cnet review with video

Amazon Link

I got one last time it was on woot and LOVE it. I had a few setup issues and a phone call to Sony's rather impressive support solved it in a few minutes once they reset something on their server.

EDIT: LOL, a few minutes before tonights Woot changed over I loaded up wordpad and found these links and wrote the comment. What a hunch! Fastest woot submit for me ever

Reviews @ Amazon average out to 3 stars, not great, but for the price...

Good price!

So its a chumby minus the cuteness?!

Your Questions Answered

I don't think I'll be getting this. Don't need it. Doesn't do something I can't already do.

I got mine from Woot a few months ago and love it... the best part for me is I have it attached to my Amazon Prime account and stream movies to the bedroom.... pop on some headphones and I don't disturb my girlfriend at all... really nice gadget...

Have they updated this thing so it's more than just a poorly designed alarm clock with a few widgets?

Correct that they took the cuteness out of the chumby last upgrade to.

$10 cheaper than last time's deal

So this is a tablet, right?

I have had a dash for a year and it is a fun internet toy .

Have one, and it's pretty nice, and you can program it to automatically enter sleep or blank screen mode according to a schedule, which is nice. It has a decent number of widgets/apps/thingys, but you'll probably wish there were more than there are.

Warning: if you have a flaky Wi-Fi connection, be prepared for it to freeze up.

No fair! You're now selling it NEW for less than I paid for my REFURBISHED one bought from woot not that long ago!

AAAAAYYYYYYUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I bought one last time it was on Woot and like it a lot. Had no problem setting up and running apps. I love having Pandora Radio at bedside. I think I paid 10 bucks more awhile ago, so this is an even better deal. Yes, it's a glorified alarm clock, but ohhh what a clock! LOL ($136.00 at S*M's Club)

Can anyone tell me what this actually can be used for?

If you need an alarm clock, just get one. It's one of the greatest alarm clocks ever.

Bought one of these at Sam's Club for $136 a few months ago. Setup was easy, with LOTS of apps to choose from. Screen was very clear and speed was respectable (though it WAS less than 30 feet from my wireless router).

Before long, the novelty wore off, and it went quickly from cool device to bedside alarm clock to the return desk.

There are just too many other connected devices with more features and bigger screens. I'm sure this is right for many people, just not for me.

Its a miniature ipad... aka an ipod Touch knock off...

which is technical what the ipad was in the first place.

I really like that inset photo on the Dash. That is all.

Alfredenigma wrote:So its a chumby minus the cuteness?!

It has a nicer bigger screen, great for watching Netflix as I go to bed. It also has a snooze button on top, making it's use as an alarm clock much better than the Chumby.

This is one of those devices that I bought only cause the price was excellent and was hoping not to have buyers remorse. After all, you can do what the Dash does on a laptop, netbook, etc...

Now that I have it I don't know what I'd do without. It is great to hold onto, the rubberized edges feel awesome iny our hands and the screen is nice and bright. It plays netflix, crackle, and has tons of apps. It is on the headboard of my bed and I watch movies or listen to music or watch 'Chumby Spy' cycle through several hundred webcams as I fall asleep with it almost every night. Really nice 'toy' IMO.

-GG

Seems like the kind of thing that would be nice to have in the kitchen, rather than some tv.

Wake up, chill with some breakfast and the paper while pandora or some Netflix tv show is on in the background? Paradise, imo.

Previous Woot Sale

It's a fun little toy (ordered one last time they were available), but two caveats: don't expect any decent customer service from Sony if you have a problem, and be warned that not all of the 1000 advertised apps are fully functional or worth a damn, just my two cents...btw, idk if woot is shipping these smartpost, but if so, expect a hella long wait time (mine took 3 weeks, and I live less than 600 miles from Woot!) The best app is Netflix, I can stream my movies and listen with headphones while my wife and newborn sleep.

phacopida wrote:So this is a tablet, right?

No, it's more glorified alarm clock with internet stuff added. I wake to internet radio, see facebook, news, weather, a bunch of silly apps and can watch video from the internet on it via Amazon Prime and a bunch of other stuff. Unlike a tablet, it is not mobile and is meant to be in one place. I have mine on my nightstand and really love the functionality for what it is. Am tempted to get one for in the bathroom for checking news, etc. while getting my act together in the morning. That's pretty much what the device is about, not mobility or full web access.... if you expect it to act like a computer, you will be disappointed. If you expect it to be a super-glorified alarm clock, you'll likely love it. For me, it's exactly what I expected it to be.

Doh! Just bought a few Chumby's when they came up last, and I really like it. However, the small screen is a bit of a bummer. Wanted a Sony Dash, but they cost a lot more (especially not on Woot). Now, today, a new one for only $20 more than the Chumby!! Arg!

I may need to buy one of these, and gift my Chumby to someone else. Who.... Already gave away two as gifts....

For some reason, I thought the Dash had some sort of monthly subscription fee, but now looking at their web site, I don't see any information to that end. However, some of the reviews do mention hidden fees for apps, but I am not sure that wouldn't apply to Chumby, as well... Anyone with personal experience with the Dash and can answer definitively?

cowboyesfan wrote:Can anyone tell me what this actually can be used for?

I thought the same... the price of the one that was on here refurbished last time was just too good to pass up. I love it now, AWESOME alarm clock, watch netflix, music, etc. Now its the same price NEW!

Alfredenigma wrote:So its a chumby minus the cuteness?!

Not exactly. The chumby is more of a hacker's paradise, and designed to be so. The Dash is the chumby's buttoned-down corporate sibling, and as a result, is not as easy to hack (and some widgets designed for the Chumby don't work on the Dash). otoh, the Dash offers some things that the chumby does not... a more polished 'out-of-the-box' experience, Netflix, Hulu Plus, a faster processor, a larger screen (compared to the Chumby One), etc.

You can think of it this way... are you more of a Mac person than a Linux person? iPhone/iPad or Android smartphone/tablet? If you lean towards the Apple camp, the Dash may be a better choice for you than the Chumby. But if you enjoy tweaking and hacking your Linux/Android toys, skip the Dash and go for the Chumby.

Can you browse the internet with this thing? Does it have a browser?

Froogled!
http://tinyurl.com/3h7xl4z

I got it last Woot, and its pretty cool. I keep it next to my real alarm clock, and use it watch a netflix video while I fall asleep or turn on to my NPR station automatically in the morning.

Not enough formats supported. What os is this on? The same as ps3/psp?

Product Website

I was thinking about this until I read this. Everything you want to know about the dash in this one Amazon review.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2A2JHZFTH91ZU/ref=cm_cr_dp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00375MPA8&nodeID=172282&tag=&linkCode=

I receive my WiFi service through my smart phone (I don't have a wireless router).

Can this device connect to an Ad-Hoc wireless network?

Can I use it to read CBZ (comic book zip) files?

A word of caution to potential hardware hackers: this is not the device you want.

Unlike virtually every other Chumby device, this device is NOT meant to be hacked. Its bootloader will only load signed code, and you can forget about any "secret" SSH backdoors. If you're planning on hacking this device to do anything other than what it was intended for, forget it!

On the other hand, these draconian security measures are probably required for the Netflix and Hulu functionality, so if you're looking for that, this is the only Chumby device for you.

wsj3 wrote:Can you browse the internet with this thing? Does it have a browser?

No it does not have a browser.

theguruguys wrote:cnet review with video

Amazon Link

I got one last time it was on woot and LOVE it.

THIS. Ohhhhhh so so this. Yes, it sucks as an internet device, since it doesn't have a browser. But it's definitely the alarm clock of my dreams. I had a chumby, and it has never been able to connect to my wireless network unless it's in the same room with the router or an access point. The Dash was dead simple to set up for me, and it's been the finest alarm clock I've ever had. I bought 2 last time - the other is now attached to my exercise bike to stream netflix, amazon, etc. while I got my ride on during the rainy season.

Definitely worth the purchase. I'm actually debating buying a couple as gifts this time, I love it so much.

Ok after going to sony's site and seeing the name they gave it Dash Information Alarm Clock I really suggest not getting this.

Oh and as you see in the picture it needs to be plugged in. Not very portable as this PCMAG review tells you.