Handtops, UMPC - MeanSquare's Review of the Sony UX (with comparison to OQO)

After reading a number of reviews of the new Sony UX handtop by folks that just didn't seem to "get" handtops, I set about to write one from the perspective of someone who does. While the review is the centerpiece, there is a major section that compares the UX to the OQO 01+. There is also a short piece on handtops vs PDAs.

I'd welcome any suggestions, comments, criticisms, and will tolerate verbal abuse to a point

You can find the review here --> link

Read MeanSquare's other blogs.MeanSquare's Recent Blogs

MeanSquare's Review of the Sony UX (with comparison to OQO) (Tags: Sony UX review)

Comments

1 | 2

07/06/06 + Stephen

MeanSquare,
That was on of the best reviews I have read on any site. Thank you for the info.

Recent Blog: Is this New Via chipset anything special?

07/06/06 + Chekote

Very very nice. I don't have time to read it right now, but I will do as soon as I get the chance.

Nice groin shot btw :p

Recent Blog: Flipstart Camera

07/06/06 + ArchiMark

Excellent overview, MeanSquare!

Very helpful reading....

Hope to get a UX soon!....

07/06/06 + mensrea

Outstanding job MS. Great work.

07/06/06 + w0rn

+1 on the review dude

edited: Jul 06 2006 + alcuin

Very good and thorough review; one comment though.

You noted that "OQO and Sony use different capacities for both standard and high-capacity batteries. The mAh ratings for the batteries are the numbers following the device name in the table above.. What that means that the UX is already operating on 65% of the power that the OQO is running on, yet it lasts 38% longer even so. That's less of a point that it might be, because you can only use OQO batteries on the OQO and UX batteries on the UX." Actually, since the OQO battery runs at 3.7 volts and the UX battery runs at 7.4 volts; exactly double. The U battery runs at 11.1 volts. To evenly compare the battery capacities, you should compare their watt-hour capacity, which is obtained by multiplying the voltage by the amp-hours, or milliamp hours.

OQO: 3.7v * 4000mah = 14800Wh
UX: 7.4v * 2800mah = 20720Wh
U: 11.1v * 1800mah = 19980Wh

So actually the U and UX standard batteries have about 33% more capacity than an OQO standard battery, while the U and UX standard batteries are of almost equivalent capacity. But that's only comparing battery capacity. One must also look at how many watts each unit draws to make a complete battery runtime comparison.

I was pleased to learn the UX90 has the pure English keyboard layout as an option; I wasn't aware of that.

Recent Blog: UX180P vs U750P Sony Software comparison

07/06/06 + Airwave

Thank you so much for this extremely informative review. It's a real pleasure to read someone who knows what he's talking about.
Will print it tonight and read it once again carefully on my way to work tomorrow morning.
Once again, thanks for this first in depth review of this outstanding handtop

07/06/06 + MeanSquare

alcuin: You're right. I should have remembered from my electronics days that watts is the only real measure of power use. Thanks for the correction.

all: I've added a section comparing the power supplies of the OQO and UX at fil's request.

Recent Blog: MeanSquare's Review of the Sony UX (with comparison to OQO)

07/06/06 + dissection

Great Info Meansquare.

There is one more advantage for the PDA over the handtop. Most PDA now have smooth built in GMS mobile network. I recently bought an O2 XDA 2s for a bargain price of AUD$500 so I can get rid of my old Nokia.
I believed the next Ipod killer would be a well design pda phone at a competitive price.

07/06/06 + anthonyb

Great review. A little bias slant though. I would have like to see you admit that the UX is 100% larger than the OQO rather than the toned down way you described the size difference.

Anyway, while the UX is powerful and certainly more advanced than the OQO, its just too large for my taste.

Good luck with it though.

Recent Blog: Smartercase with ultra clip for OQO

07/07/06 + MeanSquare

Bais is sometimes seen where there is the absence of bias in the direction that is expected or desired. As Calvin once said to Hobbes "I don't want the world to be fair. I want it to be fair in my favor." I could have said "If the UX was essentially a box, like the OQO, but with the same width, height, and depth, it would displace (nearly) twice the volume of the OQO (with the standard battery) (give or take a few mililiters)." But the UX isn't a box, so I chose to use the pictures to show the size comparison as accurately as I could.

In the end, this is a difficult comparison to make. Raw numbers and even pictures don't always give people a complete impression. Size is absolute, but "small enough" and "too big" are extremely subjective.

Recent Blog: MeanSquare's Review of the Sony UX (with comparison to OQO)

07/07/06 + alcuin

Interesting to see your real world experience gives you the same battery life on the UX standard battery as the OQO extended battery; if one were to do a size comparison based on those, then the volume difference is very negligible. The UX is still the performance leader with either battery though.

Recent Blog: UX180P vs U750P Sony Software comparison

07/07/06 + Hite

yes, it's funny to see AB call other people bias when he is the very definition of it himself.

anyways great review, another reason why i've always taken reviews like these far more seriously than i could ever take a "mainstream" review. their short-sightedness is what i find truely funny. they have been bashing OQO/UX devices for years because they cannot open their mind to the non-norm, but in 3-5 years when these devices are common place they will be singing their praises.

depend on the community people, not the media.

07/07/06 + anthonyb

No matter what you think about my feedback, MeanSquare is one damn good writer.

Recent Blog: Smartercase with ultra clip for OQO

07/07/06 + urkle

Though I have issue w/ a few of the things you stated, your review was nontheless outstanding...I'm quite sure that it will be a reference point for a lot of articles on the UX. Hats off to you, kind sir...

1 | 2

You must be a member to reply or post. signup or login

FourOneOne NET: CloserCircle | Gamer411 | Profil3