Even though it is a beautiful day I ended up in the Westchester Mall where I got to see a demo of Verizon FiOS but there was no IPTV because Verizon has no TV franchise here in Westchester. They expect to have TV in the spring and according to the salespeople here it is good news because many customers are waiting for the TV to come before they make the switch.
Next up was Brookstone where I saw a new stereo system (I didn’t catch the name) that has iPod compatibility, the ability to play MP3 CDs and a variety of memory card options. You could put an SD card in the stereo for example. I liked the new system but at $350 it needs to stream internet music as well to be worth it. I hear the company is discontinuing the AcoustiClear stereos which have great sound but can’t do the newfangled things like connect natively to an iPod.
I then went into the Bose store – I have been an avid Bose fan for about 30 years, and I tested the the QuietComfort 3 headphones. The sound quality was exceptional and so was the noise cancelling. At $350 the price is very steep and may make a good gift for any bloggers you may be looking to subtley bribe. 😉
Then I went to the Sony store and checked out the Sony VAIO Micro PC VGN-UX280P. It is a handheld computer about 2-3 times the size of my UT Starcom xv6700 phone. The resolution of the device is 1024×600 which blows away the 320×240 of my phone.
The trouble is the device is still a bit too big, thick and heavy. It has a keyboard similar to my phone so typing is slow and awkward. Still I am captivated by the device. It runs Windows XP has a USB port, docking station 2 cameras and anything and everything a laptop does. It costs around $2K and is worth it for a true power user. It isn’t a mobile phone but can use voip over the cingular Edge network. It isn’t perfect but it does have benefits over my phone. It would allow me to proof read designs more easily than my phone and it would allow a better browsing experience. It also has a brighter and crisper screen.
Still I am not sure when I would use the VAIO as I have a phone for those times my laptop isn’t with me and the Sony is not that much better than my phone. If I had more time I would review it but my office is jam packed with boxes of unopened voip products as it is. We all know you can never be too rich or too thin. Certaily during CES week we can add You can never have too many toys.
blogged via wireless handheld
