2, you don't see sony releasing new PS2 every year too.

if a company is innovative enough they'll figure out a way to make a peripheral that will fit all casign design, look at Sony's keyobard, it uses T-series conenctor, and it fits on all of their devices that uses the T-connector, Big or small, thick or thin.

Um, 1999, Palm V. The IIIx and V were released at the same time. Considering that the Palm V series was and may still be the highest volume PDA model ever, I'd say it was quite a successful improvment over the Palm III.

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This post is ROT26 encrypted. Reading it is a violation of the DMCA

Clie 615's list price is 299
Palm Inc. m515's list price is 399

Now tell me what are you saying when you say "That cost is ultimately borne by the customer" ??

and O btw Clie 615 has a better screen .. I don't know about you but I won't let palm treat me in such a cynical way, and squeeze money from my pocket like I am some kind of sucker ..

Me2

Every single Palm OS pda out there is already doing this.

Over the last 3 years we've only had, what?

Coor screens get nicer, added cheap expansion, and put hi-res on some models.

No different features in any devices (Handera and NR70 aside).

So who cares?

The first poster, you feel bad *only* because the model you got was discontinued few month later after you bought it.

Maybe only a manufacturer like Palm, who does not have innovation, will make you feel better when buying their stuff. Because if you buy a Palm m505 when it was out, you probably can still see it on the shelf in BestBuy 2 years later from then.

What is good on this comparing to seeing them release improved model with new features?

As for lack of innovation - again the desktop pc market analogy applies: Dell, Gateway, Compaq would do well to innovate as much on the Windows platform as Sony has on Palm OS in the last year. Having said that, no, these new Sonys are not innovative (just like 99% of all new desktop PCs) - they simply offer a slightly different featurset at a lower cost. Any other manufacter out there offer a PalmOS device (or PPC for that matter) with 320x320 res/ 16 bit screen at Sonys price? Yes - very similar to t615 - but i'd buy this instead because i can actually use the buttons(Sony finally listened and corrected this).

HUH? He wasn't talking about the site. No wonder you have a bad rep, sheesh! I agree with mentalsrule in that they shouldn't say that it is comparable to the nr's screen. NOTHING I have seen is as good as that, shapewise, virtual graffiti, or not. The only thing that looks better may be that 18 bit tiquit handheld PC for $1500. It would be a lot more truthful if they said that the screen was comparable to a T665c. I have a hard time believing such a low cost unit will have such a beautiful screen, though.

•Bosco

FBI - Full Blooded Italian

Gentleman, let's wait and see.

Sony currently got 3 NetMD line of product, in which N505 and N707 are bascailly the same but N505 uses a plastic casing with no remote, so it's like 50-100 dollars cheaper than N707.

For sony there's much much more than just features, they got design, they got design for cheaper device, and design for expensive devices, for just the design different casing it could mean 50-100 dollars difference for Sony.

Offset that lower cost per unit even more with funds from Sony's "Conquer PalmOS" war chest, and guess what you've got? You've got a NR-quality screen on a $300 device baby!!

Just focus on your magnesium casing, swivel head, and camera. You should be able to squeeze about 3 more months of peace-of-mind from your current Sony, before it is smoked by the new NRs.

Live by the gloat, die by the gloat....

/rant

Thats if we had it our way :)

Sorry, none of these models, SL10, SJ20, or SJ30 play MP3s.

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News Editor

As soon as the T-series connector is around for a couple of years and continues to look stable somebody might offer something, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Sony's not known for being friendly to the 3rd-party market, and their current product turnover strategy does little to dispell this.

Anyway those Palm accessories are so freaking expensive I am pretty sure I won't buy more than 2, just doesn't justify the cost, with all that money I can get a GBA and 4 to 5 games already.

I think this puts in another vote for eliminating anonymous posting. Ed, please do it, it would eliminate so many flamewars...

Peace,
-Bartman007

The screen is the same as that on the T415--disappointing at first, BUT...consider that this model is releasing at half, yes, HALF the price the T415 released at. With that considered, the SL-10 isn't so bad.

BTW, the case is a bit thick, but shorter, so all-in-all it seemed OK as starter PDA--nothing more.

It is the software.

I'm talking about whether I can give a powerpoint presentation with my handheld or whether there's an integrated mobile phone in it or whether I can play MP3s (if that's what I want to do). Who knows what is to come?

All I know is that OS5 is not going to significantly improve the functionality of these things. So you can wait for your "smokin' OS5 machine" and I'll quietly laugh when you realise that my humble Sony T665 does everything that your machine does, for about half the price and half the bulk, even if the buttons do suck.

The Newton was an example that the palm os has been sitting idle for a long time. Sony can sure put on a show, and we are thankful for them or else nothing would be around. I still use my Edge for it's nice screen, rechargeable batteries and light slim weight. But all I'm missing is color. But I won't upgrade for just color. There has to be more.

I was expecting that OS5 would be worth saving for, and it looks like it isn't.

Apple also has got some of the sweetest hardware and software around. You just need to open that mind of yours just a little to see it. Ignorant close minded people never get to far.

Palm and Handspring will be gone soon. I don't care for PocketPC either. Crashes too.

While the die-hards on this board like to nitpick, many, many users out there only care about the basics of a PDA and cost, screen size, and readability are their 3 main concerns, not formfactor, CPU speed or OS version (or MP3 ability).

Apple isn't developing stuff for the newton - it's all 3rd party.

And just my $0.02: here's betting OS5 models don't hit until Oct/Nov, and they're interesting but underwhelming in the long run.