TH55 and LifeDrive comparison pics

[Joel]

1src member, hope, has posted comparison pictures of the TH55 and the LifeDrive. [details (http://www.1src.com/?m=show&id=1072)]

[eR1c2002]

i got to say that I thought the same thing when the lifedrive was first rumored. I thought it looked a lot like the TH55.

again, palm is about 2-3 years behind the technology curve ...sony really made great pda's! I feel that Sony designed and created what they wanted to create... whereas Palm is most likely creating based on what vendors they can get to supply the hardware, etc...

[JAmerican]

I posted comparison pics of my UX and the LifeDrive as well. :) Could I be posted on the front page as well. Please :)

http://www.1src.com/forums/showpost.php?p=814383&postcount=14

I also have a video.

JAmerican

[Srcguy]

Jamerican,

You are famous on this site for alot more than a few photo's.... let someone without the technical knowledge but with a few pics take the limelight...

You dont need it

[Joel]

lol. We were after comparison pictures with the TH55 because of the similarities. :) (and I promised (http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87649) front page space if there's a comparison pic). If there are pics of the LD with the TH55 *and* the UX (or with other PDAs) then I'll add it to this article.

[JAmerican]

Jamerican,

You are famous on this site for alot more than a few photo's.... let someone without the technical knowledge but with a few pics take the limelight...

You dont need it

True. Wasn't thinking like that. Thanks Srcguy.

JAmerican

[francis]

Yeah like the time you saved little Jimmy from the well. that was real swell JAmerican.

[SonyStyle]

the th55 is thin!

[LanMan]

The TH55 in the pic doesn't have the flip-case. I compared my 55 with the flip-case in CompUSA and the thickness of the two units was almost identical! If my TH55 goes :eek: , then I'm going with a LifeDrive. :cool:

[Unreg1stered]

Jamerican,

You are famous on this site for alot more than a few photo's.... let someone without the technical knowledge but with a few pics take the limelight...

You dont need it


Looking at the number of posts just since August, no, JAmerican doesn't need any more visibility on this site.

[francis]

Looking at the number of posts just since August, no, JAmerican doesn't need any more visibility on this site.

whay the hate? I have found many of his/her posts very informative (not to mention his media launcher contributions) and Jimmy will never forget the day that lassy and JA saved him.

[strider_mt2k]

Heeey, I saw that one!
Way to fly that helicopter with your teeth, man!

[JAmerican]

Ok guys. LOL.Thanks for the compliments :). Looks like I am well known. Thanks for the support guys.

JAmerican

[Joel]

Ok. People, back on topic please :)

We have a chat area (http://www.1src.com/chat) or you can use email you want to continue talking about JAmerican's prowess. :D

[hope]

I have a NX80 that could possibly be compared. With the recent FAT32 patch a 4gb or more CF card could be used. Also, it is well known for having a very bright screen and incredible battery life. It doesn't have BT or WiFi so it isn't exactly a fair comparison but at least people will have a better idea of the size and feel. The TH is super thin. Where as the NX80 was a very good compromise with size in regards to its camera, big battery, CF slot, and tablet/keyboard design. The NZ was way to thick and I really feel the LD is of the same genes. The NX was a great mix of NZ and older NX's which is a reason it sold so well. The LD is a step in the right direction but I think the 2nd generation is going to be more of a hit. Just like the treo 600 was good, the treo 650 is great adding almost everything that was needed (except more memory and WiFi but hey).

[jjesusfreak01]

Ok. People, back on topic please :)

We have a chat area (http://www.1src.com/chat) or you can use email you want to continue talking about JAmerican's prowess. :D
What about me, we need to talk about meee!!!

On a serious note, we knew beforehand that the LifeDrive was going to be fairly thick. You cant stick eveything they put in it without making it a little bigger than the average PDA. The fact is that when the LD was finally released it seems that it isnt quite as large as we thought it would be, which is good. Small is good, but the LD is of a bearable size.

[Surur]

It didn't have to be that big. Other PDA's with similar features are thinner and smaller.

Surur

[2pints]

After 2 weeks with my LD, which is making it's most concerted effort to win away my loyalty to my high-mileage TH55/E, I thought I would share my 'day-to-day' observations:

Wifi range: Hands down winner - TH55. In my home and work environments, the TH55 keeps a much stronger signal from a much greater distance.

BT: LD wins in this area for ease of set-up. It took me awhile to configure my TH55 to grab Cingular GPRS with my phones (SE Z600 and RAZR). Albeit, that was one year ago. The BT set-up in the LD is simple, fast, efficient. Easy interface. You need to know a bit more about your GPRS settings to get a TH55 pulling data from a GPRS connection.

Battery: No contest. Not surprisingly, the TH55 battery life is superior. I have been using both devices side by side for one week in exactly the same way, making sure that if I am playing MP3's on my LD, I am also playing MP3's on the TH. Same goes for WiFi and BT useage. As battery life is one of my most important considerations (I am often on planes for 10-12 hour flights), this is one I have been really watching. My heavily-used 18 month-old TH55E set at full screen brightness is outlasting the LD by 4-5 hours on a single full charge, when doing the same tasks. No surprise here, due to the HD on the LD.

Weight: Yes, the TH55 is lighter and more slim, but after they are both in cases and being used, I don't 'feel' that there is much difference. The LD is perhaps a bit better balanced and that 'chunky' feel makes the unit feel more substantial.

Speed: For the PIM functions, the delays on the LD can be really annoying. Sometimes it flips from calendar to contacts with no delay. Other times, and mostly when I need it to cooperate (like in a meeting), I get the dreaded white/wait screen with the attractive blinking 'access HD' light. This is enough to make me want to throw it across the room. Instead, I take out the TH and use it to get my info. What does that tell you? :)

Display: No big difference, unless you are watching movies - the TH55 is more vibrant and seems to do a better job of displaying the movie. There are much more technical people on this forum who can explain why, but 'Blade Runner' on my TH55 is clear and easy to view, while on the LD it is dark and murky. The ability to flip to landscape mode and keep the grafitti area is awesome. I am using Kinoma on the TH and the built-in app on the LD (which has a terrible/non-existant user interface)

MP3: Quality on the LD is better (through my Shure Ec3 headphones), but Pocketunes is quirky (well discussed on other forums, here). LD has 'brighter' sound.

Browsers: NetFront on the TH55 is so much better than Blazer on the LD in so many ways that I am determined to get NetFront on the LD somehow.

Other comments: Yes, I miss having a camera on the LD. I did not realize how often I take quick shots on my TH55. But, I love having all my work files with me on the LD. I CAN see the LD taking the place of my laptop. I would have never said this about my TH55. Syncing files between my computer and the LD is really easy, and yes, extremely beneficial. I have been using it in that function for the last week. It is a feature I did not think I needed, but now that I have it - I love it. I think this is the main feature of the LD have found one really good reason why I will probably stay with the LD. I have a 1GB MS on my TH55, but the ease of connecting and keeping Word, Excel and PPT files synced on my computer and my PDA is making me appreciate the 'LD concept' more.

Bottom line: Jury is still out. I want to give the LD the same type of time and exploration I have given my TH55. I can see the benefits of the LD, but the TH55 is more elegant at getting most of the same jobs done. I think that my spouse sums it up well when she said, "If you are going to hand down the Sony to me, I'll take it. If you think I am messing with that big LifeDrive thing, then you can put it up on ebay."

[trickypuss]

Here are some comparison pics I took at home of both my LD rig and my TH-55 setup. Both are in cases, which for me is essential since I combine my handheld and wallet. Check them out:

If these could be added to the images on the front page that would be great!

http://www.roxorbot.com/ld_pics/sideview.jpg

http://www.roxorbot.com/ld_pics/threequarter.jpg

http://www.roxorbot.com/ld_pics/birdseye.jpg

[JAmerican]

Here are some comparison pics I took at home of both my LD rig and my TH-55 setup. Both are in cases, which for me is essential since I combine my handheld and wallet. Check them out:

If these could be added to the images on the front page that would be great!

http://www.roxorbot.com/ld_pics/sideview.jpg

http://www.roxorbot.com/ld_pics/threequarter.jpg

http://www.roxorbot.com/ld_pics/birdseye.jpg

At least the case covers the annoying LED. LOL. j/k.

JAmerican

[jjesusfreak01]

At least the case covers the annoying LED. LOL. j/k.

JAmerican
He needs a thinner TH case and a larger MS, so he cant complain about the case. My TH only has one MS, a 1GB. I need nothing else.

[trickypuss]

I'm not complaining - I bought that case because I like it. It has a lot of storage and is really protective and sturdy. I think it looks really nice too, and unlike a lot of cases it protects the screen/flip cover from rubbing and wear. I've had slimmer, cheaper cases in the past for my other clies and they all rubbed the finish in places. This case doesn't do that because of the soft card holder. That card holder also keeps the unit from rubbing up against the memory sticks in their slots.

But I do carry a bunch of media so that I can have a lot of music, photos and files with me. And I prefer more than just 1gb. I'm just showing that for me, with the three memory sticks, case and protection it's the same size.

[jjesusfreak01]

Then what you need is a $300 4GB memorystick and the hacked Fat32 drivers. Its cheap, and it gives you limitless storage.

[trickypuss]

Sure. But my LD has 4GB built in and a slot free for, say a 1-4 gig SD card in the future. I don't think of $300 being cheap for a memorystick, by the way. Even if it is 4GB. Besides, my TH will find a nice home with my wife. It'll be nearby with someone who will use it a lot. I'm happy with my LD for now.

Anyway, I see 4GB memorysticks selling for prices starting at $428.84. Where can I get one for $300? Maybe an upgrade to consider for my wife in the future...

[hope]

I found a few on ebay for that price. I just am more concerned about getting a memory stick pro duo than the standard one. Trickypuss seems to be very biased for the LD. Most TH users are obviously bias as well. I think 2pints did a very well done and, more importantly, unbiased review. Also, I use a Sena case and that Proporta thing is huge. At the same time, the leather case from Palm for the LD seems to be very thin and elegant. Using the Sena case in my pictures is more of a comparable pic. I guess an even better pic would be the Palm case on the LD next to the Sena case on the TH. Well, we wouldn't need that as most of us have a good idea of the size already. Also, 2pint made a very valid point, he could almost replace his laptop with his LD and he couldn't even think of that with the TH. The TH is the best PDA. A personal digital assistant that entertains and eases productivity. The LD on the other hand is probably more like the UX in it's ability to replace many things. I used the UX for about a year as my laptop pretty much. Once I got a laptop I realized I didn't really use my UX as much since they almost competed. That's a testiment to the UX and it's capabilities. Therefore I got a TH and I am using much more as a true PDA and it is doing everything I need, want and more. The LD is probably more capable of really being a laptop replacement like the UX and really serves a different purpose than the TH which is more like The TE or 5 in its definition as as PDA. I think I said it before but the LD isn't really a PDA as much as having PDA function and being more. Albeit it does more at some sacrifices some of us do not want to make. This is why the concept and future of the LD looks great but as it is now is lacking.