New Sharp Zaurus SL-C760/C750 Linux PDAs

i4u writes "Sharp announces new models of their Zaurus PDA line. The new models are the SL-C760 (launch date: June 21, 2003) and the SL-C750 (launch date: May 24, 2003). The new PDAs have a faster CPU, more memory and feature a bigger Screen (VGA 640x480) than the former SLC-700 model. The start speed of applications improved to about twice (compared to the SL-C700) by adopting the Intel XScaleTM PXA255 400MHz CPU. Connectivty is possible via Wireless Lan and FOMA broadband wireless phones. The installed software contains also an MP4 Player for Movies. Nice for business users is the ability to connect the Zaurus to a projector (800x600) and present MS PowerPoint Slides. Photos and English translation of Press-Release available on I4U.com"

Comments

Size

[bogie]

I didn't see where the size was listed, but after looking at these I have to question when do PDA's become subnotebooks? Or maybe its just the form factor thats throwing me off.

Re:Size

[Anonymous Coward]

It looks to me like these are heading to be iBook competitors. Cheap, white, small and even better looking than the iBook, but running Linux too.

You just have to pick which Unix you like best!

Available in the US?

[niola]

Excuse me if I missed it, but no where in the translation did I see if these models were going to be available in the US. Are they going to be like the C700, only release in Japan, but re-sold through companies like Dynamism? --Jon

Re:These things are not PDAs.

[Simon Brooke]

You are an idiot. These are perfect for anyone who needs a truly portable computer. No, laptops aren't really portable. They have to sit on something flat, have a power connection (most have an under-2-hours battery life, thus rendering the battery useless for those of us who actually USE computers) , and not be moved around. They also weigh several pounds, and are very uncomfortable to carry around.

Besides, comparing the Sharp devices to the Libretto is just ludicrous. The Libretto was huge, heavy, and had a short battery life. It had all the shortcomings of a notebook with none of its benefits. You couldn't put it in your pocket, could you?

OK, I have both a Libretto and a Zaurus. I love my Libretto. The Zaurus was a fun toy for a bit and if it actually worked well would be good, but it has too many little problems (the worst of which I could probably sort out if I invested the time but I'm now fed up with it so I don't).

OK, you can't fit the Libretto into a shirt pocket, but you can't really fit the Zaurus either. You can fit it into most overcoat pockets. OK, the Libretto's battery life is really crap - but the Zaurus's battery life is no better if you have an 802.11b card in, and if you try to take the card out it sulks, and won't recognise the card again if you put it back, so you've no network... unless you reboot, and about one time in ten the reboot doesn't work and loses all the stuff you have in the filesystem. The Libretto, by contrast, just works.

Again, the Libretto is a real computer - mine has Oracle, Postgres, Apache, Tomcat and all my own applications on it, so I can walk into a customer site with this ridiculous little box and demonstrate a whole suite of client-server applications. It may be old, but it still knocks people out. Also, you can really type on the keyboard. The Zaurus keyboard sort of works, but it's painful. The handwriting recognition is better - except the membrane over the screen gets scratched by the stylus, so mine has a dull patch over the writing area which is really annoying.

Finally, my Libretto runs perfectly ordinary vanilla-flavour Debian 3. It's a very comfortable user environment. The Zaurus logs the user in as root, and has a clumsy and awkward-to-use file system layout. It's security is very poor, with an open password-less FTP server which (again) logs all comers in as root.

In summary I think my Libretto is a briliant machine and the best yet stab at ultra-portable real computing. THe Zaurus is an interesting prototype of a machine which with further development might become usable, but in its present state is a gimmicky toy.

Size isn't everything

[fm6]

Forget size. To me, a PDA is something you can operate standing up, with the gadget itself in one hand, and a stylus in the other. Once you start making it difficult to use the stylus, you're moving into subnotebook territory, because you're probably going to have to sit down and cradle the device in your lap.

(That's why I dislike PDAs with keyboards. They force you to continually switch between finger and stylus. Maybe some people are dextrous enough to multiplex their keyboard/stylus hand. I'm not. Not that I'm any good at Graffiti or Jot. For me, the ideal is a stylus-compatible keyboard.)

The new Zauruses may be as small as "other" PDAs. But the keyboard and the L-shaped design make them too much like subnotebooks for my taste. A good slate-style tablet PC is actually closer to the PDA concept than the Zaurus. A slate-tablet may cost 4 times as much, and be way to big for your pocket. But at least it preserves the strolling user concept.

Keyboards

[rbook]

It looks from the pictures like the new models (C750, C760) have flat "membrane" keyboards, and the the C700 has actual keys.
Is that true?

Re:Options

[RevAaron]

Graphic card (this is the one I mentioned above; I think it's the first CF-slot video card I've heard of)

It may have just been the first CF-slot video card you've heard of for Linux PDAs rather than any and all platforms... But in any case, WinCE PDAs/PocketPCs have supported a number of VGA out CF cards for quite a while, some proving some pretty badass resolutions.

According to the page, the SL-C760 gets 8.5 hours use on battery. The SL-C750 gets 5 hours.

Damn, it's about time. Boy was it a shock when I made an attempt to switch from using my Newton 2100 and Jornada 720 to the Zaurus SL-5500. I'm used to being able to do hours and hours of work on my PDA in a day without having to recharge... The SL-5500 gets 3-4 hours when you have *no* backlight, no network card, and are just doing a low-CPU activity like reading an ebook... but when you want to be browsing the web using konq or opera using a wifi card, esp if you have the backlight on- even at its lowest- it pushes that battery life down to like 1.25 hours. disgusting. good to see that more power efficient CPU and a biger battery!