T3 = VG....... Really?

[macktv]

I have a bit of a problem. You see, i thought the whole idea of a VG PDA was convenience and being able to just wip it out and use it in tablet mode or whatever you fancied. However, with the T3 you have to open it up to get the full benefits; in my eyes this means that there's a massive market there for Sony to take advantage of that wants a full screen VG PDA as soon as they take it out their pockets, not one that they'll have to take out and open up, like say the NX or NZ series.

In my eyes anyway this is the main reason why I won't be getting a T3 and why I think the only reason Sony will be bothered by this is that it came out first, because I think that if most had a choice between this or a VG T series the'd chose the Clie.

[*YellowRose*]

I guess it boils down to opinion, really. I originally got a PDA with VG because I love to read on it, and a bigger screen is MUCH better for that. It wouldn't matter to me about sliding it open - I certainly wouldn't need to unless I was planning on reading . . . you know? So it wouldn't be so terribly inconvenient for me . . .

[macktv]

But surely with how the T3 is you'll have to use the full screen all the time, and so you'll have to open it all the time, or can you switch between screen sizes on it too so you can use it when it's closed?

[*YellowRose*]

You can use it 320x320 when it's closed... :D

That would give you access to everything. The only things I would ever need to open it up for would be photos, 1 game and reading . . . and that wouldn't be a big deal, at all . . . :)

[DanT]

Yes. Just check it yourself here (http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/tungsten-t3/).

To me T3 is better because when you finish with it you can shrink it to make it compact and fit better in your pocket. That is why I don't like the clamshell Clies. They are just too big to fit my pants pocket.

[yOyOYoo]

Actually yellowrose is correct, you DON'T have to open to it use all of it's features. That was only with the original T.

WIth the slider closed, the unit is MUCH more pocketable. It has a status bar that is accessable in the closed mode, which you can use to access, graffiti anywhere, check the time, activate bluetooth, menu, find, home. The status bar is available in BOTH closed and open modes, which is what makes the T3 so tempting.

Sure some people might like having the entire screen accessable at all times, but the fact that you can "shrink" the unit when not in use is a VERY unique design.

[DanT]

It looks like 3 of us answered this easy question at the same time. ;)

Other physical advantages of T3 over the Clie T-series are (1) 1/3 of the glass/digitizer screen is protected by the slider when it is closed, (2) the reset hole is bigger hole where you can use your stylus to poke it.  The hole is behind the slider when it is closed so the hole is protected against the outside environment (especially dust/dirt from entering the hole while in the pocket).  You don't need to unscrew your stylus to find a pin for poking the hole any more.   

[Dags]

The NX80/73 series have the same deal Dan - just insert writing end of stylus into a hole on the side to reset. ;)

[Gadgtfrk]

Just got the T3. All I can say is Bye Sony...

Oh and I think I have overcome the intense "opening of the T3".
when taking out of the pocket.....
Please...........

[macktv]

But surely if most people using the T3 use it closed most of the time then surely that means that there is still a huge market there for people that want the full screen available as soon as they take it out of their pockets? I know this is definitely the case in the business area here in the UK and so I think that Sony can still bring out a VG in the T form factor (not exactly like it for those complaining about the buttons etc) and win loads of customers with it.

[KenSong]

I personally find the ability to close by sliding a unique feature as it really makes the hardware that much smaller and pocketable. Also, my unit is set to On when the slider is pulled making it essentailly a Full Screen mode power button :-). Also you can have the option to off the unit when the slider is closed making your unit work all the time only in full screen and yet have the smaller form factor when closed.

[MythoFactory]

Originally posted by macktv
...I think that Sony can still bring out a VG in the T form factor...

I've read such posts for two years now, I even wrote some of them ;).


I'm awake now

[Adrenochrome]

But a VG without slider would likely still need a cover, so that does away with the idea of "whipping it out."

I don't see what the fuss has been over the slider. You get a VG screen with full-size buttons in the size of a buttonless or VG-less PDA - and all for less than the effort of opening a case or flipping around a clamshell.

That said, I'd love for someone to come out with an equally cool way to cover the entire screen. Double slider perhaps?

[macktv]

Well you don't have to have a cover though do you? You could just leave it or buy a metal on or something.

And when I'm talking about the T factor I'm not jumping on that old bandwagon, I've been here long enough to remember those days, but what I mean is that there is still a market for an full screen VG PDA, not one that has to be open or closed like the T3.

[Adrenochrome]

I very much agree that there is a market for a simple tablet-style VG PDA. I'd like one. I like that Garmin GPS model except that I don't use GPS enough to make it worth it. I'd love a thin, sleek, simple VG model with the largest screen you could fit in the smallest space and I'd plunk my money down.

[dorr1]

Is anyone here a fan of "Enterprise"? If so, notice the PDA of the future? They're pretty hefty in size, but no moving parts at all. No clam-shell, no slider, not even any visible buttons! I'll bet a PDA of this form factor would sell quite well.
Meanwhile back in the present, if the T3 had a "trigger" to open it a la Matrix phone, that would be really kewl! :D

[Adrenochrome]

I was thinking about that trigger idea, but figured it would probably open too often in your pocket. But maybe they could work it out.

The ultimate PDA would be one that didn't need screen protection. I think someone once mentioned tempered glass for the screen that wouldn't scratch. That would be fantastic, though it would demand a different way of using the stylus, like the Tablet PCs.

Still, a PDA that was pocketable, nearly all-screen and with perhaps six buttons and a D-pad would be sweet if it you didn't need to protect the screen.

[macktv]

Wouldn't a different glass/screen cover make it heaver though?

[Adrenochrome]

Well obviously there'd be trade-offs, but I don't think a scratch-resistant screen would be unduly heavy. The real issue would be changing the way the stylus works - no more pressure-sensitivity. It would have to be something like the magnetic head that Tablet PCs use.