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Sony's next Clié – N750C, N760C or what?

Joke + speculation = confusion

The rumours surrounding Sony's next Clié, the N750C, which we reported on yesterday (see Sony to upgrade Palm-based PDA to 32-bit colour), are increasingly looking false, and news of an alternative upgrade - albeit a more modest one - aren't much more credible.

The update to the N710C appears to be not the N750C but the N760C. It adds two new features: a 16-bit colour screen and Palm OS 4.0 (required to provide the high colour depth).

So notes Web site Palm Infocenter, and adds that an online retail store briefly listed the N760C, but provided no details.

The N710C only has 8-bit colour (it runs Palm OS 3.5.2). However, Sony's other second-generation colour Cliés, the N610CS and N610CV, both have 16-bit colour, so it's no wonder Sony wants to upgrade the otherwise higher-specced model to the higher colour depth.

That said, even the N760C may be false - the store heard about a new handheld, added the device to its product list then pulled the reference on learning that it's inaccurate.

The origin of the N750C rumour - or at least some of the features the new machine is said to offer - is said to be a Yahoo! Clié users forum joke. Web site PDA Buzz for one reckons some of the machines' features - particularly the virtual Graffiti character entry panel - seem very unlikely (though since HandEra 330 Palm-based PDA has one, we don't really see why a Sony wouldn't).

It's easy to imagine someone reading quickly N750C and writing N760C. The nature of the upgrade is - as we've said - a logical guess given Sony's current product mix. After all, all we know about the N760C is its name.

For its part, Sony is saying nothing. We'll just have to wait a short while and see what the company comes up with. ®

Related Story

Sony to upgrade Palm-based PDA to 32-bit colour

Related Links

Palm Infocenter: Rumor: Sony to Release N760C
PDA Buzz: Rumor: Sony planning CLIE N750C/N760C?

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