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MSNBC Reviews the Sharp Zaurus
Khalid sent in a link to this review of the Sharp Zaurus. They only noted a few flaws, such as the synchronization being harder than necessary, and generally seemed to like it, at least better than the Wall Street Journal columnist did.
I've been looking for a cellular wireless internet solution for a while (Palm VII didn't cut it) and the Zaurus seems very expandable. Does anyone have any experience with the Zaurus and/or Verizon 3G (or any other cellular internet service?).
Why bulky? (I have a Zaurus and have seen it together with Pocket PC's and Palms.) The Zaurus is about the same size.
Most people don't care if they run Linux or some other programs on their PDA as long as they get their work done.
*I*, however, *do* care because that means that I can use the same programs on the desktop and the handheld. My (Windows-using) techie collegues are amazed when they see that I can VNC into the Zaurus, or ssh into it and manage files with MC, or make backups with ssh+tar+bzip2.
You find lots of software. IPSEC kernel? Apache with PHP so you can develop wherever you are? Vim? Python? MC? mplayer? ogg player? Doom?
Everything there.
Computers. You can't live with them, you can't live without them.
Maybe they are just operating on a more subtle level. I don't know about you, but reading that arcticle really made me want to eat Chee-tos(tm).
Think of the Zaurus as a mixture of a PDA and a Palmtop(think toshiba Liberetto). You get the basic functionality you need out of a PDA... instant on, PIM functions, ect... You also get most of the full feature applications you want. Supposedly because it uses Linux many applications whould only require a simple recompile. I havn't found it that easy, but everything I need has already been ported. I used to carry a palm for phone numbers and a datebook, along with a laptop for divx and connecting to my companies network. Now I use Zaurus' built in PIM and installed The Kompany's video player as well as a terminal emulator for work. Its great.
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The main problem I have with the Zarus is that it is FAR heavier than it competitors. I can't carry it around in my pocket, so what good is it?
Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes
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
Computers. You can't live with them, you can't live without them.
After browsing the replies here, I found that most slashdot users have little, or no, idea
:) Now the "future is truly here". ;)
of what the zaurus really can do.
1) It is cheaper than similar (hardware-wise) PDAs from compaq, etc
2) The sync application is not so good, but since being open source, lots of people are developing alternative versions. But IMOHO syncing is inecessary. I use a wireless-LAN CF card when I am in school/home/work, and I will get myself a bluetooth card later for wireless internet "on the go": Zaurus ("Z")->Bluetooth->Ericsson T39m->GPRS/3G->INTERNET. With Internetaccess I can use my central (web)calendar, todolists, and access email/IRC, without the need to sync or fiddle anything at all. The whole concept of syncing is
wrong; It is much better to have a central copy on a server (wich is backuped).
3) With the Zaurus you get an powerful Linux system right in your pocket. Possibilities to run apache, PHP, mysql, LOTS of games, LOTS of other programs (such as media players, etc), you can mount samba/NFS partitions and much more!!
Before you say "Zaurus runt linux, so what, it sux", go and have a read at: http://killefiz.de/zaurus/
4) The support is, since being opensource, GREAT, Just headover to www.zauruszone.com and ask whatever you want. The community is often more competent than the average support personel, and you WILL gett answers to your problems and a solution (please contribute and answer to other peoples questions later when you have knowledge).
(Like in communism - From each according to his ability, to each according to his need)
IHMOHO the "Z" is the best thing that has happend since, I dont know what, color graphics?.
in our household, we have a zaurus, running linux (bought last week) and two cassiopeia e-125's (bought several months ago) ...
... why? well, you've got more options.
... just don't.)
... you're all set (how did they not get sued?) You can also shrug off the help of a GUI, and use your favorite gcc, with cross-compilation support. You can also install all sorts of interpreters on it. You can install a webserver and php, for example. Python, perl ... whatever. Recompile, and push to the pda. Or even better, install gcc on the pda, and compile there! (okay, maybe not -- it's not the fastest thing around.)
... how many of you actually -love- win32api calls that are broken, the ability to develop -only- under nt/w2k/xp (yes, we're running it, but c'mon ... choices?) and the fact that you pretty much have to use eMbedded Visual Studio to do your work? It's a pain ... but it does work. You just don't have many options. The VB thing is easy to use, but for those of us who hate VB, there's still C++ ... only ... it's really not helpful. At all. It would help if we had a bit more experience with visual studio ... but as we use it only for command-line apps, and run to builder for anything window-y ... well ... we've already got a bias against it.
... insert into CF card reader, mount it (in my case, it thinks it's sda1) and have fun that way.
we're all programmers. each of us with a pda. but i can tell you, if you wanna program on the damn things, linux beats windows
for the casio's, we've got:
-python 1.x interpreter (hey, it's amusing, okay?)
-the microsoft SDK (3.0 and 4.0, more on that later.)
-vb (don't
for the zaurus, we've got:
-everything you could imagine.
let me expand on that -- because the linux pda runs Qt natively, you can use the Qt-[Borland-Builder-esque] designer to build applications. it's great. it's c++, and the framework doesn't suck. didn't take long, and if you're used to Borland Builder
Now, for windows
Okay, so maybe we suck at visual studio. But at least the Zaurus offers a -lot- of options for creating your own programs. No, you won't be able to just port your X apps to it directly (it -is- Qt, not X.)
Did i mention it was cool to just ftp to your zaurus, etc.? Cassiopeia support under linux is this: take the CF card out
IMHO Linux on a palmtop makes perfect sense as the palmtop market isn't as strongly under the Microsoft thumb as the desktop PC market. On a level playing field, where vendors must compete on price and features, not "how fast does it run Microsoft Office" the co-operative nature and free licencing of Linux should be a big strength.
This journalist is nothing like the guy from the WSJ who gave the device such a bad rap. This guy mentions vi and ping in his review. He also tries it with 802.11b, which is where I believe this device really becomes a killer app.
He claims 4-5 hours with 802.11b, which I thought was more than I remember hearing.
Being a Java programmer, lots of options really open up for making this device do useful things. There are lots of really cool projects you could do, from controlling your server remotely, managing, and may be streaming your MP3's, run remote X sessions, etc. The thing is basically, as he says, a handheld computer which is not in the same league as most PDA's.
Amazon has them for $439 and change: Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 (affiliate link, so ya know)
This device is on the list of toys, or tools, I want to get. It is good to see the prices are coming down toward a point I may consider purchasing one, even though I (as of yet) don't have a real useful purpose for it. It's still over $500 equipped with 802.11.
-Pete
Soccer Goal Plans
Get em while they last! Make sure to get to the booth EARLY, cause at JavaOne this year we had 3-4 hour lines going around the BLOCK at Moscone.
For developing custom applications very quickly, the zaurus kicks booty, but it would be irresponsible to suggest to someone the zaurus as something you could use for phone numbers or schedules, no matter how many other cool features it has.
Note: Right now, the linux community is in hardcore denial about usability problems in general, and any attempt to deny the truth of this post only further proves the truth of it.
Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!