Others say..."Attack of the Chimera PDA "Wow, what a device. I was impressed with this PDA on steriods from the moment I pulled it out of the box. Normally I am dissapointed when I purchase a new gadget. It either doesn't work as advertised or it is so convoluted that I excile it to the land of misfit toys. This PDA though comes through on all of its promised features. With a respectable digital photo, video and audio capability combined with 802.11 wireless, bluetooth, Infra Red as well as USB data interface capability, what more could a PDA require. To be fair and balanced, The UX-50 does have a few issues that detract from its status as PDA nirvana. One is its fragility. I feel like I am holding a delicate piece of bone china everytime I use it. Additionally, I am very dissapointed in Sony and their decision to get out of the PDA business, and just when they seemed to get it.
"Good but not great"It seems like most of the software built-in or bundled with the Clie is either limited or requires a paid upgrade for full functionality.
Playing MP3's is a headache, transferring music, is only possible with the pro or magicgate versions of memory sticks, unless you use a third party player.
Printing, is not readily supported from most applications either, unless you transfer the file to a desktop.
Another complaint I have is not being able to transfer, print, or otherwise use Clie Memo files (handwritten notes) on anything but another Clie. I use a lot of handwritten notes in my work, and aside from being able to read them back on the screen, the information cannot be stored, shared or printed.
Using Bluetooth for Syncing works well, but file transfer isnt always possible.
The Browser that ships with the UX50 is out of date and impossible to update (version 3.0) while it does work, 3.1 offers a lot better functionality and viewability. Checking web based e-mail is not supported by the current browser either.
The ux50 is not a bad PDA, but don't expect it to work well out of the box. there are a lot of third-party programs out there to work out a lot of the "bugs" but be prepared to pay more for them.
My advice to someone looking for a pda is to check out the PEG -TH55 (also from sony) Its got most of the same features (minus the keyboard) and a much larger viewable screen area
"Nice toy.. definitely not worth the $"Bought a UX50 used off eBay. Have had it for about a month. I would pay 400$ max for a used one. Now that Sony has stopped the entire Clie line, you should find them cheap off the internet.
PROS:
- Nice keyboard
- Love the fact that you can listen to music at the same time performing other functions like browsing, email etc (probably an OS5 feature not restricted to this model only)
- The wireless works like a charm right out of the box.
- Great resolution.
CONS:
- Had to soft boot at least 3-4 times already.
- Most apps require portrait mode which the UX50 does not natively support.
- Battery life - 3hrs max if you use the wireless.
- Need an additional memory stick (128MB - 40$)
- Crappy camera - 0.3MP!!! cmon Sony!
- Native doc support restricted to read only.
- Need the docking station to charge, no direct connection to PDA.
Must have software:
- you can enable the landscape mode for most apps using Code Diver. This is a MUST if you want to use the UX50.
(shareware + 10$. Remember to use the latest beta and not the handango version)
- Also I strongly recommend buying Documents to Go and Contacts to Go (add another 75$ to the tag)
Overall, you can end up spending about 1000$ to make this thing really usable, not worth it. But if you dont mind getting a used one cheap off eBay, this is definitely a nice toy.
"A very unsatisfactory product"
Having owned several pdas (palm IIIc, m130, tungstenE, & tungstenC), I was really wowed by the design of the PEG-UX50. I saw it first at Tokyo's Akihibara Electronics Town, and was impressed with the sleek design. The unit was functioning but mounted, so I didn't get to hold it. I was most taken with layout and functionality of the keyboard, and the swivel screen. Of course I was determined to buy one.
I waited two months until I was back in the USA and ordered two units from separate vendors. This is my usual custom when buying pdas, as I want to be sure one item isn't experiencing anomalies. I was so excited the day that they arrived. That excitement quickly dissipated.
The battery life is absolutely horrible. I was reading an ebook, and the battery barely lasted for 3 hours. When surfing the web, it lasts for about 90 minutes. The 3-D launcher interface did not appeal to me, so I switched to the classic palm launcher, which made things better. The stylus is too small and too thin to be of any practical use. By the time you get it out and get it extended, you could have tapped what you wanted with your fingernail several times over.
Additionally, the ergonomics are very poor. Maybe it's made for someone with wider hands than mine. It's too wide to sit comfortably in my hand in landscape mode, and there is no portrait mode. After reading my ebook for the three hours that the battery held a charge, my hand was cramped. Also, the buttons are not placed in the most convenient of locations. It's too easy to press the email, internet, or back button while you are just trying to hold the unit. And what's with the jog dial on the left? Probably a wonderful feature if you're left-handed like my little brother. Unfortunately, I'm right-handed.
The vast majority of the palm applications I downloaded did not take advantage of the UX50's wide screen. Who wants a pda window that only covers part of the screen? Certainly not me. In the end, I returned both units. One to Best Buy, where I was not charged the 15% restocking fee, and the other to MPSuperstore.com, where the restocking fee was waived because the IR port was defective.
I tried really hard for two weeks to like the UX50. I left my tungstenC and home and used the UX50 exclusively for that period. The only reason I gave the PEG-UX50 two stars is because the keyboard is excellent. I prefer typing on it than on my tungsten C keyboard. I was prepared to trade in my tungstenC for the PEG-UX50. It's little wonder Sony has withdrawn from the US pda market for a while. Maybe they'll dream up better products while they take this much-needed hiatus.
"Cool gadget but uncool price"
I've been using a Tungsten E for work and got the the UX-50 for play and was originally hoping to face out the Tungsten E.
They both run Palm OS 5 but I foung the Clie's interface not as user friendly as my Tungsten, it took me almost a week to get used to it and work with it without stopping to look up something in the users manual.
For the size and looks it is a very nice gadget, it's capabilities are close to that of a laptop unfortunately the price tag doesn't justify the purchase. For such a high price it should at least have Documents to Go installed.
The battery life is horrible! I got an extended battery which attaches to the bottom and makes the unit thicker and I'm still not able to use it as much as I use Tungsten during the day without worrying about the battery running out. I need to get a car charger before I can get more use out of it during the day.
The stylus is too thin to hold comfortably and it collapses in mid-use. It also tends to slide out very easily and I've almost lost it that way. Same with the memory stick, it sticks out from the unit just enough for it to come out easily.
The screen is very nice although I would appreciate it if you could occassionaly swtich to portrait mode. The swivel screen is one of my favorite features.
Not a big issue but I would like to be able to delete someapplications like "Clie Demo" that I don't use and are taking up space in the memory and in the icons.
The shortcut buttons are a nice feature but I immediately had to reassign them to features I use more than internet and e-mail. Their location makes it easy to press accidentally.
The built-in camera is better than that found in most cell-phones but not excellent. It comes in handy for quick snapshots but don't expect more from it.
The browser is lame and could use some improvement. It's nice to have a keyboard although it's not good for serious typing.
Bluetooth works great but the infrared interface was difficult to use when working with my cell phone.
This PDA has great potential but Sony has to first make some improvements before it becomes a "must-have". For 3 times the price, I thought this PDA would make my Tungsten E obsolete but I find myself still using it just as much because the Clie hasn't been too reliable to me. So I'll continue using 2 separate PDA's in the meantime.
