Sony SJ20 and SJ30 Announced in Australia and Hong Kong

Posted By: Ed Tuesday, August 13, 2002 11:06:45 AM

Sony Australia is now taking pre-orders for the SJ20 and SJ30, which are similar to the already released SL10 but with enhanced features. SonyStyle Hong Kong also lists the SJ20 and SJ30. SonyStyle's U.S. division doesn't yet say anything about these. The information given on these models confirms most of what has only been rumor before.

The SJ30 has a hi-res, 16-bit, backlit color screen. It has 16 MB of RAM and 4 MB of flash ROM. At 4.0 by 2.8 by .66 inches, Sony is advertising the SJ30 as the smallest color Clié ever. It weighs 4.9 ounces.

Sony says the SJ30 will last 12 days with normal use, which it defines as 30 minutes use per day with the backlight off.

The SJ20 has a hi-res monochrome screen and also has 16 MB of RAM and 4 MB of flash ROM. It is the same size as the SJ30, as well, but weighs 4.5 ounces. Sony says the SJ20 will last 15 days with normal use on its internal, rechargeable battery.

Both of these models have Memory Stick slots, Jog Dials, Back buttons, and plastic casings. They use the same HotSync connector as the T series. They run Palm OS 4.1 on a 33 MHz Dragonball VZ processor.

Neither model ships with a cradle; instead, each comes with an AC adapter and a USB HotSync cable.

Sony Australia is offering the SJ30 for $750 AU, which converts to $400 US. The SJ20 is $550 AU, or about $300 US. It says they will be available August 23.

Sony Hong Kong lists the SJ30 at $2,500 HK. or $320 US, while the SJ20 is $1,800 HK, or $230 US. It says these models will be delivered sometime between August 22 and 27.

According to a source at a major U.S. electronics chain, these models won't be available in the U.S. until September 23. The SJ30 will be $300 US and the SJ20 will be $200. US

Thanks to the many people who sent in tips on this. -Ed

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Another day, another Clie...

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:26:30 AM #
I've gotten to the point where I just don't care anymore. New Clie's seem to sprout up overnight like mushrooms. Ho-hum...
RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:34:39 AM #
This is just a placeholder though - similar specs to all the other clies; low mhz chips and memory, nothing really innovative here. Just treading water until OS5...
RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:39:21 AM #
They should work on the design to avoid memory card problems vs. new models weekly!
RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:39:35 AM #
Another day, another troll...
RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:40:20 AM #
Yeah! Sony clean up your act! $500+ is alot of money to spend for a palm that has problems with reading the memory stick.
RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 12:15:36 PM #
Yeah, I hate choice. Wished we could return to the Ford-Chevy-Chrysler-only days. Wish Philco was the only TV. Wish CBS and NBC were the only TV stations.
Wish A&W was the only place to get a hamburger.

Could it be that those that moan and whine about Sony are those same people who just have a hard time in life making ANY choices? There is no earthly reason why anyone in their right mind would give a gnat's ass about Sony releasing new PDA models. But, for those that do...write down on a piece of paper all the things you want in a PDA. Now compare your list with the features offered by all the various PDA models offered. Find the model that offers the most features you desire. Buy that model. Then, and this is MOST IMPORTANT, do not return to this website for a period of ONE YEAR.

RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 2:43:09 PM #
I appreciate choices, but they way they are cranking them out is a bit much wouldn't you say? The next Sony will be the Ultra-Whiz-Bang XJ708P+ Everytime I see a new model, with the S-whatever model they come out with next blah, blah, blah, I start to sing that old Disney song ..... M---O--U---S---E , Micky Mouse, Donald Duck, Micky Mouse, Donald Duck. forever we will hold our banner, high, High, HIgh HIGH!!!! Where do they come up with these names, codes, or whatever? Oh, and I'm not a troll, Am a loyal user of both Sony and Palm's
RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 9:33:39 AM #
Some of these posts are as amusing as they are irrelevant. Please, just answer one little question for me: where is the innovation?
RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 11:30:11 AM #
"where is the innovation?"

I think that's the question that you should be asking Palm.

Will you compare the PDA's that Sony has developed and release vs. the PDA's the Palm has developed and release you can clearly see your innovation.

RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 12:34:53 PM #
Sony's cranking them out is a bit much? I don't understand. Car models are updated annually. Do you think that's "a bit much"? Does that mean you change your car every year?

My point is that Sony's cranking them out should make you nothing but happy. You have more choice, and you can buy if and when the improved features justify them. By God you would only complain if you were some dumb lunatic who just HAD to buy every single LATEST model out there. If you fit that description, that's just too bad for you. For the rest of us, we think Sony's innovation is great. The more the merrier.

RE: Another day, another Clie...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 6:41:08 PM #
"Will you compare the PDA's that Sony has developed and release vs. the PDA's the Palm has developed and release you can clearly see your innovation."

Yes. Well. Since you say so, I believe you. (irony)

Still it would be nice to see some evidence of what Sony has produced in the way of innovation, putting aside of course what it has copied from Palm.

Let's see. There is an MP3 player on some units. Nice but not a Sony innovation - Springboard modules allowed this for Visors long before the first CLIE model was released.

There is also the famous hi-res screen. Not a Sony innovation either - just copied from TRG/Handera. Anyway, Sony are so committed to hi-res that their current range includes 3 DIFFERENT screen resolutions - not exactly a vote of confidence if you ask me.

That aside, what has Sony done which is so different from Palm? Only the "twisting screen" comes to mind, and this of itself is not exactly a world beater.

So, I ask again: where is the innovation?

.66'' thick?!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:27:21 AM #
Ouch! That's thick!

My 3-generations old N710C (well... now a 760) ;-) is 0.625" thick. You'd think these things get smaller (esp. considering Sony's great job w/ the T series).


RE: .66'' thick?!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:36:09 AM #
OUCh! That Is ThI-thI-tHicK!
RE: .66'' thick?!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 1:19:18 PM #
slightly thicker then 760 - yes. but much smaller overall because it is not nearly as long.
WOW....it's HUGE
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 1:21:32 PM #
Yeah, man, it's HUGE!!!

You know, being the narrowest and shortest Palm OS PDA EVER!!!

The thickness just TOTALLY overshadows that this thing is the SHORTEST and NARROWEST unit ever produced.

Sony should be embarrassed at how freakin' huge this gigantic brick is!

When are the Japanese gonna learn that the market only cares about THICKNESS!!!

Wow, this thing is gigantic. I can hardly stand to look at how huge it is. What a disgrace.

This thing is WAAAAAY too big to appeal to most people.

Heck, it's almost as huge as the gigantic Treo 90 (currently the smallest PDA on the market). Doesn't Sony realize they can't DO THAT???

My lord, this thing is a friggin' MAMMOTH!

Down with Sony. Down with Japan. Down with Godzilla. Down with things that are HUGE!

RE: .66'' thick?!
popko @ 8/13/2002 1:53:09 PM #
LOL

To some point Sony actually has it all.

T series, the thinnnnnest.
S series, the most bang for the buck.
NR series, the most feature-rich Palm.
SJ series, the thickest *current* gen Palm.

RE: .66'' thick?!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 2:12:10 PM #
No, the thickest current gen palm is the m130.
Width: 3.1 inches
Height: 4.8 inches
-->Depth: 0.9 inches
Weight: 5.4 ounces
compare with T, N and NR
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 4:22:27 PM #
http://clie.idv.tw/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17353
RE: .When will u ever learn
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 8:38:11 AM #
Reply to:
Yeah, man, it's HUGE!!!

You know, being the narrowest and shortest Palm OS PDA EVER!!!

The thickness just TOTALLY overshadows that this thing is the SHORTEST and NARROWEST unit ever produced.

Sony should be embarrassed at how freakin' huge this gigantic brick is!

When are the Japanese gonna learn that the market only cares about THICKNESS!!!

Wow, this thing is gigantic. I can hardly stand to look at how huge it is. What a disgrace.

This thing is WAAAAAY too big to appeal to most people.

Heck, it's almost as huge as the gigantic Treo 90 (currently the smallest PDA on the market). Doesn't Sony realize they can't DO THAT???

My lord, this thing is a friggin' MAMMOTH!

Down with Sony. Down with Japan. Down with Godzilla. Down with things that are HUGE!

Thickness isn't the ONLY thing that matters when u buy a PDA...

The market doesn't CARE JUST ABOUT thickness....
DAMN IT... will u buy a device thats 10 inches long and 10 inches wide, just cos its 0.1 inch thick?

MAMMOTH?? look at the m130.... longer, wider, thicker... WHAT THE HELL R U CALLING A MAMMOTH?


DOWN WITH JAPAN?? STOP being a friggin racist(and just if ur wondering... i'm not japanese)

RE: .66'' thick?!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 8:59:33 AM #
I think it is quite obvious he was being sarcastic toward the original poster.
RE: .66'' thick?!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 12:38:55 PM #
Oh my God whoever that last poster was, have you ever heard of IRONY???? The previous poster to you was really FUNNY.

I pity the IQs of some folk posting here.

Ignorance
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/15/2002 10:01:06 AM #
There we go again, loosely throwing around the word 'Racist'.

Again, to be 'Racist' is to believe one race is genetically or inherently superior to another.

Please don't throw that word around unless it's necessary.

Racism sucks......but so does ignorance.

a bit pricey

Doo @ 8/13/2002 11:30:16 AM #
They seem a bit pricey to me. For a few dollars more you could get the 665 have sound and the better ir port.

Not that I'm complainng. The 10 is a awesome deal. I bought two for my kids.

RE: a bit pricey
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:38:37 AM #
That's the Sony game in a nutshell. You already are looking to spend a few bucks more on a "better" version when really what you started looking at may be perfect for your needs.

Sony will try to have something at every conceivable price point. It is their marketing and sales strategy. From a business perspective, I kind of like it.

RE: a bit pricey
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:48:05 AM #
Actually, the prices on the Australian site are for Australian dollars (A$).
The equivelent in US dollars (US$) are:
~US$300 for the SJ20G
~US$400 for the SJ30G
RE: a bit pricey
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 1:07:19 PM #
Never mind that you can't just convert the currency and expect to get the correct number for teh USA. It doesn't work that way. Things are generally much cheaper in the US.

RE: a bit pricey
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 3:00:48 PM #
I'm amazed that in this internet age, people don't realize that Australian/Hong Kong prices included VAT (value added tax) and are priced according to the local taxing customs. Generally, most consumer goods sold in Australia/Hong Kong sell for much higher amounts than the corresponding U.S. dollar conversion. We have no confirmed U.S. pricing, yet people are already complaining as to how expensive these items are! The earlier report indicated prices at $200 and $300 U.S.

Why does one person jump to a conclusion, and everybody else believe it is a bandwagon?

RE: a bit pricey
martopiggus @ 8/13/2002 11:03:58 PM #
man... there is no sales tax in Hong Kong! HKD 2500 is pretty cheap in comparison to other colour devices, consider the T665 is sold for HKD 3280 and Palm 515 for around HKD 2800-3000...

Crazy Pricing!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:52:23 PM #
I think Sony Marketing Management should clean up their act on product pricing in various part of the world. It should be price fairly considering that Palm OS Users think globally. What do you think?

I am still waiting for a Palm OS device which runs on Palm OS 5.0.

RE: a bit pricey
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 3:55:09 AM #
Also it's GST in Australia - not VAT...

:-)

RE: Crazy Pricing!!!
mrscarey @ 8/14/2002 7:36:39 AM #
Sony do not think globally. They release a model version for each perceived market.

This marketing only adds to the perception that Sony introduce new models at a blinding rate.

As for pricing -
From every salesperson's handbook
Chapter 1
Closing the Deal
When dealing with a customer -
"if they don't complain about the price you haven't charged enough"



mrscarey

palmist and visionary

RE: a bit pricey
martopiggus @ 8/14/2002 11:17:06 PM #
Well... It's sad to hear this kind of ignorant comments. Different countries have different trade and tax policies for any companies to commit. Hidden taxes, labour costs, even restocking are all overhead costs, and the costs of making and shipping a product constitute only a small part of the costs in selling a product. When you decide the price of a product, you also have to consider the affordability and purchase behavior of their target customers. Americans have no idea how people in the other side of the world spend their money, so they are miserable why Sony keep releasing new CLIEs; while in here, we are used to seeing new products literally EVERY DAY.

Ed can take the rest of the day off

Beavis @ 8/13/2002 11:38:20 AM #
He has a story that has Sony in the title, and confirms a rumor.

No other news item today will need to be posted.

This one will have a squillion comments before the day is over.

RE: Ed can take the rest of the day off
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:59:52 AM #
Works for Palm, too. Yesterday's article on Palm's <$100 model got over 90 comments. We just like to talk (or bicker, depending on how you look at it) about handhelds.
RE: Ed can take the rest of the day off
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/14/2002 10:25:51 AM #
Squillion? How many zeros would that be? ;)

Still Waiting Clie on OS5!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:39:22 AM #
I woould love to buy an NRV-OS5!
RE: Still Waiting Clie on OS5!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 10:54:23 PM #
I agree; I am already saving up for one.
RE: Still Waiting Clie on OS5!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/15/2002 5:59:51 AM #
Sony already makes mini-laptops, just go buy one.

I'd get a T615C before a SJ30

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:39:40 AM #
Both the T615C and SJ30 cost $300 Here's a quick comparison:

T615C
4.65" x 2.8" x .50
4.9 ounces
16-bit color screen
Metal casing
Cradle
Available today

SJ30
4.0" x 2.8" x .66"
4.9 ounces
16-bit color screen
Plastic casing
No cradle
Available next month(?)

RE: I'd get a T615C before a SJ30
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/13/2002 11:54:21 AM #
the sj30 apparently has a better color screen....its less milky than the t615 screen. reguardless, i would DEFINITLY buy a t615 over the sj30...the t615 also has an advanced speaker for better alarm sounds.
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