Sony Officially Announces PEG-N710C

Posted By: Ed Tuesday, May 1, 2001 11:12:12 AM

Though they are a bit late to the party, Sony officially launched the new Clié today. Their announcement does make official some of the details that were only speculation before. The N710C will use Palm OS 3.5.2S running on a 33MHz Motorola Dragonball VZ processor with 8MB of memory. It has a 4MB flashable ROM. The Clié is 2.88 x 4.75 x 0.69 inches and weighs 5.7 ounces. A lithium-ion polymer battery powers it. The N710C will be available at retailers nationwide in June for $500 and can be pre-ordered beginning today at SonyStyle.

Digital Audio
"When designing the next generation CLIE handheld, we sat down and listened to what our customers wanted in a personal entertainment organizer," Russell Paik, VP of handheld marketing at Sony Electronics, said. "In doing so, we implemented all that we had learned in the personal audio category thus far, and brought a feature to a Palm-based device that was previously thought impossible."

The N710C plays both native MP3 and encoded-ATRAC3 audio files. It reads digital audio files directly from the supplied 8MB Memory Stick, freeing up the internal RAM for standard PDA applications. With the recently announced 128MB Memory Stick, users can download or transfer up to four hours of digital audio content on a single stick.

This Clié comes with the headband-free w.ear headphones and an in-line remote controller, which provides access to audio functions while the device is tucked away in a purse or pocket. Also new is the incorporation of a "Hold" button. When activated, this feature turns off the LCD screen while still playing audio, preserving battery life.

It doesn't have a microphone so it can't be used as a voice recorder. It has the same non-amplified speakers that are on most Palm handhelds so music can only be played through the headphones.

Hi-Res Screen
As has been said numerous times, the N710C is the first Palm OS-based device that offers a color screen with 320 x 320-pixel resolution. This not only enhances text clarity, but also renders photo-quality images. With the supplied PictureGear Pocket application, users can view high-resolution images with minimal pixelation around the edges or discernible grid lines. The screen supports 256 colors.

It displays existing Palm OS-based applications running at the standard 160 x 160-pixel resolution. These applications will appear just as they do on standard Palm devices via pixel doubling. For an application written for the 160 x 160 screen to be displayed on a 320 x 320 screen, each single pixel needs to be replaced with four pixels, two horizontally and two vertically.

As with digital audio content, the N710C reads digital images optimized by the PictureGear Pocket application directly from the Memory Stick.

To be sure that ambient lighting does not diminish the viewing experience, the new handheld uses a front-lit reflective TFT screen. In low-light conditions, the front lights illuminate the screen and, in direct sunlight, the reflective screen (with front light off) utilizes natural lighting to optimize outdoor viewing.

Color pictures can be incorporated into the address book to help users put a face to a name.

Memory Sticks
The N710C comes with an 8MB Memory Stick. It can launch preset applications directly from the MemStick.

Battery
Sony says a single charge of the lithium ion polymer battery lasts up to 15 days of normal use, which means without using audio playback. A charge provides up to 11 hours of continuous audio playback with the LCD off.

HotSync
It comes with Intellisync Lite from Pumatech to allow synchronization of calendar, address book, notes and to-do items between the Clié and Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Organizer. It comes with a USB cradle.

Jog Dial
Last year, Sony introduced the Jog Dial on the current PEG-S300, which allows for single-hand, scroll-and-select menu navigation in supporting applications. With the new second-generation product, Sony has added a "Back" button. It is just below the Jog Dial on the left side of the device.

Bundled Accessories and Software
It comes with a flip cover, 8 MB Memory Stick, USB HotSync cradle/charger, AC travel adapter, w.ear headphones with remote controller, and a stylus.

It comes with AvantGo, Street Finder Express, Vindigo, powerOne Personal calculator, and trial versions of some other games and apps.

Developers
Sony's third-party developer's Web site provides the tools and documentation required for individual and corporate programmers building applications unique to Sony's Memory Stick, Jog Dial with "Back" button, and high-resolution screen. The Clié handheld developers program currently has 5,000 registered developers

Mr. Paik said "The high-resolution color screen delivers amazing clarity and crispness to your images and fonts, while the embedded digital audio player belts out your favorite tunes without the need for an add-on audio module. And because it operates on the industry standard Palm OS, the new Clié handheld allows you to check your calendar or address book quickly and easily."

Related Articles:

On the Web:

Article Comments

 (164 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 View Full Comment Thread

Not quite there

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 11:27:34 AM #
There is no mention of VFS support. It seems that memory stick is still used only for storage. And I don't think that PowerLauncher or any other programs are as good as an integrated OS feature.

Sony was always really bad with releasing patches or any other support for Clie. I don't think this will change.

RE: Not quite there
bcombee @ 5/1/2001 12:02:24 PM #
VFS in Palm OS 4.0 is based on the extension work that Sony did on the original Clie. If an application correctly checks for VFS being present, it should work on the Palm OS 3.5 Sony devices with Memory Sticks.

RE: Not quite there
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 5:15:27 PM #
VFS support is already there. You can load up apps that use VFS and it will read memory stick content automatically.

This can be verified by any other PalmOS developer with early CLIE's.

RE: Not quite there
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 5:57:23 PM #
Here's your confirmation:

http://www2.pdabuzz.com/Forums/showthread.php?threadid=16373&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

Scott from Red Mercury tested PalmReader on the Clie2 and was able to run the app off the MemoryStick (presumably via some auto-move capability) and was also able to read a doc directly off of the memory stick (without having to move or auto-move it to main memory)


RE: Not quite there
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2001 5:48:09 AM #
MS Mount is a vert powerful tool for clie
I put more than 20mb e-book & dictionary in MS and use MS Mount to mount into my clie
It can be accessed directly without copy to ram first
MS Mount + PowerLauncher is the best choice for those people who need more than 8mb of memory

RE: Not quite there
neostorm @ 5/2/2001 1:59:44 PM #
Could someone enlighten me as to why Sony's support is so bad concerning the CLIE? I've never heard so many bad things about their VAIO support, so what is wrong them with the CLIE? Thanks...

Run Apps from MemStick
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2001 10:36:54 AM #
According CNET's review:

> When you run a program off the storage card, this new CLIE model
>automatically copies the application into RAM and automatically deletes the file when you
> close it.

Metrics people, metrics!

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 11:32:19 AM #
I don't get it. When will the greater part of America realise that the metrics-system is vastlu superiour anything else they got to meassure with?

The metrics system. Using standard decimals (based on 10) rather than the utterly ludicris fractionsystem they use for the inches and feet or whatever.

The metricsystem is clearly the way to go in the future!

Not that this has anything to do with the article....
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 11:36:14 AM #
I just wrote it when I was utterly annoyed by the fact that I could not at all grip what the line

"The Clie is 2.88 x 4.75 x 0.69 inches and weighs 5.7 ounces."

really is telling...
Oh well... At least it uses decimals...

But still, metrics is the way to go!

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 11:37:56 AM #
When we were considering whether to switch to the Metric System, we did a bit of research and discovered that the metric system had been invented by the French. After a bit more research, we discovered that the French stink. As we didn't want to have anything to do with anything that stinks, we immediately dropped the Metric system.

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 11:39:05 AM #
hehehe, are you serious?

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 11:43:12 AM #
Metric system is indeed superior. And it would save the US billions of dollars a year. Buy *YOU* try to get 300 million people to change the way they think and do things!

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
Ed @ 5/1/2001 11:47:08 AM #
It could have been worse. Sony listed the dimensions as 2 7/8" (W) x 4 3/4" (H) x 11/16" (D).

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter
RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 11:47:31 AM #
But it managed to make NASA look a little stupid

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 3:28:05 PM #
lol French... heheh

The cost to change over to the metric system will be incredible. A couple of things that will need to change: maps, every mileage sign, speedometers, odometers, tape measures, golf courses, education and so on

hiehie the french whaahaha

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 3:43:17 PM #
And English is "vastlu superiour" to whatever language you're using!

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 3:49:00 PM #
Metrics would cost money. I agree that some things are easier with metrics, but things like building codes are written in inches. Wall studs and all sorts of building things are measured in inches. What.. are we supposed to have two building standards? Or retrofit the old buildings?


RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 3:49:11 PM #
Of course it is. I use a homebrewed kind of mixed up language containing all sorts of bad grammatic, errors and misstakes.

But that's just the way I am, and I come from sweden, a country where we have metrics...

And if you wish to change system, a goog starting-point would probably be the education.


RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 3:54:41 PM #
But you should now, the most of my spelling misstakes comes from me slipping over the keys a bit to fast, without really thinking before submitting...

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 4:21:46 PM #
You don't know how to spell. And we should take your advice on weights and measures? I have a feeling this is a frenchman posing as a swede anyway.

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
EdwardGreen @ 5/1/2001 6:33:44 PM #
Well in the UK we use a mixture of metric and imperial units, although our imperial units are different to the US ones. We have Stone for weight (14lbs in a Stone) and Beer is served by the Pint.

Miles are used for speed and distance, but most architectural and engineering stuff is done in mm, m and km (not cm they are EVIL!) ...

Under EU law most stuff has to be sold in metric measures, which sucks, because we all know what a lb of potatoes looks like, but are pretty clueless when it comes to Kg.

-
kHiTeDev

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 6:50:01 PM #
Strange. I would be very confused if I was asked if I wanted to buy 10 lb of potatoes. On the other hand, I know exactly how much 10 kg of potatoes is.

But I very much think you could keep the pint, when it comes to beer as a pint is never wrong.

By the way. I may not spell good, but on the whole that doesn't really matter now does it? Most people can still understand me perfectly, and I them, but when it comes yo meassures, I have absolutley no clue about anything other than metric meassures.
Ok, there are around three feet to the meter and circa 25 mm to the inch (and it might be 13 inches per foot) but this is not at all exact, and probably down right wrong too. Plus all the calculations I have to preform in my head to get some sence of perspective.

And it's not getting any better when things like oz, lb, gal, cup, pt, qt, tbsp, tsp, ft3, yd, mi, ton, F or whatever are mixed in.
It's not just that there are so many and so uneven values they represent, it's also that they often are different in different countries (US / UK) and, to make the matter slightly worse, even different when it comes to wheter the thing to meassure is liquid or solid...

The metric system is the ultimate solution to all thease problems, and because it is based on the decimal-system, it is also easy to calculate on.

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
atrizzah @ 5/1/2001 7:01:52 PM #
The metrics system sucks. Even if we were to switch to it, any money that could be saved would be more thann lost by the sheer number of things you would have to convert to metric.

Peace Out
Alan
RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 9:25:34 PM #
the Metric system is the way to go. Canada brought in legislation in the early 1980's to move the country over to the metric system, and it makes WAY more sense to use it. The only morons left in the world that use the imperial system designed by some stuck-up brits based on arbitrary things is the United States and Britain, and one or two other nations. 90% of the world's nations use metric system.

hell if i know how many feet and a yard, and how many inches in a mile or yards in a mile...
switch to metric already you lazy asses!!! =)

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 9:47:34 PM #
You don't know how many feet in a yard? WHO is lazy??

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 10:00:42 PM #
Yeah! Let's switch to the metric system!! It will save each of us billions of dollars personally -- and then we can also stop brushing our teeth, get bad haircuts, sport ill-fitting three-piece suits, adopt the Euro, and help elect a corrupt Swedish-Canadian Earth emperor, who will bring the Age of Man to a crashing halt!!! Or maybe I'm overreacting. Meantime, can't wait for that hot new CLIE to come out! It's "vastlu superiour". In fact, all your base are belong to us.

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 10:33:15 PM #
The world is more fun when people can bitch to each other about how to measure things. I think we should measure in Cubits, and the temperature should be posted in Kelvin.

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2001 12:00:14 AM #
YA! Kelvin!

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2001 12:05:23 AM #
Back in college a buddy of mine is in first quarter Physics and before the first test, the prof says, "Use whatever units you want." So my smart ass friend converts all his test answers to furlongs per fortnight. When he gets his test back, it has a note, "This was funny. Do it again and I'll give you an F."

The Sony Clie. Remember the Sony Clie? This is a discussion group about the Sony Clie.

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2001 6:24:15 AM #
Yes, about Clie...

You know, you could put an Unit Convertor program on your Clie (or whatever PDA) and see how many things are in other things (inches in feet, yards in miles, x in y, etc.) But you should use metrics ;)

RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/3/2001 3:43:34 AM #
Frankly, the imperial system relates more to the human condition.

Humans live between 0 F and 100 F. Basing temperature around an the freezing and boiling point of a molecule under specific atmospheric pressure is just silly. When you talk about the weather, fahrenheit simply makes more sense.

A teaspoon is about the size of well.. a tea spoon.

A tablespoon is about the size of a table spoon.

A foot is about the size of a foot.

A gallon is the maximum amount of milk you'd ever want to take home. 5 gallons to a paint can.

The entire imperial system evolved to the point where we deal mostly with whole numbers and/or extremely basic fractions.

It turns out that the imperial system is extremely useful for the building industry. The size of nuts come out to be nice round fractions (1/8, 2/8, 3/8, 1/2, etc).

Miles turn out to be extremely useful when driving. The maximum speed on most roads in the US is 65 MPH which works out to about a mile per minute making timing your lane changes extremely simple. Signs are placed at 1 mile, 3/4 mile, 1/2 mile and 1/4 mile markers.



RE: Metrics people, metrics!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/3/2001 5:48:08 PM #
I am having zee anurism weeth you fatso Americans!! Zee French are responsible for all of ze greatest and most magnifique of ze world's wonders and technologies. Our new handheld ordinatuer ("Le Palm du cinq-0-cinq") will blow away zee American imposter. Not only will it have three times the memory of you wimpy US devices, but it will run at seven times ze speed with our new passive resistance chip called "Le Maginot." And, it will cost less!! Finally, ze size? Oh-la-la! It is smaller than the SD Card!! Yet totally accessable, except maybe if you have big, fat American fingers who cannot push ze little buttons!

Viva la France!!!!

Full Info Here

Red Mercury @ 5/1/2001 11:44:11 AM #
We have full details of our experience with our preproduction N710C unit on http://www.red-mercury.com


Tons of screen shots, info on performance, details on running old applications in high resolution mode, etc.


AcidSolitaire 2.0, AcidFreecell 2.0 and Atom Smash 2.0 support high resolution, so there is also a ton of information and screen shots about these titles as well.

Check it out

RE: Full Info Here
twizza @ 5/1/2001 12:32:31 PM #
those shots look really suspect seeing that there is no type of shadowing on the edges of the screens on the clie. i would think that u would be taking snapshots of the actual clie and not superimposing a emulated image on top of the same photo.

RE: Full Info Here
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 1:01:07 PM #
They're from the Sony emulator. I don't think Red Mercury put the shots up there to show you what the actual screen of the Clie looks like, only to show you what the increased resolution looked like compared to the old resolution. 320x320 is amazing.

RE: Full Info Here
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 4:12:56 PM #
This was an awesome read. I would love to see it expanded to include other details of the Sony.

RE: Full Info Here
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2001 6:04:12 PM #
Where is it, I can't find it, thanks

RE: Full Info Here
atrizzah @ 5/1/2001 7:09:38 PM #
Does anyone know where there is a review that has that much depth on the HandEra 330?

Peace Out
Alan
RE: Full Info Here
Ed @ 5/2/2001 8:17:14 AM #
Alan, I'll be happy to write one that complete when HandEra comes through with the demo unit they promised me.

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter
RE: Full Info Here
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/3/2001 4:52:41 AM #
Somehow, I don't think that many people still care about HandEra. Monochrome doesn't cut it in 2001 and I'll be shocked if they sell more than a handful of these. TRG used to sell a fair amount of TRGPros to doctors back when the TRGPro was the only option if you needed to store huge amounts of data on a Palm. Now that all PDAs can do this, no-one is going to compromise display quality anymore. And guess what? For reading text, the CLIE PEG-N710C simply *destroys* the HandEra in terms of clarity. If you don't believe me, see for yourselves when both are released later this month.

I am a physician who purchases PDAs for my large multidisciplinary group practice and I think Sony has now become the best choice. It's unfortunate that HandEra was too arrogant to listen to those of us who suggested a color screen was needed. (Last year, they told me "Our customers are generally not interested in color screens".)

Top View Full Comment Thread
Achtung! Only the first 50 comments are displayed within the article.
    Click here for the full story discussion page...

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: