buying pda from american website

jt

hello
looking at americangoodies.com they claim to be able to purchase and deliver a sony ux50 for about 200 cheaper than most other sources I have seen. Has anybody used this service already?

I also got a 670euro price from a french site called priceminister - same question as above?

jt

eoinm1

Hi jt

Go to www.pricegrabber.com and search for UX50

It comes in at about 530 from newegg.com but they don't ship to Ireland on US and Canada. But it the best price i have seen. Works out at about 420 euro.

I like the look of it myself I have an NX70v atm.


Good luck
Eóin

iano

It is a good idea to check whether there are any US-specific features on the device.

A common one is Wi-Fi (802.11b wireless). The US models do not support all of the channels that are available on European Wi-Fi Access Points.

If this is important to you ... check and confirm.

flywheel

if you haven't already, can you have a go in real life with one before you buy - after reading the specs was a bit turned off when I got a go with one...

check the warranty (for what terrirories it covers)

check the power adapter

bear in mind any customs charges

BrianG

eoinm1

Originally posted by DubWireless
if you haven't already, can you have a go in real life with one before you buy - after reading the specs was a bit turned off when I got a go with one...
.................
BrianG

Why did you get turned off?
I have not used one yet, but it does seem o be a fine unity on the spec sheet.


Eóin

flywheel

found the display itself was smaller than I thought it would be - it's a 480x320 pixel display so I was expecting a bigger physical size but it is smaller with a large border around the edge - although the quality was great

i couldn't find any preference to orientate the screen into portrait view - even when the twist and flip into a tablet form factor was done - perhaps someone may have addressed it with a hack or sony themselves have fixed it (since Oct when I tried it)?

the keyboard even though bigger than other clie keyboards was still a bit small - i'm not a big fan of thumb boards anyhow - but again as with the screen i though it would be a bit larger

you'll have to read up on battery life - i was only using one for about half an hour and it was plugged in so can't comment on how it worked

BrianG

eoinm1

Thanks for that Dub.

I have an NX70v atm i'm think of getting a WLAN card for it (WL110 or WL100).
Do you any thing on them as i was going to have my brother get one for me in the US and bring it home at the end of Feb.
Or i was also thinking of getting a UX50 ans selling my NX70v

I still have to make up my mind.

Eóin

jt

dubwireless tx for the cautious suggestion.
I haven't tried it yet but I have read some very good reviews (here's one). Some of the reviewers have echoed your concerns regarding screen size and the usefulness (or otherwise) of the screen orientation.
However, I am looking for a replacement for my handspring visor/eyemodule 2 combination which I've had for last 3 years or so and for which i cannot get a wireless adapter.

Bernie Goldbach irish.typepad.com seems keen on his.

I've just got a price on dabs.com which is similar to the american website.

jt

here's the ux50 review
http://www.brighthand.com/article/Sony_UX50_Review

flywheel

have a look and see if any of the Sony stores have a UX 50 on display in-store so you can try it out:
http://dealerlocator.sony.ie/

haven't used a Sony Branded CF WiFi card sorry - just have a Symbol one for the Pocket PC - read on some sites that the W100 was just a re-branded card so apparently works with Pocket PCs and Notebooks (with a CF -> PC Card adapter) with the right drivers, while the W110 is Sony's own (not a 3rd party) and apparently just works with the Clie... a good site to so some research would be:
http://www.cliesource.com/forums/

BrianG

hshortt

The Sony Centre in Liffey Valley has a UX50 on display. 900 Euro though....

Tom Dunne

The biggest 'problem' with buying from the US is, as BrianG says above, warranty.

I bought a 512Mb CF card in Chicago last September and brought it home. When I put it into my Axim, it didn't work properly (pictures stored on it became corrupt, as did mp3's). Eventually, I got a replacement after contacting Sandisk themselves, but it was a lot of hassle.

If there was a problem with a PDA, the money you save buying it in the US may not be worth it if something goes wrong. It's a chance you take.

TD.

topgold

I found the Sony PEG UX-50 for $400 in Manhattan and paid EUR 850 for it in Blanchardstown. The only thing I don't like about it is the membrane keyboard. So I'm looking for a snap-on or add-on keyboard attachment that allows me to edit Word and enter data on webforms.

It was nice to see it pick up the Insomnia (free) link and the McCafe (Kylemore Road) free access points. Here's hoping for more of the same hassle-free hotspots.

FYI: images uploaded from its onboard Clie Camera and Clie Viewer:
http://irish.typepad.com/photos/clie/

my first impressions are thumbs-up