theguruguys wrote:Have to totally disagree with you here. If you are buying it as a hacking toy, then sure the Chumby may be better for you. I am a computer geek and love tinkering with stuff, I flash my own phones, update roms on tablets, etc, but I prefer the Dash over the Chumby mainly due to its screen being twice the resolution, perfect for DVD/Netflix, etc. I do not own an Apple product...

OK, but have you been able to hack the Dash? Or even tried? Seems like you're happy with its features out of the box...

bbf wrote:If you want cute, buy a puppy.
If you want netflix streaming and a better "alarm clock", get the dash.
If you want to hack, get a chumby.

I have an infocast 8 (very similar to a Chumby 8) and a Sony Dash. The Infocast sits in the living room just displaying the time in night mode. The Sony Dash sits in my bedroom used daily as my primary alarm clock and to check out the weather and traffic when I wake up.

For $75, there is no better alarm clock for a geek.

In for 1, thanks for the advice.

I got one of these from a previous Woot. As implied by the description on this Woot, mine bricked when I tried to update its software. I sent it to Sony, who promised to send me a new one in return. The one they sent was in fact refurbished, but has worked fine so I'm not complaining (just noting the dishonesty).

Here's a way to think about this product: It's a great, slick-looking alarm clock that comes with a few built in special features (Pandora, Netflix, Amazon VOD, digital picture viewer) and can also be enhanced with downloaded free "apps" from the Chumby community. (The literature calls the special features "apps" as well, but that just leads to confusion since they are accessed through the user interface differently.)

I'd rate those three features: Alarm clock: A-, Special Features: A-, Apps: C-. The alarm clock is capable, but suffers from a needlessly complicated interface. The core special features are solid; the problem is that they're surrounded and vastly outnumbered by *numerous* ones that are lousy but which cannot be deleted, nor can their order of appearance be changed (e.g. some kind of app for the movie "SALT" - I think it just plays a trailer or something, but it will always be there unless a software update removes it). As far as the apps: the VAST majority of the Chumby apps are barely useful or entertaining at best, and totally broken at worst. For example, RSS reading apps nearly always cut off the posts they show (you only get the first few sentences) and the link to "read the rest" doesn't work, so it's simply a tease. Most useful are a handful of news headlines streamers and some cooking/recipe-of-the-day apps.

Also important: the Woot write-up of this product on 4/11/2011 stated "... around Mother’s Day there’s going to be a new web browser app so I can surf the web and even set up my Dash without a PC." Mother's Day has come and gone and, to my knowledge, that app does not yet exist. Woot, you have been called out.

Finally: the Dash is pictured in many places, including on its own packaging, running a slick looking "GMail" app. An app that looks like that DOES NOT EXIST. There IS a GMail app, but it's a severely limited, ugly looking thing that doesn't at all resemble what's pictured. It's more like viewing your e-mail in DOS, without the ability to do anything but read or delete.

All that being said, I still think this is a solid device with useful features and a slick look at this price. But much more is promised than is actually delivered.

hustlertwo wrote:I...don't see how that's even remotely related to what I was talking about, but OK.

Only question left for me is: does this do anything a tablet can't? I don't have a tablet yet, and I get the feeling once I buy one it will completely usurp this thing's functions. Even the alarm clock element itself; aren't most tablets able to do that?

Yes, a tablet can do all that and more. As to whether it will do it as well as the Dash does, I couldn't say, but if my phone is any indication, you'll be facing a great deal of tweaking to get it to be almost as good a clock radio as the Dash already is. Sony did a good job of integrating all the various media sources, and bundling them into a deluxe clock radio, which isn't necessarily something you're going to find on a tablet offering.

Wow!!!!

I can give my iPad away to Robot Elvis, buy this and ROCK OUT ever morning!

hustlertwo wrote:I...don't see how that's even remotely related to what I was talking about, but OK.

You asked if it has A/V jacks to allow for hooking up DVD players or things like that?

While the answer is No - there is no video input - the person that responded probably mentioned the USB port because the Dash can potentially play video files stored on a USB flash drive.

There is a headphone jack under the same plastic flap as the USB port.

A couple of other things:
The stability seems to have improved after a flurry of software updates in February/March. Mine was locking up at least once a week before that, now maybe once a month.

I'm tired of the "glorified alarm clock" descriptions. I never use mine as an alarm clock - I have this thing called an alarm clock for that. It's an information appliance that pushes a steady stream of news/weather info. The screen is bigger than a cell phone, its footprint is smaller than an iPad, it's rock steady in its vertical/angled orientation, and I don't have to remember to place my mobile device in the same place all the time.

I decided to bite. Tired of waking up to my cellphone blaring its tinny alarm. Here's hoping the speakers on this thing are good enough for blaring speed metal while I write questions, and that it has access to non-Plus Hulu. If it ever does get a browser app that'll be great, and if not I do already have a desktop PC, laptop, and touchscreen phone that can browse the web. I probably won't be hurting for 'net access anytime soon.

I bought this for $99 from a different site a few days before Woot! had this the first time. I love it too. I gave it to my daughter and she enjoys watching Sesame St. or Dora on Netflix. And she likes to watch it scroll through the other apps during the day. I want one for my office, but I think I will wait until the summer with the battery powered version comes out.

sliderlee wrote: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?

No monthly subscription fee for the Dash itself. For certain premium services like Hulu Plus, you have to be a subscriber to those services. As far as I know, the same subscription you use for your PC or Boxee or Roku Player or Internet-capable TV can be used on the Dash.

hustlertwo wrote:Here's hoping the speakers on this thing are good enough for blaring speed metal while I write questions, and that it has access to non-Plus Hulu. If it ever does get a browser app that'll be great, and if not I do already have a desktop PC, laptop, and touchscreen phone that can browse the web. I probably won't be hurting for 'net access anytime soon.

1. For blaring speed metal, headphones would probably work better than the Dash's speakers. Or plug in powered speakers into the headphone jack.

2. No access to regular Hulu, only Hulu Plus imle. Would love to be proven wrong on this one, but Hulu seems to be locked down pretty tightly.

3. I'd love to see a browser added, but I'm not holding my breath. As you note, there are other, probably better platforms for the web experience. Besides, I'm not sanguine about the Dash's touchscreen interface for browsing.

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

The OS is Linux-based, but optimized/oriented towards running Flash. I doubt that the OS has anything to do with the PS3/PSP, since it is modified version of the one developed for the Chumby.

Product Processor, Memory, & Increased Number of Apps

May 11, 2011

500Mhz processor with 32kB I/D L2 cache;

256 MB, 667MHz DDR2 DRAM

1,500+ apps available

http://sonydashpersonalinternetviewer.com/

Sony Dash Press Release in LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #14200), Jan. 5, 2011

SONY STRENGTHENS DASH LINEUP AT CES 2011 INTRODUCES NEW MODEL WITH RECHARGEABLE BATTERY; REDUCES CURRENT DASH PRICING

Expanding upon its ability to deliver personalized, real-time information throughout the home, Sony today announced the introduction of two new Dash products, including a new portable, battery-powered model. Each will be available this summer.

Each new Dash also features a USB port for simple connection to external electronic devices or storage media, as well as a built-in speaker.

The new Sony Dash portable model will be offered in three colors including brown, slate blue, and orange. The second model, sans battery, will be offered in black.

Pricing will be announced shortly.

jjdarling wrote:How loud is the dash? It takes a medium sized freight train to reliably wake me up.

Can I crank this thing up to 11? Any heavy sleepers out there who own one care to comment?

Using my handy Analog Radio Shack Sound Level Meter I peaked out at 90dB using one of the louder alarms and averaged about 70dB with the others. I measured pointing the Sound Level Meter directly at the Dash's speakers from 1 foot away with the Dash's volume set on the loudest setting.

How loud is 70 to 90dB? Some examples:

90dB - Motorcycle at 25 ft
89dB - Garbage disposal, dishwasher, freight train (at 50 ft.) for jjdarling
80dB - garbage disposal.
77 dB - Passenger car at 65 mph at 25 ft.
76 dB Living room music.
70 dB radio or TV-audio.

source

Here is a good video giving a complete walkthrough. It is like a tablet but in an alarm clock form factor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwfrP8rrQTA

Does anyone know if this can be easily used as a sound soother, specifically, playing an ocean sound all night (or stopping after a pre-set amount of time, but I leave it on all night most of the time) - and then still have an alarm go off in the morning? Does it have any sort of sound soother function at all?

sliderlee wrote:Does anyone know if this can be easily used as a sound soother, specifically, playing an ocean sound all night (or stopping after a pre-set amount of time, but I leave it on all night most of the time) - and then still have an alarm go off in the morning? Does it have any sort of sound soother function at all?

You are looking to download this app called sleep sound generator.

The Dash also has a built in sleep timer which can be set, and as mentioned before can be set to go into and out of sleep mode at scheduled times.

Sony Dash Web Viewer eSupport Forum

theguruguys wrote:You are looking to download this app called sleep sound generator.

The Dash also has a built in sleep timer which can be set, and as mentioned before can be set to go into and out of sleep mode at scheduled times.

Thanks...I've been looking for that. It does feature waves as a wakeup alarm, which I like, but I do wish Sony would include something like that as part of their added functionality.


You could also playback sleep sounds from a USB stick, too.

fxfuji wrote:OK, but have you been able to hack the Dash? Or even tried? Seems like you're happy with its features out of the box...

I can't hack the Chumby to display video at 800x480 on a 7 inch screen (and yes, I know you can hack composite video out of the Chumby fairly easily, but you know what I mean.).

My problem with your analogy was that you were placing Dash users as 'Apple' people and Chumby as 'techies', which is not really the case. I am not even close to an Apple stereotype, I own no Apple products, and I modify my electronics all the time.

The main point we both totally agree on is that the Dash and Chumby should be bought towards use of totally different applications. The Chumby as a tech/hack gadget and the Dash as a practical streaming video / alarm clock appliance.

Of course, all this changes a bit when we start comparing it to the Chumby 8...

-GG

fxfuji wrote: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...

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.

what's the API for the dash?
I need to write an an app.
Linux is no problem.

kmith wrote:what's the API for the dash?
I need to write an an app.
Linux is no problem.

Chumby apps are Adobe Flash based.

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

There doesn't appear to be a widget to read CBZ files. Of course, someone might write one eventually (or you might do so yourself), but I'm not sure I'd enjoy reading comics books on a 8" display that's fixed to display in landscape mode. Even 8" portrait is iffy imho, I'm thinking 10" portrait is minimally acceptable (for me).

theguruguys wrote:I can't hack the Chumby to display video at 800x480 on a 7 inch screen (and yes, I know you can hack composite video out of the Chumby fairly easily, but you know what I mean.).

My problem with your analogy was that you were placing Dash users as 'Apple' people and Chumby as 'techies', which is not really the case. I am not even close to an Apple stereotype, I own no Apple products, and I modify my electronics all the time.

The main point we both totally agree on is that the Dash and Chumby should be bought towards use of totally different applications. The Chumby as a tech/hack gadget and the Dash as a practical streaming video / alarm clock appliance.

Of course, all this changes a bit when we start comparing it to the Chumby 8...

-GG

The analogy fails on multiple levels. I am a mac user, I use OSX on almost all my machines (my server is linux, of course). I have several Apple products. I also love to hack and mod my electronics (I'm writing this now on a hackintosh netbook with a modded gpu), and I work both in design and with code, and I still prefer (note: PREFER, an OS is not a religion) the MacOS and the Mac environment. Liking things for aesthetics, sometimes preferring durability over changeability, etc. does not mean that you fall into only one side of the mac/windows debate.

But I think his/her point was more geared towards the "are you someone who uses a computer to surf the web" versus "do you know what mysql is", not "if you like this you use a mac". ;)

And to make this relevant, I like the idea of this and will likely pick one or two of them up.

Bought this the last time it was offered on woot. It's fairly useless, however neat it sounds on paper. If you want to use netflix it might be great, but otherwise: it's dog slow, and not a feasible internet radio. Most of the apps are worthless and/or specific to some locality. Wifi reception is pretty dismal as well.

For $70 you can get a clock radio that does something useful, like charge your ipod, receive HD channels or stream internet radio stations through a decent interface.

If your ideal clock is a small computer dedicated to displaying a clock widget fullscreen, this might be perfect - even cheap compared to other custom designer clocks, I guess.

It's not like a tablet, it's not like an ipad, and the app experience is not at all comparable to an iphone/itouch. If anything, what the dash/chumby provides is most like the "push" applications from ~1999 - Pointcast, Marimba, and all those other dotbomb ghosts.

hustlertwo wrote:I...don't see how that's even remotely related to what I was talking about, but OK.

Only question left for me is: does this do anything a tablet can't? I don't have a tablet yet, and I get the feeling once I buy one it will completely usurp this thing's functions. Even the alarm clock element itself; aren't most tablets able to do that?

if you're going to buy a tablet, wait and reconsider purchasing this. by august of this year, there will be a slew of new tablets out there to choose from, not to mention the (hope ) back to school sales.

The thread from the last time this was Wooted. (Different thread from the one linked to on the I need a lift!.)

(I am in the "it's the best alarm clock ever" camp.)

theguruguys wrote:You are looking to download this app called sleep sound generator.

The Dash also has a built in sleep timer which can be set, and as mentioned before can be set to go into and out of sleep mode at scheduled times.

To those who like these kinds of things, check out this highly-customizable sound generator: Sound Sleeping It's not an app--you need a web browser--but I'm just suggesting it as an alternative if you want something more complex or are like me and too cheap to buy a Chumby/Dash!

borntohunt wrote:Sony Dash Press Release in LAS VEGAS (CES Booth #14200), Jan. 5, 2011

SONY STRENGTHENS DASH LINEUP AT CES 2011 INTRODUCES NEW MODEL WITH RECHARGEABLE BATTERY; REDUCES CURRENT DASH PRICING

Expanding upon its ability to deliver personalized, real-time information throughout the home, Sony today announced the introduction of two new Dash products, including a new portable, battery-powered model. Each will be available this summer.

Each new Dash also features a USB port for simple connection to external electronic devices or storage media, as well as a built-in speaker.

The new Sony Dash portable model will be offered in three colors including brown, slate blue, and orange. The second model, sans battery, will be offered in black.

Pricing will be announced shortly.

So when v2 does come out, I can't get one in black with a battery? Odd...

dottie84 wrote:So is this pretty much just a big iPod?

No, you're thinking of the iPad. :P

bkd69 wrote:Yes, a tablet can do all that and more. As to whether it will do it as well as the Dash does, I couldn't say, but if my phone is any indication, you'll be facing a great deal of tweaking to get it to be almost as good a clock radio as the Dash already is. Sony did a good job of integrating all the various media sources, and bundling them into a deluxe clock radio, which isn't necessarily something you're going to find on a tablet offering.

A possible 'cheat' for some tablets might be to install Chumby's Android app, which lets you run Chumby's widgets on your Android device. You won't have exactly the same functionality/features as the Dash, but you may find that the clock and Internet radio widgets satisfy your needs.

btvsphobicphobe wrote:if you're going to buy a tablet, wait and reconsider purchasing this. by august of this year, there will be a slew of new tablets out there to choose from, not to mention the (hope ) back to school sales.

And not to mention, any overstock of the current generation of tablets going at deeply discounted prices on Woot! (and elsewhere).

gwintner wrote:

Also important: the Woot write-up of this product on 4/11/2011 stated "... around Mother’s Day there’s going to be a new web browser app so I can surf the web and even set up my Dash without a PC." Mother's Day has come and gone and, to my knowledge, that app does not yet exist. Woot, you have been called out.

The reason I bought 1 on 4-11-11 was that Mythical browser.

It arrived, I used it for few days. Called Sony with a problem on the right side of the touche screen, Waited for RMA, sent it back to Sony on 4-29. On 5-4 it arrived in TX where it sits to this day. Don't even know if they are working on it or not. I have a reference # that I check every few days, but when I do, It says that it has not arrived yet.
Sony CS guy told me on the phone that I'm supposed to get a new one within a month, 23 days had come and gone, we'll see about that.

I got one from a previous Woot sale. I like it but don't love it as an alarm clock. My only complaint is that the night mode clock is still too bright even when set to a very dim setting. I've started using the button on that screen to blank the screen at night but then I have to touch the screen if I want to know what time it is. Other than this one flaw I do like the Dash. Just don't expect it to be an iPad.

theguruguys wrote:I can't hack the Chumby to display video at 800x480 on a 7 inch screen (and yes, I know you can hack composite video out of the Chumby fairly easily, but you know what I mean.).

My problem with your analogy was that you were placing Dash users as 'Apple' people and Chumby as 'techies', which is not really the case. I am not even close to an Apple stereotype, I own no Apple products, and I modify my electronics all the time.

The main point we both totally agree on is that the Dash and Chumby should be bought towards use of totally different applications. The Chumby as a tech/hack gadget and the Dash as a practical streaming video / alarm clock appliance.

Of course, all this changes a bit when we start comparing it to the Chumby 8...

-GG

Sigh. Let me try again.

Perhaps my generalization was overly simplistic. Most of the people who I know who are Apple fans are willing to pay a premium price because their technology 'just works' pretty much out of the box. They're less concerned the limitations of Apple's products (e.g. no USB port, no SD slot, etc.) and more interested in what they can do with them as is, hassle-free. Yes, there are exceptions like you who will jailbreak your iPhones, but the vast majority consider their Apple device as more or less a 'finished product' and I happen believe those consumers would be happier with a Dash than a Chumby.

Most Android and Linux users I know have a different set of expectations for their devices. They often see them, not as finished products out of the box, but as ones capable of doing more after incremental improvements to the OS and firmware. Many of these techies are also genuinely interested in 'peeking under the hood' to see what makes their devices tick. I believe such people would enjoy the hackability of the Chumby over the locked-down nature of the Dash.

You've positioned yourself as a hacker/techie (you modify your devices 'all the time,') but it seems to me that you're satisfied with the Dash as is... which is 100% OK, you got this one device that you don't intend to hack. Or have you hacked into it? Figured out how to root it, perhaps?

And yes, if you really wanted to hack the device AND have the larger screen, the Infocast 8 or the Chumby 8 might be better choices over the Dash. But then you might miss the Dash's easy access to Netflix and Hulu Plus... see what I mean about choosing a 'just works' solution over a device that MIGHT be hacked into providing more features?

omh1009 wrote:The reason I bought 1 on 4-11-11 was that Mythical browser.

A browser could still happen. The Chumby has had for some time a browser hack, and I believe I read somewhere that there will be official OS support for a browser for the Chumby 8 at least. That software could make its way to the Dash at some point.

Sorry to hear about your problems with Sony getting you a working devices. That sucks.

Wooted this item last time around, luv it, keep it in kitchen, use weather/woot app. Be a great gift.

I got one last time, and WOULD LOOOOVE to "love it" but it's not worked yet!! It says "software upgrade needed/no updates available"! Seriously, any ideas y'all??

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

Can anyone tell me what this gadget does that make it worth the purchase as far as a modern convenience is concerned. I am a 50's baby and barely keep up with all of the new technology that seems to come out every 5 minutes.