Japanese NX series ... OK for USA?

[Token User]

G'day All,

Been lurking for a while, and tried to searching for an answer to this, but anyway ...

I am off to Japan in a weeks time, and am hoping to buy a NX - probably the 60, but if I can get a good price on the 70V I might go down that route.

As much as I'd like the NZ90, that is too much over kill. If I am taking photos, I am a purist and prefer print film (Minolta SLR), so the camera isn't such a deal. BT would be nice, but not essential.

So, are there any issues with puchasing a Japanese NX60 and using it in the USA? Do the Japanese versions have English as a language option? Can you get an English CD in the USA, or is the Japanese one "bi-lingual".

For those that might have taken this route themselves (or are local in Japan) I know Akihabra is the place for electronics - but the prices are only OK. I'll be staying in the Roppongi district, but have no problems with using the train. Is there a place to get the best deal on Sony gear?

Help me. Please .... :)

(BTW - Best response I was able to find by searching regarding Japanese OS vs English OS was in this thread (http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57&highlight=japan+nx%2A) from last week, and it didn't have an answer to the question.)

[grifter]

I believe the Japanese version of the Clie has the Japanese language installed in the OS, so you would need to reimage the Clie with an English language OS.

They probably also sell the English language version of the Clie in Japan.

Hope this helps.

[yakkoslw]

The clies are set up with a completely different graffiti screen, allowing you to change between katakana, hiragana, kanji, and English. So inputing English will be no problem. However, you may have to switch in and out of modes frequently, so that might be a pain.

The OS is also in Japanese, but any english application will work just fine on the Clie however. That means all the factory-installed menues and preference screens and everything will be in Japanese. So it is possible to "learn" what everything does if you take the time to learn a little bit of Japanese. There are also plenty of English 3rd party software solutions that can take the place of the normal apps (ie. DateBK5 for the datebook).

When I was in Japan as a foreign exchange student, I went sometimes to Akihabara and bought electronics. You shouldn't have any problems finding good deals. You might even be able to get one at a Duty-Free shop like Laox

http://www.laox.jp/eng/s_duty.html

[Unregistered]

You can get English versions of the NX70V in the shops in Ahkibahara. I was just there 2 weeks ago and they had plenty in stock. Only problem is that you can only get the English versions in shops aimed at foreigners or duty-free shops. The price isn't exactly cheap, it's only 10-15% difference from US retail.

The Japanese version of the NX wouldn't be useful to you because the keyboard, as mentioned above, has kanji.

BTW, what is deal with that crazy music that plays REPEATEDLY in Laox? I mean it's a great shop and all, but it's annoying as hell.

[jbray]

Just be advised, I purchaced a NX70v in Tokyo, I was promised that I could download an English upgrade to the software by the clerk, and this was a TOTAL lie, so make sure you have an English version on the one you buy, BEFORE you buy it.

[clie_wannabe]

english-version devices in japan are way overpriced...
even though at duty-free... unfortunately...

btw, if you intend to get a japanese version, i do warn you that you wouldnt be able to buy the english-version of the included CD in the states...

moreso, if you intend on buying from akihabara, id suggest that you DONT go for the big-name stores which would actually sell you the clie at similar prices... try searching around for those "hard-to-see" shops, and you may get a deal for yourself...

before i forget, there is absolutely no problem in using english apps in the japanese version - only the basic OS-based menus would be in japanese.... aside from that, a-OK...

(^^)

[existenz]

I was in Tokyo in December.

You can get a Japanese version NX70 for about $540 USD or 63,500 Yen.

But from what I'm told its not easy to use the J version cause it doens't come with the english VG area and the driver/software CD is Japanese only and will not even run on a machine without Japanese font pack installed.

I think you would have to flash upgrade the ROM to an english one. But I've never seen the drivers anywhere to do this.

The www.spug.net review recommends you don't buy a J version.

If you do decide to try one out then go to Shinjuku and try a store called Bic Camera. (Its not a camera store, just the name) They have branches all over Tokyo and in Akihaibara (3 in Shinjuku right next to each other). But they are not so busy in other areas and also not priced so high.

Japanese electricals are usually all overpriced due to the cartels. You can also find a Bic Camera right next to the Tokyo International Forum in Marunouchi.

[euroclie]

Originally posted by existenz
You can get a Japanese version NX70 for about $540 USD or 63,500 Yen.
Yes, the NX70V is sold 59800 JPY plus taxes (5% if I remember correctly), so it's something around $530. Not really much less than what can be found in the USA...

But from what I'm told its not easy to use the J version cause it doens't come with the english VG area and the driver/software CD is Japanese only and will not even run on a machine without Japanese font pack installed.
That's right (I bought a S500C and later a N700C in Japan). Untill you can get hold of a copy of the English version of the bundled CDROM, you can't use the PC software. On the other hand, you can download Sony's version of the Palm Desktop from Sony's site, so it's only a problem if you want to use Picture Gear Lite or Sound Converter, or other PC-side software, but you can still use your Japanese Clie to hotsync without much problem.

I think you would have to flash upgrade the ROM to an english one. But I've never seen the drivers anywhere to do this.
The files have been more or less elusive for previous OS3/4 models but can usually be found after an extensive net search, but here there's an additionnal difficulty: even if you could find an English NX70V ROM (which is not very difficult in itself to get), there's no hint yet of the OS5 (hence NX70V)-compatible release of JackSprat by Brayder.
This program has long been used (some hacked versions exist) by people trying to reflash the ROM in another language, but until there's a new version released that support the NX70V, you can't actually reflash anything.

And even when/if such a version is released, there's absolutely no guaranty that it will still be usable in that (not supported, and not legal anyway) purpose!

So before asuming that you can change the ROM, I'd suggest waiting for the first reports of NX70V ROM reflashing to popup on the Clie boards (have a look at the Hong Kong and Singapore boards, this is where this stuff usually happens first, as they have easy access to the Japanese devices, which are a bit cheaper than the English counterpart).
In Hong Kong at least, some shops can perform the ROM reflashing for you -at least as soon as the appropriate tools are available- but there's nothing similar in Japan where local customers are really not interested to change the menus to English anyway! ;)

The www.spug.net review recommends you don't buy a J version.
That's right, and indeed a good advice since there's no way yet to reflash the ROM! :) That's the main reason why I decided to buy an English NX70V for a change, instead of having to wait for an hypothetical ROM reflashing opportunity. Truth to be told, using a Japanese Clie is largely possible for an English user, you just have to install English version of the needed programs in RAM. But with only 11Mb free RAM, it will be rapidly full of English files that only replace the Japanese apps in ROM, and you won't have much space left for add-on applications.

Now if you're not a native English speaker (if you use one of those "exotic" european languages like I do, with a lot of accented characters), using a Japanese device is a pain, since it basically mess up the display of any accented character (i.e. any extended ascii character with character code>128), and you can't input them anyway. That's because the Japanese character set use double byte encoding, so each time the system finds a character code>128, it assumes that it's a double byte kana or kanji, and takes the following character, stick the two together and display the appropriate kanji/kana... :(

All in all, buying a Japanese Clie if you're not going to use the Japanese features is at best a loss of (much) time for a small money gain, and at worst... well, a failed ROM reflashing would leave you with a very expensive paperweight, and a non-reflashed unit with a very RAM-limited device! :D

Hope this helps...

[euroclie]

Just a quick additionnal piece of informations:

For those decided to go for a Japanese device, there are a few shops in Akihabara (don't remember the names, though) in which you can find second-hand devices.

Japanese are well known for quickly replacing their products as soon as a new model is released (maybe that's why Sony is so quick to release new devices), and you can find good deals on second hand devices. Considering that the NZ90 has been announced, there should quickly be some second hand NX70V available in the shops. This can lower the bill significantly, making it thus a potentially good deal even with the language problem... :p

And learning Japanese is fun!

[Token User]

G'day All,

Thanks for the advice. I knew that the price break wasn't going to be substatial. But the overall hassles invovled make it sound like the effort involved is going to be painful for not much gain.

It's not going to disuade me from going bargain hunting, but I might limit my effort to items that are less language dependant.

Patrick - the second hand device shops might still be an option for me. My English is heavily accented, but luckily it is Australian English, though these damn Americans can't get my name straight ... its Craig, not Greg, not Frank (seriously). That's "see" "are" "ay" "eye" "gee" :D

[euroclie]

Hi Craig, (dit I get it right? ;))

Originally posted by Token User
It's not going to disuade me from going bargain hunting, but I might limit my effort to items that are less language dependant.
seems a good choice to me! In some shops, you might find little gems if you like customization: I remember seeing things like transparent buttons to replace the original buttons, so that you can have nice light effets if you add LED inside your PDA, like in the following pages:
Asahi's Palm Page (http://ja037069.cool.ne.jp/)

It's definitely not everyone's taste, but if you come back from Japan with a customized Clié like this one, you'll definitely stand out of the crowd! :p

http://ja037069.cool.ne.jp/bpl0002top.jpg

[Token User]

Originally posted by euroclie
Hi Craig, (dit I get it right? ;))Yes. But you "parlez meilleur anglais que la plupart des Américains" (courtoisie de babel.altavista.com - je ne parle pas français :D )

I haunted one of the Kaizo websites looking at mods for my Visor Deluxe. Never went ahead with them, and as I am looking at replacing it - probably wont either.

I still really like the idea of picking up a NX60 in Japan. Perhaps the second dealers will have an English one traded in for a NX70V or a NZ90. Of course, there is also the new Zaurus clamshell ... but that is a debate for anther board :).

I might just go mad and pick up some of the cool Japanese parts for modding my PC some more :), perhaps even one of the very cool and unobtainable in the US Japanese cases that are "soldam" expensive.

[redvette_ragtop]

I've talked with Sony because I heard that there was some magical CD that you could install the English OS. That is a fabrication. What one would have to do is send the unit to Sony and for a minimum service charge (it could be more according to the rep I talked with) of $160, they would flash the ROM and make it an English NX. So much for saving money.

[euroclie]

Originally posted by redvette_ragtop
I've talked with Sony because I heard that there was some magical CD that you could install the English OS. That is a fabrication. What one would have to do is send the unit to Sony and for a minimum service charge (it could be more according to the rep I talked with) of $160, they would flash the ROM and make it an English NX. So much for saving money.
Well, unlike Palm who have a long tradition of letting users upgrade the OS using a freely available ROM reflashing utility, Sony has never released such a tool. The only occasion in which there ever was an OS upgrade option was for N710C owners, in order for them to get OS 4.1 instead of 3.5, turning their device into a N760C.

Otherwise, every Clié owner trying to change the language of their device had to "hack" his/her way using ROM-related software (or even patched versions of those softwares sometimes) and illegally acquired (English) ROM images... It may indeed prove less costly in the end, if you're lucky enough to find the bits and pieces required by the process, but you'll lose any warranty and support from Sony, and might damage or destroy your Clié ROM if you are uncarefull or just have bad luck, so it's up to you to decice! ;)

[-MV-]

i would suggest getting you NX70s in Hong Kong, got one for HK$4180, our about $540, it's the English version, manual is in english, CD is in english, and you get warranty.

[Mugs]

I have bought stuff before in HK, and the warranty is not worth the paper it is written on. Basically, Sony in USA will not honor the warranty from any product bought outside of the US - I've tried this with a recent video camera purchase about 6 months ago - I was out $500, a broken video camera and... you know the story.

[Spiral]

well, fake stuff in HK is cheap , and some electronics too.

[euroclie]

Originally posted by Mugs
I have bought stuff before in HK, and the warranty is not worth the paper it is written on. Basically, Sony in USA will not honor the warranty from any product bought outside of the US - I've tried this with a recent video camera purchase about 6 months ago - I was out $500, a broken video camera and... you know the story.
Well, for what it's worth, Hong Kong has nothing do do with this problem: Sony's warranty only applies in the country you buy the device in. If you buy a Clié in Japan, the warranty is valid only in Japan. If you buy a Clié in USA, the warranty does not apply anywhere else (in Europe, for instance). Sad but true.

Other manufacturers have not the same policy: I bought a Toshiba and a Fujitsu laptop in Singapore and have had no problem with the international warranty as I had bought them in a shop which was an authorised dealer for those brands... But the same is not true with Sony, even if you buy in a Sony shop! :(

[Token User]

Brief update ...

Got back from Tokyo yesterday. For those that haven't been there ... go. Very cool.

Went to Akihabara Electric City. They had some good Clie prices. Best I found for a new unit was a little under US$500, but Japanese OS version only :( I also found a second hand one for the equivalent of a little over US$400. Again, Japanese only :(, but they occassionally (like last week) get English ones in (NX60 went for US$300 - 2 weeks old ... owner traded it for a Japan OS NX70V).

Disappointing, BUT the Duty Free stores (LAOX and Akky) DO HAVE the English versions! Then came the shocker - Y89,800 (about US$760)!!!! After the sticker shock, I just laughed and commented that you would have to be a sucker to buy for that. One of the sales people at LAOX overheard me and agreed it was overpriced - but they had plenty of suckers ... American businessmen looking for the latest gadget from Japan (without realising that all they have done is make their IT bods laugh out loud because they paid 50% more than what it can be bought for in the US, AND they don't get the warrantee).

On a chance (and since my meetings were at the Tokyo Int'l Forum), I headed over to Ginza once they had finished to check out the Sony Building. It was like Dante's Inferno - where I was presented with every temptation, but was unable to purchase. Either they weren't released yet (like the NZ90 - very cool, but how long wil the flap over the hotsync port last? and the SJ33 - again very cool, nice "organic" feel to it, well designed, doesn't feel plasticy at all, and the flip lid was unobtrusive), or they were only available for sale in the Japanese version (only fair, I *WAS* in Japan after all).

Anyway. All I purchased in Tokyo was a keyring for my wife, some pottery, and chopsticks. All very low tech, and no language problems.

Just thought you might like an update, and as a point of reference if anyone else is lookng for similar information in the future. Time to go to my.sony.com to get points, and save on the NX70 that way :D

[BettyE]

I saw the LAOX rip-off in December. Then, last week, my Japanese colleague told me BIC Camera has the best prices around plus a frequent buyer program. I went to the BIC Camera near the Yurakucho JR Station and it was like being in a candy store.

They had the NX70V for 59,800 yen (about $480) and they were advertising the NZ90 as being available on 2/8 for 79,800 yen (about $640). So - prices were good but the risk when buying something expensive is not worth it.

I checked out MS prices - no bargains.


I *did* however get some accessories, styluses - things like that. They had a lot of cases there, too.

[Token User]

Originally posted by BettyE
I saw the LAOX rip-off in December. Then, last week, my Japanese colleague told me BIC Camera has the best prices around plus a frequent buyer program. I went to the BIC Camera near the Yurakucho JR Station and it was like being in a candy store.

They had the NX70V for 59,800 yen (about $480) and they were advertising the NZ90 as being available on 2/8 for 79,800 yen (about $640). So - prices were good but the risk when buying something expensive is not worth it.

I checked out MS prices - no bargains.


I *did* however get some accessories, styluses - things like that. They had a lot of cases there, too. I'll second the BIC deal - I went to the one opposite Tokyo JR Station ... across road from Tokyo International Forum (short walk to Ginza). Prices where VERY good, and apart from one small place I will never find again n Akihabara, they had the best overall prices. Unfortunately only the Japanese versions ... if a ROM update program is ever released for the NX series, Sony will be in trouble. The Japanese prices wher a good 15-20% cheaper than the best US deal.