I Have an NZ90

[EdFrmBrighthand]

Sony has sent me a NZ90 for review. Do any of you have questions about this device that haven't already been answered? I'll try to answer them if I can.

-Ed

[jedix]

Basically, tell us everything! Escpecially anything involving weight and size (how does it feel in your hand, etc.)!

[sralmas]

"Can it slice, dice,  . . core a apple"

[jedix]

Originally posted by sralmas
"Can it slice, dice,  . . core a apple"

No..sorry. You need a special memory stick for that, and it will only be available in Japan! :D :D :D

[LITTLESIX]

Considering your other input on the subject, I trust your judgement. Any information you can share is good with me.

[ikaris]

LOTS and LOTS of pictures... please :)

The unit itself, close ups of the buttons all angles, the back, the camera, the bottom.... the cradle, the MP3 REMOTE too please !

Basically, photos of everything... even the documentation and the box...

ok maybe I'm going a little overboard here... I just want to see as much as possible.

Also, information about the bundled apps... has anything changed internally, what's new from the NX, etc...

[jmg_NX21]

How FAST or SLOW can you preview the 2 megapixel photos you take... (Viewer is such a sloth);

How does it fit in a jacket pocket? HOW do you take it from place to place?

How long does the battery last?

[bcringo]

Send some photos taken with its camera.
please send more detailed photos of the unit itself.
also does the camera swivel. how easy is it to use in tablet mode.

[rldunn]

Please include a pic of the new 'tablet-mode' hardware buttons.

The other stuff I'm sure you'll include anyways, with regard to weight, how it feels in your hand, how sturdy it feels, how much the camera is protected by the lens cover, and battery life, with and without flash picture taking.

How convenient are the "new" placement of buttons and slots versus where they were for the NR/NX? Any chance of the MS getting bumped out accidentally without you knowing?

Also, updates to Sony-specific apps and features. For example, do you still need a 3rd-party app to change VG skins, or can you use the silk button on the status bar.

[ikaris]

Pictures of the lens cover open and closed,

I agree with the picture of the tablet-mode hardware buttons,

All of the accessories... cables, cradle, stylus, MP3 remote, power cable, everything if possible...

And yes, how fast the picture viewer is... I mean, why was it so much slower than Acid Image ? That's something I hope Sony addressed.

[Unregistered]

Please tell us about the BlueTooth suite, drivers and software is there something similar like the Tungsten blue tooth suite software?
What is the difrence between The NX60-NX70 with the mem stick BT and the NZ90 (with the built in BT), except that the NZ90 has the BT built in !!!!
Can you send sms, edit your phonebook, dial etc with a BlueTooth enabled phone?

[Unregistered]

Is netfront still included? Any changes or updates compared to the version (1.1.19) included with the NX?

How does Picsel compare to Docs to go?

[Tom P.]

Lots of photos showing it next to other PDAs (TungstenT,T-series clie,Ipaq,nx-70) so we can get a good idea of how much bigger it's going to be.

Tests of bluetooth with a phone and Hotyncing with it if possible.

How long till you'll be able to do some of this?

thanks a lot

[Eric S]

[showing just how much of a geek I am] Any way you can tell us if Sony implemented more of the feature sets available in the T|T? Sound Streaming, builtin zLib, builtin SSL, etc?

[Unicorn]

Ed, can you please post your review here as well so every Clié user including converts can read it here in Cliesource?

[rldunn]

Not to speak for Ed or anything, but he gets paid by Brighthand, so I don't think he'll post the review here, but he usually posts a link to his Clie-related articles.

[Reggie]

Hey Ed,

Here are some questions:

1. Is the output to TV option for digital pictures only or can it output the clie screen when running apps?

2. Battery life - how many camera flashes before the battery goes dead.

3. Finish - Is the body finish similar to the NX (rough) or the NR (smooth)?

4. What new apps are included?

5. Bluetooth - Is it similar to Tungsten where it has a dialer option, etc.? Does it come with BlueBoard & BlueChat?

6. What's the risk of the new app buttons (located on the flip screen) getting pressed when the NZ is in your pocket? Will the NZ turn on when a button gets pressed?

7. Wireless - Can you now play MP3 while surfing?

8. Flash - Is the Flash player still included? Any new apps included which are built in Flash?

9. Will it work on the NR/NX cradle?

10. Will you get one for yourself? ;)

Thanks.

Reggie

[Unicorn]

I see. Well, Ed, link for the review is fine with me.

[Unicorn]

Reggie,

I can answer number 9. It is NO.

Ed,

9. Can we use T/NR/SJ/NX's Hotsync cable with NZ's Hotsync port?


Cheers!

[Uninformed]

How about speakers/sound quality? Any better than NX?

[Reggie]

Originally posted by Unicorn
Reggie,

I can answer number 9. It is NO.

Ed,

9. Can we use T/NR/SJ/NX's Hotsync cable with NZ's Hotsync port?


Cheers!

Well I know it has a special cradle for the video output, but considering it has a similar connector with the NX & NR, I want to know if charging and hotsyncing will work.

[olo]

When you remove the battery:

- How long does the NZ keep its memory, or is it like a Hard Reset???
... would be quite important to me to know if the battery runs out of steam and you need to change it...

cheers Nicolas

[LITTLESIX]

Originally posted by Reggie


Well I know it has a special cradle for the video output, but considering it has a similar connector with the NX & NR, I want to know if charging and hotsyncing will work.

The unofficial buzz is that the hotsync port is actually further up the back of the machine; approx. just beneath the hump on the bottom. At the bottom where the port usually is - the Wifi card.

Like I said, unofficial. If both the port and Wifi are on the bottom, it's not visible.

[kkerruish]

Ed -

I'm curious what version of the OS it is running...is it OS 5.1, or just the plain OS 5.0?

There are bug fixes and such recently announced that severely inhibit the Palm Tungsten's Bluetooth usefulness...and I was hoping they might be fixed in this Clie model...

Thanks!

Ken

[KlondikeLip]

How about some benchmarks comparing the three OS5 devices? NX, NZ, TT

[deadlyfoez]

I think ed skidaddled out of here. He hasn't replied once yet.

He might have been bluffing.

[oneeyesquare]

Naw, he's still taking pics....

[LITTLESIX]

Doubt that he's bluffing - he's probably trying to do his best to accomodate everybody's requests. Check his posts - he's thorough and on the level.

Bet he wasn't expecting 80 different requests on the first day though :D

[jqgil]

Thanks for asking Ed.

Will the NZ90 be able to take an upgrade to the upcoming Palm OS 6.0?

BTW, when is it due to arrive?

Thanks!

[tinay]

EdfrmBrightHand,

How about this standard cradle that you can fold and carry along with the NZ, can you take it to any TV and plug with a video cable to watch the JPEG images? Ooh, can you play Clie movies in the TV or PC Monitor using the AV output?

Thanks for your prompt reply.

[EdFrmBrighthand]

That's a lot of questions. I'll do what I can to answer a few of the, but if your answer requires paragraphs, you'll have to wait and read the final review in a few weeks.

> Please include a pic of the new 'tablet-mode' hardware buttons.

Here's a picture someone else posted earlier of these buttons:
http://www.cliesource.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=2536

> And yes, how fast the picture viewer is... I mean, why was it so much slower than
> Acid Image ? That's something I hope Sony addressed.

Acid Image is still much faster. Sony didn't change ClieViewer in any significant way., Its still 1.0, though they did add the ability to send pictures via Bluetooth.

> Please tell us about the BlueTooth suite, drivers and software

I wasn't sent a CD with this device yet so all I have is what came installed on the NZ90. At this point, Bluetooth is fairly minimal. There is a Bluetooth panel in the Prefs that lets me turn it on and off, there is the ability to send pictures I already mentioned, and there is an SMS app. I'll get back to you when the CD arrives, hopefully later this week.

> Is netfront still included? Any changes or updates compared to the version (1.1.19) included with the NX?

The version on the NZ90 is 1.1.3. I haven't seen any big changes. It still won't let me load about half the pages I want to go to because they are too big.

> How does Picsel compare to Docs to go?

They are very different. PiscelViewer is just that, a viewer. No editing is allowed. But it's a very good viewer, showing documents exactly like they would look on a PC.

> Finish - Is the body finish similar to the NX (rough) or the NR (smooth)?

Smooth

> What new apps are included?

Just PiscelViewer and the SMS app.

> Bluetooth - Is it similar to Tungsten where it has a dialer option, etc.?
> Does it come with BlueBoard & BlueChat?

These might be on the CD, or something like them.

> What's the risk of the new app buttons (located on the flip screen) getting
> pressed when the NZ is in your pocket? Will the NZ turn on when a button > gets pressed?

The NZ90 won't come on no matter what you do if the cover is closed. (Alarms will still ring, of course.)

> Wireless - Can you now play MP3 while surfing?

I thought you could do this with the NX series. In any case, you can defininitely do both at the same time on the NZ90.

> Flash - Is the Flash player still included? Any new apps included which are
> built in Flash?

Yes, but no SWF files came on the unit I have.

> Will it work on the NR/NX cradle?

No. The HotSync port has been moved up to under the camera lens.

> Will you get one for yourself?

No, it's just too big.

> Can we use T/NR/SJ/NX's Hotsync cable with NZ's Hotsync port?

Yes, I've been HotSyncing with a serial cable designed for a T series model.

> When you remove the battery: How long does the NZ keep its memory, or
> is it like a Hard Reset???

Pulling the battery out definitely doesn't result in a hard reset. I don't know how long the backup battery lasts, though I vaugely remember being told by someone at Sony it was like 20 minutes.

> The unofficial buzz is that the hotsync port is actually further up the back of
> the machine; approx. just beneath the hump on the bottom.

This is exactly where it is.

> I'm curious what version of the OS it is running...is it OS 5.1, or just the
> plain OS 5.0?

It is 5.0.

> Will the NZ90 be able to take an upgrade to the upcoming Palm OS 6.0?

No one at Sony will say anything about this. Sorry, I've tried and tried. However, PalmSource has said it will do everything in its power to allow this to happen, but the final decision is Sony's.

[oneeyesquare]

That's cool. Some good hard answers!! Any pics coming soon, Ed? I'd really like to see a thickness pic taken from the side (Like the one posted earlier, but taken from a lower angle @ 90 degrees to the unit with the NX in the same position to either side of it). Review on BrightHand by??? ( I'm not anxious!!...:p )

[jedix]

WOW! Thanks! I am looking forward to your full review!

[Reggie]

Follow-up question:

Can the Picsel Viewer load documents in landscape mode? Can you browse using Picsel?


Thanks Ed for taking time answering all the questions we have!

[oneeyesquare]

Reggie , according to the Picsel website PDF it does...

[EdFrmBrighthand]

Originally posted by oneeyesquare
I'd really like to see a thickness pic taken from the side (Like the one posted earlier, but taken from a lower angle @ 90 degrees to the unit with the NX in the same position to either side of it). Review on BrightHand by??? ( I'm not anxious!!...:p )
Sorry, I'm not going to be able to do this for you. I don't have a NX series model. The one in my original picture (http://www.brighthand.com/article/CES_Clie_NZ90) is a loaner from someone at CES.

But I think I can answer what you want to know with words. It's big. Really big. Too big to ride comfortably in my loose fit jeans. If you typically ride around with a handheld and a digital camera, you'll like the NZ90. If you don't, look for something else. You won't be happy.

The Brighthand review will probably be posted February 3.

Originally posted by oneeyesquare
Can the Picsel Viewer load documents in landscape mode? Can you browse using Picsel?
Yes and yes.

[bcringo]

can you at least send some new pictures of the unit in your hand.

also some pics taken with the NZ cam

[CopyCat]

OMG!!! I did not realize it was so huge until I saw this picture:

http://www.brighthand.com/images/clie_comparison.jpg

HAHA Who would buy that huge thing...Im sorry I don't carry a purse.

[cbulock]

Ed,

You mention that you didn't get the CD, but you said that it included the same version of NetFront as the NX's. Is NetFront loaded in ROM on the NZ?

[divination23]

one question ed.

Can you dial the shutter speed up and down,
or is it just exposure adjustments?
(they are different things)

-div

[LITTLESIX]

Originally posted by cbulock
Ed,

You mention that you didn't get the CD, but you said that it included the same version of NetFront as the NX's. Is NetFront loaded in ROM on the NZ?

I really hope that Sony didn't do that. Maybe they were just being polite, and loaded the preview unit with Netfront as a courtesy for the people they sent them to.

[oneeyesquare]

Maybe, they put it on for comparision purposes, see-in's as you can browse with the Picsel viewer... Browsing in landscape wiil be cool!
Thanx for the answers Ed!!! Any kind of comparision pic from that angle would be helpful. Even a confirmation of it's thickness/depth at the camera/hotsync port would be nice. I don't like to carry things in my main pockets, even my mini-leatherman bugs me and I quit carrying a wallet years ago( Thank God for cargo pockets!!!!), so I'm really curious on the size issue!!! Look forward to your review!!!

[cbulock]

Originally posted by LITTLESIX


I really hope that Sony didn't do that. Maybe they were just being polite, and loaded the preview unit with Netfront as a courtesy for the people they sent them to.

How come you hope Sony didn't do that? I thought it would be cool since it would free up 2MB of RAM.

[rldunn]

Originally posted by EdFrmBrighthand
> Please include a pic of the new 'tablet-mode' hardware buttons.

Here's a picture someone else posted earlier of these buttons:
http://www.cliesource.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=2536 I've seen that pic before; the only one I have seen of those buttons. But the quality of that pic isn't great, so I was hoping for a better more direct shot of the buttons. Thanks!!

Also, thanks for all the detailed answers!!

[Medcat99]

From what I read, I don't smell a very positive reveiw of this device.

[rldunn]

Ed, one more question. What is that rectangular thing on the outside of the hinge? Is it a small B&W LCD screen? If so, what is displayed on it?

[EdFrmBrighthand]

> You mention that you didn't get the CD, but you said that it included the same version
> of NetFront as the NX's. Is NetFront loaded in ROM on the NZ?

The one I have had already been used by someone at Sony, who had loaded NetFront.

> Can you dial the shutter speed up and down, or is it just exposure adjustments?

I don't see an adjustment for shutter speed.

> What is that rectangular thing on the outside of the hinge? Is it a small B&W LCD
> screen? If so, what is displayed on it?

It's just a place for indicator LEDs to shine through. These show the status of power, Memory Stick access, and Bluetooth.

[Medcat99]

Hey Ed, in your opinion, is this device the next big thing in PDA's or just a big thing?

[EdFrmBrighthand]

Originally posted by rldunn
I've seen that pic before; the only one I have seen of those buttons. But the quality of that pic isn't great, so I was hoping for a better more direct shot of the buttons. Thanks!!

http://www.brighthand.com/images/NZ90_Bottom.JPG

(If you've been reading my reviews for years, you should recognize the bad wallpaper in my kitchen reflected in the screen.)

Look for more picture in the review on Brighthand.

[kikouyou]

ed

Can you route the stereo sound through bluetooth to use a bluetooth headset for example ?

Thanks
Eric

[oneeyesquare]

Ed, Thanks for the pic! Boy , the Mem stick hangs out there. Any problems with accidentally ejecting it or snagging it?

[KenU]

Uh, I believe that is the Wi-Fi card sticking out from the bottom, not the MS, which is located on side-bottom of the NZ.

[deadlyfoez]

It should be a cf memory card. Thats what it should be. And it should be playing movies off that cf card. Darn those Sony morons

[oneeyesquare]

Kenu, Do you really think I'm that stupid that I don't know where the Mem Card is or know what the CF WiFI card looks like? Really???? Or is it just your assumption that your smarter....?

[pstoppani]

Well, your comment was a bit out of context give the link to a picture of the WiFi card. Anyway, I suspect you were refering to this pic, right?

It does look like the memory stick hangs out a few millimeters...

http://www.brighthand.com/images/clie_nz90_2.jpg

[yOyOYoo]

Originally posted by Medcat99
From what I read, I don't smell a very positive reveiw of this device.

Me thinks Ed's review will be biased on his dislike for the largeness of this device.

[cbulock]

Originally posted by yOyOYoo


Me thinks Ed's review will be biased on his dislike for the largeness of this device.

I don't think so. Ed is always really fair in his reviews. I'm sure he understands that there are some people that will like this device. But I'm sure the review will note that this device isn't for everyone.

[aaronchow]

Originally posted by cbulock


I don't think so. Ed is always really fair in his reviews.
I agree, too. I've been reading his articles back in the PalmInfoCenter days, and his reviews are always well balanced.

[jedix]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pstoppani
Well, your comment was a bit out of context give the link to a picture of the WiFi card.




It's not just a picture of the wifi card. Look in the picture to the right and you will see the memory stick hanging out of the clie.
oneeyesquare, is this what you were referring to?

[Medcat99]

Originally posted by jedix
[QUOTE]Originally posted by pstoppani
Well, your comment was a bit out of context give the link to a picture of the WiFi card.




It's not just a picture of the wifi card. Look in the picture to the right and you will see the memory stick hanging out of the clie.
oneeyesquare, is this what you were referring to?


Very good eye!!!! That's what I saw too. I think that the possibility for an accidental ejection is a very real one on that basis. Every now and then, it happens on my NR when my E&B case is on too tight. It seems like the memory stick should be sunken into the body of the device more.

Also, did anyone see the brass screws on that picture? They look HUGE!!! Maybe it's just the blown up image, but they look much larger than the one screw on top of my NR. I guess it will be easier to open up the device and put a peice of paper inside it if the memory stick starts acting up :D :D :D :D

[Medcat99]

Oh yeah, Ed, could you please post a pic of the stylus, if possible? Just curious if it is different.

[oneeyesquare]

Jedix, yes!!!! It really hangs out where the bottom of the pDA radius starts. It looks REALLY easy to snag...

[rldunn]

Originally posted by EdFrmBrighthand


http://www.brighthand.com/images/NZ90_Bottom.JPG

(If you've been reading my reviews for years, you should recognize the bad wallpaper in my kitchen reflected in the screen.)

Look for more picture in the review on Brighthand. Thanks, that's a great shot.

About the LCD on the outside, I'm surprised it doesn't show the time and/or date as well. But it's kinda cool that it shows battery life.

[ikaris]

Another question:

where does the strap attach to ? One thing I didn't like about the NX was that the strap was on the right side, which made no sense since most people are right handed, and therefore would be holding the PDA with the strap attached with their left hand, and stylus in the right.

[KenU]

oneeyesquare,

I actually didn't see the MS sticking out of the side until you all pointed it out on the picture again (very hard to catch on first glance of that picture). I focused on the protruding card only after you mentioned the dangling part.

And, no I wasn't trying to be smarter than you. And, no I don't think you're stupid - Sensitive?, maybe a little.

[jedix]

Originally posted by oneeyesquare
Jedix, yes!!!! It really hangs out where the bottom of the pDA radius starts. It looks REALLY easy to snag...

I was wondering that myself. Hmmmmm......

[cjones]

Awww c'mon people. Look at that picture with the memory stick sticking out some and hold your NR (I'm gonna assume the NX is the same) up to the picture.

To me, it looks like my memory stick on my NR sticks out just a little bit just like this picture EdFrmBrighthand posted does.

Am I wrong?

-chris

[rldunn]

It has to stick out due to it's ejection method. They could make it fit inside, but then they would need an ejection button, which would most likely also be susceptible to bumping. I doubt this is more of an issue than with any of the other Clies.

[cbulock]

I don't know how most Palm's are, but I had an m130, and the SD card was on the side, but did not stick out. It also ejected the same way. The difference was that the sides of the Palm curved in toward the back. So the SD card would stick out a little if looking from the back view, but not from the front. It worked pretty good and I never had the card accidently eject.

[Medcat99]

Yes, I agree. I understand the ejection mechanism on the NZ, but couldn't Sony have designed a way that it was covered from the front but not the back? Maybe I'm wrong and it will make no difference at all, but it might be a problem.
Think, too, about how many of the most popular cases are designed. They leave the sides open. At least on the NR and NX, the stick is on the top and covered up.
The whole body kind of reminds me of an old Handspring Visor with a lid on it.

[LITTLESIX]

Originally posted by cjones
Awww c'mon people. Look at that picture with the memory stick sticking out some and hold your NR (I'm gonna assume the NX is the same) up to the picture.

To me, it looks like my memory stick on my NR sticks out just a little bit just like this picture EdFrmBrighthand posted does.

Am I wrong?

-chris

Not from where I'm sitting. Comparing it to my NX, it doesn't look like it sticks out any worse on the NZ. I doubt this will be an issue.

[oneeyesquare]

KENU, Sorry about that. 2nd week of a low carb diet and I'm cranky... Glad you saw what I was looking at!

[KenU]

No problem, oneeyesquare.

I think until Sony gives the NZ some diet pills and works some issues out, I'll stay with my NX.

Ken

[oneeyesquare]

Thats why I figgered I'd go on a diet( with the added weight of the NZ on my person!!;) )

[GoldenTiger]

How did you get one for review? Can you post it next to a picture of a ruler (ruler vertical, unit flat so we see its thickness; that way I can photochop an NX in and see for myself :))?

[Reggie]

Ed, you said it has an SMS app. Can it send MMS?

[giorgos_gs]

Does anyone have 'Picsel Viewer'?
Can they upload it somewhere for download?

[blueflame]

i cant seem to dl piscel viewer online anywhere, how can I even buy it let alone dl it?

[cbulock]

I don't see anywhere on the Piscel site to purchase there products stand-alone. I'm guessing your gonna have to buy an NZ when they come out if you want it.

[n2ifp]

Originally posted by EdFrmBrighthand


http://www.brighthand.com/images/NZ90_Bottom.JPG

(If you've been reading my reviews for years, you should recognize the bad wallpaper in my kitchen reflected in the screen.)

Look for more picture in the review on Brighthand.

Ugh! The CF card hangs out the bottom like that? Not very good if anyone uses the Clie like I do. That is where I use the open clamshell as a stand for viewing.

[skccs]

Dear Ed,

just entered this forum gettin curious if I will be missing sometihing with my good old;-) nx70v. Bluetoot already hurts a lot.

How about the video-capture (not still photograph) resolution. As the still photo's already greatly improved in resolution how about the movies? With MS-Pro you will be able to store bigger resolution movies (but will you be able to send the via Bluetoot and slow connections-speed cellular-networks - grin.

Has the resolution for on the device captured movies been made bigger? I read, that sony was saying in an interview it is proud of its mpeg4 camcorder and that therefore the size hat do get bigger.

Greetings from Switzerland, Christian.

[Unregistered]

Ed, if you had to return the NZ back to Sony, will you personally spend $800 to get another one???

[Jun]

Go to page 3:
http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1105&perpage=15&pagenumber=3

Ed is not interested on getting one.

[EdFrmBrighthand]

Originally posted by skccs
How about the video-capture (not still photograph) resolution. As the still photo's already greatly improved in resolution how about the movies?

The only resolution it offers is 160 by 112 pixels, same as the NX series.

p.s. Look for the full review later today at www.brighthand.com

[wizcraft]

I've read a lot about this NZ90 thing and only these 2 bothers me:

Does it support USB devices such as exterenal USB Drives (such as CD Writers or Printers)? I wish I could play DVDs or VCDs on my clie via my portable USB CD-R/RW drive.

Can you playback movies on your monitor or perhaps view the screen on my monitor via the AV output cable?

I posted a reply first before reading the replies in this forum so some of my questions might already been answered.

[EdFrmBrighthand]

Originally posted by wizcraft
Can you playback movies on your monitor or perhaps view the screen on my monitor via the AV output cable?
No, all it supports at this time is static images played through Clie Album.

However, I think it might be possible for someone to write an app that would allow the NZ90 to play MOV or Kinoma files on a TV. The power drain would be fairly significant, though.

[jmg_NX21]

GREAT Article... and thanks for letting us rant / rave & ask questions (it showed ;) .

NICE pictures... I'll wait until I have no more use for my NX (will THAT ever happen tho?)

[WizCraft]

Thanks for the answer. I've also read your reviews. It's great. It's really a resource. But I have another question:

Is it possible to send pdb files or any files (like apps) directly to another Handheld (or even just to another NZ90) via a Mobile Phone/Modem just like doing it when sending via IR or Bluetooth?

I'm an EDP Admin of our firm and I'm planning to send the Reports to my boss via a Mobile Phone. Is there any way you can recommend? I'm tired of uploading it over the Internet and let him download it from there. I wish I could send him a file anytime he needs it without bothering him so much.

Thanks in advance. God Bless you.