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Retail Sharp Zaurus Released
Arminius writes "It looks like Sharp has finally released the Linux based Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 for retail sale. This thing is so awesome! Other than only being able to listen to mp3's thru my headphones only, this thing blows away
my iPaq 3835! It even has Opera as the web browser. "
"To fully experience the Sharp USA site, you need to have Version 4 or above of Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator Version 4.x."
Great way to make the customer feel good about buying their product.
I picked up one of these at Fry's a couple days ago and am very impressed with it so far. The form factor is very nice, and the Linux OS powering the PDA is very peppy (running on a 206 Mhz StrongARM, a very fast chip compared to the competition).
What I love most about this PDA though is its openness. Need to get a file onto the PDA? Use NFS, scp, ftp, http, etc.. Want to develop an application for the PDA? Use Java, Qt, or C, all with open API's and no NDA nonsense.
Some good places for more information:
Zaurus Zone has some nice (but often too busy) forums. And of course the Sourceforge project for Zaurus.
In short, I love this PDA. I will try to answer any questions people may have here about it.
The thing is nice, though not the hacker's dream that I hoped for. For example, the apps are rough around the edges and source code for them doesn't seem to be available.
My biggest gripe about the hardware is the stylus is too small. I'm using an iPaq stylus with it which is a lot better.
Also, it's not clear whether there's audio input. There's a voice recorder program that says plug in a mono mic with 3.5mm plug, but there's only one jack that size and it's intended for stereo headphones. I've never heard of multiplexing a jack between headphones and a mic. I'll try it with a mic but I think the software and docs were written for some different piece of hardware.
Ummm.. Konqueror is available for the Zaurus here along with many other GPL utilities.
Please do some research before painting with a broad brush.
Have you changed your browser agent string into making it think you have IE?
Not that I'm saying for sure that you have (I'm not) but as a general message for the folks who read this post, DON'T CHANGE YOUR USER AGENT STRING! It only makes IE look more common than it already is. If all of the users of Mozilla, Opera and Konqueror pretend that they're IE, webmasters will have no idea that anyone other than IE users come to their site and be more inclined to write IE-only content.
Can't see their site without changing the user agent string? This is where your principles come into play. Do you actually care about and support the "alternative" browsers or do you not really care at all. There is very little middle ground here. The choice is of course yours, but principles are not important while they are convenient. They are only important when you stick by them when they are significantly incovenient.
- I don't need to go outside, my CRT tan'll do me just fine.
here is the little piece of code on Sharp's that is preventing Moz from entering. Why they would even do this is beyond me.
//BROWSER DETECTION for 3
var threeNum = navigator.appVersion.substring(0,1)
if (parseInt(threeNum) location.pathname = "/browser.html";
}
If you really want to see the Sharp site, turn off Javascript in Moz for Navigator, and you're in.
I just guessed the address webmaster@ because it's common for administrators of web sites to use this address. Even if it isn't, a competent postmaster will see the flood of bounces from webmaster@ and set up the appropriate forwarding.
Here's the letter I sent:
To: webmaster@sharpelectronics.com
Subject: Blocking web browsers is counterproductive
By blocking Netscape 6, you're throwing away
potential sales.
Many of the people who would buy your Sharp Zaurus
PDA are the same people who use more recent
browsers such as Netscape 6.2. If you track
Referer:, look in your server logs for hits coming
from a site called slashdot.org. Many of
lashdot's readers use Mozilla, an open-source web
browser that's essentially identical to Netscape
6.x. Users of Netscape 6 and Mozilla would prefer
even a text-only information page to the empty page
you are providing.
Heck, you block Opera, the very browser built into
the PDA. This strikes me as highly hypocritical.
Please remove the browser blocks.
Will I retire or break 10K?
This is a great little machine. Embedix 2.4 with both CF and SD/MMC slots (the DRM on the SD is not enabled on the Zaurus). The screen is pretty good (320 x 240) and the apps run very smoothly with 64MB of memory. About 30 people her ein my ofice bought the developer edition at JavaOne, and they're all a bit jealous now. Of course, I did pay a whole lot more than they did.
I was a bit dissappointed that there's no GUI bash shell on the consumer edition (there was a Qt app shell on the developer edition). I suppose that can be remedied with a software install, but I haven't found the installer yet. It works well with the Linksys WiFi card...but the battery life goes straight down the tube when you're surfing.
Overall, I'd say it's a very good unit. The Embedix platform has a great chance to overtake PalmOS. I can't wait to see these things evolve over time. I hope they take a cue from Sony and improve the screen res, add nice metal cases, and add a remote control for the audio.
"You done taken a wrong turn."
-Bill McKinney, in Deliverance
(Yes, I know, they should allow all browsers, but who really thinks here that the Sharp Zaurus team made those web pages? Anyone here ever work in a real company? The web page people are very often *not* the hardware (or even software) development people.)
:)
Okay, now that we're past that, the Zaurus is a kickass little PDA. (I've had the Developer's Version for months now.) Some things to note:
* Runs any Linux app that can be (re)compiled for a StrongArm processor. Currently running are:
Python
Perl
SSH
Telnet
Konqueror
Opera
Seminole Web Server
Jikes
BitchX
NMap
...and others, just to name a few.
* The handwriting recognition isn't that bad. It requires you to train the device for certain characters if you want your own handwriting to work, but that doesn't take much time.
* IBM MicroDrives work with no problem. I have a 340MB version, and several other Zaurus owners have reported the 1GB version working. (Though they drain the battery quickly.)
* The keyboard is really easy (and actually kinda fun) to use!
* The synching for Windows should be up to snuff by now. Someone has already patched the 2.4.x kernels to allow USB networking over Linux in order to connect it to a Linux box, so it is now Linux friendly.
* The "Word Game" that comes with it (like Scrabble) has been very addicting!
* It is easily 80% of the size of a typical WinCE handheld, and includes two expansion slots (one CF and one SD) by default.
* It has Java, so you can write Java apps for it.
* The UI has been greatly improved, and the Zaurus people have taken very seriously feedback from the developers who have had the Developer's model.
Overall, once you get past the web browser thing, you'll find that with the possible exception of the price (which, incidentally, is similar to other high-end PDAs), it's a kickass little device.
libertarianswag.com
Z = $499
iPAQ = $499, $600, $650
Z = Linux kernel 2.4.6 plus Qtopia GUI
iPAQ = Microsoft Pocket PC 2002
Z = 16 bit color - 65536 colors
iPAQ = 12 bit color - 4096 colors ($499 model)
Z = 64MB ram, 206Mhz StrongArm
iPAQ = 64MB ram, 206Mhz StrongArm
Z = SD and CF
iPAQ = SD only
- Requires expansion pack for CF ($40)
- Need to use "sleave" with CF cards
- Other expansion packs are > $100
Z = Trainable handwriting recognition (Use Palm gestures if you want)
iPAQ = Not trainable
Z = Linux based, with SWEET gui (QTopia)
- Many applications already available
- Very active user community, mailing lists, wikki
- bash
iPAQ = MS Pocket PC
- You can install Linux, procedure is hard
- Your purchase still counts as MS sale ups market share
Z = Very cool and useable built-in keyboard
iPAQ = 3rd party external keyboard $100
Z = No built-in speaker, must use headphone and/or mic
iPAQ = built-in crappy speaker
Z = Builtin integrated Java
iPAQ = No Java
Z = Desktop software for Windows, Mac, Linux
iPAQ = Desktop software for Windows
Z = Included browser is Opera, Konqueror available
iPAQ = Pocket IE
Hi, here is what I wrote, just in case anybody finds it
r g/show_bug.cgi?id=63915
useful, BTW, I thought that the Zaurus was pretty cool,
and was thinking of maybe buying one, you can be sure that
now I will think it twice before doing so... I'm really
pissed of...
And for some one who said that it was the fault of the web
designer and not the company itself, a company should take
care that *his* web site follows the web standards and
support all platforms and browsers, of course they are
free to don't do it, but then they will piss off people
like me that instead of promote their cool products will
spread as much bad press for them as possible...
- -
To: webmaster@sharpelectronics.com
Subject: Can't access sharpelectronics.com with Mozilla, Netscape 6 or Opera
Hi
I was interested in the new Sharp Zaurus SL-5500,
but my access was denied to sharpelectronics.com
using any of the following browsers available for
my platform(FreeBSD): Mozilla, Netscape 6 and Opera.
Internet Explorer and Netscape 4.x don't exist for my
platform, so I'm completely unable to access the your
site.
Please, fix your site so it's accessible by any
browser that follows the web standards(http://w3.org)
Thanks
\\Uriel
- -
And don't forget to report this kind of problems at
http:\\bugzilla.mozilla.org as "Evangelism" bugs,
visit http://mozilla-evangelism.bclary.com/ for more
info...
And here is the bug for "http://www.sharp-usa.com/"
(that seems like it's the same as sharpelectronics.com):
http://bugzilla.mozilla.o
Best wishes
\\Uriel
P.S.: And I know that seems that Konkeror is supported, and
that I can change the user agent, but I shouldn't need to do
that! If a web site follows the w3c standards it should work
on all browsers that also follows the standards, and
there is no excuse to not follow the standard, period
"When in doubt, use brute force." Ken Thompson
Check out www.myzaurus.com and www.thekompany.com/embedded for the most available stuff.
If the 5500 uses the same screen, I don't think I'm interested.