Does the new UX screen layout bother you?

[Omnitron]

Now that it seems that this unit does not rotate the screen. No portrait to landscape and back again. You have the traditional Palm screen with the graffiti area to the side, except when in the OS view, and maybe some new apps.

Do you like this? Dislike it? Verdict still out?

[newyorktd]

I find it quite refreshing actually...

[Enceladus]

I like it very much. To me it seems just as usable and there is nothing wrong with some variety in the market.

[dulinor]

Landscape - love it. It's a shame that it doesn't allow for a screen rotate in tablet mode, but I'm not going to get in a snit about it. I expect it will be fixed eventually, hopefully in this model through software.

If you're all about portrait there are certainly plenty of pdas out there to make you happy. For me, if a device is going to be all about wireless email and web, landscape is unquestionably the way to go.

[jaimejr66]

Without a UX in my hands I can't be sure, but I think that Lanscape mode will feel wierd at first. Especially trying to hold the UX in one hand while doing grafitti.

If a hack or update by Sony allows for switching between portrait and landscape. I think the UX will become a big hit.

Tablet mode just lends itself to the Screen in portrait orientation. While "Notebook" mode is great for web surfing while using the keyboard. I call it the Best of both worlds.

[hherbzilla]

It has its place... though I don't think I would want such a screen unless I could switch between landscape and portrait.

[TechnoCat]

I find it preferable. Sure, Palm Purists complain (don't they always),l but look at the track record of other successful palm-sized units:

1. HP 95/100/200LX series, pretty much legitimized the PDA format with a DOS computer. Landscape format. VR-Reader let you use it in "book" format, but everything else leveraged the wide-screen.

2. Sharp and Casio organizers, e.g. early Zaurus - all landscape.

3. Going way back, DataStor 8000-series PDAs were, I believe, the first widely-available digital assistants. Landscape format.

4. Cell phones. Work with me on this. Every phone I've had supports significantly more characters across than down. My current primary phone does internet and email, and has 26% more pixels width than height. (The UX is 33% more I think.)

So my thoughts are, "Finally, a Palm-OS pda with a reasonable screen layout!"

[Omnitron]

Thanks for the opinions everyone - Personally I'm in a not sure mode myself. I might be able to get use to it, but in the long term it will depend upon how much software will be able to use the full screen and how EASILY. I just don't want to move to this and find myself waiting for UX compatible updates of every major piece of software I use (Agendus, Wordsmith, PalmReader, QuickOffice, Avantgo, etc...)

I'm sure somebody will be able to make it do portrait in tablet eventually, but I'm leary about depending upon some hack to do what they should have done already.

The only thing I can think of as why is the orientation of the apps buttons and jog dial. If we do a 90 degree screen change, the jog dial will be sideways in tablet... As is now, it is always matching screen orientation, and the apps buttons are always at the bottom of the unit.

As to the older units - yeah.. I moved to Palm after having both a Sharp OZ 730 and 750. The UX reminded me of them when I first saw them.

[Unregistered]

I'll pass.

[Jeffry]

it's alright. But I wish Sony implemented the option to change the layout to portrait....

[JackAxe]

That would be nice, I can only hope for an update.

<]=)

[JoeT]

If they don't give the option of portrait, how about the option of which way is up? According to the pictures, the image in tablet mode has the jogdial in the lower left corner. I think it would be nice to have the option of having the jogdial in the upper right corner, right next to where the right thumb would naturally land if holding it with the right hand.

[lmame]

It is cool and it changes :)
I guess it is a little disturbing in the beginning but I prefer landscape to portrait for almost every programs...

But it is sure if SONY could add the portrait mode, it would be better for some apps, like images viewing, MP3 player...

For the software... Yo would be surprised how fast it goes for the "conversion" :) and I guess It would go faster with the US release of the UX...

Here are the answers of people I contacted and agreed to handle the 480*320:
Iambic
Splash
Kinoma
some games developpers and so on...

I did some tests for some people and they adapted their software in less than one day...

[BluePrt]

Hi to TechnoCat. Hey I'm glad to know that someone knew about the HP95XL I still have mine though don't use it anymore. It was my first handheld unit. Actually having it made me realize how nice the palm os system is....easy. Alot of people heard of the 100 model but many people thought I was nuts...and they may be right....when I mentioned the 95 model. I'd love to keep up with all the knew models but can't...sticking with my NR70

[MonkeyK]

grafittiarea on the side is not very nice. While typing it doesn't matter, but if you flip it all the way open
1)how are you going to hold the device while using the grafitti area. Right now, when I hold my PDA with my left hand, my fingers wrap around the right side a little. This does not matter since the input area is below my fingers. With the UX, my hand has to wrap around more PDA making fatique more likely, and if my hand is big enough, my fingers will interfere with data entry.
2)Now I have to relearn my entry of characters & numbers to be up/down instead of left/right.


I don't like it.

[brodson]

Guess I'll have to wait until I get mine for my official verdict, but I believe, in concept that landscape mode is more useful than portrait mode for most applications.

I don't completely understand all of the technical reasons why Sony opted to not go with a Portrait mode, but I will look into it. It would be nice to be the first to write an app that provides portrait mode.

Steve Brodson

[Omnitron]

Originally posted by lmame
Here are the answers of people I contacted and agreed to handle the 480*320:
Iambic
Splash
Kinoma
some games developpers and so on...

That is good news! I was a little worried about who and how many would bother. But if it is that easier, the UX gets another point in my book! :D

[scientist]

Originally posted by brodson
Guess I'll have to wait until I get mine for my official verdict, but I believe, in concept that landscape mode is more useful than portrait mode for most applications.

I don't completely understand all of the technical reasons why Sony opted to not go with a Portrait mode, but I will look into it. It would be nice to be the first to write an app that provides portrait mode.

Steve Brodson

most probably the reason is MONEY! they know very well that they should have included this option but then, why would u buy ux60? same goes for screen size and low RAM...thats why most people who have a pda and are able to do their work with it should wait. i wish new zaurus was a palm device instead of linux...

[TechnoCat]

Originally posted by scientist
they know very well that they should have included this option but then, why would u buy ux60? same goes for screen size and low RAM...thats why most people who have a pda and are able to do their work with it should wait.
Spoken like a fanatic rather than a businessman! :D In reality, if you can do your work with your current PDA, but could do more things or do them better with a UX50, most people for whom time or connectivity is valuable would be far worse off waiting for the UX60. Think about your premise... you are stating that the incremental happines, productivity, and communications efficiency for nine months won't be worth the small feature increment between the UX60 and UX50.

In my personal life, a bit of productivity per day would add up to the cost of a UX50 in under two months probably. And I say this as a daily IIIc user who has, but doesn't use, a variety of fancy Ipaqs also.

When you look at feature-economics, it's critical to factor in opportunity cost. Not just, "Gee, I coulda spent that $600 on food", but also, "I coulda had more income if I'd just spent that $600". Or, in today's society, "Gee, I coulda had more time with the family", which is often a higher, but non-monetary, value.

[BluePrt]

Since I don't use my NR70 for work, that's the main reason for me not updating. but wouldn't it be nice to upgrade regularly...that's why we have to pick and choose options on a unit that is both practical and useful..economical.....It's just my memory.. I'm waiting for a unit that will just totally replace the computer..just have a large computer screen and keyboard...figure that will be awhile...oh yes graffiti...I use that 80% of the time.

[yOyOYoo]

I've said it a million times. Sony should have included portrait mode with the UX series. Just like sony should have supported hi-res+ applications natively with the NR70v. Remember all the programs later supported hi-res+, but I could never get my basic TODO to be hi-res+. Why wouldn't sony just release a patch instead of giving built in hi-res+ to the NX owners?!

I forsee the same problem here. I see many aftermarket programs supporting portrait mode, but not sony. Maybe in sony's next release they will put on hardkey buttons on the portrait tablet mode... so we could use it like a regular palm.

I like the idea of the UX series, its just that I really would like to have all of my hardkey buttons, even if its included the stupid up down stick. Oh yeah, put a jogdial on the side too. And give us more memory!

yeah yeah I ask for too much. i'd be happy with a 64mb wifi enabled TG50 though...

[scientist]

the device as it stands is flawed or defective IMHO. i doubt it very much the price justifies productivity...may be some perform brain surgery or use wifi to design rockets...for the rest sit tight and boycott sony :)

[Omnitron]

Flawed? Maybe. Defective? Hardly.

The Features justify productivity. Whether the features justify the price is another question altogether.

Lets just invent a time machine - go ahead three years, and pick up a few on these on final clearance for next to nothing. And pick up the debugged OS 6 (7?), Full keyboard, Portrait patch code, 2 or 3 other yet-to-be-designed asseccories, and a half dozen batteries packs (By then only $20 each). Would you like it then???? :rolleyes:

[TechnoCat]

Originally posted by scientist
the device as it stands is flawed or defective IMHO. i doubt it very much the price justifies productivity...may be some perform brain surgery or use wifi to design rockets...for the rest sit tight and boycott sony :)
"Defective" - what bugs have you found? Fewer defects than in your logic. And "flawed"? - less so than the NX/NZ series, which are so big as to not be easily pocketable and lack WiFi.

Opinions are good, justifying them is better. Justify yours - that the UX is "flawed and defective", especially relative to the other current offerings (NZ, T|C, SG30) in light of these features:

WiFi
Bluetooth
Media Processor (load reduced media playing)
Usable thumbboard
320x480 display
Third largest internal RAM (after T|C and Garmin)
Very small volume, very pocketable
Really cool form-factor and appearance
Costs $100 less than the NZ90... which has a worse keyboard, is unpocketable and lacks WiFi.


Compared to that list, isn't pretty much every other current unit MORE defective? And if so, that makes your logic the most defective of all.

[Unregistered]

if everyoe jumps off the cliff should u do the same??? i think u have a bright future working as director of marketing enforcement for sony handheld division LOOOL

[us_samurai]

I tend to agree to Jeffry. Landscape is cool but wish option for Portrait (software driven?). Maybe Sony will come up with an enhancement?????......Yeah, I know...dream on. :)

[TechnoCat]

Originally posted by Unregistered
if everyoe jumps off the cliff should u do the same??? i think u have a bright future working as director of marketing enforcement for sony handheld division LOOOL
You certainly shouldn't believe some bozo who keeps reporting it's a cliff when a few seconds of looking would tell you it's a low diving board into a refreshing pool. Your future may be as Iraqui Minister of Information in the next conflict! ;)

[scientist]

yes its a pool. u pay $$$ and ur in:) happy swimming and "prodaktivitee" there!