Sony has experimented with mini laptops in the past, but the new CLIE UX50 takes miniaturization down to a whole new level. Check out our First Take.The screen swivels a full 180 degrees so that you can also use the device as a traditional PDA. The UX50 measures just 10.4 by 8.6 by 1.9 centimeters, and at 175gm, it weighs about the same as other handhelds with integrated Wi-Fi.
Upside: On top of Palm OS 5.2, the UX50 packs a backlit keyboard, a 320x480-pixel screen, a VGA camera, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The device has a swift 300MHz processor, 29MB of available RAM, and 16MB of spare ROM. Like all high-end CLIEs, this model supports MP3 and MPEG playback, and it has a stereo headphone jack.
Downside: Sony hasn't confirmed exact Australian availability as yet, and with an estimated price of US$700, you may just have to look and drool from afar.
Outlook: Expect to find plenty of older swivel-screen CLIEs on eBay as gear heads attempt to raise the funds to purchase this pocket dynamo. The product will be out in the US in September. Another new CLIE, the UX40, lacks Wi-Fi and will sell for US$100 less.
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