Peripheral Makers Move to Support Sony T Series

Posted By: Ed Tuesday, January 22, 2002 8:09:37 AM

The Sony T615C is just starting to get into customer's hands but for many people the actual handheld is only the beginning. A complete setup requires accessories, like keyboards, modems, and cases. Some peripheral makers are already planning to develop products for either the T615C, the T415, or both. This has been slightly complicated by the need for a new HotSync port on the T series, needed because the T415 is too thin for the one used on other Sony models.

Keyboards
For various reasons, many users aren't satisfied with entering text into their handheld with Graffiti. To these, a keyboard of one kind or another is necessary.

Certainly the most famous of these is the Stowaway folding keyboard from Think Outside. According to a Think Outside spokesperson, the company is currently working on a version that will work with the entire T series. This should be available "in late 2nd Quarter of this year".

TT Tech is the maker of the SnapNType clip-on keyboard. At this point they don't make a version for any Sony models or have definite plans to do so. However, it will be making plans for future models next month based on the popularity of the various handhelds.

Cases
The flip-covers that come with the T series provide some protection for the screen but only a hardcase can provide any real protection.

Vaja Cases is planning to release a case for the T615C but no details are available yet. It should be available somewhere around the end of February.

RhinoSkin is in the process of developing both aluminium and leather cases for the T series. It hasn't yet decided whether it will make cases designed for the entire T series or for the individual handhelds. At this early stage of development, the company can't yet say when these will be available.

DS International, which makes cases for other Sony models, also plans to make them for the T series, though no planned release dates are available yet.

Extreme Limit, who makes cases for other Sony handhelds, has a "body-suit" case coming soon for the T615C.

Sony offers a case that fits both the T615C and T415 already.

Of course, just about any one-size-fits-all case will do fine for either model, like the SmarterCase. Naturally, this is only for those who don't mind a bit of extra bulk.

Etcetera
LandWare, which makes the FloatingPoint stylus and other peripherals, says it has no definite plans at this point for products for the T series but will reconsider based on future demand.

Pentopia is still looking into making styli for the T series. Of course, they already make full-sized sylus-pen combinations for those unhappy with the T series very small stylus.

There are plenty of other peripherals available from Sony. The T series can use the Memory Stick digital camera introduced in November, as well as the MP3 Audio adapter. Sony sells a HotSync cable and an AC adapter. In addition, there are replacement cradles and styli.

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Peripheral overkill costs!

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 8:38:24 AM #
New models, new peripherals. When I plan to buy the next generation PDA (whichever AND whenever that will be) the price of peripherals will be 50% of the factor that will let me decide to buy the PDA at all.
I mean consumers can't shell out money for new peripherals every 2nd PDA generation. Look at PCs, they standardized it there...
All of that is "cost overkill"! Besides what on earth is so hard about keeping a common interface (I know, don't stone me...the "industry" wants to earn...)? Consumers aren't milk cows though.

C. Steinitz
Basel, Switzerland

RE: Peripheral overkill costs!
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 8:59:02 AM #
Huh? you just said pocket pc are standardized meaning they all use the same keyboards and all use the same cases, addons etc?

RE: Peripheral overkill costs!
Ed @ 1/22/2002 9:00:28 AM #
No, he said PC peripherals are standardized, meaning desktop computers.

---
News Editor
RE: Peripheral overkill costs!
Dark @ 1/22/2002 10:03:27 AM #
Yes, the PC does have standardized its basic peripherals but it actually took several years. The mouse was not an original PC peripheral so is USB and PS/2. We only had serial and parallel ports then.

___________
Visit www.PalmVenue.com - Where Palm OS users and developers meet.

RE: Peripheral overkill costs!
montyburns @ 1/22/2002 10:05:22 AM #
Actually, customers ARE cash cows. Companies don't design these new peripherals because they are nice - they want your $$.

Peripherals have higer profit margins than the PDA itself.

I like my Palm!

RE: Peripheral overkill costs!
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 11:00:16 AM #
IT took a long time bcoz it was the first. PDAs shoudl earn from history,..not make its own.

RE: Peripheral overkill costs!
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 2:52:33 PM #
This is one of the reasons I got my HandEra 330... it uses ALL my prev. Palm IIIx add-ons (PPK, cases, cradles, serial devices, GPS, etc.). Saved me a ton of money.

RE: Peripheral overkill costs!
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 3:45:59 PM #
The reason I got a HandEra 330 was just the opposite. I didn't have any peripherals, but all the PDAs (Palm OS, PocketPC, and others) seem to be moving to supporting SD and CF. All the peripherals I bought last summer (except a cheap GoType keyboard) will work on any of the new PDAs that have come out recently.

That's why I think MemoryStick is such a bad direction to take. A couple of years from now SD and CF are still likely to be standard on most handheld devices, much like PCMCIA currently is with laptops.

Of course, everything will soon have Bluetooth and the only thing you'll really need to hardwire then is maybe memory cards, or when you require something faster than Bluetooth. For everything else, you won't need to worry about what hardware interface it uses.

Gone for three days...

mikecane @ 1/22/2002 9:39:02 AM #
I've been offline for three days (did the stalkers notice?) and come back to find T615C news all over the place. I am catching up.

And I am casting my vote for a SnapNType keyboard and that Landware stylus. Boy, does the T615C need both!

RE: Gone for three days...
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 10:13:00 AM #
Sorry, no "Virtual Graffiti" news though.

RE: Gone for three days...
mikecane @ 1/22/2002 10:53:25 AM #
That's "Soft Graffiti."

Although Sony's new 625XD will introduce a "Virtual Stylus."

http://www.cliesource.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?number=18&thread=000058

RE: Gone for three days...
robrecht @ 1/22/2002 1:42:58 PM #
Is there a factual core to the 625 talk or is it just meant for amusement?

Thanks, Robrecht
RE: Gone for three days...
mikecane @ 1/24/2002 9:19:06 AM #
Oh, it's all a lark. That should have been obvious.

Thank you!

bookrats @ 1/22/2002 11:10:50 AM #
That was an extremely useful (and hope-providing) article to those of us getting (or planning to get) a T615C. Thank you!

----

Jeff Meyer

RE: Thank you!
Ed @ 1/22/2002 2:30:23 PM #
You're welcome.

---
News Editor

New Case Coming Soon.

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 11:23:21 AM #
Guess Ed forgot to put up my "news" i sent him couple days ago.

New Case coming soon from Extreme Limit (they have cases for the N/S series too).

http://www.extreme-limit.co.jp/english/mobilepc/clie_peg-t615c.htm

RE: New Case Coming Soon.
Ed @ 1/22/2002 12:25:54 PM #
Geez, sorry nXt, I meant to add them to the review. I'll go do it now. Thanks.

If anyone knows of any others I missed, please let me know and I'll add them, too.

---
News Editor

RE: New Case Coming Soon.
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 3:30:23 PM #
Ed, I can't post with my account.. all it does is give me a page not found error. (nXt)

RE: New Case Coming Soon.
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 6:00:21 PM #
I have to join in on this complaint also. I made it a few days ago and there was no response. I can not post with my account. Please Ed, any help would be appreciated.

Here's the resulting URL from posting the comment if it helps:
http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment.asp?ID=2859&cType=NEWS&POST=1

"The page cannot be displayed"


Thanks,

PalmAddict

RE: New Case Coming Soon.
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/7/2002 3:14:14 PM #
Does anyone know if the extreme limit cases are great? just checked and they do have both horizontal and vertical cases for the T615.
About $48 for the horizontal.
Trying to decide on a case - need something that will really protect my handheld.
Thanks
suzanne biegel

Pentopia Chameleon

sbabcock @ 1/22/2002 12:20:45 PM #
I really love my Pentopia Chameleon stylus. I am hoping that
they will make a model for the T615 and T415, but I wonder
if they can fit a pen/stylus combo in that small hole.
Will they be able to do it? They have a great product.

RE: Pentopia Chameleon
Ed @ 1/22/2002 2:29:12 PM #
When I talked to them about it yesterday, they said they were going to try.

---
News Editor

T Series modem

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 1:51:35 PM #
Anyone have any ideas on a dial up land modem for the T-Series?

RE: T Series modem
mikecane @ 1/24/2002 9:20:41 AM #
In Japan, Sony is pushing the "sled" that allows wireless Net access. Makes me think there won't be a wired modem soon -- which would leave everyone outside of Japan in the lurch. Ow.

Just say NO

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 2:04:34 PM #
I've owned my share, however, when my new Sony comes in, I plan to "Just Say No" to peripherals of any kind. I can upgrade to a new handheld twice as often if I don't buy a case, keyboard, stylus, modem, whatever. Most end up not being used, anyway, since I don't carry those things around with me like I do my PDA.

Most of these things were just toys that I ended up not using. I'm saying "No" to peripherals and saying "Yes" to a new PDA every year.



RE: Just say NO
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 2:19:13 PM #
Gotta agree with you on that, but I don't see the point of upgrading PDA every year.

Serial Cable?

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 3:01:52 PM #
Is anyone making (or planning to make) a serial cable for the T series? I'm thinking of getting the new T615, but want to connect it to my Sprint PCS phone (or GPS, or any other peripheral which uses the serial interface) for wireless web. Anyone know if / when / where a serial cable will be available? Might be useful for anyone w/o a USB too...

RE: Serial Cable?
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/22/2002 9:25:15 PM #
There you are. It's made in Taiwan. Try brando.

http://pocketgames.jp/modules.php?op=modload&name=Shop&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=27

bluetooth ?

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/23/2002 5:16:44 AM #
T615 is good, but I will need it to work with bluetooth devices. Does anyone know if Sony is planning to do that?

RE: bluetooth ?
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/23/2002 12:11:58 PM #
I would like to know this as well. I read something about infostick (sony memory card integrated with bluetooth module) but it was almost year ago and since then nothing.. well there is bluetooth module for the N series but cuz of the different bus connector I guess won't be usable with T series, besides t615 battery performance suck already and if it should feed bluetooth as well I really dunno how long it can last.
btw even if there will be infostick available I would like to know if its theoretically possible to communicate via bluetooth with my phone and at the same time to type on external keyboard. If someone have a clue... thanks in advance.

''Plenty"???''

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/23/2002 3:31:44 PM #
"There are plenty of other peripherals available from Sony"? Are you kidding?

You only list two real peripherals. The camera and the MP3 module. The rest, AC adapter and replacement stylus are, for sure, not "peripherals".

If this is to be considered as "plenty", how will you call all what's available for others? Thousand? Millions?

Just let be serious. The reality is that there are nearly _no_ peripherals to play with the Sony's. Sony has made more models than peripherals.

And the rest, made by third party, are essentially cases & cables. By sample, none of theirs models has any wireless capabilities (internal or external). So, if you think about that with your handeld, just forget Sony.

Panache Stylus

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/21/2002 4:59:52 PM #
PDA Panache also expects to have a metal stylus for the T615C/T415 available very soon. I have one of these for my Palm Vx and have been very happy with its quality, weight, and the fact that it fits in the original slot on the PDA.

http://www.pdapanache.com

amh


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