This year, Sony launched the Dash, a tablet-like device they call a “personal Internet viewer.” If you’re familiar with the Chumby Internet radio player, the Dash is quite similar—in fact, Sony worked with Chumby to develop the Dash.
You can watch videos on upright on the Dash, like a TV, or lie it flat and use it a tabletop Web browser or e-reader. The difference between the Dash and other tablets, like the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 or the rumored Apple table t, is that it does not run on an OS. It is more of a giant touchscreen portable media player than a computer.
You can access video and audio content, however, from Sony’s Bravia platform. You also have access to over 1,000 free apps from Chumby including social networking, news, weather and more. Sony says you can run multiple apps at once so you can listen to Internet radio while updating your Facebook status. You can continually update the Dash’s content too while connected to a wireless network.
The Dash also has built-in stereo speakers as well as a USB port so you can transfer content to it from your PC. You also get a standard 3.5-mm headphone jack.
The Dash will be available in April of this year for $200—the same price as the 16 GB iPod Touch. I think the Dash should be about $50 less, but Sony is never one for releasing affordable products.
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