Sony Vaio TZ causing UMPC blues

I've been dealing with a major case of the UMPC blues lately and can't seem to find anything lustworthy to shake it off. You see, just as that gadget addiction article from 2004 described, I'm one of those people who tends to feel blue when nothing in the gadget-scape interests me very much. I buy sub-$400 devices (mostly DAPs) and accessories fairly regularly, so it's not a lack of new toys to play with that's gotten me down.

No, what I'm suffering from is a very specific strain of gadget depression: the UMPC blues. And it's all the Sony Vaio TZ's fault.

How am I supposed to get excited about the influx of 7-inch mini notebooks when they're all just smaller, less capable, uglier versions of my TZ? So many mini notes are being announced by companies I've never heard of that I don't even bother reading about them anymore. As soon as I see a photo of another new "Eee PC killer," I just move along without making note of the manufacturer or model number.

Besides, I swore off 7-inch devices shortly after laying the TZ next to my old (and now sold) Samsung Q1P with its organizer pack last summer. Here's a reminder of what that looked like from my TZ unboxing.

Yes, I gave into girly temptation and went against my own rules with the pink Asus Eee PC 2G Surf last month, but we all know how that turned out in the end. After all, with my 2.7-pound TZ being barely bigger and not much heavier than the upcoming HP Compaq 2133 UMPC (2.5 pounds) and all those other notebooks calling themselves UMPCs coming down the pipe, in what situations would I ever choose these kinds of UMPCs over the TZ?

What I want, and what would surely cure me of my funk, is to see a new UMPC (with an actual release date) with a gorgeous and innovative design. I want to be wowed the way I was back in 2006 when I first laid eyes on the Vaio UX180P Micro PC. I want to be beyond ecstatic when unboxing this new piece of technology, like the way I was with my HTC Advantage X7501. I want to be just as I was with my OQO Model 02 demo unit: so sad to pack it up and return it.

What about all the MIDs I saw at CES 2008? None of those were mini notebooks. True. The Digifriends MID in particular is really unique, and the Gigabyte M528 MID is lovely to look at in a Nokia N810 sort of way. But I don't know. To be honest, I'm actually not excited in that "oh my god, I have to have that or I'll die" sort of way about any of it. You may even remember from my CES wrap-up that my favorite device of the whole show was actually the Sony mylo 2 (COM-2). And I already have it sitting next to me as I type this.

Is there any gadget on the horizon that you can barely stand to wait another second for? All that stands out on my gadget list at the moment are the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 (and who knows exactly when it'll be released) and the iriver Wing (and who knows if it'll be released). I've got some other things on my list, too, but they're all pretty minor and won't cause a ruckus when they come out.

Anyway, so that's where I'm at right now. Bored out of my mind with the Eee PC look-alikes, feeling ho-hum about the MIDs, and wishing I was lusting after something I could actually buy right now. I think I'm on the verge of desperation at this point because the newly available HTC Shift is beginning to make me reconsider (yet again!) my 7-inch device ban. Yes, it's a tough life, indeed.

If you're still with me, would you mind sharing what gadget is currently wowing you? I need some ideas.

Comments

[outie]

I feel your pain. All these eeePC, iPod, iPhone, macbook air, UMPCs are getting pretty boring. Last I got was a TZ190 but I ended up returning it. I am still using the UX90ps when I need it (I am either at home with 2x 24" or at office). I am also waiting on the X1. Recently, I have been spending my money on DSLR. It should keep me busy for a while buying all these accessories and lens. Good thing about these equipments is that they have much better resale value than the other gadgets.

[Dameon]

Well best of luck finding the next new must have toy. I for one am waiting to see what you find next. I looked at the Sony TZ and ended up finding the U810 before I even found your site. All that and it was the review you wrote of the U810 that pushed me over the edge.
Now everyone stops by my office just to check out the U810. I have forwarded the review you wrote to several coworkers.

Thanks for taking the time to write all the reviews.

That said the javascript requirement is really annoying.

Dameon

[Steve 'Chippy' Paine]

Jenn. Nice article. Enjoyed it.
Having been to CeBIT i'm all revved up over both MIDs and UMPCs again (the 1-year old Q1 Ultra has brought me back into finding the 7" 'slates' interesting again.) but I know how you feel and I think it's important now that people take design and style very seriously when they design their UMPCs. Differentiating on specs wont work. We need something lustful and beautiful.
I don't think the MIDs will bring that in round one and traditional 7" UMPCs won't impress either in 2008 but I have a feeling we're going to see something very nice come from the open handset alliance and then from above, in the 8-10" mini-note segment.

You will be OK. Take deep breaths!!

Steve.

[Frank]

I've felt that way for years. My handheld is a Jornada 720. Even though the technology is ancient and the display is barely usable by today's standards, the form factor really is everything in the end. The 6-inch+ display can accommodate a full-width page; the keyboard is (barely) touch-type-able, and the device has the footprint of a checkbook and is unobtrusive in meetings. That HP abandoned it to give us yet another mini-notebook makes me wonder what happened to the company that used to be the world leader in portable computing. If HP has fallen asleep, I wish someone else would build me a skinnier replacement with a better keyboard and a modern display. But then, I've been wishing that for years.

[Don]

I know how you feel--every day I look at the new phones and computers and they are just re-packaged or same technology--I am waiting for a 4"by7" unit that is slim---the width needs to be slim so it will slide in the standard suit pocket or Docker pants--half inch thick at most--I still have a Newton Message Pad that fits in my Docker's and it is 1" thick---scrolling vertically is easy--the screen needs to be wide enough so you don't have to scroll horizontally which is tiresome---alot of us are hopefully waiting for the new "Newton"--I think we are getting closer--I am typing this on my old Sony TR3--four years and still going--but that TZ is a beauty--I gave one to my lady friend and she loves it

[Bruce Wilson]

Funny you brought this up -- I was beginning to think it's just me! I love my Sony TZ198 -- fantastic form factor, only slightly heavier/thicker than the MBA or most of the upcoming 12-13" competitors, but so much more usable than virtually all the UMPCs I've tried. Last Summer I went thru a number of UMPCs and settled on the Samsung Q1U as offering me the best computing experience -- but when I got my TZ I sold it -- like your experience I couldn't justify the Q1U when the TZ is only slightly larger and much more usable. But it's not a cellphone (even though I do like the WWAN, just don't like Sprint's ripoff monthly charge). I have an HTC Advantage which replaced my HTC8525 and I love that as well -- with RealVGA installed it is by far the most powerful/usable pocketable pda-phone I've had. But..... still a bit large so when all the hype began over the iPhone SDK and impending v1.2 software I succumbed and got me a 16G iPhone.... as a lifelong "Apple hater" this was a real crow-eating decision. How do I like it? I am REALLY impressed -- the hype is generally true. It has a GUI that beats everything I've ever had and it's really easy to use. But.... it's limited! After years of WinMobile devices, some that worked OK and some that seemed hobbled by WM limitations, I have to admit that Apple got it right with their iPhone OS. It does everything it's supposed to w/o crashes or hangups or hassle. But even with the availability of additional apps (mine is jailbroken so I can download apps) it does not offer me the versatility I'm used to with my Advantage (and related) devices -- weather program won't give me maps -- mail program limits me to one signature line for all accounts -- Safari great -- seems faster even than Opera 9.4 but occasionally chokes because the OS limits the number of open pages and you can't control that until it runs out.... and so-on. Will I keep it? Not sure yet but it's sure fun to use. I never used my WM devices for multimedia (not that they're limited -- the Advantage screen would offer a superior interface -- just didn't get around to it) but Apple is so focused on multimedia I naturally tried songs, videos, movies.... and they download and run flawlessly -- a clear example of marketing effectiveness.

This has gotten too long -- thanks for your continuing insights and honest reviews.

[Bruce Wilson]

Follow-up -- my comments regarding the Sony TZ should have included a recognition that its cost vs. that of the 7" UMPCs like Samsung's Q1U is also a factor. In fact, unless Sony starts offering pricing that's "considerably less" than they still do (I priced the Sony TZ2000 series -- still well over $3k with SSD) they'll ultimately lose all of us.

BTW -- I had a Jornada 720 and agree it was about the best "pocket computer" I have ever had.

[Benz145]

Maybe this will be the one to cure your UMPC blues -

Link

[Rodfather]

I'm taking a little break from lusting over UMPC's. I'm focusing on lusting over flash based HD camcorders in the meantime. Don't worry, I'm sure by June or so, UMPC lust will come back.

[Allen]

Jenn, funny I feel the same way you do, except I have A VAIO SZ93HS bought in Japan, it's a pound heavier than your TZ, but I like my 13" screen. In my closet I have a Nokia N810, HTC 7501 (used for e-mails at Star$, a Sony U180 and OQO model 2, all bought while trying to find the perfect unit. Still looking.

[scoobie]

Not just you, I've been thinking similarly. Very little exciting coming up at the moment, best I've seen recently is the u810 but that has its faults (battery sticks out at the back, overall size at bit too much depth, lack of hard drive space and poor processor). I want something pocketable , with a keyboard, a decent resolution, and a decent processor. Too much to ask it seems. However, I remain in hope. The Sony UX is 2 years old this May, and thats about time for a replacement in Sony timescales. I'm relying on you Sony to make up for that awful keyboard and miniscule screen on the UX.

[tnkgrl]

I can also relate to the way feel about the UMPC market.

Over the years my phones have become smarter (W800i -> N80 -> BlackJack -> N95 -> iPhone -> K850i -> N95-3) and my laptops larger (12" PowerBook -> Averatec 1050 -> MacBook -> MacBook Air).

But I can't decide between UMPCs and MIDs (OQO 01 -> Nokia 770 -> OQO 01+ -> OQO 02 -> Eee -> N810).

Right now I've "settled" on N95-3 or iPhone, + N810 or Eee, + MacBook Air, depending on my daily requirements.

They all have their pros and cons, for different reasons. The Eee is getting left behind a lot lately because the screen is too small for me to fully enjoy the potential of the device (this was also a problem with the the OQO 01/01+/02).

Although the N95-3 + N810 combo wins on the feature front, the iPhone alone wins on the usability front.

The MacBook Air is good and would be great is it was scaled down to an 11" screen. In that respect the Sony TZ is great, but I want OS X, and I don't want it hacked (I've done the OS X hacked thing on my Averatec 1050 and it was not worth it).

Upcoming devices of interest:
- N810 with WiMax
- iPhone with 3G
- Experia X1
- Samsung G810
- Nuvi phone
- Android phone
- Lime PC
- 9" Eee
- HP 2133

Existing devices of interest:
- HTC Shift
- Sony TZ

[Jenn]

Maybe we should all pool our money together and build something ourselves. Anyone got a few hundred million laying around?

Either that or we need some sort of support group to get over the hump of boredom. Some of us can branch off to wait for the XPERIA X1 together. :-)

I'm starting to weaken against the lure of the HTC Shift. I have no idea why either, as it's quite flawed for its price (and I have no use for CDMA) and I know I'd end up regretting the purchase. Still, there's just something about it that keeps tempting me.

Thanks for all your comments!

[Dlach]

Jen, I think I have the cure for you. I agree that the 7" crowd doesn't make sense compared to the TZ, even with the price factor, you just get so much more and the "UMPCs" aren't really more UM than the TZ. But here is the cure for your blues. Ever since reading your OQO review I've been lusting for one. It really is UM! So you can do what I did and pick up an OQO model 2 for < $1000 on Ebay. Warranties are transferable. I've had it about a month and no regrets. I got the Spring SERO deal which is available to the end of the month. Under this deal I get unlimited data for $50/month, plus I got a Sierra EVDO USB modem for free that I can use in my Compaq nw8240 but just calling or going online and transferring the plan.

[Jim Sparkman]

Jenn, check out the Flybook V5...

I'm currently waiting on mine to be delivered next week.

- Jim

[Bret]

I'm saving my money until there's a mini notebook with the overall design of the Fujitsu U810, the optical touch mouse of the Everun, at least the performance of the FlipStart, and a keyboard that's somewhere between the U810 with too few keys and the FlipStart. Since I'd like to stick with a 5.6" 1024x600 display, the Flybook V5 (8.9") is larger than I'd like. While it seems there are a lot of 7-9" subnotebooks, I'll just keep waiting for something more UM.

Keep up the great articles, Jenn!

[The Negret]

I haven't been impressed by mobile devices since the original release of the Vaio UX, then the samsung SPH-9200 (or 9000), and the Everun. The first time I saw a UX in person my jaw dropped. From then on things have become pretty stale.

I own a P1610, which is somewhere in between 7" UMPCs and the TZ. Even though it has proved pretty useful to me I always felt like its design was rather clumsy and boring. It is very boxy and not at all sophisticated or subtle about anything. And some things about it I have yet to come to terms with: How could it be possible that the UX, a device less than half as big shared the same specs with the Fujitsu? And even though the P1610's screen is a touch screen, does it really have to be something like 3 times as thick as the TZ's? The touchscreen to be pretty useful at this size though, as I find myself going for the screen is easier/faster than going for the little eraser. The touchscreen however compares poorly to active digitizers in writing, and I wish it had one.

Rant aside, what I would like to see is either A) a P1710 that is half as thick as the current P1620 and has a dual mode touch/active screen or B) a tablet TZ with an active digitizer. In my opinion, the later would put a lot of pressure on the Macbook Air.

And yet, neither of these options is really innovative, and while desirable, they would still just further the same old form factors.

I have my hopes up for the Vaio UX replacement. I expect to see something different. Maybe someday we will have a massively available unit following in the steps of the Samsung mentioned earlier, or a modular gadget like Bug Labs is developing.

Until then, I'm afraid we are rather stuck.

[Bruno]

Jenn, I couldn't agree more. I get to play with a lot of devices but when push comes to shove I will take the TZ over any of them. I love the Q1U, I love HTC Shift, but none of these would ever replace my TZ (to be fair, they are not meant to).
TZ's excellent battery life (it still amazes me after all this time), beautiful screen, enough power to run even power-hungry applications, wonderful keyboard (love it!) and myriad of features built into a slim and feather-light (let alone stylish) package is perfect.
Now if they only made the screen to swivel and turned it into a tablet PC (preferably with active digitizer, if not dual mode) I would be in heaven!

[Bruno]

I should also add that I more and more appreciate Windows Mobile. I think with the recent developments and with some of the new browsers coming up, I think I might get excited about a well-designed hardware running Windows Mobile on 1024x600 resolution (though 800x480 might be enough for starters) with a good keyboard (and support for inking in the future). I think Redfly might do the trick. Especially for someone who uses Remote Desktop or LogMeIn, GoToMyPC or something of the kind - it works reasonably well on HTC Advantage, but with larger screen and better keyboard it would be so much better!
With better and better hardware being available in Windows Mobile devices, I hope the software will get better and better, too!

[Al]

I agree with many of the posts. For me I got initially excited about UMPC with the hope this new technology would enable me to finally upgrade my Jornada 728. Sadly after weekly scans of the many UMPC and mobile sites all I see is more new devices that are just not functional, they are toys. I think many would agree with me in that it has nothing to do with price as some UMPC owners try to use to justify why so few others buy them.

Money is not an object that is limiting my purchase at all. I need functionality. For me that means a touch type keyboard computer that can replace my HP Jornada and be an upgrade. I would love to have full Windows on a form factor like the Jornada 720/728 and would be ok with sacraficing the great 14 hour battery life with numbers more like 2-6 like most laptops.

I will never buy a thumb input UMPC, MID, or any computer nor a pen only input. How do we all use full windows? with a touch type keyboard, which is probably what most people posting used. All of these new computers I feel are so out of touch with the consumer market. I think the sad thing is the many tech people and IT people whom are no offense, geeks whom love gadjets, etc. are the only ones the computer manufacturers are talking to.

Thus the result is terrible new form factors that do not sell and give the millions of people whom would love to buy a pocket laptop more of the blues.

[Al]

What I feel the market truly wants is a simple touch type computer that is small enough to fit into a jacket pocket yet as large as possible given that limitation in size to provide the best touch type keyboard and screen possible.

That parameter would enable a device to be as large as about 7.3" in length, about 4.25" but ideally more like 3.6-4" in depth, and it should be under 1.25" thick and preferably more like under an inch in height. That clamshell size provided devices like the Jornada and Psion and others to have a screen to display 1/2 VGA and keyboards that were touch type and able to provide about 75-85% of your full keyboard speeds.

Windows Mobile is OK but why UMPC concept has more potential is that Windows Mobile can not run desktop applications. Also there is no good fast wireless nor likely for a long time to even consider any web based use of softwares. Consumers want a stand alone computer that can be their primary computer when they need to be highly mobile. While this is not for everyone there are millions whom want to not carry a laptop but also are in business where a windows mobile OS is not adequate so we carry multiple devices and hate it.

If it cannot be folded in some manner to fit into a jacket pocket they will never sell very well period as you might as well just get a laptop. Geeks maybe ok to want the current crop of UMPC's and MID's but not many others.

[hisham]

I'm waiting for Samsung's SPH 9200 aka Deluxe MITs to be available. It may or may not suit your requirement, but for me, as a journalist, this would be a dream come true: it's compact with a 5-inch screen, and has a clam-like design where you can flip it open top and sideways, to reveal a full-length keyboard, perfect for touch typing.
This would be a dream as I can type while talking to my interviewee.
Other UMPC models thus far, while some are tinier, do not offer a built in keyboard big enough to touch type. Most offer thumb-friendly QWERTYs, or you'd have to afix them to external keyboards, which would be cumbersome to configure during an interview session or when you're typing on the go.
Should any of you have similar UMPCs that are touch type friendly, pocket-sized and light, please do share this with me.
By the way, thanks for the posting Jenn.