March 28, 2002

10:40 AM

Sony's PEG-NR70Vis a PDA/digital camera/mp3 player with a swivel 320x480 color display that runs Palm OS 4.1. it comes with a built-in keyboard, can be used as a remote control for your TV/VCR/DVD player, uses memory sticks, and has a "jog dial" somewhat similar to the iPod (via newstoday)
posted by gwint (36 comments total)

my Birthday is Oct 18th, thank you very much.
posted by KnitWit at 10:43 AM on March 28, 2002

I believe Sony invented the concept of the Jog Dial, as seen on their music systems and VCRs all the way back in the '80s.

This looks cool though
posted by riffola at 10:44 AM on March 28, 2002

Not to nitpick, but I'm pretty sure Apple thiefed the jogdial idea from Sony, not the other way around. (Not that you actually said Apple thought of it first, that's just what I inferred from your post.) Sony has been using a dial in many of it's products (all of it's Clies and many of its phones). Perhaps, however, some other MeFi'er knows of an earlier use of the dial.

Btw, Amazon is already taking orders for this device. us$599.
posted by dobbs at 10:47 AM on March 28, 2002

Doh! Sorry about that. Tried to unpost after seeing riffola on preview but it didn't work. :(
posted by dobbs at 10:49 AM on March 28, 2002

If you're in the mood to buy a birthday gift, mine is much sooner - April 3rd. ;)

At that price though, it has no hope of being anything but a geek or management toy. The average person won't be using a palmtop until it can a) replace a computer completely or b) be priced enough that it fits into the average persons monthly frivilous spending budget.
posted by AdamJ at 10:51 AM on March 28, 2002

eeek.. jesus... I want one... I'm drooling over it.. hehe.
$599 isn't all that bad actually, since PocketPCs cost about that or just a bit below.. not too much... hmm.. Though it's PalmOS...
posted by tiaka at 10:53 AM on March 28, 2002

But if you're stuck on a desert island will it open a coconut?
posted by jeremias at 10:54 AM on March 28, 2002

Personally, I won't be replacing my Palmtop until I can find one that also will turn my coffeepot on via infrared beam, rub my tootsies at night and sing me to sleep. (Look it doesn't even talk back!!!)

Oops! Girlie moment. Back to geekdom. As you were. This is cool as shit. But not quite to the tune of laying down the moola when in six months it will be A LOT cheaper.
posted by gloege at 10:54 AM on March 28, 2002

gloege: turn my coffeepot on via infrared beam...

you're probably kidding, but if you're not: almost any palm device can do this (assuming your coffee pot actually has an IR port and a remote). you just need this software. with it, i programmed my Visor (palm os) to control my Canon G2 digital camera. very handy.
posted by dobbs at 11:06 AM on March 28, 2002

Next, on the MeFi Shopping Network, we have a beautiful set of pancakes, masterfully cooked by the MeFi mafioso. The going bid is $5...do I have $5?
posted by BlueTrain at 11:07 AM on March 28, 2002

Sony owns the trademark for Jog Dial according TESS.

For the record my birthday was last weekend, but I am still accepting belated gifts :)
posted by riffola at 11:09 AM on March 28, 2002

dobbs, no actually i wasn't :) and no my coffee pot does not have an IR port but damnit, my next one will!
posted by gloege at 11:12 AM on March 28, 2002

Very Nice! But I have reserved some of my drool for this too.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:13 AM on March 28, 2002

not to hijack my own thread, but along the lines of dobbs' post, does anyone know of PC/Mac based software that can control digital cameras (like for time-lapse photography)? what's an IR port and is it a standard IO port in digital devices?
posted by gwint at 11:13 AM on March 28, 2002

Also, this might be of interest to PDA geeks. It's a folding portable keyboard similar to Think Outside's PPK or Stowaway, only it works via the IR port so you don't have to get a new one every time you switch devices.

Okay, back to work for me. :)
posted by dobbs at 11:19 AM on March 28, 2002

IR is an infrared port. Most PDA's have one, as far as I know.
posted by holycola at 11:23 AM on March 28, 2002

Kevin: regarding the Zaurus... if you're in SF, this thread on VisorCentral will interest you. But only till tomorrow, I think.
posted by dobbs at 11:25 AM on March 28, 2002

If this device featured a 5GB Toshiba Microdrive like the aforementioned Apple iPod does, it would be more than capable of replacing many peoples' PCs.
posted by donkeymon at 11:38 AM on March 28, 2002

Perhaps, however, some other MeFi'er knows of an earlier use of the dial.

um, television dial. radio dial. telephone dial.
posted by chrisroberts at 11:38 AM on March 28, 2002

You could always hook your existing coffee pot to one of these thingummymajigs and then have the pda talk to that... <homer>mmmm fu-ture</homer>
posted by zeoslap at 11:53 AM on March 28, 2002

Dobbs: Thanks for the link.

Damn. I'm in Chicago.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:56 AM on March 28, 2002

PEG-NR70V
God, what a clunky name. Why couldn't they call it something with a little class?
posted by me3dia at 12:11 PM on March 28, 2002

So for all that money, you get a HUGE mp3 player, a substandard camera that's uncomfortable to hold, with only 100k "effective"—which means not really—pixels, and an overpriced PDA.
And if one of them decides to stop working, you're out of essentially three devices while it gets fixed. Where can I buy one?

This is the reason I hate software applications that try to do too much.
posted by Su at 12:13 PM on March 28, 2002

Where's the cell phone? MP3 player, universal remote control, mediocre digital camera, color screen... they're all nice to have around, but the only things I must carry on a daily basis (lest I feel naked and lobotomized) are my cell phone and PalmPilot. (Just this week I've consolidated them into one device with the Handspring Treo, and it's first 24 hours have been pleasant. Still running it through it's paces.)

It seems Sony's trying to encompass lots of "goodies" without making any of them particularly the best of it's class. Even with a 128 MB Memory stick, that's what... two (maybe 3) albums? The digital snapshot will be mediocre quality at best. And who's gonna leave their $600 Sony PEG-NR70V on the living room couch to be the family's remote control? (Especially considering all their contacts and events are in there.) Whoever's gonna pony up for this "combo" PDA has the bucks for a real camera and a real MP3 player.

All this, and you still can't get email or even pages on it. Ultimately seems like a spoiled executive toy, destined for the drawer with all the other orphans. The color Clie's line have a kick-ass screens though...
posted by Fofer at 12:57 PM on March 28, 2002

The iPod dial is more like a Bang & Olufsen BeoCom 6000 dial — nearly identical. No link to the phone itself due to layers of flash but here's the B&O site.
posted by Dick Paris at 1:01 PM on March 28, 2002

Heh heh - What they need is modular 'stacking' - mp3 player, cell phone, pda, digital camera, et al... you could have the PDA be central to the operation and just be able to attach really slim modules to the back of the PDA, making it just a bit thicker each time - forget all the 'one unit'. If one stopped working, just pop out that module and connect the others around it. Then you could also just upgrade modules as they came out and you wouldn't be stuck with a poor camera resolution if you could afford a better one later on or they came out with a new one. Yeah, that's the ticket! (Someone go make this, okay?)
posted by thunder at 1:23 PM on March 28, 2002

First of all, all you really need for your coffe pot is a Clapper. Think about it -- when you're bleary eyed and in need of coffee, do you really want to go hunting around for your PDA? No way man -- just clap yer hands and you're off to the races!

Secondly -- this gizmo is pretty freakin' cool, but I can't help but wonder why every new gadget has to be a Swiss Army Knife, multi-use type of thing. I'd be happy if they 86'd the camera and knocked the price down a bit. There's no way that camera is going to be worth a shit anyway.

And thirdly -- with all these fab new gizmos running the Palm OS, can someone please tell me when my PALM shares are going to actually be worth something for cryin' out loud?
posted by spilon at 2:00 PM on March 28, 2002

What's with the PDA obsessions? I don't find a damn thing that I can do with them besides play WORMS or sketch with the little pen thingie... how is this stuff 'drool worthy?'
posted by spidre at 4:28 PM on March 28, 2002

Yo, SonyEricsson p800 in the house. It has the mobile phone. It has the digital camera. It has the Symbian OS (PDA functions). It even has the freaking Jog Dial.
posted by nedrichards at 4:28 PM on March 28, 2002

First of all, all you really need for your coffe pot is a Clapper. Think about it -- when you're bleary eyed and in need of coffee, do you really want to go hunting around for your PDA? No way man -- just clap yer hands and you're off to the races!

No, no, no. You set your IR on an alarm and put it near the coffeepot at night. Hmm.. the Clapper could be cool though too...
posted by gloege at 4:51 PM on March 28, 2002

What's with the PDA obsessions? I don't find a damn thing that I can do with them besides play WORMS or sketch with the little pen thingie... how is this stuff 'drool worthy?'

Don't you have uh, a life? No offense but the calendar alone is worth it. Since I'm a student I use the Student 4.0 software which is really, really helpful. With mail and AvantGo and address book it completely replaced everything except the cell phone (which I'm content on keep seperate), all for a reasonable price and compactibility. No fancy color for me, a slim Vx is all I needed.

Oh yeah, it balances your checkbook too.
posted by geoff. at 5:23 PM on March 28, 2002

Oh yeah, one more thing, do those thumb keyboards actually do any good? They seem so tiny that it'd take more time typing in text then with pen keyboard built in to the PalmOS.
posted by geoff. at 5:25 PM on March 28, 2002

I've been the proud owner of a Treo for about a month now, and I'd say yeah, the keyboard is fantastic, and totally usable. Its small, but I could type faster on the keyboard after an hour of practice than I could ever write using graffitti.
posted by bshort at 8:03 PM on March 28, 2002

I hate how everyone who trys a keyboard enabled PDA is realising how much better they are than straight graffitti based ones.

It makes me grieve for poor Psion.
posted by nedrichards at 12:15 AM on March 29, 2002

spilon, here you go.
posted by EatenByAGrue at 12:35 AM on March 29, 2002

Sony holds the patent on jog dials?

What about all of the prosumer VCRs, video editing equipment, keyboards, synthesisers - it seems a standard bit of kit whenever an interface needs to control time in a non-linear fashion.

The iPod happens to have one of the kinkiest jog dials going - almost totally analog, no clicking between preset values.
posted by mook at 5:20 AM on March 29, 2002