The Sony Dash is more of a novelty item or a sidecar to your digital lifestyle; it's not a fully fledged tablet and it's definitely not a notebook; it's more of a personal Internet viewing device. It's primarily a cool little item to have in the home - not really a portable piece of kit. It runs a Linux based Chumby OS so users of the Dash can access all the Chumby Apps (there are over 1000). The best feature of the Dash is the Internet surfing, it's great for searching online content and viewing online media; thus if you don't have a wireless Internet connection in your home it's pretty useless.
The Dash has a colour touchscreen and thanks to a wedge shaped design it can be used propped up (great for viewing media) or laid flat (perhaps more useful for reading content). As well as being a nifty device for viewing content online it also has other applications such as a family calendar and a recipe book, the Dash also doubles up as an alarm clock and can provide you with weather updates too. With a USB port you can load media files onto the dash and there is also an audio jack for your headphones.
The Dash Spec:
- 7" colour touch screen
- Chumby OS
- USB port
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Menu/Snooze Button
- Wifi enabled
- Access to 1000+ Chumby apps
The biggest downer on this device is its lack of portability; it hasn't got a battery pack as such so it needs to be plugged into a mains socket all the time; giving it the look of an alarm clock but with tons of extra features. Also the dash doesn't have a web browser so you will need to go onto a regular PC or laptop to log onto the site and pick the apps you wish to send to your device. Don't expect an ipad when you purchase the Sony Dash; primarily it's a cheap and cheerful device which will exist quite happily on your bedside table of your kitchen worktop.
