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Zaurus Software Reviews
Steve Emms writes "The Zaurus SL-5500 PDA represents a new frontier. Here Linux is not an afterthought shoehorned onto a windows product - the Zaurus is a PDA that comes configured with Linux out of the box. And it's a good fit, Linux works well on relatively low spec machines like PDAs. But it's the software that makes the machine. So LinuxLinks has started a series of reviews of commercial Linux software for the Zaurus." Little thin right now, but a nice start for anyone interested in the PDA.
Nice summary by O'Reilly
Sharp USA site
Zaurus user's site
Sharp Developer site
ZDNet UK review
cNet review
Linuxdevices.com review
ZDnet review
TechTV review
ThinkGeek review
PC Magazine review
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It is nice but check your firmware rev out of the box. Mine came with v2.12 and when I tried to load The Kompany's address book program, the PDA encountered a load error and would no longer allow file transfers after that. I reset it, threatened it and even offered it flowers but no go. Calls to Sharp Tech Support revealed that I needed level 2 help as the suggestion script they were reading was of no use. I was told the level 2 guy would call me back so I waited. Every day for 3 days I called and reviewed my problem. I never did hear from the level 2 guy. I eventually got through to someone at Sharp who had a clue and they revealed that there is a firmware problem with 2.12 and The Kompany Address book. A simple flash upgrade to v2.38 solved all of my issues and I was off and running. Sharp could do a better job with their frontline helpdesk.
My 5500 replaces a Palm 3. Synchronizing that data was seamless. Being able to pop a CF wireless or networking card saves me the hassle of having to pack a laptop for troubleshooting network problems.
Software for the 5500 is constantly being added. One of my favorite sites is
http://www.killefiz.de/zaurus/
Please stop continuing to spread your lies, I've talked to you about this in the #zaurus channel before. tkcVideo does in fact use ffmpeg, but it is just one of the things that go into it, we have a lot of assembler floating point optimization routines and other code around and in addition to ffmpeg because ffmpeg wasn't available as an lgpl library when we started. ffmpeg is a great piece of work, but it is more icing on the cake and that is why mplayer isn't the same, nor the opie players. Since you don't have a copy of tkcVideo, all your statements about it would tend to be false.
Shawn Gordon
President
theKompany.com
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.
When you power on the machine hit (/ ?) when it says "waiting ... " then chose a (linux console)
Yes, it does. You have to press '/' then 'a' at bootup, when it gives the 'Wait' prompt. The options when you press '/' are:
q (x): Qtopia
a (e): Linux Console
e (e): init 3 (ttyS0:-free-)
r (e): init 4 (ttyS0:terminal)
t (e): init 5 (ttyS0:pppd)
--
Seeing is believing; You wouldn't have seen it if you didn't believe it.
The GUI shells you can get for the machine work pretty well, as do X and the C compiler off the Open Zaurus web page. The X package seems to be made to install in RAM and doesn't like being relocated to install on a CF or SD card. The C compiler is not a package file and can be detarred anywhere, though making all the links to get it working right can be tricky.
Oh yeah, and battery life sucks. That kinda goes without saying. I get about 2 to 3 hours of powered on use out of a battery. I keep a spare on hand, and that helps a little. Palm users will have to modify habits (And take that AC adaptor with you on business trips.)
You can also replace the initrd with a build of your own. So if you want to completely build your environment from the ground up (or try Debian's build) that's pretty easy.
All in all a nice little machine, though it could benefit from fuel cell technology.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Okay, here you go.
The Calander application is thin, but adequate.
The synch software pretty much sucks and is the only piece of software that needs a complete overhaul.
The text editor is a functional text editor.
The address book, email, todo list, voice recorder, image viewer, and media player apps - ditto.
Asteroids is a pretty good asteroids clone.
I don't know how to play Go, so I can't comment on that.
Mindbreaker is like the Logic game on some Nokia phones.
Mine hunt is a good Minesweeper clone.
Patience is a reasonably good solitaire game, with one caveat. You can't double-click on the cards to send them home.
Snake is a much better version of the Nokia phone game.
Tetrix is a passable Tetris clone.
Word game is very fun once you figure out the UI eccentricities.
There are a couple of unnecessary Java demos that I can't understand why were included.
The appearance app doesn't allow for enough control over the appearance, but more than other handhelds that I've used.
Hancom Office is a totally usable, MS Office compatible office suite (though I admit to using the text editor more than Hancom Word).
Opera is - well, Opera. If you hit a site that tries to open more than one window, you're given the option of which one you want to open which is kind of nice. I think I'm going to try to track down a flash plug-in for it, though.
All that said it might sound like I don't like the Zaurus that much. Not so. I love it. The power of it being Linux based is all of the software available for it NOT included (oh, and I LOVE the keyboard). I immediately downloaded the terminal app so that I could get to a bash shell without having to reboot it. It's a nice terminal - has shortcuts to commonly used commands - very cool. I also installed a VNC client/server, ZIC for IRC, Sketches of Q - which is a nice little drawing app, FTP spftware (opie ftp), and even a nice version of PacMan.
The machine is snappy and has a great screen. Text input via the keyboard is much faster and more accurate than any handwriting recognition. On the other hand, the handwriting recognition on the Zaurus is outstanding. No grafiti to learn, just write normally in the appropriate section of the screen and it works. In addition, it has a predictive text input system, so as you're writing on the screen, it gives you several suggestions as to what word you're attempting to type. If it makes a hit, just clikc on the word and move on. Very nice.
I've also added a WAP (in my home office) and a Wireless CF card. Both are Linksys and the installation was basically non-existant. True plug and play (except for security on the WAP). I can surf the net, hang out on slashnet or #everything, ftp, vnc, whatever from the Zaurus. My next foray may be into a wireless modem. Still deciding whether it's worth it.
The cradle it USB and synching is easy (once you've got it set up), but lacking in options. You can synch to the proprietary app (Qtopia desktop) or Outlook. I use Eudora, and would like an option to synch my contacts to there, and the other stuff (calander, etc...) to elsewhere, but alas nothing yet exists to allow for this. Of course, that the system is Open Source, this probably is not far off.
Copying individual files to and from the Zaurus is also easy as the device works sort of like an external USB harddrive. No, it doesn't get a drive letter, but through QTopia Desktop, you upload and download files as if it were a drive. Simple and reasonably quick.
There are some areas that need work, but overall the Zaurus is a hell of a little handheld that is already very powerful because of its Linux roots and has a significant amount of potential.