About TH55, I have some idea...

[APPLEKID]

Hi everybody, nice to meet you here, I am a new guy who want to get a CLIE...

I think I might buy th55, but I think Sony in my area (Taiwan) won't to release a bluetooth type.
I notice one thing, that is.
TH55 without bluetooth is about 185 gm, and...
TH55 with bluetooth is also about 185 gm.
So, I guess, just guess.
Maybe what is inside in these two type of TH55 is the same. And for some reason, Sony just disable the bluetooth function.
Maybe Sony just disable from the OS, or the firmware, or cut the line.
I think, when TH55 release in Japan, maybe some "power" fans in there will find the way the enable the bluetooth. Bluetooth may the necessary fouction for their dairy work.

Just a guess. If it is wrong, it is the fate.

Have a nice day.

[Maverik]

The only thing I can see about this is in the US, it would be against the law for Sony to release a unit with Bluetooth on the device because they told the FCC that it wouldn't have it. So even if they just disabled it, it would still be breaking the law. Now I don't know the laws in other countries so in Taiwan that might be the case, but I don't see it happening in the US. If and when a bluetooth Memory Stick ever gets released, I think that's the only way we're going to get BT on the TH55.

[inomad]

i thought about htis, too. But why would sony spend money on a bt radio if its not going to be in use?

[cjones]

Originally posted by Maverik
The only thing I can see about this is in the US, it would be against the law for Sony to release a unit with Bluetooth on the device because they told the FCC that it wouldn't have it. So even if they just disabled it, it would still be breaking the law. Now I don't know the laws in other countries so in Taiwan that might be the case, but I don't see it happening in the US. If and when a bluetooth Memory Stick ever gets released, I think that's the only way we're going to get BT on the TH55.

Ok... let's assume that it *is* against the law for Sony to release a TH55 in the US with bluetooth due to how they did things with the FCC.

What does that mean for somebody *using* a bluetooth one in the USA? For example, let's say the european model TH55 comes out w/bluetooth and the USA version doesn't. If I decide to purchase the european model and operate it here in the USA, am I *technically* braking laws?

Just a random thought...

-chris

[joejoe]

Since it's not against the law to purchase merchandise abroad, especially when traveling, it's inconceivable that owning/using such a unit in the US would be considered "breaking the law."

Sony, OTOH, said the unit would not have BT in the units it *sells* in the US. They are covered as well.

IMO.

[ClieKun]

But we are not getting BT in Japan either. So whats the point? Sony is coming to the realization BlueTooth is not their golden of a Idea. They thought it would be ten years after in was first it born :(

[mike p]

japan should have bt as many poeople have cell phones there

[ClieKun]

Well I think so too. strange thing is the SOny`S New SO5051s cellphones does not have BT either. If youthink about it don`t you think so would have included BT on their lastest cellphones in Japan? This might give some indictaion that sony IS moving away from their BT dreams.Or just scaling them back to realistic projections.

[IanTustin]

I love bluetooth, its extreamly handy to load up AIM or MSM when i'm out and about and send a quick mail through my phone. I'll be pretty upset if the UK version doesn't have it :(

Ian

[ClieKun]

It will have BT in your parts. don`t worry

[cjones]

The main reason I want bluetooth in the future sony models (like the TH55) is that it's using that in conjunction with a bluetooth cell phone is the *quickest* way to get online with your PDA. Wi-fi is nice and all... but what if you don't have a hotspot to use?

Personally here where I live there are virtually no hot spots (I know where they are... they're just rare and far between. I'm not going to an airport or a starbucks *just* to make use of a hot spot. ).

-chris

[Cyker]

This is true - esp. in places where WarChalking isn't very common.

BTW, it is *very* possible that the BT hardware is still in non-Euro TH55s, but just disabled.

However it's more likely they just didn't bother soldering the chips in (Like you get on motherboards sometimes: I have 2 identical boards, except one is RAID and the other isn't. The main difference is that there's a big gap on the non-RAID board where the surfacemount RAID chip goes :)).

I'd be more inclined to think the latter. Also, using weight as a guide is inadvisible: The weight listed will be approximate at best, and IC's don't exactly weigh much...

OTOH it's very possible that modding a TH55 for BT is possible, but it will be bloody hard. And then there's hacking in OS support....!

[mike p]

arent clies made on an assembly line?

that way they would all have bt

[Maverik]

mike, not necessarily, assembly lines aren't very linear meaning they don't have to all be the same, they can have different paths to go on etc. Plus they could also have more than one assembly line (very likely) for their units. That ideology doesn't hold up.

The thing is though even if they had the hardware for BT in the US unit and just disabled it, it would still be against the law because they told the FCC that the US model wouldn't support BT. If they had the chip or whatever in there and just disabled than the unit still technically supports BT.

[Cyker]

Ahh, but it's very easy for them to tell the machine *not* to put, e.g., the BT tranceiver chip on the unit.

I reckon that's how they're doing it - I bet if you compare a BT and non-BT version, they'll be exactly the same except the non-BT will have slightly different front-panel and a big square gap where the BT IC surface-mount chip should go :)

Of course in that case all we have to do to get BT is stick one back on, but this is easier said than done :)
(Oh, and add OS support :D)

[Novaldex]

Unless i'm very much mistaken, BT memory sticks have been available for a couple of years. At least in the UK where I picked up my N770C.

Does this mean that BT isn't available in the US? How about in Canada? Everyone feeling it's not worth trying use? How come it's available on north american ipaqs?

I'm tempted by this TH55, but i'm considering getting the UK version if it comes loaded with more... At least i've got options!

[Cyker]

Can't use a BT MS in the TH55 - the MS door will get in the way!!

Even if you leave it open, the sticky-outy-bit will get in the way of your hand so only lefties can use it! :)

[Novaldex]

Could always remove the door... no?

Yeah, that's true... only lefties could get away with it. Perhaps it was a leftie that designed it in the first place?

[ClieKun]

gesh..........need to see it in person.