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The ability to bash/sftp your data to/from your desktop? = PRICELESS
Not having evil bill's EULA in your PDA? = PRICELESS
Being able to play KBILL on your PDA? = PRICELESS
The pure oldschool joy of NETHACK on your PDA? = PRICELESS

The ability to bash/sftp your data to/from your desktop? = PRICELESS
Not having evil bill's EULA in your PDA? = PRICELESS
Being able to play KBILL on your PDA? = PRICELESS
The pure oldschool joy of NETHACK on your PDA? = PRICELESS

with This Or, you can use the DevCluster at handhelds.org.

Even if the Zaurus could run the games quickly, they still wouldn't be "playable", as you don't have an effective input device. (For reference, here's a picture of the Zaurus's buttons)

The directional pad on the SL550 and 5600 is the worst I've ever handled on a portable device. Worse than Gameboy or PocketPC (Ipaq, etc); even worse than many cellphones.

A good D-Pad should let the player move in any of 4 cardinal directions just by shifting the force applied by his thumb. You can't do this with the Zaurus- the D-Pad is a large, hollow circle with a separate button inside it. Your thumb can only be positioned to press 3 directions at once. If you're pressing up, and want to go down, you've got to either lift your finger across the gap, or circle it all the way around the ring to the opposite side.

Speed-based games requiring quick changes of direction are simply not playable.

About the most intense game that works is Snake, and only because the player is limited to 3 possible directions at any one time.

Not to mention that unlike some other PDAs, there are no convenient buttons to use for the other game controls. Even if you did somehow manage to handle up/down/left/right with one thumb on the D-Pad, the only buttons you could use to shoot/jump are clustered right next to the D-Pad. Ideally you'd want one hand on each side of the screen, for maximum stability. Other PDAs (the PocketPC line, again) at least have some buttons on the far edge of the case (such as for scrolling documents) that you could use as the fire button.

That pretty much makes a 5500 = 5600 except for battery advantage. 5500 Can still be found for around $200.

oh, here are more cool Zaurus server packages... web servers, MySql servers, samba servers.. you name it ;)

It's not really a PDA, it's a pocketable Linux computer.

First, the PDA side of things. People criticise it for having weak PDA features which, compared to Palms, and that's somewhat true; my previous Psion PDAs had a few extra features around the edges that I miss, but by and large the PIM features are fine for my moderately advanced use.

But there's so much more! SCUMMVM in the palm of your hand with mp3-encoded talkie versions of Fate of Atlantis or Day of the Tentacle is pretty nifty.Add a Wifi card, install Wellenwreiter or Kismet, and go low-profile warwalking. I have a Pocketop IR folding keyboard for long documentation on the go; the screen rotation software Just Works, unlike a lot of PocketPCs.

Unlike Palm owners, I can handle DOC and XLS files native on the device; this is particularly key because the Zaurus is a computer in its own right and not a PDA. The Hancom office apps shipped with it are usable enough for quick on-the-go editing and creation. I could do with one of these now for instant printing of invoices when I'm out at a client's site.

The big compelling piece of software is OpenZaurus, a completely open source and regularly updated distro to replace the Sharp ROM. It's a bit like trading Debian stable for unstable; kinda hacky at times, kinda buggy at others, but it's so exciting to get a massive batch of upgrades every few weeks full of improvements. It's never been buggy enough to lose my PDA data, and in any event with multisync, unison and rsync my data is backed up six ways to Sunday.

Other people like apps like opie-reader for ebooks, portable Ogg players (there are a few), portable DivX playback, email (this is noticeable ropy under OpenZaurus, but getting better), and many more... For more ideas, see this thread on zaurus.com.

Downsides? I find the QWERTY keyboard wearing after a few minutes, hence I have the Pocketop, and I've managed to scratch the screen under the handwriting recognition area so I can't really use it any more (I think that was my fault, to be fair). The battery life sucks too, but then it does on all these colour mobile devices. Apparently, the SL5600 is better.

So basically, if you want a PDA, get a Palm. If you want a pocketable Linux computer in a PDA form factor with respectable PIM features and a mountain of open source apps, get a Zaurus.

Not really. Just setup DistCC for the Zaurus, and you can let a desktop or laptop do the compiling for you via WiFi. Heck, you could even dialup to your machine with a modem for Zaurus distcc, as most Zaurus programs are less than 200k.

I've had a C700 for about three months now. (has it really been three months?)

On a normal desktop keyboard, it took me 16 seconds to type the code you pasted. On the C700 keyboard (which is exactly the same form factor as the C750/C760, just different colors) it took me 41 seconds to type that with the unit held in my hands, and 38 seconds to type with it sitting on the desk.

So yeah, you ain't kidding . . . it hurts. :)

If it's all you have, though, it's better than nothing. (I'm pretty sure the original poster knows all this -- I'm just sharing my experiences.) I've created, compiled, tested, and turned in a C program for a class, completely on the C700. Took me about twice as long as it would've taken if I could've used a full-size computer . . . but I'm not allowed to use a C compiler on bank computers at work, and the time would've been spent reading slashdot anyway. :)

Hint: there are no open or close curly braces printed on the C700 keyboard, but you can get those characters by holding down Fn and Shift and pressing the keys with angle brackets. Helps to use an editor like MinIDE ( http://www.killefiz.de/zaurus/showdetail.php?app=2 49 ) which can be set to type a close brace when you type an open brace automatically.

(this bit is offtopic, but . . . . I tinkered with my Dynamism converted C700 and figured out what was changed, and then made a howto that describes how to implement most of those changes by hand. No downloads, no copyright violation. http://mspencer.net/stuff/c700conv.html )

--Michael Spencer

Maybe if you'd been around long enough you'd realize how silly it is to say "never" in the computer industry, like someone saying the pc will never make it because of the HUGE program base on mainframes...

There are many reason why computers crash, but I think I can at least shed some light on his Zaurus problem.

There is a bug in all versions of the Zaurus ROM. If you reboot the Zaurus twice in a row without suspending it in between it will crash and the only way to get it running again is to perform a hard reset. The fix is availible here. Once I installed this fix, I've never had any more problems with lost data on my Z.

Ok

Its not as stable, secure, open, etc. This is just a commercial solution for a problem solved by the community with hardware and software developed years ago. Here

The 5500 came (comes) packaged with a version of Opera. You can also install an embedded version of Konqueror. See here for more software than you'll know what to do with :-)

Zaurus has the best development tools.

The sharp zaurus is one of the best tools ever. I have used it in many different situations where before I would have had to grab my laptop. Using Minicom I have programmed routers with the nifty serial cable. I have spent many hours playing Dopewars and Wyvern (a pretty nifty graphical mud). The sharp image comes with Opera and is readable even at the furthest zoom (-4 or something.) My options are NOT restricted by sharp, there is even OpenZaurus (or OZ as the Z junkies call it.) The walkthroughs on the pages are mostly made for Linux noobs.

It runs Kismet (with the special socket drivers I can run low power for about 2 hours.) The software library is always growing, and the developers are happy to share their techniques for cross compiling/QT developing.

The wonderful thing about the Zaurus, is people already have developed and even COMPILED programs for the arm that run just fine on the Z, (mostly Ipaq/other linux SA device developers) but that means an even BIGGER software library.

The community is so helpful, you may be asking questions in the #zaurus channel in irc.openprojects.org and the person answering your question, just might have been the one developing the program you are asking about. It is not infrequent to hear "#Zaurus:So_and_so Yeah here that version is kinda buggy, I just compiled the new one here."

I have to mention Zauruszone even though it is no where near the community it used to be, there still are useful links

Go over here and look at the breath of software that has become available for the Zaurus in a very short timespan.

Most of this is a port of already existing software made for other platforms. The reason is the underlaying Linux kernel. Had the Zaurus been based on QNX even with QT support we would not have seen near the amount of SW. (Check the nifty Audrey based on QNX as an example of the latter)

Quite cool, check it out here!

But if you don't like weired looks of your neighbours, don't play it in the subway ...

Bye egghat.

Well, it, at least, can play ZooZ :-)

It looks to me from the pictures as it the machines is running Trolltech's QTopia palmtop environment, just like the Sharp Zaurus. This is good from at least two points of view. Firstly it means it's easy to port the existing software for the Zaurus, and relatively easy to port KDE and other Qt based apps; and secondly because it means that people producing software for Linux palmtop devices get a wider market with a consistent UI look-and-feel.

After the Vorbis guys released the free integer Ogg codec, you no longer need to buy tkcPlayer to get mobile ogginess. The Linux standby XMMS and also Opie Player can play them on a Zaurus (and probably some Ipaqs too).

Even a higher-end Palm can run Vorbis software too.

After the Vorbis guys released the free integer Ogg codec, you no longer need to buy tkcPlayer to get mobile ogginess. The Linux standby XMMS and also Opie Player can play them on a Zaurus (and probably some Ipaqs too).

Even a higher-end Palm can run Vorbis software too.

Enter the Sharp Zaurus, using either the mplayer port, OpieMediaplayer2, or the commercial tkcVideo. Not exactly the screen size you're probably looking for, but hey, it works. Plus, the 640x480 zaurus is available in japan.

Enter the Sharp Zaurus, using either the mplayer port, OpieMediaplayer2, or the commercial tkcVideo. Not exactly the screen size you're probably looking for, but hey, it works. Plus, the 640x480 zaurus is available in japan.

• Had excellent developer support - a forum where their staff answered development queries within a day
• Used a (reasonably) standard crossplatform development environment (QT)
• Offered a competition with significant ($15,000 iirc) prizes for the best app
• Attracted OSS developers by choosing linux as the OS

• Lent me a developer model for free when I expressed interest in developing an app for the platform

The Zaurus has been a great success, and has a goodly application base now (see here)

I don't suppose we can expect Microsoft to think like that, though...

but it's still good to see it on the palm as well.

Having Biometrics is neat-o but I need tools that work with what I have already have in place. I need to generate my S/KEY on my laptop when/if my Visor dies (can we say PalmOS Emulator). No what happens in you Biometric PDA dies, hope they will provide software and readers I can uses on my laptop or workstation for those days that PDA just doesn't want to work.

Having Biometrics is neat-o but I need tools that work with what I have already have in place. I need to generate my S/KEY on my laptop when/if my Visor dies (can we say PalmOS Emulator). No what happens in you Biometric PDA dies, hope they will provide software and readers I can uses on my laptop or workstation for those days that PDA just doesn't want to work.

Tons of completely free programs are available for the Zaurus already, and the pool of free software is expanding rapidly! Take a look at this page, to get a taste of what you can install.

There are over 550 programs for the Zaurus at the Zaurus Software Index. Also the Zaurus is more than just a PDA, it's a complete computer in a very small case.

Froot rules. I'd love to see perl-SDL ported to the Zaurus, though (we have Perl, we have SDL)... ...then we might be able to play Frozen Bubble!!!

1) Most definitely agree; this is not news.

2) Ask and ye shall receive. Haven't tried it myself, so I can't verify it, but it's not the zesync project. Also, zesync was updated August 28, what do you mean it hasn't been updated in months?

This is good news for sure, I personally own one that I got used to synchronizing to my Palm (infra-red), which I further synbchronize to my laptop.

Now, for all the geeks here, here's a nice Zaurus software repository...

And here is my favourite Zaurus App

This is good news for sure, I personally own one that I got used to synchronizing to my Palm (infra-red), which I further synbchronize to my laptop.

Now, for all the geeks here, here's a nice Zaurus software repository...

And here is my favourite Zaurus App

X Multimedia System for the Sharp Zaurus

For those of you who were are Linux World last month Sharp had one at the Intel booth for anyone to see and play with. It is the smallest and thinest pda out there currently. Next week at the Intel developers converace there might be one also. (Don't know for sure, but I know for sure I will be there! Stop by the Sharp booth and say Hi!). For those of you who _really_ _really_ want the Documents tab that is on the A300 I can tell you right now that the A300 ROM is not compatible with the 5500 so don't try. If you do try you 5500 will die and will cost you $500 or however much you paid for it. (Although you could rip apart the rom, grab the launcher exe and get the english translations off the cd or course this isn't supported by sharp, probably wont work, use at your own risk, it might explode in a nuclear reaction and it wouldn't be there fault bla bla bla). BUT you can put Open Zaurus on your 5500. For those of you who hang out on IRC in the #Zaurus you will know that the A300 currently has no plans to come to the USA, but there is a different pda coming to the us. The only information known about it for _sure_ is that it has an xscale. Anything else that anyone tells you is just made up cr.. to make them seem like they know something they don't.

-Benjamin Meyer

P.S. You _HAVE_ to check out this game for the Zaurus.: Buzzword Bingo
I am thinking of bringing it with me to the Intel conference. hehe

How about linux on my Sharp Zaurus, does that count? I have sound, save games and all the treasure of Melee Island(TM) in the Palm of my hand.

More Info

Ciao!

Here are a couple of screenshots of what Slashdot looks like on a Zaurus. I was connected through ethernet, not wireless. The reason you see the whole Zaurus is because I connected to the Zaurus from my Mandrake box, using FB VNC Server.

Click HERE to see Slashdot on Opera.

Click HERE to see Slashdot on Konqueror.

I don't have a zaurus, but I want to get one so I tracked down the ogg123 port to the zaurus: http://killefiz.de/zaurus/showdetail.php?app=201 . I don't know if it actually works, so I guess someone with a Zaurus should try it and tell all of us if it really works (please?).

The QTopiaDesktop software does exist for Linux, it's even free (beer). It can sync with the Zaurus over USB.
QTopiaDesktop HOWTO

Other option: You can use KDE's KOrganizer on the Zaurus and synchronize it over TCP-over-USB with the KOrganizer on your PC.
KOrganizer and sync scripts

I just found the killer application for my Zaurus Linux PDA. Since it has a builtin keyboard, I was able to play the classic textadventure "Zork" with the help of an Infocom game interpreter while sitting in a waiting room for nearly an hour yesterday. (The people around me must have thought I'm crazy while I was trying to figure out how to get down that &%$ chimney.)
And of course I can always switch to a drawing application to make maps of all the rooms.

I have run apache/php on my Zaurus and it works great for serving web pages across 802.11b! I don't know if anyone would try this setup as a production web server; however, it's cool that it works.

Guru
ERA Champion Real Estate

The link to the Quake demo:

here

For those that have a Sharp Zaurus pda we have been doing this for a while.

How about Apache with PHP


Or maybe the smaller Boa web server


How about a GUI Server manager for these? (screenshots)


Maybe put MySQL on it too have some more fun!


How about instructions on how to set up all of the servers (including smb)

There is nothign quite like getting your data by putting your sd card into the Z, selecting it as the root page and then browsing to it from another box.

Benjamin Meyer

P.S. How would you like to play Doom full framerate, multiplayer on the Zaurus! (for free too) It is coming soon! (Quake is more of a technical demo, can't do much without a floatingpoint, but if you want to see Quake on the Zaurus packages are already made.)

For those that have a Sharp Zaurus pda we have been doing this for a while.

How about Apache with PHP


Or maybe the smaller Boa web server


How about a GUI Server manager for these? (screenshots)


Maybe put MySQL on it too have some more fun!


How about instructions on how to set up all of the servers (including smb)

There is nothign quite like getting your data by putting your sd card into the Z, selecting it as the root page and then browsing to it from another box.

Benjamin Meyer

P.S. How would you like to play Doom full framerate, multiplayer on the Zaurus! (for free too) It is coming soon! (Quake is more of a technical demo, can't do much without a floatingpoint, but if you want to see Quake on the Zaurus packages are already made.)

For those that have a Sharp Zaurus pda we have been doing this for a while.

How about Apache with PHP


Or maybe the smaller Boa web server


How about a GUI Server manager for these? (screenshots)


Maybe put MySQL on it too have some more fun!


How about instructions on how to set up all of the servers (including smb)

There is nothign quite like getting your data by putting your sd card into the Z, selecting it as the root page and then browsing to it from another box.

Benjamin Meyer

P.S. How would you like to play Doom full framerate, multiplayer on the Zaurus! (for free too) It is coming soon! (Quake is more of a technical demo, can't do much without a floatingpoint, but if you want to see Quake on the Zaurus packages are already made.)

For those that have a Sharp Zaurus pda we have been doing this for a while.

How about Apache with PHP


Or maybe the smaller Boa web server


How about a GUI Server manager for these? (screenshots)


Maybe put MySQL on it too have some more fun!


How about instructions on how to set up all of the servers (including smb)

There is nothign quite like getting your data by putting your sd card into the Z, selecting it as the root page and then browsing to it from another box.

Benjamin Meyer

P.S. How would you like to play Doom full framerate, multiplayer on the Zaurus! (for free too) It is coming soon! (Quake is more of a technical demo, can't do much without a floatingpoint, but if you want to see Quake on the Zaurus packages are already made.)

Other great ideas would be a Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 with an 802.11b card and the kismet wireless sniffing software. Great for wardriving, or just walking around the dorms, sniffing for open networks.

The other thing you should consider is, are these the values you want to instill in a new college student? Sure hacking, and messing around can be fun, but in today's society, there is a fine line between having fun and breaking the law!

Gururise

How about snes [sourceforge] for the zaurus? There's also a gameboy [killefiz.de] emulator for the zaurus, though it's quite slow as well.

I haven't tried the snes emulator, but I'd imagine it's slow too. It requires installing the x-windows environment instead of the normal Qt windowing system installed by default.

There is a driver for the socket card.
You can find it at

Zaurus Software Index.