When we first saw the Sony Dash at CES, we thought Sony was making a play into the tablet game -- the promo video showed people using the angular device all over the house, with nary a power cord in sight. And hey, it was called the Dash -- a word which usually implies movement of some kind. So obviously we were a little put off when we found out the Dash was strictly a stationary experience -- an amped-up alarm clock running a Sony-tweaked version of the Chumby widget OS that lets you look at photos from Facebook, browse headlines on Engadget, and check Twitter from the Dash's seven-inch capacitive touchscreen. But hold up: the Dash also adds in Sony's Bravia Internet Video platform to support streaming media services like Netflix, Pandora, and Slacker. That's not bad for $200, at least on paper, but does the Dash deserve to be the most expensive alarm clock you've ever purchased? And does it really deserve Justin Bieber's attention? Read on to find out.

View Gallery:Sony Dash unboxing and hands-on

Hardware

Hardware-wise, the Dash is pretty straightforward: there's a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen and stereo speakers on the front, a snooze bar / menu button and volume buttons on the top, a USB port and headphone jack under a chunky flap on the left, and a power connection tucked into a recess on the bottom. Most of the wedge-shaped case is covered with a you-tell-us-if-it's-attractive grippy rubber material, which means you don't worry about dropping it when you pick it up.

Of course, since the Dash doesn't have a battery and needs to stay plugged in, you're not really supposed to pick it up a lot -- we always felt sort of nervous when we scooped it up to play with it. It looks like