Sony NZ-90 Design Flaw

[Redmond]

The intent of this thread is NOT to bash the NZ. I had a NZ at one time and backed down to a NX-70V. I’m a Clie Owner. And I’m not saying the NX is better than the NZ.

I’m more looking out for my fellow Clie Owners. I want $ONY to be accountable if there’s really an issue with the NZ.

I started to look back in the NZ Forum and found some of the NZ Problems mentioned in previous threads. Some of the members request for help went unanswered because of lack of interest. But the problem REMAINS UNRESOLVED.

It’s like knowing of a problem and looking “the other way”, or “sweeping it under the rug”. It's hard to admit to the truth sometimes.

No doubt, the NZ-90 is a crammed feature packed PDA. But does it all work to the level that the MOST EXPENSIVE PDA on the market is suppose to? Or are you all having to make CONCESSIONS?

Known Issues:

- Battery Problems
- Power Management Program Inaccurate??
- Camera App Power Consumption Problem
- Screen Sensitivity Issues “NZ screen not being sensitive to the stylus' touch”
- Poor Movie Player Quality “it appears to be more blocky, but the way the playback looks, I will never use it!”
- TV Cable Output Problem “I can only hear the sound of my video but no video”
- CLIEMAIL “Virtually everything is working perfectly EXCEPT CLIEMAIL”

PLEASE tell me that the NZ is NOT a SONY “Rush to Market” design flawed CA$H COW PDA. Please??

[GoldenTiger]

I, and most users, have NONE of those problems. Some are defective and have those issues, and thus should be returned to the store for a new one. Those are not design flaws, apparrently a bad batch went out and people got them by accident.

[Redmond]

Originally posted by GoldenTiger
I, and most users, have NONE of those problems. Some are defective and have those issues, and thus should be returned to the store for a new one. Those are not design flaws, apparrently a bad batch went out and people got them by accident.

What would you pay for a Compact Flash driver to let you use wifi, bluetooth, or memory cards?? Give your response in this thread!
http://www.cliesource.com/forums/sh...=&threadid=3544


GoldenTiger, thank you for your comments. But have you TRIED the blocky Movie playback or TV out? Those problems would not be issues to you if you don't experience them yourself.

to answer your how much would you pay??. . . .

Have you added it up lately?

$799.00 for the NZ-90
$149.00 for the WiFi (which $ONY should have BUILT-IN)
$ 80.00 for an $pare Battery (which $ONY should have INCLUDED)
$ 99.00 CompUSA Warranty
$ 60.00 for a 128MB Memory Stick (SONY should have included atleast 64MB)
$ 60.00 for a Case that fits?? (even more for a Vaja)
$1247 TOTAL BEFORE TAX!!! (8.8% in WA State = $1356.73)

That’s $1356.73 for a frikin’ PDA! #@#$#@!!!!

Read it: One Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Six Dollars and Seventy Three Cents.

And that’s NOT counting the $$$ for software yet either!

I know our nation and economy is nearing a time of crisis and you all want to help in any way you can right?

$ONY Thanks You.

[Redmond]

It’s kinda amusing to read the other posts regarding the different NZ-90 issues: . . .
- Extremely High Drainage Camera App
- Slowww Starting Camera App
- Turning down the Brightness to Conserve Battery
- Turning off the IR to Conserve Battery
- Minimizing the use of WiFi to Conserve Battery
- Turning off the Flash while in the Camera App to Conserve Battery
- Avoiding the Camera App altogether
- Various (careful) ways of draining/charging the Battery
- $pare Battery is on Back Order
- Lack of External Battery Charger (which mean you have to charge spare in the NZ)
- Power Management Program Inaccurate??
- Camera App Power Consumption Problem
- Screen Sensitivity Issues “NZ screen not being sensitive to the stylus' touch”
- Poor Movie Player Quality “it appears to be more blocky, but the way the playback looks, I will never use it!”
- TV Cable Output Problem “I can only hear the sound of my video but no video”
- CLIEMAIL “Virtually everything is working perfectly EXCEPT CLIEMAIL”
- Pretend it doesn’t affect you
And say there’s nothing wrong with the NZ.

Are we not admitting something here? Are we trying to look the other way? Admission is sometimes a hard thing to swallow because the truth always hurts.

Who are we fooling? Is this the way a $1,400.00 (Loaded Cost) PDA suppose to work??? Not!!!

Why do all of you NZ Owners have to make CONCESSIONS?

It’s COSTING all of you odd functional NX operational peculiarities, let alone the $$$ for a $$$pare batterie$$. And you know what? $ONY’$ lovin’ you for it!!

[CeasarMA]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Comparing the NX and NZ (I know this has been done ad nauseum), and I owned a NX and returned it.

There is only a $200 difference between the two that we are talking about.  Now from the most basic standpoint, we are only talking 2mp camera and built-in bluetooth.  To me and maybe only me, at $599, what was another $200 to get a much better camera and built-in bluetooth that doesn't tie up the memorystick slot (for the BT MS).

Battery issues - I think as Littlesix has explained this, this was answered a long time ago.  I learned what I had to do and mine works fine.  If you are comparing old battery lives with the basic PDA organizer, you are sadly mistaken.  Comparing for instance the basic Palm III and V.  They were basically PIM type of equipment.  Today's PDAs, need to be actual number crunchers, word processors, MP3/video players, remote controls photo albums/editors.  Has it occurred to anyone that most of the above mentioned units are plugged into a wall outlet (computer) or powered by high-speed ultra-drain AA/AAA bateries (that still ultra drain?)

Do I wish I had more juice at times sure, but if my clie can power 20-30 flash pictures and still be 70% compared to the huge batteries needed for the regular still/video camera well I am happy.

As far as the video play back on TV.  I think this was metionedsome time ago that clie viewer only supported playback of stills not video.  As I look at my NZ box it clearly says, "MULTI-FUNCTIONAL USB CRADLE - Slim and stylish cradle with folding mechanism for portability.  USB terminal for Hotsync.  Display JPEG pictures on monitor using AV output.

Power management problems I have none.  Again after reviewing the threads from forever ago, I realize that using certain programs causes greater drain thannormal operation.  I realize if I keep using the camera at a certain point theClie can't support it. Logical, makes sense, so when I don't need it, I turn it off.

Cliemail, admittedly, I don't use it for other security reasons, but it is just a program like the NX . . . I don't know.

So back to the foundational question, aren't we talking only a $200 difference regarding your scenario?  Those are all the same expenses for an NX or just about any other PDA. Is another battery necessary?  I don't know, but I guess if I was going out for awhile without a charger . . .yes, if not well then no.

So for just $200 more I got a great little camera to supplement my F717, when I don't want to carry it and I got built-in bluetooth and saved the MS slot. Is it worth it to me absolutely

ceasar

[oneeyesquare]

OK, the first thread was a fare-thee-well... This ones just unneccessary. We KNOW you don't like it.... Now go away.....

[Redmond]

Originally posted by CeasarMA
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Comparing the NX and NZ (I know this has been done ad nauseum), and I owned a NX and returned it.
. Is it worth it to me absolutely.

ceasar

I'm not comparing the NZ to the NX.

I'm just bringing out the "dirty laundry" or "taboo" subject.

If the NZ works for you, I'm happy that you're happy.

;)

[Redmond]

Originally posted by oneeyesquare
OK, the first thread was a fare-thee-well... This ones just unneccessary. We KNOW you don't like it.... Now go away.....

I think you're in DENIAL oneeyesquare.

Again, I hope you like your NZ. Like. Not Love.


;)

[LITTLESIX]

If you're so happy that we're happy cuz we like/love or NZ's, why the **** are you even posting?

BTW, Sony loves you and your Nx too. Now go away.

[Redmond]

Originally posted by LITTLESIX
If you're so happy that we're happy cuz we like/love or NZ's, why the **** are you even posting?

BTW, Sony loves you and your Nx too. Now go away.

Like I said, the truth always hurts.

Sound like you are aware of the problems and can live with it. That's OK too.

I'm just surprised to see that all (some) of you are content with Sony's performance, or not taking any issues with Sony about it?

I'm sure Sony loves all its cu$tomers including me. But one thing is for sure though, I like my Sony. I don't love it.

Don't love anything that can't love you back.

;)

[LITTLESIX]

Originally posted by Redmond


Like I said, the truth always hurts.

Sound like you are aware of the problems and can live with it. That's OK too.

I'm just surprised to see that all (some) of you are content with Sony's performance, or not taking any issues with Sony about it?

I'm sure Sony loves all its cu$tomers including me. But one thing is for sure though, I like my Sony. I don't love it.

Don't love anything that can't love you back.

;)

The only thing I'm aware of is that I managed to make an informed careful decision about my purchasing an NZ without the benefit(s) of your insights; two-dimensional as they obviously are.

It's painfully apparent that your experience with your NZ was not something you expected or anticipated. So sorry. Hope you and your Nx have a joyous existence together.

[Redmond]

Originally posted by LITTLESIX


The only thing I'm aware of is that I managed to make an informed careful decision about my purchasing an NZ ...

A careful decision should ALWAYS be made before making a close to $1,500.00 PDA buying decision.

That very point, is the purpose of my thread.

I wonder how careful one can be with the NZ's only being out for just over a week? All that was really availible was speculation and marketing stuff.

The real answer will come after users like you and me really have real world experiences with the NZ.
;)

[ehartung]

Originally posted by Redmond
Who are we fooling? Is this the way a $1,400.00 (Loaded Cost) PDA suppose to work??? Not!!!

Why do all of you NZ Owners have to make CONCESSIONS?

It’s COSTING all of you odd functional NX operational peculiarities, let alone the $$$ for a $$$pare batterie$$. And you know what? $ONY’$ lovin’ you for it!!


AND GUESS WHAT ? I LOVE SONY FOR DEVELOPED SUCH A MACHINE. I DON'T have any problems with the screen, or TV-Out or even the camera problem doesn't affect me.

I think that It's a great item !

$1,400 ???

$899 for the PDA..
$76 for 256 MB (2 of 126)
$39 Service plan (thats why I don't carry in a case)

so that's like 1000..
let's include an extra battery and let's say thats $1100

By the way I'm a DRUG DEALEAR, So, $1100 is what I make in less than 20 minutes.

And I use all my WAREZ (for testing (which takes like 20 years), which I do like the program, but I'll buy then in like 20 years for now.

I had the 1st palm pilot
Then IIIx
Then IIIc
Then Palm 505
Then Palm 515
Then Clie 615
Then 760C
Then NR70
Then NR70V
Then NX70
and now the NZ90

and I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER !!!!!!!!!

You should go and buy a huge paper agenda (like 5 bucks), an old Cassete tape ($15) and disposable cameras.. then u will have the same feature of the NZ90 !!!

But only for like $50 bucks !!!!amazing ISN'T IT ??


LOL LOL LOL

This post is just so we can have fun !!

[ehartung]

Originally posted by Redmond


I know our nation and economy is nearing a time of crisis and you all want to help in any way you can right?

$ONY Thanks You.

And people should not buy the PDA because maybe Osama Bin LAiden or Saddam Hussein have NZ90's ???

Or we should sell the Nz90 and give away the money ?

Go ahead, I prefer someone suffering then me giving away my Nz90 !!!!
(then you would give me ur Nz90 (if u had one) to cease my suffering and that would go on....)

[Redmond]

Thank you Eric for your post. It was very amusing. I had as much fun reading it as you had writing it!!!:)

I think this post is more for future buyers maybe. Not for seasoned vetrans like you.

;)

[ehartung]

by the way.. I'm 19 years old.. I was 2 when I had the 1st palm... better. I was created in a palm !!!

[Redmond]

Originally posted by ehartung


And people should not buy the PDA because maybe Osama Bin LAiden or Saddam Hussein have NZ90's ???



Frankly, I don't care what Osama has.

I'm more concerned about people making an intelligent purchase decision.

;)

[Redmond]

Originally posted by ehartung
by the way.. I'm 19 years old.. I was 2 when I had the 1st palm... better. I was created in a palm !!!

I totally undersand you Erick. I have a 19 year old Son.

;)

[GoldenTiger]

Originally posted by Redmond


GoldenTiger, thank you for your comments. But have you TRIED the blocky Movie playback or TV out? Those problems would not be issues to you if you don't experience them yourself.

to answer your how much would you pay??. . . .

Have you added it up lately?

$799.00 for the NZ-90
$149.00 for the WiFi (which $ONY should have BUILT-IN)
$ 80.00 for an $pare Battery (which $ONY should have INCLUDED)
$ 99.00 CompUSA Warranty
$ 60.00 for a 128MB Memory Stick (SONY should have included atleast 64MB)
$ 60.00 for a Case that fits?? (even more for a Vaja)
$1247 TOTAL BEFORE TAX!!! (8.8% in WA State = $1356.73)

That’s $1356.73 for a frikin’ PDA! #@#$#@!!!!

Read it: One Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Six Dollars and Seventy Three Cents.

And that’s NOT counting the $$$ for software yet either!

I know our nation and economy is nearing a time of crisis and you all want to help in any way you can right?

$ONY Thanks You.

 

I have had NONE of the problems. I immediately tested out when I saw everyone posting of all the "issues". One guy posted he bought 3 in a row (exchanging) with consecutive serial #'s showing them as a bad batch. I didn't buy a warranty, mine carried over. I didn't buy wifi, bluetooth is fine and wifi can be had for as little as $70-100 if you look for rebates. I use bluetooth to connect to cell phone and my dongle. Memory sticks can be had as cheap as $30-40 after rebates, and a case isn't needed due to the clamshell design.

My total was:

 

$640 for Clie (pricematched, minus warranty cost, only paid $180ish to upgrade from my NX since it had a dead pixel and a couple intermittently coming on and off)

$40 for a 128mb stick

$40 for a bluetooth dongle for my PC with a 100 meter range, limited by Clie which has a 50-60 feet range indoors for me (online from buy.com w/ free shipping)

$150 for a 1gb compactflash card from fatwallet.com deals forums (for when the CF driver comes out in April) non-sony brand.

Lots of money for software.

I only paid Sony about $680, and have NO issues. My battery works great (6hrs full charge on 50% brightness w/o ir/bt on). My video out is fine. Movie player playback is fine. Kinoma works great. Camera doesn't swing with battery much, it dips some but not so much to stop me from photo-taking, and if it does I wait 2 seconds and it goes back up again. Most of the issues posted here are hyperbole, resulting from a bad batch likely. I know 2 people who have bought NZ's as well and they work perfectly as well, bought from different stores than I purchased mine from.

Sorry to disappoint you, but the NZ really isn't that flawed. Obviously a bad batch went out and that is causing people issues. 90% of the people here who have swapped their NZ once got a new one that works fine. People with things like warped battery doors obviously have mismanufactured units. Would you expect your hot dog to come in a circle? Of course not, it would obviously be defective and need to be swapped for a new, straight one.

-Tiger.

[Redmond]

Originally posted by GoldenTiger


 

I have had NONE of the problems.
-Tiger.

Good for you GoldenTiger. You have NO problems. Everything works fine, and you saved some money. That's GREAT!

Just as long as you're not in denial too is OK with me. Because in the end, it's YOU that has to live with it.

Not me.

;)

[GoldenTiger]

There are many MAJOR differences between the NX and the NZ series that I can think of off the top of my head:


MUCH brighter screen with lower power usage. 62% brightness on the NZ = 100% brightness on the NX according to Sony specs.
Longer battery life.
Smart battery with cool features telling you charge time, remaining charge, etc.
Bluetooth BUILT-IN.
Dual expansion slots (CF/MS, cf usable in April thanks to a company with CF drivers)
Better keyboard with larger keys and is non-membrane, having actual buttons.
2 megapixel camera instead of a 0.3 megapixel one.
Actual lense instead of a pinhole camera, meaning better optics and pictures/video recording.
Autofocus, and many more extra camera features.
Flash on the camera.
Status row for easy checking of Clie status above the screen.
AV out with the cradle.
Small cradle that folds and is very portable.
Replacable battery that can be replaced easily and quickly without data loss for extended sessions.
Hard buttons accessible in tablet mode.

The NX is a great PDA, but the NZ simply is far superior. Fixes for all problems you have mentioned have been posted, and some you posted simply don't exist.

[Redmond]

Originally posted by GoldenTiger
There are several MAJOR differences:

...all problems you have mentioned have been posted, and some you posted simply don't exist.

Again, this is NOT about the DIFFERENCE between the NX and NZ.

It's about SONY delivering the goods. Bang for the buck.

If you think it's worth every penny, then that's fine.

If the NZ works for you, that's fine too.

;)

[pstoppani]

Originally posted by Redmond


Again, this is NOT about the DIFFERENCE between the NX and NZ.

It's about SONY delivering the goods. Bang for the buck.

If you think it's worth every penny, then that's fine.

If the NZ works for you, that's fine too.

;)

Well, I think you made it into a NX vs NZ comparison because you say that the NZ is not worth the money and that the NX is. This truly blows me away because in my mind the NZ is a MUCH better value for the money than an NX (which I owned before the NZ).

They both have mostly the same issues or they trade off some issues. The NX camera starts up faster and does not consume as much power, but then it is practically useless due to the poor quality and lack of flash.

I need Bluetooth and the NX doesn't have it; I actually got the BT memory stick for it and used it often but then I couldn't have a memory stick for pictures and music. Upgrading to the NZ was a no-brainer on that feature for me.

As far as ClieMail goes, it is the same piece of useless software on the NX and the NZ.

In my opinion, all 3 NR, NX and NZ are bleeding edge technology devices and were released before all the issues where figured out; which pretty common for bleeding edge devices.

I just wish Sony had fixed some of the issues; like Clie Mail, by now.

Am I a 100% happy with the NZ? No. But I wasn't with the NR or NX either and the NZ is a step in the right direction.

[pstoppani]

Originally posted by Redmond


Have you added it up lately?

$799.00 for the NZ-90
$149.00 for the WiFi (which $ONY should have BUILT-IN)
$ 80.00 for an $pare Battery (which $ONY should have INCLUDED)
$ 99.00 CompUSA Warranty
$ 60.00 for a 128MB Memory Stick (SONY should have included atleast 64MB)
$ 60.00 for a Case that fits?? (even more for a Vaja)
$1247 TOTAL BEFORE TAX!!! (8.8% in WA State = $1356.73)



Have YOU added it up for the NX?

$599 for the NX
$149 for the WiFi
$149 for bluetooth card
$300 to $400 for a 2MP camera
$99 for warranty
$60 for 128MB memory stick
$60 for a case

$1400+ (not including warranty for the camera and a case for it and a memory stick for it!)

So, which is the better value?

[Redmond]

Originally posted by pstoppani

This truly blows me away because in my mind the NZ is a MUCH better value for the money than an NX

No Comparison. No Contest.

If the NZ works for you, GREAT.
If you think the NZ is worth $1000.00+, GREAT.
If you're not having problems, GREAT, consider yourself lucky.

I'm not disputing the feature difference between the NZ/NX.

I have high expectations of a $1000+ PDA.
Maybe higher than yours.
I just don't think SONY is delivering here.

Look at the other threads. Some people on this Forum have problems that are still unresolved.

If you are satisfied with your NZ and what you paid for it, then more power to you.

;)

[Redmond]

Originally posted by pstoppani


Have YOU added it up for the NX?

$599 for the NX
$149 for the WiFi
$149 for bluetooth card
$300 to $400 for a 2MP camera
$99 for warranty
$60 for 128MB memory stick
$60 for a case

$1400+ (not including warranty for the camera and a case for it and a memory stick for it!)

So, which is the better value?

All I really want from my PDA is to keep Names to Faces.
I originally bought the NZ because I'm that type of person.
I have to have the latest and greatest.
Money is NOT the issue.
Every home in my cu-de-sac is $500,000+

When I was dinking around the Camera App for any length of time I saw the Battery drain right in front of my very eyes.

To me, the NZ just didn't live up to my expectations.

I just didn't want to put upwith the little quirky problems I had with the NZ.
It's not what I expect form a "Top Of The Line" PDA.

If the NZ is worth the "Bang for the Buck" to you then GREAT.

However, I'm happy with the NX's performance so far though.

Thank you for your concern though.

;)

[pstoppani]

So then, what is your point in this thread?

At one time you pointed out the problems with the NZ. I say the the NX has its own problems. Why are you not pointing them out too?

At another point you say you are concerned with value and give a laundry list of what it costs to own the NZ. I show you a similiar laundry list that shows the NX is actually more expensive if you care about the features in the NZ. Now you say you only care about attaching pictures to you address book.

So, what is your point? What are you trying to tell people? So far your message/point seems to change with the wind.

There is plenty of info on this board about the issues with the NZ. No one is ignoring them or sweeping them under the rug.

I think most of us knew about these issues before the NZ was even available. I certainly have not been suprised by any of the NZ's deficiencies. They were all listed by reviewers before the NZ ever hit the store shelves.

[pstoppani]

Originally posted by Redmond


When I was dinking around the Camera App for any length of time I saw the Battery drain right in front of my very eyes.



Did you try the camera with the continuous focus turned off? I'm sure that consume a fair amount of power, as it does on any camera; which is why I always turn it off.

[Redmond]

Originally posted by pstoppani
So then, what is your point in this thread?

At one time you pointed out the problems with the NZ. I say the the NX has its own problems. Why are you not pointing them out too?

I think most of us knew about these issues before the NZ was even available. I certainly have not been surprised by any of the NZ's deficiencies. They were all listed by reviewers before the NZ ever hit the store shelves.

pstoppani, if it makes you happy, yes, the NX has problems too.

I haven't encountered them to the level of expectation that causes me to rag on it yet. But as I said, all I want it to do is take a thumbnail photo of the person and attach it to the Contact in the AddressBook. The NX will do that just fine.

If you speak for the most of the people on this Forum, you knew about the NZ's issues before going into it, then you made the right decision.

I guess for the benefit of the new readers who are still making their purchase decision, this and other threads will just give them a head's up.

;)

[Redmond]

Originally posted by pstoppani


Did you try the camera with the continuous focus turned off? I'm sure that consume a fair amount of power, as it does on any camera; which is why I always turn it off.

No, I did not try it with the continuous focus turned off. I was unaware of that feature. If I did maybe it would've helped - a bit.

But again, my expectation from the most expensive PDA around is you use it. And use it. And use it.

Not by having to turn subsystems off. You use it like a tool. You know what I mean? Its a frikin' SONY NZ-90 by golly!!!

[pstoppani]

Originally posted by Redmond


No, I did not try it with the continuous focus turned off. I was unaware of that feature. If I did maybe it would've helped - a bit.

But again, my expectation from the most expensive PDA around is you use it. And use it. And use it.


So are you saying you were not able to create photos for your addressbook? That is your only expectation per you above post!


Not by having to turn subsystems off. You use it like a tool. You know what I mean? Its a frikin' SONY NZ-90 by golly!!!

Well, I've had to turn off subsystems on almost all the gadgets/PDAs that I've owned to make the battery last as long as possible so this is nothing new for the NZ.

To be clear, my point in posting here is that I think you are creating more misinformation than you are creating good information. If you want to post the flaws of device A, you need to also post the flaws of device B to make sure people are truly informed; which is what I think you are trying to do. You also need to post the benefits and the tradeoffs.

So, do your research on all the PDA's out there, create a chart, and then post. Right now, your posts are way to one sided agains the NZ. This doesn't do anyone any real good.

I'm off to get a coffee at Starbuck's. I live in Redmond too and I need my caffeine fix for the afternoon; my NZ battery should be recharged by the time I return :D That's a little joke for ya ;)

[Redmond]

Originally posted by pstoppani


So are you saying you were not able to create photos for your addressbook? That is your only expectation per you above post!

I think you are creating more misinformation than you are creating good information. ..

I'm off to get a coffee at Starbuck's, my NZ battery should be recharged by the time I return :D That's a little joke for ya ;)

That's cool.

Yes, I was able to create photos on the NZ. But at unacceptable Battery usage, which is NOT acceptable to me.

I was prepared and did pay the money for the NZ. Yes, just to do the Names to Faces thing (Schedule too of course). I was just unwilling to accept its performance issues.

I'm not posting flaws on Device B because frankly, I haven't encounter them yet.
I’m just saying Device A did not live up to my expectations.

I hope I’m not creating misinformation. I think any information is better than no information.
I think future NZ buyers should know everything they can before plunking down $1000.
There are other posts on this board that speaks about NZ problems.

I have not yet had to shut off subsystems on the NX for my PDA needs, and have gone farther in between charges than your NZ that is charging in the cradle.

I’m not in the business of giving PDA reviews, just my personal experience and observations.

Have a good time at Starbucks. I’m sipping on a Coffee Frapp as we speak.

;)

[Redmond]

Thank you to all of those who participated on this thread.;)

I think I've made my views clear.
Just be sure the NZ-90 is worth the $1,200+ in your mind.
There are some outstanding issues with the NZ-90's performance.
If you can justify the cost, then GREAT.
But don't justify the reason just to fool yourself.
In 2 months, when the NZ replacement is out, your NZ-90 might be worth 50% of the original cost. I might be a little off on the percentage, but you can make yourself feel better by stating a higher number. Who's foolin' who?

Set High Expectations and let SONY or your retailer live up to it. Make little concessions. You have the right to.

I can't spend all day in front of the computer.

Geez, I think some people on these Forums just wanting to see their numbers go up or something.....

2360 hits!! on - Don't Believe the Hype! (who are you foolin'?)
2317 hits!! on - NZ Case that fits
2413 hits!! on - I've got it and luv It!

Got things to do, places to go, people to see.

Again, Thank You. It was fun!!

Good luck to ya'll.

Live Long and Prosper!

Redmond Out!!!

:)

[Unregistered]

I find it interesting that for someone who so disdains both the nz and all of the hits and threads, that so many of the conversations and posts are generated by you, Redmond. If you don't want an nz, great. The nx is a fabulous piece of equipment; had one myself. However, I think that the nz owners, past, present and future, understand your views on both. It's time to bury this topic, accept our purchases (or trade them in), and move on to how to use what we've got in an optimal fashion.

[Rossi01]

All,

This is a very interesting thread.
I would like to make some comments about it:

1) I agree that Sony should have an EXCELLENT customer support for NX type products. Afterall, their customers are paying A LOT OF MONEY for these products. It like the Lexus and Toyota branding. Lexux customers have premium customer service because they pay more for the cars, despite both brands belong to Toyota.
Therefore, Sony SHOULD be paying more attention to these customer because they are the ones providing feedback about features and performance of their products.

2) One should know that by buying the cutting edge stuff Sony makes (NZ type stuff) there will be bugs and design flaws. They will be fized in the next generation of their products, but then they will not be the "cutting edge" anylonger because the newest stuff will have some other different features. Also, the cutting edge stuff ALWAYS cost more. It's the price to pay for having the coolest thing on the block.

3) Today I saw the NZ personally at CompUSA. Could not do the full test because there was no memory stick available. The camera was ready in no time. I am wondering if the big delay time is due to the memory stick size and its addressing. I have a DCR-PC100 camera and it also takes a long time for it to be ready to shoot photos if I use a 128Mb memory stick.
Anybody tried the camera delay tme with different memory stick sizes?

4) Sony addressed in some way a VERY BAD issue of those rechargeable PDAs. We always had to carry the recharger in a trip because the battery time is short (my N760C lasts about 2 weeks if I only use the bare minimum of its features). The possibility of carrying a spare battery pack or two makes my life much easier.

5) The screen resolution and appearance is MUCH better than my N760C. I did not compare it with the NX series, though.

6) I consider a design flaw if a product that takes photos and movies and has PAL and NTSC video output and CANNOT play the videos it makes through its own video output.

7) I consider a design flaw if a product offers a CF type slot that is not compatible with the CF standard and will require special drivers for it.


My decision?
I decided to wait a little more before buying and see what happens with the NZ and all the features it is packing. What will be Sony's response to them?
I would like to see Sony's website paying more attention to these products and customers using these products.

I have to admit that Sony does not have an exemplary customer support. I still have one issue pending and no response from their part yet.

Because of that, I cannot count on Sony's "eagerness" to have happt customers. Apparently their strategy is offering cutting edge technology products to peope who like them (myself included) and letting them being happy with what they get.

As I agree that >$1000 ($799-NZ + $80-Battery + $140-Wi-Fi card) is too much for my self pleasure of having the coolest PDA of the block, with all the faults that come with it. If it was not for them I would have bought mine today. I got really close...

Threads like this and others in this forum are excellent because they point all benefits (and flaws) and help people making the decision that suits them better.


Cheers!!

[atomicCLIE]

Redmond,

I just want to know why you expect everything to be perfect. I think you're just a little too optimistic here. No electronic device is without problems.

Just because it's expensive doesn't mean its the best device in the world.

[SprSaiyan8]

Rossi01 you have a very good point good reply

[JohnJ80]

You know, a year ago I would have had to carry a laptop and a digitial camera to do all that I can do with the NZ90 - not to menton a plethora of cords. Now I can do most of it with the 90 and alot less hassle.

The battery problem, the camera app battery drop problem (probably the same problem as the battery), and all of the others are not something that can't be overcome. They will be in time and it will all be fine.

So, actually these are good problems to have because they are more than overshadowed by the capabilites that they are part of.

If you want what this can do, then buy it. If you don't then don't. Seems to me this all shouldn't be all that tough.

So, do you think we have beat this issue to death yet?

j

[Redmond]

Originally posted by Rossi01

This is a very interesting thread…
My decision?
I decided to wait a little more before buying and see what happens with the NZ …
I would like to see Sony's website paying more attention to these products and customers using these products.
If it was not for them I would have bought mine today. I got really close...

Threads like this and others in this forum are excellent because they point all benefits (and flaws) and help people making the decision that suits them better.
Cheers!!

Originally posted by atomicCLIE
I just want to know why you expect everything to be perfect. I think you're just a little too optimistic here. No electronic device is without problems.

Just because it's expensive doesn't mean its the best device in the world.

Originally posted by JohnJ80
The battery problem, the camera app battery drop problem (probably the same problem as the battery), and all of the others are not something that can't be overcome. They will be in time and it will all be fine.

So, actually these are good problems to have because they are more than overshadowed by the capabilites that they are part of.

If you want what this can do, then buy it. If you don't then don't.

So, do you think we have beat this issue to death yet?
j

Rossi01, I’m glad this thread and other threads help you make an informed decision.:)

atomicCLIE, I like what Rossi01 said, about the Lexus analogy. You’d expect perfection, just like I did in my NZ.:)

JohnJ80, A problem is a problem, is a problem is a problem. It’s not good problem and not acceptable.
If you have a “work around”, then problem is still there. And SONY gets away with it.
You nailed my point right on the head – KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING IN TO, but expect high standards. It's the Lexus of PDA's.
:)

This is my only ENCORE response.

Live Long and Prosper.

Redmond Out!!

;)

[pstoppani]

I think that using the Lexus analogy is quite incorrect. The NZ is more like a Porsche or Ferrari. If you've owned either one, you'd know that they provide cutting edge performance but some of the design features and their quality and reliability is not anywhere near to a Lexus.

Like I said before, there are tradeoffs. Yes, one should be aware fo them, but to point out only the negatives is not the right approach. Just by going with a Palm 5 device you are making a trade off between higher performance and apps that don't run correctly.

Do you really think that the first PDA with an integrated 2MP camera with a flash won't have some battery drain issues? Of course it will!

Anyway, price does not equate to perfection.

The most expensive watches in the world are mechanical. They require servicing every 5 years and are at best accurate to 1 second a day. A Timex watch costing $10 will run forever with just simple batter changes and is acccurate to 1 minute a month.

[stronggeek]

Redmond,

I, for one, thank you for your opinion on the nz90. I want to hear from people like you (people who have tried the nz and returned it for various reasons) as well as those that either attempt rationalize or honestly justify their own purchase of the unit.

Bad batch or not, along with the many other COMFIRMED problems that have been experienced by many others (not just you) there is no way in hell I would even consider purchase of the nz90! Besides already owning top of the line (for now anyway) desktop, notebook and camera and with no immediate need for bt, I must state that my nx and it's formfactor (I miss the size of the palmv and I don't want a notebook in my pocket) suit me fine. So therefore, IMHO the nx is the best buy for my money and my circumstances. I long for the day where everything offered in the nz actually works and fits into the package of the nx/nr or smaller (I know... don't we all!).

So in conclusion, I thank all of you, especially you Redmond for helping me make a informed decision. I will indeed wait for the next virtual grafitti/jot enabled, longer battery lasting and bt enabled ( might be using it by then) unit. Will that be in april or may? :) If I wait longer than that, it will probably be faster and an even longer wait may yield me an os 6 unit. I know, wishful thinking!

Later,
Stronggeek

[Redmond]

Stronggeek,

Thanks. Compliments accepted.

Redmond

[starstreak]

Originally posted by pstoppani

Do you really think that the first PDA with an integrated 2MP camera with a flash won't have some battery drain issues? Of course it will! 


 

Yes I believe it should. Sony made infolithium batteries for ages, and they've been making pda for ages too now.  With quality testing they should've known it wouldn't last the 12-15 days of use.  Sony says with backlight off with like 15mins(I think) use per day.  I don't know of anyone who would buy this unit and not use backlighting.. Its a good screen but unless you work outdoors, its not the greatest with light off.

[Marudine]

First of all, SONY has already specified its technical specification of the product (i.e. NZ90 in this case) and I believe SONY must comply 100% as claimed.

Therefore, You, as a consumer, has AGREED to the tech spec and hence bought the unit. And if the unit can't perform as claim by the tech spec, you will have the right to exchange a new unit or seek for full refund.

In conclusion, there isn't any problem with the unit if it meets the spec.

[Clietivity]

I got all confused. I don't know why Sony designed NZ90 in the first place.

Sony put a 2.0 digital Camera with Flash in NZ90 but give it a weak battery, Yes, I know it is a removable battery but a weak removable battery is still a weak battery.

Yeah! with such weak battery, you do need an InfoLithium battery to tell how many minutues you have left before all your info got wipe out!!

Sony wanted to make NZ90 a true Multimedia PDA with a powerful camera but what the hack is the 11 MB usable memory all about?!

And the size... alright who is the wise guy that said NZ90 is like Ferrari and Porche? Hey! there is something called sixteen wheels truck!


NZ90 is a great product but I am waiting for the next NZ model...

[LoneWolf]

I think you mean 18-Wheeler

[LoneWolf]

I was just curious how long Redmond used the NZ90, It has't been out long enough for all the problems(kinks) to be worked out.

Darn...

Patience, must not be a virtue for some.....

I wonder if he thinks the Glass is HALF-EMPTY....

Or maybe he HAD to return it and really didn't want to and he is really UPSET...

[pstoppani]

Originally posted by Clietivity

Yeah! with such weak battery, you do need an InfoLithium battery to tell how many minutues you have left before all your info got wipe out!!

What do you mean by "wiped out"? The NZ has a backup battery that lasts quite a long time to make sure that if the main battery goes dead or is removed, you will not lose data.

Sony wanted to make NZ90 a true Multimedia PDA with a powerful camera but what the hack is the 11 MB usable memory all about?![\B]

Get a memory stick just like you need to with a "normal" digital camera.

[B]And the size... alright who is the wise guy that said NZ90 is like Ferrari and Porche? Hey! there is something called sixteen wheels truck!

That was me and you are taking my comment out of context which had to do with comparing performance, quality and price; not size. However, Porsche makes an SUV so my analogy with Lexus is valid even when you toss in size. BTW - trucks have 18 wheels, not 16.

NZ90 is a great product but I am waiting for the next NZ model...


You'll be waiting forever if you set your expectations too high because the next NZ will have some other fancy new feature that will be imperfect.

[starstreak]

Marudine-
K, you tell me if it lasts 15 days at those specs. Also, I think almost everywhere you read max time for the unit, it doesn't tell you how to use the unit to get it.  Remember now, don't use the camera that the unit comes with.

Clietivity-
True on the battery and memory. Nuff said on that point as 99% people will agree with you.
As far as it being too big. Nah, Its still small.Play with a newton or one of the first pdas (yes, they're old, but they wern't anywhere near as good as this unit) I had those and they fit into my pocket. This one does too.

[LITTLESIX]

Personally I think this whole goddamn thread is pathetic and what's worse - it keeps getting fed over and over. HINT: Feeding a thread like this is like feeding a stray dog - feed it once and it never goes away.

There hasn't been a single point (NOT ONE) brought up by Redmond that hasn't been discussed ad nauseum, disspelled as wrong or corrected as long-since fixed. He met my "ignore" button before this thread hit two pages.

There have been two people grateful that they were wrestled from the clutches of the dreadful NZ. The rest of us - and obviously myself - are tired of reading this ****.

If you don't like the ****ing NZ, go search for a thread called NZ Fat Jokes. You'll be among like-minded people and you can bask in your solitary purpose.

If you DO like the NZ, let's find a topic more worthy of our time.

[lisabeth]

HEAR, HEAR, SIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[oneeyesquare]

Amen.... All this guy wanted was attention. His points are at best specious and have been discussed and refuted. The NZ is an indredible package. It has no more quirks than the NX has and has so much more to offer! I know. Ive had both....

[LITTLESIX]

PS: Sorry about the swearing. I'm a little cranky today.

[LoneWolf]

I appreciate you catching what you said....

And the Apology...Thanks!!!!!

[stronggeek]

Littlesix,

I believe this thread was intended for people like me(one who thought about the purchase of a nz) in the first place. Other people are turning this into a "pathetic" thread.

Even though you may believe this thread has little or no value, I for one am glad it exists. This thread along with other treads and opinions have saved me from making 800+ mistake! Actually I would have returned it. I check many sources and I value most opinions including yours. You appeared to be in love with this thing before it was available. I believe you had your nx sold befor the nz came out. So not sure if you had much choice. but to like it. But Redmond actually had it, then returned and he's not the only one.

So once again, thanks for all the info...from everyone.

Stronggeek

[stronggeek]

starstreak,

I had a newton 110, I did and still do wear loose fitting pants and there's know way I would have carried that thing in my pants pocket. :)

Stronggeek

[lisabeth]

Honestly, this is ridiculous.
Stronggeek, it's not that we resent differing opinions, it's the snide and pious manner in which they are delivered.
The whole purpose of this site is to exchange opinions and ideas.
I don't like people that come to my door and attempt to convert me by saying my religion is wrong. Give me the information, and let me come to my own conclusions. That's all.

[RNC]

Redmond, Your an Idiot

[starstreak]

Well my Newton fit in my pocket. ;) I wore slacks. Mind you it wasn't nice with the buldge, but it worked. I think after that I ended up getting a fanny pack to hold the unit.

[Rossi01]

Lisabeth made a good point. I'm new here but understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) that this forum is for free exchange of opinions and information (not misinformation).

If my previous post was not clear I'll try to make it clear now.

1 - I still see Sony as the leading company in the high-tech PDA industry. Palm had it but I think it's difficult to compete against a "Sony". I do not even consider (for myself) the Pocket PC stuff as alternatives for PDAs because I'm tired of Microsoft crap.

2 - Sony is also famous for the proprietary stuff (remember BetaMax?) and the Memory stick is also a good example.
However, they make cutting edge stuff and there's also a market for it. Many people (myself included) like ot have the latest technology available. I bought the DCR-PC100 camcorder the next day it was available in the stores. I carry that little thing with me in all my travels. I really love that little camera.

3 - The NZ is one example of the latest technology available. No doubts. It is also expected to have bug and flaws. No doubts.
Sony's behaviour also shows that who buys their products will stand on his(her) own and fortunately on the help of forums like this one.

4 - However, the main point is that as we are buying VERY EXPENSIVE stuff it is expcted that Sony provides a differentiated customer support for these products. My personal experience (and looks like others') show that Sony literally abandons its customers and products and instead of helping them overcoming the issues (natural to occur in new tech stuff) abandons the product and releases a new one leaving who bought the "first wave" with a sauer taste in the mouth.

5- I still think this tread and most of the others in this forum are very good to show to potential buyers what they are buying and letting them making their own decision.

6 - My decision, after reading several posts here and checking the NZ personally was to wait until the next model or a couple more months to see Sony's position (which I already expect)

Advices and rude messages apart, the final decision belongs to the person who will buy or not buy the product. People should not be mad at others just because their opinions do not match.
We already have one nice thing in common: we all like the Palm OS and the Clie handhelds that are undeniably the best PDAs in the market right now.

Cheers!

[Redmond]

First of all, I think all of you should lite’n up!!

For the new readers of this thread, please use it as food for thought. And excuse the language of some of the posters. I’m happy to see that this thread was instrumental in making some purchase decisions.

For current NZ-90 Owners, I’m sorry if anything I brought out offended you. It was not meant to. I can understand that as Owners, you would say and do anything to defend your purchase decision. It’s human nature. I take no offense to anything anybody has written and or said about me.

By making claims that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the NZ to me, is misinformation to the future buyer when you can blatantly see other threads mentioning NZ problems.

It’s not right for any future buyer to fall into a resentful purchase they could have avoided if it weren’t for posts like this and other threads. A $1000+ purchase/investment should always be seriously considered. Especially when SONY churns out two or three new models every 2 months it seems.

The admission of anything other than good and praise is hard for anyone to do. Just don’t catch yourself in denial, because if you are, you’re just fooling yourself.

Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Please let the readers make up their own minds.

Redmond

;)

[stronggeek]

lisabeth,
I agree. Just want to make an informed decision and though we all express ourselves differently, I have certainly learned from most of the pollsters on this thread.

starstreak,
I still have the fanny pack I used to carry mine in too. It was quite a machine!

Redmond,
Well written. Well said.

Stronggeek

[Marudine]

Thanks Redmond, I'm one of them that has been reading this forum for almost a month or so. And I've not "concretely" make up my mind for a nz, but I've sure that I would love to have an integrated camera (2MP is good enough for me) on the PDA.

There are several issues that had caused me to hold the puschase, like the possbile USB-OTG that might be found on the next clie etc. Maybe I'm just being to demanding .. sigh !!

[BobB]

New NZ owner here and I am not offended in the least. I haven't experienced any of the problems to date so I feel quite happy. In past 3 months I have tried the Audiovox,Genio 550, Toshiba e740 and the new iPAQ from HP the 5450. All Pocket PC's and everyone had major issues from battery, network, sd card sockets, etc... In other words they were very disappointing and disfunctional. I didn't have a "good customer experience" at all. I finally threw up my hands and bought the NZ and it was the best decision I have made with a PDA.. It worked as advertised at least as I have used it so far and I do push limits on networking anyway. I haven't really had issues but rather questions on somethings like bluetooth with Palm OS and software available but they were always answered here by users like us. This makes me even happier that I went with a Palm OS and the NZ because of the huge support base we have here.

BobB

:)

[lanchman]

Redmond,
Did you try fixing any "flaws" wit Sony? The retailer? If you didn't come down to Carlilon Point so I can smack the crap out of you. Did the you try using it before you posted? Seems to me you didn't give it a chance, ever heard/read of Starstreaks issue? That's the way you post imformation that's useful.

[starstreak]

bobb-I had a 5455. Battery was low. but this nz is worse. I mean I can use calc and go into agendas, etc and I can litterally see the battery drop 5% in about 2 minutes. Then if I don't do anything, and I'm lucky it will go back up 2%. small numbers but weird that the gauge moves that badly. I get laughed at with my friend and his tungston. He IR me a program, he stayed at 100% battery. I dropped 3%.

Anybody here with the nx70v? With the same processor? Does battery drop like this.

[Redmond]

Originally posted by lanchman
Redmond,
Did you try fixing any "flaws" wit Sony? The retailer? If you didn't come down to Carlilon Point so I can smack the crap out of you. Did the you try using it before you posted? Seems to me you didn't give it a chance....
I used my NZ for almost a week lanchman. Towards the end of the week, I was having to shut off NZ subsystems to conserve power, and I thought to myself, WHY?

I did make a call or two to SONY re: the power issue (and was helped in a very reasonable 2 minutes) and the response was the NZ was operating normally. Anotherwords, the call to SONY didn’t solve anything for me.

The chance I gave it was limited by the CompUSA return policy which is 14 days?? I didn’t need that long to make up my mind. I didn’t want to be stuck with a PDA that did not meet my expectations.

However, the problem was fixed by my retailer. After CompUSA observed the unusual power drain, they were more than happy to accommodate me with any PDA of my choice (because of the NZ’s price) which I happened to pick out the NX.

Physical harm doesn’t sound appealing to me lanchman. My suggestion: Go jogging or join a gym or something to get that aggression out. Sounds like you’re kinda stressed out. Take a deep breath and read this line twenty times: I CAN DEAL WITH IT…. IT’S ONLY AN OPINION.

Redmond

;)

[mashoutposse]

Starstreak: His battery likely dropped a percentage point or two, as well -- of course, his battery doesn't provide down-to-the-minute battery life estimates, so I wouldn't trust his reading.

After all, pretty much every PDA before the NZ90 can continue to give 100% readings even after nearly an hour of usage (NX included) -- does that mean that their batteries have infinite life? ;)

Regarding the topic:

Personally, it's very telling when a previously staunch NZ hater like MAJI can end up buying one upon first sight (check his "Big Blow to NZ: BEST BUY won't carry it" thread for the complete metamorphosis), then make positive posts like his "Don't Believe The [Negative] Hype" thread.

The NZ90 may have flaws, but it certainly isn't 'flawed.' And it's very much worth the $800 -- it may be the buyer's decision to determine the wisdom of spending that amount on a PDA, but there's absolutely no question that you're getting $800 technology.

And that's basically my opinion on the NZ. Not only do you get the bullet-point features (2MP cam w/ flash and Bluetooth), you also receive tons of refinements on the already-excellent NX (such as the removeable battery). Here's what I've found:

-Most accurate battery of any PDA (the 'hours:minutes left' reading is always on the money)
-Imporoved screen, with excellent brightness and re-calibrated color balance
-Improved stylus/screen feel (absolutely no sponginess)

The price comparisons brought up by Redmond are pretty ridiculous. Considering an NX is 'only' $200 less, all those $1300+ NZ cost estimates become $1100+ costs if you downgrade to the NX. You'll still need WiFi, extra Memory Sticks, a warranty, etc -- you won't need an extra battery, but you still have to get a Bluetooth MS. So these price comparisons are useless.

Ultimately, if you're genuinely on the fence and have the money at hand, a local retailer with a lax return policy will be far more helpful than this thread (or any other, really).

[mashoutposse]

Adding to the refinements noted above:

-Hardware buttons accessible in tablet mode
-A/V Output for pictures (the resolution of videos are unacceptable for TV Output)
-Improved hard buttons and keyboard
-Picsel Viewer software
-Louder speaker

The NZ90 is 'unfinished' and 'rushed to market?' I can't tell.

[BobB]

To be honest starstreak I haven't kept been checking my battery periodically after I load and unload each app. I did try a few things today however. I surfed a while using bluetooth and after 1 hour I checked and battery was at 93%. I don't consider that to be bad by my standards but maybe it is and I don't realize that. You tell me, please... I then shut it off, went and had coffee and then turned it back on. Down time about 30 minutes or so. I checked the battery upon boot up and it is now at 90% so this tells me that there is some issue with the "smart battery" and the way the clie is reporting its charge. I did turn off bluetooth before I shut it down so I would have expected if any change at all that the battery would have gone up a percent or two...hmmm

BobB

[BobB]

Starstreak,
With regard to the 5455's I had (which I did replace the first one after a week) the problems were pretty bad for me. Battery would only last 3 to 4 hours max even at the lowest standby settings. Pixel degeneration of the screen, and the DPAD button worked very eratically if at all. (These two reasons are why I brought first unit back.) Blue Tooth just wouldn't work with my network. Could Activesync about 50% of the time and could FTP but that was all. Turned on WiFi and in 45 minutes I was getting low battery warnings and I started at full charge. Also with the fingerprint reader I would have a problem all the time with respect to removing a program that required a soft boot. Such as with Journal Bar. Once it rebooted I immediately got an error that I didn't have enough memory for the FP scanner. Therefore your stopped dead in your tracks. Had to hard boot and reload every time this happened.

BobB

[the_iceman]

Posters/Repliers,

I do think.... for those who first purchase the NZ90 ... the battery life seems short... but I do think, with the smart-lithium battery, that over time it does get better and better. I've had my Clie for over a week, now, and I do see the battery getting better and better. It now lasts over 9 hours. I did some 'training' with my camera to get it to suck down battery life.... and then fully recharge, as mentioned in other postings here. I'm only at 9 cycles but the battery has increased from 5hrs to over 9 hours now.

It does seem to me.... that the 'smart-lithium' battery isn't so smart right out of the box... and that it does take some time for it to become 'smart'. That is how I feel about it.

I know some of us are very 'quick to judge' things too early instead of seeing how they play out after a week or more.

I know, also, there is a guy I work with... who had all kindsa problems with his battery (3-4 shots max with his camera) before he could no longer use flash.. .... he ended up putting the battery in the fridge/freezer which did 'something', I guess, to it (not sure if cold storage is in the manual for these batteries). It cleared whatever was in there. He ended up re-charging it from the beginning again, and it seems to be working for him just fine. (I do not recommend this method as I have no clue where he got his information on doing it).

I hope everyone has a great day!

[minhaferzz]

I, too, owned an Ipaq 5455 and Ipaq 1910 for a brief period of time. I currently own a NX70 and a NZ90. I've been a long time Palm OS user and decided to crossover and give PPC a try. On initial use, the Ipaq required way too many restarts due to program elements hanging around in the memory, even though the program was already closed. Using Wifi or BT dramatically decreases battery life, as would BT in the NZ. The main issue I had with the Ipaqs were speed and stability of the actual PPC OS, I felt simple programs were starting up too slow and performance was sluggish and non-responsive. I initially bought the 1910 because of the small size and great reviews... but felt the unit was too limited, so I got the 5455 expecting the faster processor to make a big difference. The difference could only be noticed on some programs like Agenda Fusion. In the end, I found out that the PPC wasn't for me and ended up with getting the NZ. As for the battery life on these units(5455 and NZ), they were both equally disappointing...

[Marudine]

yes, if you use your devices, such as digital camera, the battery tends to drain off very fast in cold environment. This is due to the chemical reaction within the battery when reacting with 'coldness'.

[starstreak]

Re you saying that at 50% backlight youre getting 9 hour readings now at 100%

 

Originally posted by the_iceman
Posters/Repliers,
I'm only at 9 cycles but the battery has increased from 5hrs to over 9 hours now. 

[the_iceman]

Starstreak,

Yeppers...... Rockin-n-Rollin ..... I did several DEEP drains of the battery B4 I recharged it. I used some intensive battery draining apps (Camera) ... to have it 'suck down large armounts of battery juice quickly'. Doing this several times consecutively seems to have helped it to 'learn' or become smart. I don't know how/why... but all I know.. is that it seems to have helped me. I followed some 'suggestions' from other posts here on ClieSource. You may wish to check the other posts out here. I don't know that my results are better than some of those postings I've seen... but it is better than the 5hrs which seems to be more 'normal'.

[eric2002]

Hmmm my NZ has worked beautifully since I first got it several weeks ago. I think it is an amazing PDA, not one that "was rushed to the market" as Redmond suggested. The NZ in my opinion is the result of builiding upon previous technology to make the best possible PDA at a price that is still marketable. It's possible that Redmond got a bad NZ, but to say that all NZ's have his/her problem is ludicrous, especially when you read how many people in this post have disagreed with Redmond.

[jedix]

Originally posted by Redmond




Have you added it up lately?

$799.00 for the NZ-90
$149.00 for the WiFi (which $ONY should have BUILT-IN)
$ 80.00 for an $pare Battery (which $ONY should have INCLUDED)
$ 99.00 CompUSA Warranty
$ 60.00 for a 128MB Memory Stick (SONY should have included atleast 64MB)
$ 60.00 for a Case that fits?? (even more for a Vaja)
$1247 TOTAL BEFORE TAX!!! (8.8% in WA State = $1356.73)

That’s $1356.73 for a frikin’ PDA! #@#$#@!!!!



I'm about to spend roughly $30,000.00 for a new car soon. I guess I should try to get included:
An extra battery (just in case)
Unlimited free gas.
A free car cover
How about free car washes for life?
Maybe an extra set of brakes for the future?

Anything else?


Since I'm spending way more than a Clie costs, I guess that I should expect all these things for free, right? Or maybe, if I think that's too much money, I JUST WON'T SPEND IT.
:D

oy, the complaints!

[eric2002]

I don't understand Redmond's price breakdown...

Redmond has about $1400 dollars worth of stuff listed, and believes that it should all come included in the NZ. So is Redmond stating that the NZ should cost $1400?

My home didn't come with furniture (even though my wife said we desperately needed it)

My car as Jedix stated didn't come with lifetime supply of Gas, Car Cover, and free oil changes

My CD player didn't come with batteries, extra batteries, and CD's

....I could go on and on...
Why Redmond should my PDA come with a case, 2 batteries, extra modules, free warranty beyone the manufacturers 1 year, free Memory Stick, etc...???
What other PDA maker is doing this??????

[Rick 098]

Can u use the camera in tablet mode?
Is NZ-90 topheavy?

I think ill wait to upgrade from my nx-60 until somethin after NZ series, but im still curious ;}

[jedix]

Originally posted by eric2002


My home didn't come with furniture (even though my wife said we desperately needed it)



I didn't think of that one. I just moved into my new house(2900+ square feet) that was just built on 20 acres.(You figure the cost)

Everything the builder could charge extra for, he did-which I expected . It would have been nice if furniture- or even extra electrical outlets- was included. What am I gonna do, tell the builder I'll sue him if he doesn't furnish my house! HA!

[Token User]

Originally posted by jedix (post 1)I'm about to spend roughly $30,000.00 for a new car soon. I guess I should try to get included:
An extra battery (just in case)
Unlimited free gas.
A free car cover
How about free car washes for life?
Maybe an extra set of brakes for the future?

Anything else?Just be careful with the vehicle to asphelt interface. It may only work with the vendor supplied freeway interface kit. DO NOT expect that just because you have the vehicle to asphelt interface that it will work with all compatible devices. Sure, the interface might be plug compatible with the Rubicon trail, the Desert Dunes, or the ice and snow kit options, but that does not mean that your vehicle will work with those devices.

Originally posted by jedix (post 2)Everything the builder could charge extra for, he did-which I expected . It would have been nice if furniture- or even extra electrical outlets- was included. What am I gonna do, tell the builder I'll sue him if he doesn't furnish my house! HA!Just make sure that those GPO's are more than just plug compatible with existing electrical equipment. Sure, it might have the same socket as you used with other devices, but just be careful that the builder doesn't need to put in a patch so you can run your generic brand refridgerator without needing to buy the special "Bob the Builder" model :).

I got flamed because I suggested that people should go in and try the unit out before putting down the $$$ for a NZ90. Its a lot like test driving a car ... the unit needs to feel right before you make a committment. It wasn't right for me, I didn't need the full size model, so I went for the mid sized one with some optional extras (NX70V /w WL100).

<rant>But the thing that REALLY pisses me off are people abusing the extended warrantee return policies just so they can get the latest and greatest because "if you hold the unit up to the light just as the sun is setting, you can see a pixel that only has red and green, and I charged the unit up (drained) over night and as you can see I only have a 2% battery charge left". I know Redmond was not in this boat ... but a lot of others seem to be abusing this right now.</rant>

Phew. Sorry.

[jedix]

Originally posted by Token User
Just be careful with the vehicle to asphelt interface. It may only work with the vendor supplied freeway interface kit. DO NOT expect that just because you have the vehicle to asphelt interface that it will work with all compatible devices. Sure, the interface might be plug compatible with the Rubicon trail, the Desert Dunes, or the ice and snow kit options, but that does not mean that your vehicle will work with those devices.


:D
Ohh!! Decisions, decisions! What to do!:D

[JohnJ80]

I too have seen my battery gradually improving. I'm up to 9 cycles and getting better. I actually am starting to come around that the battery may be mostly tied to the thing calibrating itself over time plus it getting properly aged. If it does fix itself then this becomes a non-issue quickly (recognizing that there are some that are a problem, batteries that is).

I also think, that because of the battery gauge bouncing as you go in and out of the camera app, that maybe that just needs to be a software patch to the batt gauge software effectively dampening the readings from the gauge. If so, that too is not a big issue.

At any rate, the NZ90 is pretty doggone great from my perspective.

The right way to look at this is not what the PDA costs, but what it can do for you. I am self employed (own a business) and am constantly looking for productivity enhancements for both my own use and for employees. It seems as though all of these things come in multiples of $500. (so the NZ90 is two multiples roughly).

If I can get a new tech trick to work and it saves $5K-$10K over a year - its a huge win - not all that unlikely when you look at the history of lots of these things (I have and its an ROI calculuation for me.). Many times (more than half, the return is dramatic.

Given that, when you are successful, it makes up for a huge amount of $500 gadgets that didn't work. Over the years I have come out much, much farther ahead on that effort than behind. The boneyard of ideas that didn't work is not very large at all.

So, if you are looking at a toy, then $1300 ($799, $1000 or whatever) is expensive. If you are looking at an ROI of less than a year (and that is your basis for a decision), then its a whole different animal and not nearly worth the angst.

Its really easy to get hung up on the 'commoditization' of something like this. But when you really look at it, there are lots of differences that sort of defy characterizing each of these devices in a head to head evaluation. The only real way out of this puzzle is to look at what it does for you. Recreation value for those that don't have a dollars and sense return view, is also worth something.

If you can see the return and it makes sense then buy it. If not, then don't.

I think we all appreciate the dialog on the discussion of capabilities and issues. Each of those matter differently to different people. The frontal assault of judging if this works for all or not is probably not a healthy discussion. Its not like these issues have been hidden anywhere on this forum - all of this is pretty right out in front.

Clearly, Redmond doesn't feel that the ROI works for him. If that's the case, maybe time better spent would be on eBay executing a recovery plan.

[oneeyesquare]

Cool!!! I would say the same as John, but being a dumb contractor I can't express myself so eloquently... But as a tool, this will clearly pay for itself in a years time. My first Palm (cheapy) paid for itself in about 30 min with a freeware program. The NZ will take a little longer, but will still. That it has enormous entertainment value beyond the business applications is a HUGE bonus. Well stated, John!!!
BTW, I'm up to almost 7 hrs fresh off the charger at 21 cycles., backlight all the way down. It's gained a good 1.5 hours since last I paid attention to how long it would run at fresh recharge....

[starstreak]

K, I could be wrong, but infolithium battery technically doesn't learn to give you more life.&nbsp; But maybe the battery meter is getting smarter?&nbsp; Dunno..

Originally posted by oneeyesquare
BTW, I'm up to almost 7 hrs fresh off the charger at 21 cycles., backlight all the way down. It's gained a good 1.5 hours since last I paid attention to how long it would run at fresh recharge....

k, 7 hours sounds about right with backlight all the way down.&nbsp; At 50% you should be at 5 hours. now if you told people you were getting 7 hours at the 50% then that would be a big gain.

[oneeyesquare]

Nope, always check with backlight all the way down, my normal setting for the backlight indoors.... Soooooo... somethings changed. Maybe I just had extra good electricity today?!!!:D

[JohnJ80]

Concur that it doesn't learn more to give you more life but what it does is get more accurate in figuring out how many amp-hours have either been used or put back in the battery. If the NZ90 is using the fuel gauge to make decisions on what peripheral to use and when to shut down to save data, then while the capacity of the battery hasn't changed the fact that it is underreporting the capacity makes the result exactly the same.

I don't recall exactly, but there is a whole set of these fuel gauge chips out there (they sometimes put them right in the battery). They are essentially a little microcontroller with an EEPROM memory built in. They wake up every so often and sample the battery level as it is depleted and the monitor the battery as it charges. Supposedly, the ones I had seen, learn about the battery as it cycles.

For example, when it thinks the battery is charged, then it says 100%. When it is discharged to what it might think is 20% but the battery voltage doesnt' match the V-I curve of a typical battery, it adds a little more to the fuel gauge so it might say 25%. Over time, the gauge reading converges with the actual capacity e.g, its learned the battery capacity.

Hope that makes sense.

j

[Redmond]

You guys really crack me up!!!

Glad to hear your batteries are lasting longer though.

Redmond ;)

[stronggeek]

Maybe if you double charge the battery in reverse, place it in the fridge (just the battery) for 2.74 hours (no more-no less. It's gotta be exact) and then take it out, install it and let it fully discharge on it's own (with back light off) or take 3 pictures with the flash on (BT off), take it back out, lick it (on positive side), while standing on your left foot under a horse shoe, then gently stroke your rabbit foot and throw a pinch (careful-not a dash!) of salt over left shoulder, say another prayer and then repeat 3x. There, you should get an extra 20 secs. of battery life. Repeat as often as necessary.

Please don't flame me... just joking. :)

But this battery is a problem for some who even like the machine!
For my money, this battery situation has to be a lot better. No preping, draining, guessing, but I want the best strength straight out the box baby! Okay, I can live with having to charge it first. :)

Stronggeek

[Marudine]

I think SONY should make thier stand on the battery issue. But of course they will claim that as long you follow their recommended 30 mins usage per day rule, the battery should last 10 days.

[Clietivity]

Originally posted by RNC
Redmond, Your an Idiot

I don't think this is neccessary.

[the_iceman]

============================================
The right way to look at this is not what the PDA costs, but what it can do for you. - JohnJ80
============================================

I loved that statement..... OH SO TRUE! Cost/value is relative to the individual. If a $99 Zaire does everything you want a PDA to do... then don't waste your money on a $300+ unit. Better to get the item which will serve your needs for today and in the future (if possible) than to sacrifice cost for something you won't be as happy with and will end up ... upgrading soon down the road.

[kkerruish]

>>>Have you added it up lately?

>>>$799.00 for the NZ-90
>>>$149.00 for the WiFi (which $ONY should have BUILT-IN)
>>>$ 80.00 for an $pare Battery (which $ONY should have INCLUDED)
>>>$ 99.00 CompUSA Warranty
>>>$ 60.00 for a 128MB Memory Stick (SONY should have included atleast 64MB)
>>>$ 60.00 for a Case that fits?? (even more for a Vaja)
>>>$1247 TOTAL BEFORE TAX!!! (8.8% in WA State = $1356.73)

>>>That’s $1356.73 for a frikin’ PDA! #@#$#@!!!!


Hmmm...

I only paid 713$ for my NZ on opening day (included shipping)

I just sent in for a 50$ rebate on my new WiFi card - so it was 100$
I don't need a spare battery...I have a cable I've had since my NR70v that charges from my car, I have the portable battery charger purchased for my NR70v that does it's job well too.

I didn't pay for the CompUSA warranty...as I'll have the next new clie that flips my lid...
The 128mb memory stick was another leftover (NO PDA COMES WITH 128MB extra memory!)
I don't need a case...it's why I have pockets...

yeah - i deal with the screen sensitivity issue...none of the other 'reported' problems affect me in any way, shape or form...

and...

I **love** the new keyboard design
I **love** where the cables/cradles plug in now...even if it obsoletes some of my existing cradles
I **love** the 2mp camera, the voice recorder and the speed.
I **love** the recessed screen when it's in clam-shell mode...fits comfortably and feels natural
I **love** the built in bluetooth...so the loss of my other cradles wasn't so hard....

So...I'm **really** enjoying my expensive new portable digital assistant...I'd like more RAM, but wouldn't we all? I'd like larger capacity Memsticks (coming soon) - but wouldn't we all?

If Sony offered this same model with extra RAM, I'd re-buy the darned thing...first day of availability...because that is really the only thing I think this device is lacking at this point in time...

Ken

[lisabeth]

kkerruish-what screen sensitivity issue do you have??