markgm
07-14-2003, 11:09 PM
Because my NX70 is now obsolete I was forced to pick up the NX80 today. Here are some of my initial thoughts and things I've noticed. The first is that it appears thicker and heavier than the nx70. I'm not sure if anyone has pictures of the two in a few different orientations but if so, feel free to post a link. The hardware buttons are a nice touch on the screen, though they don't work when the clie is in laptop mode (not that they need to, but it suprised me that sony would have went through the trouble of turning them off and on.
The camera seems like more of a camera, but it lost some of the simplicity that the NX70 and NR70/V had. To use the light it seems a tripod is needed, which kinda goes againt the 'fun, spur of the moment' idea I have had of the camera. (I guess it's better it is included than not.) It would also be nice to still have more functionality with the camera. The flash-light is just that, a flashlight. You turn it on and it stays on. I wish that there was a way to have it come on for a second or two when you hit capture so that whoever is being filmed isn't blinded while the shot is framed. I wonder how many people will use the ND filter as a lens protecter. It is nice that the light will stay lit for movie mode.
The CF slot is a nice addition if you plan on using the CF slot how sony wants you to...either for temp. wireless or to view some photos taken with a CF camera. While the slot seems almost sturdy I'm not sure I would trust it in my pocket for an extended period of time with a card in it. But I could be wrong, people didn't think the twist and flip screen would last long either. While there is some support for CF memory, the MP3 player does not support it, which is what I would primarily use it for. Perhaps someone will fix this in the future. It's funny to note that VFSMark rates a CF card in the 350 range and a blue MS in the 150 range.
The retractable stylus is cute, but I think the best feature on this device is the larger reset hole on the side. The tip of the stylus is all you need to do a reset, no more looking for a paper clip! It's sad that I use it that often, but this is the most convenient thing!
The hold switch is part of the power switch (up is hold, down is power) so no more 'MY CLIE IS DEAD, IT JUST FLASHES HOLD' posts in the future (once all of the now obsolete NX70s are replaced that is!)
I hate the K and T in graffiti 2 and I hope someone finds a way to make it go back to 'normal'. The other handwriting system is a novelty which I will have to explore in greater detail.
I now find myself looking for the camera capture button as well as the power button but I think time will set my mind straight. I don't like that the power button isn'tt accessible while in the cradle but that isn't too big of a deal as the standard 4 buttons will turn it on.
The cradle has a weird feel to it, it is like the change in finish from the nr to the nx, which is a sandpaper feel. The clie itself is smooth.
I liked the other keyboards better because there was more of a feeling to each key (I knew I was on the key I wanted) but the backlight is a nice addition.
Sony finally put a piece of plastic over the serial number sticker so that will no longer rub off over a short period of time. The back button is above the jog dial and it feels strange there.
It seems that the clie is a tradeoff for features which are probably better, but don't feel quite natural yet. It seems that while the nx80 is more refined, it somehow lost all personality. Hey, it's only an organizer!
The RAM is reported as 8 MB (7.6 free) of system memory and 16.0 MB of program memory. I have almost 10 megs with my normal group of programs, on my nx70 I had 1.7. I guess I need to track down my old programs!
The camera seems like more of a camera, but it lost some of the simplicity that the NX70 and NR70/V had. To use the light it seems a tripod is needed, which kinda goes againt the 'fun, spur of the moment' idea I have had of the camera. (I guess it's better it is included than not.) It would also be nice to still have more functionality with the camera. The flash-light is just that, a flashlight. You turn it on and it stays on. I wish that there was a way to have it come on for a second or two when you hit capture so that whoever is being filmed isn't blinded while the shot is framed. I wonder how many people will use the ND filter as a lens protecter. It is nice that the light will stay lit for movie mode.
The CF slot is a nice addition if you plan on using the CF slot how sony wants you to...either for temp. wireless or to view some photos taken with a CF camera. While the slot seems almost sturdy I'm not sure I would trust it in my pocket for an extended period of time with a card in it. But I could be wrong, people didn't think the twist and flip screen would last long either. While there is some support for CF memory, the MP3 player does not support it, which is what I would primarily use it for. Perhaps someone will fix this in the future. It's funny to note that VFSMark rates a CF card in the 350 range and a blue MS in the 150 range.
The retractable stylus is cute, but I think the best feature on this device is the larger reset hole on the side. The tip of the stylus is all you need to do a reset, no more looking for a paper clip! It's sad that I use it that often, but this is the most convenient thing!
The hold switch is part of the power switch (up is hold, down is power) so no more 'MY CLIE IS DEAD, IT JUST FLASHES HOLD' posts in the future (once all of the now obsolete NX70s are replaced that is!)
I hate the K and T in graffiti 2 and I hope someone finds a way to make it go back to 'normal'. The other handwriting system is a novelty which I will have to explore in greater detail.
I now find myself looking for the camera capture button as well as the power button but I think time will set my mind straight. I don't like that the power button isn'tt accessible while in the cradle but that isn't too big of a deal as the standard 4 buttons will turn it on.
The cradle has a weird feel to it, it is like the change in finish from the nr to the nx, which is a sandpaper feel. The clie itself is smooth.
I liked the other keyboards better because there was more of a feeling to each key (I knew I was on the key I wanted) but the backlight is a nice addition.
Sony finally put a piece of plastic over the serial number sticker so that will no longer rub off over a short period of time. The back button is above the jog dial and it feels strange there.
It seems that the clie is a tradeoff for features which are probably better, but don't feel quite natural yet. It seems that while the nx80 is more refined, it somehow lost all personality. Hey, it's only an organizer!
The RAM is reported as 8 MB (7.6 free) of system memory and 16.0 MB of program memory. I have almost 10 megs with my normal group of programs, on my nx70 I had 1.7. I guess I need to track down my old programs!