I was downtown near the Sony store yesterday, and couldn’t help it but check out a few of the handheld devices--even though they are not the typical pda/phone combinations.
The Sony Vaio™ Micro PC
The VAIO® VGN-UX280P Micro PC is exactly that--a Micro PC. It is small, light, and fully equipped. It runs Windows XP and it has on it pretty much everything you can imagine including all the advanced networking/connectivity features that are possible. It can even make Internet voice calls using Skype—assuming the signal where you happen to be at the moment is strong enough for that.
I was wondering if having the Sony Micro PC could eliminate the need for a smartphone and a laptop, and allow one to just have a regular cell phone when on the go. However after using it for 15 or 20 minutes, I decided to move on. Maybe I am not ready for the Micro PC yet!
The Sony mylo™ personal communicator
This is another device that caught my attention. What is unique about the Sony mylo™ (My Life Online) personal communicator is that you don’t get a voice or data plan with it, it is just a Wi-Fi device. It is intended to be used in places where Wi-Fi is available. This could be your office, your home, the local hotspots, and other Wi-Fi enabled places that you visit.
With the Sony mylo™ personal communicate, you can surf the web, use Web e-mail, use Instant Messenger, listen to music, watch videos, and even make Internet phone calls. With a full QWERTY keyboard, and a slick design, it does have some appeal if your needs can be met by Wi-Fi. Not exactly the business device for the on-the-go professional, but that doesn’t seem to be its primary market.
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