Gadget lookalikes: SII’s Sony-wannabe

Anyone got an idea where SII might’ve looked to get “design inspiration” for their DB-J990 electronic dictionary?  No?  Well, I’m sure the Sony VGN-UX50 is blushing right about now.  But aside from flattery through imitation, does the J990 hold up?  To be fair it’s not just a dictionary; it also has the Mobipocket eBook reader, an mp3 player, supports Word, Powerpoint, PDF and HTML documents.

Thing is, something like this could cause a whole lot of embarrassment.  You whip it out while at the local Starbucks, wanting to look up the meaning of “monopoly”, and a curious crowd gathers wanting to see Sony’s minor-miracle.  Imagine their surprise – and its rapid descent into disgust – on realising it’s most certainly not a UX50.  Expect bruising and jeers.

SII [via Akihabara News]