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Zaurus SL-6000 Prototype Revealed

Posted by michael on from the drop-test dept.

Gudlyf writes "The Zaurus User Group has a short piece (with pictures) on the newly revealed prototype of the Sharp Zaurus SL-6000. Among the many new features are integrated wi-fi, integrated bluetooth, a larger screen and possibly more RAM. Word is that this unit *will* appear in U.S. markets."

122 comments

  1. Alien probe by konichiwa · · Score: 4, Informative

    We will now transport you to our home planet of NFQ-9882...

    --
    Never argue with an idiot, he'll just lower you to his level and beat you with experience.
  2. Integrated Bluetooth... by heironymouscoward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Simple wireless ssh terminal when combined with my Nokia Bluetooth phone. Oh yes, this is nice.

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    Ceci n'est pas une signature
    1. Re:Integrated Bluetooth... by cgranade · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      {Well, yeah, but can it {use scp | run linux... oh wait | make coffee | run xwindows} | Imagine a beowulf cluster of these things... | In soviet Russia, a Zarus wirelessly sshs you! | ...}

      --

      #define DRM chmod 000

    2. Re:Integrated Bluetooth... by ePhil_One · · Score: 1
      Bluetooth just plain rocks! Listen manufacturers, we need more Bluetooth crap.

      Speaking of which, anybody notice that the new Hybrid gas/electric Toyota Prius is the first Bluetooth enabled automobile in the US market?

      Anyone know of a factory bluetooth enabled car that predates this?

      --
      You are in a maze of twisted little posts, all alike.
    3. Re:Integrated Bluetooth... by heironymouscoward · · Score: 1

      As someone once said, an egg is best eaten fresh.

      Reading second-hand humour (and in your comment, sorry, it's like 10,000th hand) is like reswallowing a tomato and cheese omelette that someone has eaten the night before and vomited out along with a pint of Guiness.

      Adding 'ssh' to is it just like reheating the whole mess with a little more salt.

      Nasty.

      --
      Ceci n'est pas une signature
    4. Re:Integrated Bluetooth... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      BMW X5, 3- and 7-series have had that option for a while now...

    5. Re:Integrated Bluetooth... by 4r0g · · Score: 2, Informative

      Why don't you just use the communicator and SSH directly on it? http://www.f-secure.com/wireless/symbian/nokia-ssh .shtml

      --
      - 4r0g
    6. Re:Integrated Bluetooth... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You get the same with a Palm and TuSSH.

    7. Re:Integrated Bluetooth... by RevAaron · · Score: 1

      Heh. It's funny- it's almost like most folks don't know that you can't do SSH on anything but the Zaurus. You can. Hell, you could do it for a helluva lot cheaper as well.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
  3. I've never owned a PDA by The+One+KEA · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Does anyone own a Zaurus? How useful are they really?

    --
    SCREW THE ADS! http://adblock.mozdev.org/ Proud user of teh Fox of Fire - Registered Linux User #289618
    1. Re:I've never owned a PDA by superbondbond · · Score: 4, Informative
      I find it very useful. The zaurus is my third PDA, after both a PalmOS and a WindwosCE device.

      The Zaurus has all the same functionality as the others with regard to PIM applications, but I was sold on some of the unique features of the SL-5500. The integrated keyboard is a godsend when entering large amounts of text at one time. It supports most wireless cards right out of the box. both a SD and CF card slots make it very flexible, and I won't go into the whole "it runs Linux" thing, but we're thinking that anyway. On a sidenote there are a variety of modified ROMs that can be flashed onto the unit (more flexibility).

      On the down side, the battery life is somewhat disappointing (something which I'd hope will be vastly improved on the upcoming models). I have to say that my old HP Jornada had an unbelievable battery life, and it's taken some effort to get used to charging my Z so often, but overall I like it better the other PDAs that I've tried.

    2. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Psiren · · Score: 3, Informative

      I own one. I don't use it as a PDA that much, but as a network testing device it's very handy. If I have problems with switches or network points, I can just stick it in my pocket with a CF network card, and off I go. I can use ssh, nmap, tcpdump and all the other linux tools I use on my desktop machine. The screen is a little small, but it's certainly readable, and the built in keyboard is handy too. The only thing that really bugs me is the lack of seperate numeric keys, which is a pain when you're entering ip addresses. Usually I use the on screen keyboard for that.

    3. Re:I've never owned a PDA by vicviper · · Score: 1

      I just bought a SL5600 after having my 5500 stolen. I wish I could convice myself that I don't need a 6000. I think the price may do that for me though.

    4. Re:I've never owned a PDA by PurpleWizard · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I have an SL5500. It's great but in terms of usefulness it's low. As a PDA that is. I'm not a PDA person though. I previously had a Psion Revo but the hassles of using that with Linux and the geek factor made me go for the Zaurus.

      I might use it more if I had it integrated to my phone but my old mobile doesn't have the facilites to connect and I don't use that enough to justify a new one really.

      I'd prefer the Revo still because of its keyboard.

      The question on usefulness can only be answered if you have a clear idea of what you would use it for. The Revo for example with its ace keyboard made writing up ideas, notes, diary comments etc... really quick, easy and pleasant. Once I switched fully from Windows to Linux though connections became an issue.

      Summary:
      If you have a clear use as useful as any PDA just maybe not as good. But you can have a terminal:-). If you don't have a clear use then save your money.

      Golly I ramble.

    5. Re:I've never owned a PDA by SuperCal · · Score: 1

      I have one. Its useful... sorta. Relative to Palm 3.0 (I havn't tried 5.0 yet) the PIM is just as simple. The Office Suite is far better out of the box. It even has Power Point which I have found very usefull at getting ready for presentations, and for studing notes before a test(all my teacher post note in PPT format now, I don't know why). Excell spreadsheets work well, and so do MSWord .doc's.
      Now I orginally bought this thing so I could play around with the software on the linux side, but I lost interest in it when I found it was less usefull then I origenally thought it would be.
      Generally, like palms, its quicker amd simpler to use then WinCE, but for every day users there is a general lack of software. If you really want to there is alot that con be done at a comand line, that is unavilible out of the box, but make sure you are already versed in the ways of linux.
      Otherwise, think of it as a expandible Palm with a good media player and MS Office compatibility. ...errr simpler?

      --
      Business News and Resources: www.usasource.net
    6. Re:I've never owned a PDA by HeX86 · · Score: 1

      I have an SL-5500, I use it all the time.

      I admit the fact that it does need some work and some feature changes which I beleive they adressed with the SL-5600.

      The distro they use on those is rather out of date. I installed openzaurus on it, works about 10x better. There's a few bugs, overall I like it and wouldn't trade it for a windows based handheld.

    7. Re:I've never owned a PDA by antiMStroll · · Score: 1
      I'm not much of PDA guy, but I bring a 5500 to work and use it to back up my Contacts and Calendar from the Exchange server daily. The QTopia apps work well enough. Keychain holds my passwords and logins in Blowfish safety. Never had a problem with the Hancom Office apps. Battery life in normal sleep mode is pretty good, it goes days without charging. Samba and NFS work perfectly. If my cell phone (Nokia) were data-capable the Zaurus could talk to it IR and use it as a modem. Moving contacts to and from the phone is seamless. WiFi is plug and play. Multimedia apps aren't up to snuff last I looked, not a big deal to me. I don't use handwriting recognition.

      However, it wasn't easy getting there. I loaded four 'distros' before finally settling on the KDE-released ROM pack. That was months ago and I've been satisfied to leave it as-is. Things might be better now.

    8. Re:I've never owned a PDA by fire-eyes · · Score: 1

      I have a 5500. It's a neat little toy but now currently useless.

      --
      -- Note: If you don't agree with me, don't bother replying. I won't read it.
    9. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Moderation+abuser · · Score: 1

      The hardware is quite nice, the software is damned near unusable for day to day PDA features.

      --
      Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
    10. Re:I've never owned a PDA by swv3752 · · Score: 3, Informative

      I have a SL-5500 for about two months. I also have but no longer use a VR3. I also am a technical support rep for one of the major Palm OS pda manufacturers.

      The Zaurus is great. It is reasonably fast. I run the majority of the Apps off the SD card, so that slows things do a bit. If you make use the ram drive, as it is setup in the default Sharp ROM, it is very fast to run off the ram drive.

      There is a fair amount of software and one can also make use of Java apps. Besides the PIM apps, I primarily use it as an ebook read and a check book. For those that are interested The Kompany makes several apps for the zaurus including Kapital, a Quicken like program. the Zaurus Software Index should give a good idea of what is available.

      The screen is a reflective tft so it is fully usable in Bright light including sunlight. The battery will last a couple of days with normal use, much like any pocket PC device. There is also a NiCAD backup battery, though you will need to suspend the device before you lose total battery. If you do not save to the Ram drive, then everything will be restore if you lose all power as it will be saved to either internal flash, SD, of CF.

      The buttons are reconfigurable, and if held for a sec or two have another function. I have sucessfully beamed between a VR3, PEGSJ20, Visor, Ipaq, and a Palm V. I have synced on both Win2k and Mandrake Linux 9.1-9.2.

      Oh and the media player works nicely. The sound through the headphones is great. The built in speaker is a crappy piezo though. I personally prefer using the embedded XMMS, but there are several options.

      --
      Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
    11. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Permission+Denied · · Score: 2, Informative
      Does anyone own a Zaurus? How useful are they really?

      I have an SL-5500 and I don't find it too useful as-is.

      All the stylus-based input methods suck. The region-based letter recognizer is unusable compared to Graffiti. It will also go to the Unicode input table when you hit some key combination, which is very annoying as you can't do anything with that and you have to reset it back to another input method. The upside is that you can write your own input system. I downloaded a version of QwikScript for the Zaurus, but it's more proof-of-concept code and is unusable without some recentering features, like the real QwikScript for PalmOS. If you want to input anything, you have to pull out the keyboard, which is annoying for quick notes. They keyboard is excellent, however.

      Applications are often difficult to use. Most applications come with a workstation-like interface, with a title bar, a menu bar and an icon toolbar, which is not a very good idea when screen space is scarce. The good thing is that I've mapped the calendar button to tab, which means I can navigate the menus and most other elements using only the main buttons; sometimes I don't flip up the cover (SL-5500 has a clear cover) or pull down the keyboard to do something. About the only thing you must use the stylus for switching applications.

      There are other things wrong with the interface: for instance, most "themes" have various decorations for the scrollbar, which are not active (like Microsoft Windows, the rightmost two or three pixels are a border). When screen space is this scarce, this shouldn't happen. There's also dead space in the menus, the task bar and toolbars.

      Lots of applications sometimes get too large for the screen (for instance, when you pop up an input method), which pops up a horizontal scrollbar for scrolling left or right only a few pixels. This leaves almost no room for the application window, so these applications are unusable.

      There are plenty of examples of poor design or incorrect behaviour that you'll find yourself working around if you use a Zaurus. You don't find yourself doing this nearly as much with PalmOS.

      The thing I use a PDA for the most is keeping track of Todo lists. I usually have from 500 to 1000 Todo items and these are unmanageable with the Zaurus Todo program. The searching, sorting and organizing features suck, so I'm stuck scrolling through all the items and the program is unbearably slow with so many items. Whenever you mark an item finished, it scrolls back to the top of the list and you can't see if you've marked the correct item since there's no visual feedback when you tap the checkbox (so you have to scroll back to where the item was (if you remember its context), which takes a very long time). My previous PDA was a Palm III, and it handled this volume of todos quite well.

      Basically, I don't use my Zaurus because the software it comes with sucks. I've been meaning to write an alternative Todo list and add recentering to the QwikScript for Zaurus, but I haven't had the time.

      This, however, brings me to the advantages of the Zaurus, the first of which is that lots of software for it (like OPIE) is open source. This means I could easily fix a lot of things if I had the time or motivation, whereas I'll never be able to to fix any bugs in WinCE or PalmOS.

      The second advantage is that the APIs for programming the Zaurus are excellent. It has a version of Qt for the interface stuff, and you can use standard Linux/glibc for more low-level stuff. I wrote one application for the Zaurus for internal use and it was very easy, whereas it would have been a real pain in PalmOS or WinCE. Also, you can telnet into the zaurus when it's docked, there's a very good VNC server for the Zaurus and you can install gcc. Put together, this means you can control your Zaurus from the PC it's docked to and do all your development on the Zaurus, but using the PC's keyboard and mouse.

      The third advantage i

    12. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have Z and I love it.

      Not that I am using it a lot. My main use
      is downloading a newspaper from the web and
      reading it on the subway.

      My 2nd use is as PIM - addressbook, todo list, calendar copied from Evolution.

      My 3rd use is access to my Nokia phone through
      IrDA - my notebook has no Linux driver for its
      IrDA so I use Z as relay.

    13. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Permission+Denied · · Score: 1
      I primarily use it as an ebook read and a check book

      What software do you use to read ebooks? I tried using the kpdf port, but it would take several minutes to load a page with a large file.

    14. Re:I've never owned a PDA by swv3752 · · Score: 1

      Opie-reader

      Most of the books I have been reading were from Baen Books. BTW, if you haven't already, you should really give a try.

      --
      Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
    15. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Felix+The+Cat · · Score: 1

      Does anyone own a Zaurus? How useful are they really?

      I own a 5500 and I couldn't live without it! As a PDA it's so-so and the battery life is nothing to write home about, but the other features are what make it so great. Being able to ssh into my Linux box at work while in a meeting to do actual work takes the cake. As someone metioned above, the Opera browser is very very nice. The fact that it has both a CF and an SD/MMC slot means no losing my MP3s while on the network; I can put them on the SD and use the CF slot for the network card. Throw in the fact that the ROM is flashable (I'm currently running the ROM from theKompany) and, well, it's just a helluva lot more flexible than any other handheld on the market.

      In short, best damn anniversary present my wife ever got me!

      Purrrrr.

      --
      Windows is the Acme of computing -- in the Wile E. Coyote sense.
    16. Re:I've never owned a PDA by RevAaron · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I've had two Zaurus models, the SL-5500 and the new and flashy SL-C760. Both have been very disapointing, mostly from the standpoint of software, although the SL-5500 had a lot of problems in the way of hardware.

      The SL-5500's hardware was pretty mediocre. It was a good deal when I got it, as it was less than $200. The worst part was the screen, very very dim and not sharp. Worst screen on a PDA in its class (320x240 color). And it's not like Sharp doesn't make good screens- the screen in the Dell Axim X5 is the best screen I've seen in that class, and both screens were made by Sharp.

      The keyboard on the SL-5500 was more or less worthless to me. I had to use it for a little while, until I found a better input method for the SL-5500, QwikScript. I was able to enter text quite a bit faster using real HWR on a Newton or CalliGrapher on WinCE/PPC. The character/stroke recognition on the SL-5500 was *really* slow, but in the newer (3.10) ROM, it's speed up a lot, although it is still very innacurate, no matter how much I train it.

      A lot of people blab on about the Zaurus because of the things you can do with it- ssh, vnc, etc. All things you can do on Windows CE or PocketPC, so meh. Hell, I've found the Unix-ported/adapted tools for WinCE to be work a lot more on a PDA than what you can get for the Zaurus. It seems to me that people are too lazy to create a proper interface for a PDA, so they just recompile it and put it in an ipk. (Zaurus installer package)

      As for the built-in software, it's ... well, I'd go so far as to say it's darn near shitty. The PIM apps are a disaster, Linux support for syncing is non-extant (in the newer ROM), and there are few 3rd party apps that are worth using. Oh, you can find a lot of packages listed at the Zaurus Software Index, but most are 2nd rate, worst than what you deal with even on the Linux desktop, and far below what is available for WinCE, PalmOS, or even the Newton.

      Why do I still have a Zaurus C760? Because it's incredible hardware to run my own PDA OE on.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
    17. Re:I've never owned a PDA by RevAaron · · Score: 1

      While you didn't ask me, allow me to put my vote in for JustReader+. Works great. Neither it nor any of the other ebook readers do PDFs, just the Qpdf app. There is a newer version called Qpdf that isn't the easiest to find, but it's a lot better tan Qpdf 1.x. Although, I definately would not use it for read ebooks, the PDF reader sucks too much for that. I would look into converting it to HTML or TXT and reading it in an app like opie-reader or JustReader.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
    18. Re:I've never owned a PDA by RevAaron · · Score: 1

      Heh. Comparing the Zaurus to the simplicity of a Palm. Wow. Not sure if I should take that as an enthusiastic exageration on the quality of the Zaurus or the dirty lie of a cheerleader. Likely the former, as you were able to admit the lack of decent apps.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
    19. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Ilan+Volow · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You said it, brother. Then again, you usually do have pretty good posts about PDA-related stuff.

      The linux zealots constantly inflate the miserable usability that most linux things currently have, and it just gets ridiculous when you see something like PDA's that require ten times the user interaction saavy needed for a desktop.

      Trolltech in no way did any of their homework regarding PDA UI design, and it shows in the Qtopia widget borders that gobble up vast amounts of valuble screen real-estate, and in the fact that I have to do twice as many taps to accomplish the same task I was doing on a Palm.

      Ergonomica Auctorita Illico

      --
      Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
    20. Re:I've never owned a PDA by RevAaron · · Score: 1

      Trolltech in no way did any of their homework regarding PDA UI design

      Oh, I could believe they did a little, but not enough of it. They also didn't do much of their homework on PDA API design- Qt/Embedded and the Qtopia libraries fall short for creating stylus-driven apps. For most apps what they've provided is passable, but they really have nothing in there for others. I mostly am referring to events, getting input, etc. For instance, someone wanted to write a package to allow people to do full screen character recognition, so they can write the characters anywhere on the screen rather than just in the little box. The project was scrapped because it was next to impossible to do using the existing API. A good PDA GUI toolkit will have facilities for applications to get stylus input, deal with gestures, etc.

      And as far as the GUI, there are a lot of problems. The least Trollteach could've done is made some tweaks- menus on the bottom would be an easy thing to do and make a lot of sense.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
    21. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have the SL-5000 developer version -- I use it to edit documents and code. It would be much more useful if you were able to physically rotate the screen 90 degrees, so you could use the keyboard in this mode. I think this is the biggest limitation of the device; you get used to the keyboard. If you had 640 x 480 (like the new SL 6k and 7K models), oriented correctly relative to the keyboard (like a VGA monitor), and you wouldn't *really* need a computer for most work tasks.

    22. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Lumpy · · Score: 2, Informative

      I cant speak for the 5600 but my 5500 has FANTASTIC battery life if you turn the damned backlight off.

      I use the zaurus in my day to day work, but I rely on it for my travel log/diary when on extended back-country backpacking or biking. I can use the zaurus 5500 about 2 hours a day for 3+ days without needing to recharge it from my solar charger or my modified motorola freecharge hand crank charger.

      in semi decent light the zaurus can be used without that backlight, and outside it certianly doesnt need it.

      (BTW, the Zaurus makes an awesome tent flashlight at night. but that sucks down the battery super fast.

      I've had 3 palms. 2 journadas, and the Zaurus has been the ONLY pda I have ever owned that I can use everywhere for every use i need it for, and easily write software for it.

      now if I could find a bike handlebar mount for it I'd be golden... I cant make my palm-pilot handlebar mount work for it.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    23. Re:I've never owned a PDA by Ilan+Volow · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You also run into the problem that Sharp's hardware is half-assed in it's design. Powerful, I'll give it that, but incredibly half-assed. My 5500, which I purchased back in my "I'll give linux a second chance even after I was dumb enough to buy an agenda" phase, has the power button on the outside of the PDA, unprotected by anything. More than once I've pulled my zaurus out of my pocket only to find it's already turned on. You would have thought that at least one engineer at Sharp would have momentarily considered the idea that putting a power button unprotected on an area where it could easily get hit in your pocket was a bad idea. Would it have really been that much work for sharp to have recessed the power button and extended the flip-shield so any accidental pocket presses would be eliminated?

      It's ironic that the Zaurus has a hundred times the CPU and memory of the original Palm, yet for all that technological advancement, the Palm is still a far better designed machine.

      --
      Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
    24. Re:I've never owned a PDA by 1lus10n · · Score: 1

      The linux zealots constantly inflate the miserable usability that most linux things currently have

      usability is a myth. it varies from one person to the next greatly. for some people that term means "purtty" for others it means "bloat" or "features" yet for others it means "it just works".

      you attaching the tag zealots to something proves the point that you know little-to-nothing about which you speak. the zaurus was never marketed to "average joe user guy". as such it shouldnt be compared to things that were, the zaurus was made for network techs and sysadmins (possibly even linux coders, although they wouldnt run the crippled version of linux that is included by default) and since i happen to be a network tech who owns a zaurus (and has owned a zire and a treo) i would completely and utterly disagree with your statement about usability. it does everything i need it to do and with little to no hassle.

      --
      "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe." --Albert Einstein
    25. Re:I've never owned a PDA by lushmore · · Score: 1

      Does anyone own a Zaurus? How useful are they really?

      If you've never owned a PDA, you'll probably think the PIM functionality is top notch. If you compare it to any other PDA it loses. It's got a very nice keyboard on it, but the PIM interface is so horrible in that you have to switch between keyboard and pen constantly and you can't search for anything, so why bother filling it with pages of data.

      Palm had it right. User interface matters more than anything else. WinCE and the Zaurus are about taking the wrong OS for the job and needing overkill hardware just to keep it from being a tremendous dog.

      I'm an MS-free Linux guy, but unless there's a cool PIM or you want to show off for your friends, this thing doesn't belong in your pocket. I thought it was cool to write a perl script to search the PIM databases, until I realized my buddy with an original Palm Pilot could still save & recall phone numbers faster than I could.

      If you want a Zaurus, get it off ebay at a discount... lots of people are coming to the same realization I did.

    26. Re:I've never owned a PDA by RevAaron · · Score: 1

      Like you said, the Zaurus hardware may be powerful, but it doesn't go beyond anything you can get in the world of WinCE/PPC or Palm hardware. These days, everyone has a device with a 400 MHz XScale or something very close. The Zaurus models all have a 100 MHz bus, which is still faster than most in the PPC/PalmOS world, but it's not like you really get to take advantage of this- it's a required part of the design to get the Zaurus apps to launch in under 30 seconds. Most apps take 2-7 seconds on my highest-end C760 as it is, I hate to imagine what it'd be like with a more average 50 MHz memory bus.

      Yeah, when I had a 5500 I had the same thing happen with the power being on all day in my pocket. More than once I pulled it out to find all of the batter drained. Especially easy when the full batter life of the thing is so pitiful, just a couple hours. And with the battery completely drained, all of my data was lost. There were other problems, like the issues with rebooting cleaing all of your memory. As a result, you pretty much have to make a backup every couple days, just in case.

      And, the screen sucks ass. Big, huge ass. What seems to be the saddest thing to me is that Sharp makes good PDA screens- they just didn't put them in their own PDA. The Dell Axim has the best 240x320 screen I've seen in a PDA, and it was made by Sharp. The Zaurus 5x00 line has the worst screen I've seen in any PDA of any size- also made by Sharp. Makes you wonder how serious Sharp could be about their own PDAs if they don't use the good stuff themselves.

      Not surprisingly, I sold my 5500 after about three weeks. The SL-C760's hardware is better just about in every way, though the software is still below par.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
    27. Re:I've never owned a PDA by SuperCal · · Score: 1

      If you never go beyond the standard package, exactly what makes using the zaurus more complex? I mean how much more difficult is taping on the "Notepad" icon on the Z any more difficult then tapping on the "Memo" icon from the Palm? The only real differnce in usability for basic functions is you have to choose a input method at the bottom of the screen. Instead of just defaulting HWR I have to choose between HWR, a onscreen keyboard, or the thumbboard.

      --
      Business News and Resources: www.usasource.net
  4. Already getting slow by holygoat · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Wow, and there's only one comment!

    I'll be very interested (as a former Zaurus user) to see how this competes against the Axims of this world. It's amazing how prices have fallen since I got my iPAQ 3630 - you can now get a WiFi-enabled Axim for less than $200 (equivalent prices here). That's crazy!

    PocketPCs (largely because of Dell) are swamping the markets at several price points. It will take a very competitive pricing strategy to compete.

    I want one.

    1. Re:Already getting slow by benzapp · · Score: 1

      You know, I was a little surprised to hear this, so I checked Dell's website. The cheapest unit they have is $230, it has a 300 mhz Xscale and only 32 megs of ram, with NO wifi.

      Not bad, I have an old Casio E125 with a 150mhz MIPS and 32 megs of ram.. I get by.

      They have a model with wifi that is the same for $266. If you want the "standard" configuartion today, 400 mhz Xscale and 64 megs of ram plus wifi, it costs $340. Still a good price.

      It isn't $200, but other manufacturers were trying to keep the price points at $350 for the low end and $500 for the high end...

      --
      I don't read or respond to AC posts
    2. Re:Already getting slow by holygoat · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, infoSyncWorld is down for maintenance at the moment, so I can't check up. I'm sure they've just launched a new range - I thought that it was that low, but I may be wrong.

      Brighthand have this interesting snippet about how the Axim X5 (one of the earlier models) affected the industry:
      The Axim X5 Basic offered what had previously been considered high-end features but for an entry-level price, only $200 after a rebate. This put tremendous price pressure on the competition and we're still feeling the effects. I sincerely believe that if the X5 series had not been released, every handheld currently available would cost $100 more than it does now.

      That $230 unit still trashes my iPAQ, and competes with my Zaurus. Amazing indeed - and it's got a great screen and incredible battery life, especially compared to the Zaurus.

      I think that actually, the Zaurus' features aren't enough to allow it to compete. I had to charge mine several times a day, and the screen was appalling. It doesn't matter how amazing it is having a portable Linux system - I'm still chained to a power supply. The newer PocketPCs get 8+ hours of usage, and the screens are astonishing.

      I will be intrigued to see how this new model compares on those points.

    3. Re:Already getting slow by RevAaron · · Score: 1

      Just a guess, but based on current prices of the Zaurus line, I imagine it will not be anywhere remotely the price of an Axim. I'm guessing $500 MSRP on release. That's what they're expecting for the SL-5600 (a piece of crapola) right now. I can see them shooting for something lower, but I'd say there's pretty much zero change it'd be below $400.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
  5. Anyone catch a mirror? by heironymouscoward · · Score: 1

    Three comments and it's been slashbombed.

    And then Slashdot itself showed a 500 Server Error. Been seeing a few of these in the last weeks. Someone been playing with the system, I guess.

    Anyhow, a mirror - with pictures - would be nice.

    --
    Ceci n'est pas une signature
  6. Mod Parent Up by sakusha · · Score: 2, Informative

    That was a link to a photo of the unit, Mr. Offtopic Moderator. If you look in the same level of that directory, there are about 15 photos of the unit, showing the nice internal keyboard and even screen shots. You can even load them despite their server being slashdotted and returning a 500. So mod that parent up.

  7. Viewing page in Safari... by holygoat · · Score: 1

    It doesn't seem to work. I get some joy using IE, but that's a real step back in my view.

    It still doesn't layout correctly though! The page text comes below the sidebars.

    Tip: if it's not working in Safari, bite the bullet and try IE.

    (no, I'm not going to put Mozilla on my iBook.)

    (their MySQL DB is freaking out now... good old Slashdot.)

    1. Re:Viewing page in Safari... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not sure what you've got against Mozilla, but you should try Thunderbird. It makes a much better backup browser than the crusty old IE.

    2. Re:Viewing page in Safari... by holygoat · · Score: 1

      Nothing against Mozilla at all - it's my browser of choice in Linux and Windows. I just want a lightweight browser on my Mac - I don't have much screen-size to work with, and the iBook also isn't the world's fastest machine.

      I think you mean Firebird - Thunderbird is the mail client. But a good suggestion nonetheless.

  8. New item in their terms of service by heironymouscoward · · Score: 5, Funny

    (This is the Zaurus User's Group's terms of service)...

    Article 12b. Anyone caught posting a link to our server to the GODDAMN FRONT PAGE of Slashdot will be kidnapped at midnight by large man in grey jackets and locked in a cellar where he will be forced to listen to Bill Gates reading the entire contents of MSDN at maximum volume.

    --
    Ceci n'est pas une signature
  9. Gee thanks guys by NoMercy · · Score: 1

    Well, that's just fantastic, I'm geting things delivered so I can run openzaurus on my pda and you slashdot the damn user group *cusses and walks off*

    If in doubt, don't... espically when writing a sig.

  10. Images here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.zaurususergroup.com/images/6000/

  11. Pictures by breman · · Score: 5, Informative


    Zaurus SL-6000

    1. Re:Pictures by Bill+Kendrick · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the mirror of the photos!
      Some other articles (mostly ones mentioning the Zaurus User Group article, unfortunately) include:

      LinuxDevices.com

      BrightHand.com

      and

      PDALive.com

      Enjoy!

    2. Re:Pictures by Bill+Kendrick · · Score: 2, Informative

      I've mirrored the mirror of photos. :^)

      http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/bill/zaurus-sl6000 -photos/

      Enjoy!

    3. Re:Pictures by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does that mean they're now the right way around, then?

  12. Re:How about some slashdot responsibility? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is a link worth clicking if you cannot go to the original site. Feel free to be irresponsible there.

  13. How Sharp Competes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sharp don't compete on price, they seem to be trying on features. This is a ruggedised unit, it has wlan and bluetooth, a CG-Silicon screen, compact flash and SD, linux of course and a built-in keyboard. It won't be cheap but maybe it's different enough to carve out a little niche for Zaurus.

    I don't want one yet but if they follow up with a mid-range clamshell with similar specs, with a mid-range price to match, it's as good as sold. Good luck Sharp.

    -Cam

  14. uh...web site problems... by Tumbleweed · · Score: 2, Funny

    So is their website *hosted* on a Zaurus? Sad.

  15. Oh boy a PDA that looks to be running Linux!!!! by crayiii · · Score: 1

    Hey, I have to run windows to use their sync software. F this crap!

    1. Re:Oh boy a PDA that looks to be running Linux!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can download the sync client for Linux from Sharp's website, dumbass. Maybe you should look before you hit submit.

    2. Re:Oh boy a PDA that looks to be running Linux!!!! by NoMercy · · Score: 1

      There's a linux client which gives you all the fancy frills as the windows one does. And if you give up on that you can install your favorite geek programs and scp/rsync files accross :)

    3. Re:Oh boy a PDA that looks to be running Linux!!!! by Trelane · · Score: 1

      Not with the Sharp 3.10 ROM. Dumb-arse Sharp won't give us one. Windows-only my backside.

      Oh, and for those complaining about battery life on the Z: definitely try to upgrade to 3.10 if you can (if you're a Linux user, you're currently stuck until someone can reverse-engineer the sync stuff; of course, you can always use the backup app, but that's not very similar). I seem to be getting much more battery life out of it, likey because it has an applet which shuts off the WiFi card. Otherwise, decrease screen brightness and decrease the time before it powersaves. It works pretty well for me atm. Except for not ^%#&# sync'ing with linux.

      Dumbass Sharp.

      --

      --
      Given enough personal experience, all stereotypes are shallow.
    4. Re:Oh boy a PDA that looks to be running Linux!!!! by crayiii · · Score: 1

      Why don't you upgrade to the 3.10 rom and sync with Linux you dumb ass.

    5. Re:Oh boy a PDA that looks to be running Linux!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It requires you to own a CF card...

  16. still looks dumb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i don't see how this is much an improvement in terms of actual package design. i remember reading many reports about the first zaurus complaining about how big the thing is, since it has that huge screen + the slideout kbd + all those other buttons. Honestly, i think their clamshell-like design was better even if you had to open the thing up to use it. an ideal zaurus in my opinion should take some design cues from palm or the t-mobile sidekick if they want to get better sales.

    die pda with crappy ui die. i don't care if it has linux unless it's USABLE.

  17. Re:How about some slashdot responsibility? by More+Karma+Than+God · · Score: 1

    >It would be nice to institute some self-control before you blast low-bandwidth sites by posting direct links.

    Perhaps low-bandwidth sites should avoid doing things that Slashdot is interested in. It's a self-preservation sort of thing.

    --
    Go here to create your own Slashdot dis
  18. I do. by oGMo · · Score: 5, Informative
    Does anyone own a Zaurus? How useful are they really?

    I own a Zaurus SL-5500: the "original" US market unit (as opposed to the original developer's unit, the SL-5000, which was basically the same thing with half the RAM). I'll say this: you can have it... when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

    Two reasons it rocks:

    • The keyboard. The primary reason this is 10x more efficient than (most) palm devices: I can type very quickly on the build-in "hidden" keyboard. Yes, the Zaurus has something like PalmOS's Graffiti. In fact, the Z's recognizer is more sophisticated and accurate, and can learn any strokes you teach it. I still use the keyboard.
    • Linux. No, I do not use my Z as a "hacking tool" or "geek toy" primarily. I've written a test app for it or so, but that's it. (Doing so is incredibly easy, actually, but I haven't had a lot of time to spend on it.) I bought my Zaurus as a PDA, and that's what I use it for. Since I use Linux exclusively on the desktop, having it on the PDA is extremely natural, not to mention making things extremely flexible. I find syncing silly. I prefer ssh, scp, or (with the newer ROM) smbclient (which is like a braindead ftp, but it works). If I needed syncing, I would use rsync. It just fits very naturally into my work environment.

    Some people complain about the PIM apps; the quality varies. The Todo List and Address Book aren't great, but I don't use the former and the latter is sufficient. The Text Pad, however, is pretty handy, and Opera (which even renders slashdot well!) and Hancomsheet (a fully-blown spreadsheet!) are killer apps for me.

    The only reason I don't upgrade to a CL-760 is the fact I can't justify the cost: my Z works great as-is. With the work on OpenZaurus and Opie, the PIM issues are being solved, and I have little chance of being left with a "dead" platform.

    --

    Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage

  19. *will* by Tailhook · · Score: 1

    There is no final word in the boutique PDA market until you see one for sale. Whether or not it *will* be available in the US is a complete unknown, and I don't care what some V.P. of Product Development for the Left Side of the Western Hemisphere (on Tuesdays and Thursdays) says about it.

    --
    Maw! Fire up the karma burner!
  20. Japanese Version by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After looking at the pictures at http://members.shaw.ca/breman/ it appears the software side is similar to my SL-C760. The Qtopia and Kernel builts are identical. Additionally the screen shots indicate that the applications may also be the same. Personally I love my Zaurus and am glad I got the Japanese model, versus waiting for the 6000 model. The keyboard on the C7x0 series is awesome. Granted the 6000 appears to have Wifi and Bluetooth, but the C7x0 series case is more useful for me.

  21. PocketPC/Palm Compatability Layer by Duckman5 · · Score: 1

    I've been drooling over the Zaurus SL series since I saw it a while back. They have a lot of neat features, but the one thing that I wonder about is the software availability. I know there is a good amount of software available for it, but nothing like there is for the Palm or PocketPC based PDAs. With PDA's getting so fast (I think the SL-5600 had a 400 mHz processor) and the fact that a PDA OS can't be as complicated as one for the PC, what would be the feasability of creating something like WINE for PDA applications? I think it would really great to be able to get a Zaurus and be able to take advantage of the vast software library available for the other platforms. Anybody know if this would be possible or if there is something to do this?

    1. Re:PocketPC/Palm Compatability Layer by Namaseit · · Score: 1

      There are already a multitude of emulators for the Zaurus line of PDA's. From SNES, Gameboy Advanced, and yes, even a Palm OS emulator. Most anything for linux can be ported to the Zaurus. It is just a matter of recompiling it for the architecture. There is more you have to do depending on the program. But people have made konqueror and Mplayer work on the Zaurus.

      --
      75% of all statistics are made up!
  22. Sharp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sharp is a hardware company, they have no interest in supporting the software. They don't suport the 5000D anymore and only 2000 5600's were made. 2000! I highly doubt they are going to push out another zaurus product in the US sense there are only two people working for Sharp USA on the Zaurus product(s). One of which is leavening for another company this month.

  23. Google cache? by BigFootApe · · Score: 2, Informative

    Would be helpful, as others have noticed.

    Here's a related article that gives a little more information while we wait.

  24. PDA's are a dead end by Cthefuture · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Don't get me wrong, they are still selling OK (mostly because they're so cheap now). However, I predict PDA usage will die off over the next few years.

    They are too bulky, fragile, and often lack functionality (eg. phone). Modern cell phones are much better suited to the role of a PDA. Most are fairly small, very rugged, and you need your phone anyway, perfect match.

    I have actually been looking for a PDA watch. Although I won't wear it, but I'll take the band off and keep it in my pocket. This what I really want:

    - Something very rugged (like a watch)

    - Very small (like 1" across; like a watch). Something I can put in my pocket and not notice it's there.

    - Standard PIM applications (including an encrypted password/PIN database)

    - Cheap so if I lose it I don't care

    Hmmmm... A watch without the band is almost right but often the device is curved and lacks functionality.

    Hell, I have a 3 MB smartcard sitting in front of me right now (note the chip is about 1mm thick and 5mm across; small!), you'd think they could make a really tiny PDA using the same technology.

    --
    The ratio of people to cake is too big
    1. Re:PDA's are a dead end by swv3752 · · Score: 1

      It is the screen size dummy.

      Can you really want to look up someone's address on a screen as small as your watch? Untill we have hologram emitters they are not going to get much smaller.

      --
      Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
    2. Re:PDA's are a dead end by ScottSpeaks! · · Score: 1

      Until they put a thumb-typable keypad on phones, it'll never replace my PDA. Unfortunately, when they do that, it won't be as rugged and/or pocketable as a phone anymore, will it?

    3. Re:PDA's are a dead end by GoofyBoy · · Score: 1

      How would you effectively imput something into it?

      There are watches out ther (Casio comes to mind) that do make "data-watches"

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
    4. Re:PDA's are a dead end by hpavc · · Score: 1

      he also wants it based on the same techology as his smart card ... dont forget that requirement. man, if this doesnt sound like dilbert ...

      --
      members are seeing something, your seeing an ad
    5. Re:PDA's are a dead end by heliosnorf · · Score: 1

      Fossil makes a Palm OS compatible watch. See this page at Amazon although they seem to be out of stock..

      --

      "A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." -Lao Tzu
    6. Re:PDA's are a dead end by kinnell · · Score: 1
      Can you really want to look up someone's address on a screen as small as your watch?

      Maybe they could put a lense on it so that when you hold the watch up to your eye, the screen appears to be 6 foot square.

      --
      If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
    7. Re:PDA's are a dead end by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There was the Rex (died at Xircom), a PC card-sized PDA. That small enough for you?

    8. Re:PDA's are a dead end by burns210 · · Score: 1

      i forget the name now, but there was a pda that was the size of a type 2 pcmcia card. it actuall synced that way to, by putting it in a pcmcia card slot on your laptop... really small, and pretty neat.

  25. Re:Scammer alert by ajs318 · · Score: 1

    Done. Always a pleasure to get back at spammers and scammers! Anyone seen the NatWest Bank one? I don't even have an account with the NatWest, for crying out loud!

    --
    Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
  26. Host USB!!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Geee, there is host USB mentioned!!!!

    FINALLY PDA with it!

    Imagine connecting all USB devices to a PDA !
    Digital camera, printer, scanner, USB hard drive!

  27. this is not a pda by aber · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think people that compare the Zaurus to the Palm or other PDAs are missing the point. The Zaurus is more of a mini computer than a "digital assistant" (even if Sharp insists in marketing it as a PDA). I say that as an engineer: I would look at the Zaurus to replace my HP48G, not to replace my palm pilot (which has been replaced by my cell phone a long time ago). PDAs like the palm are on their way to extinction, there's nothing they can do a good phone won't do better.

    From that perspective, the Zaurus doesn't even have to be too small, I won't carry it around everywhere, just to work or meetings or things like that. It's much more convenient than a laptop, and this model (if it ever really comes out) actually has good connectivity.

    1. Re:this is not a pda by pardonne · · Score: 1

      > which has been replaced by my cell phone a long time ago)

      I am very curious, what is your cell phone?

      Pardonne.

    2. Re:this is not a pda by aber · · Score: 1

      A p800. But mostly any cell phones nowadays come with some sort of pim sw.

    3. Re:this is not a pda by pardonne · · Score: 1

      > cell phones nowadays come with some sort of pim

      Most suck unbelievably though.
      p800's are nice but look a little big.
      Well, can't have it all, maybe I'll buy one.
      Thank you very much for the info.

      Pardonne

  28. But will it ruin Windows? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The problem with Zaurus for /.ers is that it comes with Linux pre-installed, making it one of the few existing devices that doesn't auto-enrich Redmond. Widespread adoption could actually hurt M$, in contrast to almost every other purchase you can make, endangering the most important subject of /. posts.

  29. The buttons are GOOD! by holygoat · · Score: 1

    Nonono, they're the best part! Having a D-pad, Home, OK, and Cancel buttons mean that you can use the device one-handed (or at least without using a stylus). Switching to a P800 was a big jump, as was using an iPAQ again - you really notice the fact that to get anything done you have to reach for the stylus. This is a real pain on the P800 - to get anything done AT ALL needs the screen.

    I liked pressing Home to get to the launcher, picking an app with the great D-pad, and performing actions with the Menu, OK and Cancel buttons. That works for me.

    Not to mention the keyboard... and I don't think the size is bad, particularly given that at the time a dual-slot PDA was unusual. Certainly competitive with the iPAQ of the time, and that didn't have a keyboard or any slots!

  30. What about a Linux compatibility layer? by penguin7of9 · · Score: 1

    The Zaurus runs the Linux kernel, but it uses a proprietary window system (TrollTech's Qtopia, vaguely like Qt). That means most Linux GUI development tools and applications won't work on it and you have to pay big bucks to TrollTech if you want to develop anything commercial.

    As for running Palm applications, sure, the Palm emulator for Linux should run just fine on those things (in fact, I think it has been ported).

    1. Re:What about a Linux compatibility layer? by dilute · · Score: 1

      umm,
      what about this?

      or this?

    2. Re:What about a Linux compatibility layer? by Trelane · · Score: 1
      TrollTech's Qtopia, vaguely like Qt


      Actually, from what I've read, it's extremely similar to Qt. I've not actually programmed it yet, though, so I am basing this on what I've read.

      That means most Linux GUI development tools and applications won't work on it and you have to pay big bucks to TrollTech if you want to develop anything commercial.


      If you aim to develop a GUI app, and it's not already written in Qt, then yes, you'll likely have a big rewrite in front of you. If it's in Qt, it'll likely be an easier change.

      Note that the Z also comes with Jeode, a Java VM, so it can run mobile Java apps. A definite plus.

      Note also that you added the commercial clause. If you're developing OpenSource apps (or maybe just Freeware), you can download the Qtopia development environment for free.
      --

      --
      Given enough personal experience, all stereotypes are shallow.
    3. Re:What about a Linux compatibility layer? by penguin7of9 · · Score: 1

      That software is software you install by blowing away what the Zaurus ships with. So, no, the Zaurus doesn't "use" that software, but it can be put on there by someone sufficiently dedicated. But, then, you can do the same with a dozen or so PocketPC handhelds.

    4. Re:What about a Linux compatibility layer? by penguin7of9 · · Score: 1

      If you aim to develop a GUI app, and it's not already written in Qt, then yes, you'll likely have a big rewrite in front of you. If it's in Qt, it'll likely be an easier change.

      That's only a small part of the problem. A bigger part is that I can't even use the development tools I use for everything else.

      Note that the Z also comes with Jeode, a Java VM, so it can run mobile Java apps. A definite plus.

      Java is also proprietary and also is compatible with nothing else, so that puts you in the same boat as Qt. Furthermore, the mobile Java platform is very limited.

  31. Resolution? by Wooky_linuxer · · Score: 1

    Since the site is ./ed for good, can someone tell me what's the actual resolution of that thing? Zaurus are very nice, but since they are high-priced I'd like to see them come with 480x320 like Clie's and T|T3 (ok, I know there is a 640x480 model)

    --
    Where is that guy who'd die defending what I had to say when I need him?
    1. Re:Resolution? by FromWithin · · Score: 1

      The screenshots look identical to my SL-C750, and so I'm doubtless that it is 640x480. It's an amazing screen.

      fromwithin.com

  32. keyboards by hpavc · · Score: 1

    no sure if i like these keypads ... i recently spent a week with a palm t|c and found the keypad to be nice. but the graffiti2 to be much improved over the the old version.

    that unit is very nice so fast and the tran-whatever screen was very nice. i would love to get rid of the keypad and reposition the buttons and a better joystick thing i would own one.

    previous to that i had a hp5555 and the import for that was horrible one wrong stroke and the recognition thinks you want a yen symbol? it was very unusable. not to mention the limited battery life and the heat that it creates was intense.

    a 320x320 zarus that did wifi/bluetooth and had a fingerprint mod that would be great

    --
    members are seeing something, your seeing an ad
  33. More Vaporware from Sharp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Troll me down a couple of notches because here I go...

    Who cares? By the number of responses to this story not too many people. Sharp only has themselves to blame if no one is listening anymore. Do they have good products? Sure they do. But they'll only sell them to one tenth of the market. Or they'll sell them to the USA and Europe through the grey market at a 20% markup.

    Phooey on Sharp and their vaoprware. When they're serious about selling a product then wake me up.

    Z? No, ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz........

  34. At it again by soloport · · Score: 1

    Click here if you're over 18 years of age:
    Sharps at it...

  35. C760 by burtonator · · Score: 1

    My real goal right now is to purchase a C760...

    IMO this is the Porsche of Linux PDAs.

    The form factor of this is very unique in the PDA space.

    My NewsMonster RSS aggregator already runs on my SL-5500 and the enhanced res and size of the C760 should really make for a great newspaper/memex style device.

    NewsMonster supports the ability to export an article for PDA readability and strips out all non-format compliant content (no tables, images, etc.) All you're left with is just the raw article.

    This would be my dream device... add a Sprint CF card with 128k wireless data and I will be in heaven!

    Not that I don't like this new Zaurus... it's just too small for me.

    Kevin

    1. Re:C760 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hope you don't plan to look at pictures with it - or at least not until "they" fixed the image viewer.

      The sreen is cool, 640x480 simple rocks. Although it is too reflective for me.

      But anyway, the image viewer simple sucks. Put in a 256 MB CF card full of images and you can go take a break while it reads all of them (slowly!), and then creates thumbnails. I don't know why it doesn't use the already embedded thumbnails from my digital camera, but insists on creating it's own.

      Not only does it take ages, it also _writes_ to the fricking card... I wonder what happens if the card is already full?

      Not to mention that zooming etc takes _ages_ and that when viewing an image in not-fullscreenmode the menus and scrollbar take away quite a large chunk of screenspace for no apparent reason.

      And it seems the device does not have a speaker, that dampens viwing movies on it :( (I installed a movie player,which was specially optimized, but could play only 320x200 :-( I would love to play back 640x480 movies with sound to impress people!

      But the rest of the device is sweet....

      Best wishes,

      Tels

  36. Nothing a phone can't do? by wfolta · · Score: 1

    I'll never buy this argument.

    A device that's a comfortable phone will have a tiny screen that's useless for checking a calendar, etc. It will also hav extremely limited input options.

    A device that's comfortable as a PDA is too large and poorly shaped to be a comfortable phone.

    It's a pain to some extent, but the alternatives are more painful.

  37. ZUG server is back up now by offroadgeek · · Score: 1

    sorry about that.. damn hosting provider shut down my account because of all the extra traffic! lol enjoy the pics

  38. What about the apps? by lushmore · · Score: 1

    The coolest hardware in the world is worthless unless there are decent apps for it. I had a Zaurus SL-5500, and although the hardware was cool, and you could run ssh/apache/frotz/whatever on it, it sucked as a PDA because the included apps were lame. I got the PIM apps from TheKompany, and they sucked too. I loaded OpenZaurus and it sucked. Then I ebay'd it and went back to a PalmOS device (the only worthwhile PDA OS I've ever used, and I've used them all), now I'll be happy for a few more years until the new kickass Clies are cheaper.

    It's fun to have a PDA you can tinker with, but unless it can save time as well as waste it, the hardware is irrelevant.

  39. Syncing with a Zaurus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have tried to sync with a Zaurus, with Outlook from work, and Qtopia on Linux and I have found that (esp. Outlook) syncing is flaky at best. USB/IO never worked for me in W2k, IP over USB works fine under Linux (with usb hotplug shell scripts to automate) but not W2K. I don't own a serial cable, so that isn't an option for me.

    If you want a cool geek toy, get a Zaurus and you can run xmms-embedded and sshd on your pda. If you are serious about syncing/PIM, get a PalmOS PDA. I'm saving up for one now.

    After going through a SL-5000D, and a SL-5500, that is my 2 cents.

  40. Just as I go searching for a new PDA, this appears by harikiri · · Score: 1
    I've just spent two days perusing PDAreviewSpot.com and PDAbuyersGuide.com, looking at what is out there. I've got my own SL-5500, but i felt like a new toy.

    The things that a "killer" features for PDA's (by my standard) are:

    • Useable keyboard: Ok, this is more approaching a palmtop, but it's a nice feature.
    • Minimum bluetooth connectivity
    • Wifi (or ability to use expansion slot for wifi).
    • Linux/Mac connectivity

    I just discovered the ultra-spiffy Sony Clie UX-50. This little baby just appeared here in Australia, and has a few things which'd make any geek drool. Built-in Wifi/Bluetooth, 640x480 screen, Wifi hotspot scanner software, USB, camera, microphone. Take a look at the pictures, it is damn nice.

    I'm currently trying to figure out exactly what I need a PDA for, so I can make an appropriate purchase. As I do late-night support on occassion, I need a PDA that can do SSH, GPRS over bluetooth (via my bluetooth phone), and if possible, have some sort of keyboard (Some of the Sony models have nice ones).

    Looking at the SL6000 screenshots, it looks like they have made the keyboard a bit more friendly, but I'm not sure what else has changed. If you want the QTopia environment on your PDA, you can get one of the relatively cheap iPaq's and install OPIE on it. Still, it looks like a great device to hack on.

    Now, please excuse me while I go back to drooling over PDA's.

    --
    Man watching 6 MSCE's around a sun box, looks alot like the opening scene's of 2001:space odyssey...
  41. Looks like a real computer by LittleBigScript · · Score: 1

    USB! wow, that is really impressive. I tried to get a PCMCIA to CF adapter with a USB to work in a SL-5500, but it didn't recognize. Maybe USB hotplugging wasn't initiated.

    Anyway, this device looks real nice. I'll get one when slashdot posts the reduced prices on HSN.com.

  42. not a hoax by muckdog · · Score: 1

    A single picture of this came up on one of the zaurus mailing lists about a month ago. Everyone dismissed it as a hoax. It appears now that this is a real prototype.

  43. PalmOS TCP/IP Apps Mostly Useless by Brian+Ristuccia · · Score: 1

    Last I played with SSH on PalmOS, including TGSSH and TuSSH, it was impossible to switch to other applications while maintaining your SSH connection and also as a result impossible to have more than 1 SSH client open at a time. It seems this is not a SSH-specific problem - it's impossible to maintain any TCP/IP connection across application switches on PalmOS.

  44. Re:Twa Post! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NXDOMAIN! NXDOMAIN!

  45. FOUR things that make a Zaurus the best PDA!!! by mildness · · Score: 1

    Keyboard - Show me a pocket PC with a built-in keyboard at $250 and I'll be happy to take a look.

    Multi-tasking - I've been forced to use my Treo 90 for the past few weeks. While it's a sweet little machine single tasking SUCKS ASS!!!

    Software availabillity - In the time since this thing has come out there has been a hell of a lot of software become available for it. Much of it is as good as any Palm/Pocket PC apps but FREEEEEEE!!!!!

    Expandability - I bought a .25 GB CF card for $40 the other day turning my Zaurus into a flash ram mp3 player.

    Mild Bill says "Try it, you'll like it!"

    Bill

    --
    bamph
  46. PDA Requirements by Mignon · · Score: 1
    Here are my minimum requirements for a PDA - it's gotta look cool and it's gotta be easy to to add an address book entry when under the influence.

    Here's why - imagine you're out on the town and you meet some pretty young thing. Things are going well so you whip out your Ugly-Ass-PDA with its Retard-O handwriting recognition and ask her name and number. If your potential Mrs. Geek doesn't walk away at the sight of your Dork-O PDA, then between your impaired motor function and weak handwriting recognition you're sure to get the digits wrong, which won't be too useful when you try to make that booty call a couple days later, now will it?

    From what I've read here, a Zaurus will be useful in the server room where you can ssh and vnc to your heart's content, and it'll score points with other Linux geeks, but will not help with the chickies. If you want to impress the ladies, get yourself a Tungsten C. It's stylish and features the easy-to-use Palm OS. I think someone said something about improved handwriting recognition. And if you strike out anyway, you can always connect to a Wifi hotspot, go to nerve.com and hook up with someone who will be happy to spank you simply because you bought a PDA just to impress the ladies.

    It seems that lots of posts nowadays have hints to moderators, so here's mine: piss off.