cltmhorn wrote:I'm considering a purchase. Couple of questions for folks who have it:

2) How bright is it to put next to bed? I tend to get red LED alarm clocks, because the red light is a lot less bright than green LEDs. I have a palm pre that I could put on a touchstone on my nightstand, but I don't because the screen doesn't turn off and it ends up being too bright... not to mention shortens the lifetime of the screen.

TIA

As I mentioned in the comment below yours, there's a nighttime setting that is really nice on the Dash to make the time still visible, but not harsh. It's one of my favorite features.

don't buy it unless you want an expensive clock. i bot one last time.

sdc100 wrote:I said it last time and I'll say it again... an alternative to these Chumby [barely] Internet Viewers is to simply buy a cheap Android tablet, which costs $69-$100. Woot sold the Cruz R101 for $79 which comes with a stand to mount just like a picture frame. It stays mounted next to my bed 95% of the time, and functions as my alarm clock, REAL webrowser, video viewer, weather forecaster, game machine, scheduler, etc. One major advantange is that you can access a shared calendar, address book, etc like Google apps. Or access POP3 email from your office. That means that you can plan your day/week in bed, without having to enter info multiple times. I've also seen $79 Chinese made tablets with a camera so you can also video chat, i.e. Skype, near your need without turning on a laptop. I also use it as an eReader before bed.

All in all, a cheap Android tablet has served me better than a Dash would, for around the same price. Needless to say, there are many more apps. For example, I went through 6 calendar/alarm apps until I found one that is loudand flexible enough for my needs. And there are lots of widgets to choose from, i.e. for news feeds.

Two things that the Dash has over a cheap tablet are: 1) Netflix. Android app is coming soon but it's supposed to be pretty good on the Chumby/Dash now. Regardless, very cheap tablets may not handle video well. 2) The Dash has a capacitive tuvh screen while cheap tablets are resistive. In practice, however, you don't really touch the Dash screen too much so it really doesn't matter.

As an aside, those who claim the the Cruz is only an eReader and not a tablet simply have no idea of what a tablet is. It's a full tablet running Android on an 800mhz CPU (clocked to 500mhz, but may be hacked to 800mhz).

Here is the Cruz R101 in landscape mode in its weighted stand. It can also be put in portrait.

Thanks for your post. I got two of the Cruz eReaders from Woot for my kids for getting good grades. We have had some issues with memory management because it doesn't seem to recognize the 16GBSDHC cards I popped in.

I was considering getting one of the Sony Dash devices for my wife but it appears it really isn't a "personal internet device". Our neighbor is a Sony marketing exec so I think he must have one in the house. I'll get his input but I think the smart play is to wait for the Cruz to go back on sale here.

does it access amazon streaming?

Stop saying it's an alarm clock! Why would anyone need an alarm clock when we all have cell phones?
This is a Netflix viewing device. Nothing more, nothing less. The only other thing it might be useful for is mounting in elevators or restrooms so people can watch the news and weather scroll by.

roadhunter wrote:Stop saying it's an alarm clock! Why would anyone need an alarm clock when we all have cell phones?
This is a Netflix viewing device. Nothing more, nothing less. The only other thing it might be useful for is mounting in elevators or restrooms so people can watch the news and weather scroll by.

oh...you're one of those "we all have cell phone" types...

cltmhorn wrote:I'm considering a purchase. Couple of questions for folks who have it:

1) Reliability: Does the screen turn it self off or is it on all the time? If it doesn't turn itself off, does it move things around on the screen to avoid image burn in?

You can program the screen to turn off and on at pre-determined times. I do this. It is off unless the time is such that I should be awake and caring what time it is. If it ain't lit, I go back to sleep. I also program it to be off when I'm not at home but on when I get home from work and until I go to sleep.

cltmhorn wrote:
2) How bright is it to put next to bed? I tend to get red LED alarm clocks, because the red light is a lot less bright than green LEDs. I have a palm pre that I could put on a touchstone on my nightstand, but I don't because the screen doesn't turn off and it ends up being too bright... not to mention shortens the lifetime of the screen.

TIA

The brightness can be varied but the programming of it on/off as described above is probably its most valuable feature.

It isn't a panacea, it's a highly programmable and configurable clock that can show you some data - if you want it to.

Best bed-side clock, ever.

cltmhorn wrote:I'm considering a purchase. Couple of questions for folks who have it:

1) Reliability: Does the screen turn it self off or is it on all the time? If it doesn't turn itself off, does it move things around on the screen to avoid image burn in?

2) How bright is it to put next to bed? I tend to get red LED alarm clocks, because the red light is a lot less bright than green LEDs. I have a palm pre that I could put on a touchstone on my nightstand, but I don't because the screen doesn't turn off and it ends up being too bright... not to mention shortens the lifetime of the screen.

TIA

You can create events, and you can adjust brightness.
I have mine switch to night mode at 9 pm, and day mode at 7 am.
There was a post in a previous Woot about how to dial down brightness even more (which I found again using search), that makes the night mode brightness perfect.
My day mode shows a fancy designer clock face full screen that can be read from far away no problem.
Worth it for me.

No browser included! Not www enabled! Sent it back. Not a tablet substitute.

Bought one the last time this was offered on Woot and can tell you I'm quite pleased. My mindset was properly influenced by fellow posters who cautioned not to expect a web browsing tablet.

Having said that I've been pleasantly surprised at the amount of non-browsing use this device has. Pandora and Shoutcast play most of the day while my news apps scroll (the speakers are really not that bad at all) or my Picasa pics are displaying. Netflix, Crackle and YouTube have surprisingly clear pictures and I find myself queuing up a quick episode of Family Guy if I can't get to sleep right away since this sits on my nightstand. It can even play music, videos or view pictures off a USB thumb drive. This is all in addition to it's robust clock radio functionality with a neat dimmer option that changes the display to a dim but very large and clear digital clock that turns off when the alarm sounds.

If you price clock radios, you will see most are not a whole lot cheaper than the Dash and some are the same or more expensive and none can do nearly as much. I highly recommend this.

MikeRaphone wrote:I have a Squeezebox that I use as my clock radio....it has a few quirks that make me nuts, so I am wondering if the Dash would be a better choice. I see it has no backup battery, and I gotta be up @ 3:45AM, so what happens to the Dash with the occasional power failure?? I CANNOT be late to work because the alarm didn't go off!

Also, what happens if I set it to a music source, and it has an internet problem when the alarm time comes?

Yes yes yes...I want the low-down on the Squeezebox options versus the Dash, as a way to wake up nicely. What about the squeezebox arrangement pisses you off?

NJ_Bob wrote:And, since what it does is kept on the Internet anyway, you don't need a battery. If your power goes out, when it comes back on, it connects to the internet, reloads and keeps on going. You don't need to reset anything.

There's no outlet in the kitchen where I'd want to put this. I'll have to stick an inverter on a car battery or something....

-- Ed

Can you play video files off my home network? Like from a share off my PC?

Guess it can't hold a candle to my Nokia N800 internet tablet.

Yes would love how-to on baby monitor.

gtbuckson wrote:Bought one the last time this was offered on Woot and can tell you I'm quite pleased. My mindset was properly influenced by fellow posters who cautioned not to expect a web browsing tablet.

Having said that I've been pleasantly surprised at the amount of non-browsing use this device has. Pandora and Shoutcast play most of the day while my news apps scroll (the speakers are really not that bad at all) or my Picasa pics are displaying. Netflix, Crackle and YouTube have surprisingly clear pictures and I find myself queuing up a quick episode of Family Guy if I can't get to sleep right away since this sits on my nightstand. It can even play music, videos or view pictures off a USB thumb drive. This is all in addition to it's robust clock radio functionality with a neat dimmer option that changes the display to a dim but very large and clear digital clock that turns off when the alarm sounds.

If you price clock radios, you will see most are not a whole lot cheaper than the Dash and some are the same or more expensive and none can do nearly as much. I highly recommend this.

Can you stream live streaming internet radio? The local radio station we set our alarm to supports three types of streaming files: Mp3's .pls files, Mp3's .m3u files, and Windows media's .asx files. Is there a way to point this device to an html link to one of those file types & get it to do something intelligent with those files?

I got the Sony Dash at Woot in July. I viewed it primarily as a "glorified alarm clock" initially (and no..not ALL people use their cell phones for alarm clocks!) but have been pleasantly surprised that it's turned out to be lots more. I have 2 Android tablets; one is a cheap Chinese 7" "epad" that does okay, and the other is a top-of-the-line 10" Acer Iconia A500. Yes, both could do what Dash does, and more...but that isn't what I got them for! The Dash sits in one spot (but can be moved and if a 2 minute boot time is "eternity" then some people have serious issues with time) and streams information continuously if you choose,or will display one feature (clock, news, weather, etc.) all day. Up to you. You can set up unlimited "channels" to do different things and switch around to have what you want at a given time. I love watching Amazon VoD and Hulu+ on it...great when I'm in the bedroom folding laundry or just relaxing in bed.I can shift the Dash where I want it, and the picture is beautiful. I use it for Pandora and Slacker. Also NPR. I like streaming the news, weather, traffic, gmail, horoscope, a couple of slide shows and Facebook during the day. I found I wanted to have Dash in view _all_ the time...so I bought another for the kitchen/den (yes you can import your own recipes with a certain app). I am in the process now of trying to get a Chumby for the bathroom. At night you can set the clock VERY dim, and it's highly customizable as an alarm.The point about resuming full function & time after a power outage is true. No worries. THIS IS NOT A TABLET! You don't hold it and carry it around & Google on it!!! But, for all it does do: it's great! A friend saw mine and got one for her kitchen! Love it!

giolee88 wrote:Can you stream live streaming internet radio? The local radio station we set our alarm to supports three types of streaming files: Mp3's .pls files, Mp3's .m3u files, and Windows media's .asx files. Is there a way to point this device to an html link to one of those file types & get it to do something intelligent with those files?

Along with Pandora and Shoutcast I do see something called Internet Radio Streamer in the music options. This allows you to enter an audio stream URL. I haven't used this but it sounds like what you may be asking about.

I bought two last time, one for a friend of mine and one for me. We both have grown attached to them. We had concerns about battery backup when depending on it as an alarm. I just bought a cheap UPS that also gives me some extra outlets in a bedroom that is outlet deprived. Those outlets it has are watching me and they are not happy. Yeah, I got the t-shirt too. I'm thinking of buying another Dash. One of those t-shirts is enough for me though. I just got back from the laundry and there that t-shirt is, watching me. It doesn't look happy either.

In short, will the Dash solve cyber hunger?
Nope.

Will it wake me up in various ways and give me enough cyber snacks to survive until I can stumble to my cyber fridge?
Yep.

Netflix is now available for Android. I use it on my phone and it works well. +1 Android.

sdc100 wrote:

Two things that the Dash has over a cheap tablet are: 1) Netflix. Android app is coming soon but it's supposed to be pretty good on the Chumby/Dash now. Regardless, very cheap tablets may not handle video well.

mebekili wrote:This "glorified alarm clock" ROCKS! I love mine, and the friend I gifted one to loves hers as well.

i finally figured out how to work it.its a great timewaster which i do a lot of.but its a great gadget;looking for stage2

pinchecat wrote:i see the demo unit is running the heralded "sleeping red foxes" application. #1 on the sony dash marketplace, and the only app i have loaded on mine.

Where did you find "Sleeping Red Foxes"? I was just at the Sony Dash site and can't seem to find it! Help! lol!!

Kind of a misnomer - there is no browsing the internet. It is a fancy alarm clock and that is exactly what I use it for.

alpatel415 wrote:Kind of a misnomer - there is no browsing the internet. It is a fancy alarm clock and that is exactly what I use it for.

sony's (annoyingly flashy) website calls it an "Information Alarm Clock."

gtbuckson wrote:Along with Pandora and Shoutcast I do see something called Internet Radio Streamer in the music options. This allows you to enter an audio stream URL. I haven't used this but it sounds like what you may be asking about.

Thanks for that. Whoever wrote their Spec sheet has absolutely no idea what it does.

mvsopen wrote:I know that this is identical to a Chumby, except branded by Sony. Can they be hacked as easily as a Chumby can?

Bueller? Frye? Anyone?

Not really. The hardware isn't made to be taken apart; the software comes through a stupid Sony-branded version of the Chumby site.

It's a great device, the large screen is awesome, it's totally worth the price if you like Chumby, but not so much hackable.

nitebrain wrote:This product is horribly designed. For those that are tempted, trust me you will hate this thing. I got this from woot and it sits in a freakin drawer now. I gave it many chances.

A) It is not ergnomic. Hard to hold and pickup next to a bed.

B) The User Interface (UI) is horribly designed. It does not follow the conventions of most modern UI designs that have evolved. They just made up their own ides.

C) It has no battery backup. If you unplug it or move it, it takes light years to get back up again.

D) It constantly phones home, sending "who knows what" data about you, your usage, your songs and your pictures. Who knows. It is totally unecessary.

E) Requires too much thought to setup the alarms when you are tired. If you always get up at the same time, then maybe it is okay, but just too many buttons.

F) It is too sensitive when it should not be. You pick it up and are tryuing to hold it and you accidently, ans easily can inadvertantly press an option. Again, horrible design.

GOOD THINGS:
Pleasant alarm sounds. Bright display. Rubber texture. That's about it. It is just horribly designed. Amazing since Sony made the excellent Magic Link PIC 2000 device. How could they forget all that great engineering?

Light years, actually a measure of distance, not time. and it really only takes about a minute to reset itself.
I can understand that you may not find it useful, but it's really not horrible. It does what it does, which is a fair amount for an alarm clock.

Worst product ever. It is slow and laggy. I want to listen to pandora and it takes about 5 minutes to start it. It is ok as an alarm clock but I hooked up my old one and this is in the closet collecting dust.

I am definitely interested, however I cannot find a detail and description list!!! Does this run on a battery as well as cord?....etc

Pherball66 wrote:Worst product ever. It is slow and laggy. I want to listen to pandora and it takes about 5 minutes to start it. It is ok as an alarm clock but I hooked up my old one and this is in the closet collecting dust.

I just tested this on my Sony Dash. From home screen to music playing in Pandora took 18 seconds.

Sounds like you've got a weak internet connection, which can certainly bog things down with load times and buffering.

what if I buy this and decide that it is a piece of crap and dont want it, can I send it back for a refund? P.S. thinking of buying for my teenagers for christmas. Intentions are to limit their internet access.

alrey wrote:I just tested this on my Sony Dash. From home screen to music playing in Pandora took 18 seconds.

Sounds like you've got a weak internet connection, which can certainly bog things down with load times and buffering.

and clearly, his old alarm clock hooks up to Pandora.

giolee88 wrote:Yes yes yes...I want the low-down on the Squeezebox options versus the Dash, as a way to wake up nicely. What about the squeezebox arrangement pisses you off?

The Squeezebox:

1. has several buttons on the front, unlit, which you will fumble for when the alarm goes off in the dark

2. Has no dedicated snooze button (I think the big button on the front can trigger a snooze cycle, but I haven't tried that.)

3. The current firmware makes the unit turn on sporadically by itself.

4. Has cascading menus, which will make you nuts, until & if you get used to them.

In it's defense, it has access to Sirius/XM radio ($$$) and a battery backup and power system ($$$ additional for proprietary battery & remote control)

So I am looking at the Dash as an alternative.

MikeRaphone wrote:The Squeezebox:

1. has several buttons on the front, unlit, which you will fumble for when the alarm goes off in the dark

2. Has no dedicated snooze button (I think the big button on the front can trigger a snooze cycle, but I haven't tried that.)

3. The current firmware makes the unit turn on sporadically by itself.

4. Has cascading menus, which will make you nuts, until & if you get used to them.

In it's defense, it has access to Sirius/XM radio ($$$) and a battery backup and power system ($$$ additional for proprietary battery & remote control)

So I am looking at the Dash as an alternative.

Thank you for that. I don't know why there are not more threads comparing the two. IMO, the nearest comparison to the Dash is stuff like the Squeezebox Radio, & less so tablets. Anybody who thinks their tablet beats a Dash at what Dash does, 1) needs to go to human machine interface school, 2) is way way too consumed with the notion of cramming their life into one device, and 3) (probably related to point 2) needs to make more money, because if you had more money, you'd have more discretionary income, and you'd start to realize...sometimes you don't want one thing that does it all sorta well...you want two things...and each one better do its own thing perfectly (amongst other things).

Can Sony Dash be used outside of the country?
I want to get it as a gift for my friend in China, who is getting married soon.

I heard somewhere, Dash can NOT work outside of the United State.

I don't get why it wouldn't work, or how it wouldn't work?
Please advise.

I was going to buy one of these, thinking I need a modern alarm clock. Then I thought about how I've been waking up this past year, and suddenly it dawned on me...my 2yo rugrat *is* my alarm clock. And I can hit him just as hard as I hit the snooze button on my circa 1995 Dream Machine, & his lights'll go out for 20 minutes too. No need, Woot!. I'm covered.

hustlertwo wrote:Let's not gloss over the most important thing: it keeps you informed as to the life or death status of Abe Vigoda.

Fish will outlive the Chumby OS. And probably Android and iOS too.

cindytockey wrote:what if I buy this and decide that it is a piece of crap and dont want it, can I send it back for a refund? P.S. thinking of buying for my teenagers for christmas. Intentions are to limit their internet access.

Woot is a closeout vendor and really doesn't have a "piece of crap" policy, aka it doesn't give refunds for Buyer's Remorse. In fact, for some items, they ask that you contact the manufacturer for service. That said, their Customer Service is top rate and have been very cooperative on legitimate issues.

If you do experience remorse, you can always sell it on eBay or Woot's parent company, Amazon..

sdc100 wrote:Actually yes. That's part of Woot culture. When an item is sold again, information is posted again, ie. links and reviews -- unless something has changed. You make the erroneous assumption that new potential buyers are familiar with prior discussions. To some people, this is not "again." And FYI, about 30-50% of my Quality Posts offer alternatives to the current Woot item and so far, that approach seems to work.

For what it's worth, Thanks for what you do.

Anyone know what video formats (and audio) it will play from the USB port?

Could I connect my 1Tb hard drive to it?

dibydoo wrote:Anyone know what video formats (and audio) it will play from the USB port?

Could I connect my 1Tb hard drive to it?

Music Playback Formats AAC, MP3, WMA
Video Formats MPEG4, WMV, H.264

Still not sure about connecting a 1Tb hard drive.

Anyone verify this for me?