Ars Technica Review

[Aussie_Pleo]

I'm not sure if any of you have read it, but here's an intelligent and open review of Pleo.

http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/pleo.ars/3

[Caaahl]

Well, i read it now and i dont think that its a good "review". Its more like a blog of someone, who thought, he would get a new aibo for $350 and is now dissapointed. What a surprise: a $2500 robot was technically more sophisticated than a $350 pleo. :rolleyes:

Another thing i dont like, is how the author keeps saying, that his "review" is more solid, because he "reviewed" pleo over several month.
Maybe he than should have noticed, that no sd-card is necessary, to put pleo into watchdog-mode!?

And dont forget; this review is from early february. New updates were made avaiable since then and more are to come.

As i said, hes maybe right, that pleo isnt capable of all the stuff, aibo can do, but again, that from a technically point of view. This guy wasn about, how pleo is the first robot, you really make emotional bonds with. This guy was about, what pleos sensors can do and what not.

Show me another robot for $350 that is as lifelike as Pleo. And thats, what UGOBE stands for. Creating "lifeforms". Not to create a high-price-toy that most of the people cant afford (waht could be the reason, why sony stopped to produce aibo :rolleyes: )

But i understand, that you might like this article, since you seem to use any chance in this forum, to show your dissapointment in pleo.
Its not necessary to rant in half a dozen threads, that you cant get an extra battery right now, for example, but i am getting off topic here.

[Caaahl]

narf, that was only the last page of the review. -_- it starts with

http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/pleo.ars

I read the whole thing now and it doesnt change my opinion about this.

[Aussie_Pleo]

Thanks for the public admonishment, I'll consider myself suitably chastised :rolleyes:

[junkroxy]

I agree with Caahl, i think it's not a good review. And Let me re-write the sumary at the end of the article!

The good:
Pleo's emotions and reactions are amazing

He's cute and cuddly

You can maybe develop for him, one day (and built/change his personality/behaviour)

The bad:
The battery life (1:00 to 1:30 of activity)

The ugly:
The actual Life Os Software can't let Pleo to recognize your voice, face and commands (maybe with upcoming updates?)

I think i'm tired to read comparizon with Aibo or Furby. Ok, Caleb was the co-creator of Furby (with Dave Hampton), but Furby was a totally different robot toy, and yes it was REALLY a toy, but a special robot toy and the first interactive pet! (one of my favourites!) :D
Aibo was a robot pet, but his cost was very higher for many people, and for that reason is commercially a flop!
For me, Pleo is a totally different robot, an hybrid between Furby and Aibo, with more than one innovation (technology, materials, interaction).
There aren't robotic life forms like Pleo on the market. And if you compared Pleo to WowWee Roboreptile, you can really say "Thanks Ugobe for a very affordable and full interactive robotic pet!"

[Toyguy]

Yep, that review was decided long before it was ever written. I have to question anyone's reviewing skills who can remotely expect a several kilobuck robot;s capabilities to be present in a $300 bot. Aibo may be able to do all those things, but it has the presence and warmth of a brick. Pleo, on the other hand, elicts the most wonderful responses from anyone who meets him. The reviewer goes on to mention that in the ERS-7 version Aibo can recognize faces - what was that, the third or fourth release of Aibo? This is V1 of Pleo - give me a break.

Sony is also notoriously closed and nasty to deal with - I will take UGOBE's more open stance any day.

I'd love to buy an Aibo someday, because of its capabilities, but that would in no way represent any dissatisfaction of mine with Pleo. That's like comparing apples and oranges. Sure, Pleo is lacking right now in technical functionality, but that's not why I bought him. He works extraordinarily well as a robotic pet. I enjoy having him just sitting next to me and idly petting him while I watch TV or read. The last thing I need is a dog or cat, or Pleo for that matter, that writes a blog! :p

[Aussie_Pleo]

.....Sony is also notoriously closed and nasty to deal with - I will take UGOBE's more open stance any day.....


LOL then yours and my experience have been opposite. Recently I required something for my Aibo and Sony were very helpful (yes they are discontinued). I won't mention the other comparison apparently it upsets people here :p

[PleoPet]

Quite a few errors, oversimplifications and arguable conclusions in that article.
This is an older review (February 12, 2008) so it isn't reviewing the 1.1 personality (which is generally more active)

re: programming
> (unlike Sony, which always maintained a strictly closed system for the Aibo)
Not true. It took an owner revolt, but Sony did open up AIBO for a number of programmable options (R-CODE, OpenR SDK, RFW, other variants)

[Aussie_Pleo]

> (unlike Sony, which always maintained a strictly closed system for the Aibo)
Not true. It took an owner revolt, but Sony did open up AIBO for a number of programmable options (R-CODE, OpenR SDK, RFW, other variants)

Sony have a Clinic in Europe that will service Aibo's until 2012. I emailed them for something and the very next day they telephoned me from London to Australia to provide me with details and information. Now that's good service :D

[Toyguy]

I stand corrected on the openness. I am ambivalent on the customer service, but to me it's still apples to oranges. Sony is a multinational, mega-million dollar company. UGOBE is not, but I wish them well getting there. Sony should be doing a better job on service - I'm glad to hear they are. In my experience dealing with them, UGOBE has been very responsive.

[Darkwolf]

This review almost made me doubt to get a Pleo.
But as I was on a reading spree on Pleo, I didn't give it much thought at first after reading the review.
Then it indeed came to me that this review is not that open and honest at all.
(A) Pleo is no AIBO
(B) Pleo is cute and lovely, and has a whole road in front of him when it comes to new abilities (starting with the LifeOS v1.1 update since recently)
That review really took me down, but I am glad that having Pleo now really hasn't make me agree with Ars Technica..
Very dissapointing review since they do write good stuff from time to time.