For a brief second, I looked at this headline from Engadget and thought that Sony launched a new $199 web tablet to undercut the soon-to-be-(probably)-announced Apple Tablet. And then I looked closer and realized that Sony’s new Dash Internet Viewer is more of an HP DreamScreen competitor.
The Dash can be propped up like a photo frame or laid down flat. It apparently has some sort of battery, unlike the DreamScreen. But it’s not clear how long that battery lasts and whether the Sony Dash is meant for use outside of the home. Update: Nope, there’s no battery. The Dash needs to be plugged in to work.
The device has WiFi capabilities and a 7 inch touchscreen display. It runs a custom, widget-driven OS and it’s meant to work like an appliance, not a computer with a desktop operating system. Oh, and it will run Chumby widgets, which is pretty awesome, because there are more than a thousand already available including weather, news, music, video, game, social networking, and photo applications. Sony will also be making its own widgets available with access to things like Sony music videos and movie trailers.
The Dash can handle multitasking, which means you can listen to internet radio while looking at pictures or set your alarm clock to play an online video. There’s a USB port for connecting external devices and a headphone jack for not annoying the person sitting next to you.
The Dash will be available in April for $199. You can find more pictures after the break.
when you watch sony’s ad for dash on their website it clearly works without a battery, they don’t show any ac adapter connected while it is working. Why are there trying to deceive people this way???
It is way cool. If it was half the price listed, I would find it way more appealling.
Or… buy a Chumby for 100… sure, smaller screen and not as high of a resolution but for this functionality, it isn’t worth the higher price, is it?
It was hinted on the Chumby forum that a larger Chumby-type device would hit CES. Chumbys are great. Wake up to Pandora, check the weather and headline news without even getting out of bed. Thousands of widgets. I would love a 7″ screen for the livingroom. Too bad they partnered with Sony though. I have been boycotting them for their business practices (rootkits, format wars, etc.).
I have the Dreamscreen 100. If this had been available at the time, definitely would have gotten this. Gizmodo is reporting that floor reps admitted it is a modified Chumby OS, so it looks like Sony bought the chumby and beefed it up.
The dreamscreen just isnt supported properly by hp… great device, but I am starting to doubt future application additions will come.