Slashdot Mirror
Zaurus SL-6000 Review
Bill Kendrick writes "BargainPDA has done a full review of Sharp's Zaurus SL-6000L Linux-based PDA, which was recently released to consumers in the US. There are six pages of review, lots of pretty photos, and comparisons with previous Zaurus models."
I love being able to know that many of the advances people make for the new SL-6000 will be equally applicable to my SL-5500, because the source is open!
In contrast, my roommate's older WinCE PDA, even though it has some nice hardware, is stuck with old software. There will never be anything new that he can do with it, because there is no upgrade path.
I'd run this damned thing with Lindows^H^H^H^Hspire!!!
no Zaurus is complete without Zaurus Freeciv on it!
Who in the world is the demographic for one of these?
I've owned several Zaurus machines (although only one of them ran Linux) and I've been quite pleased with all of them. They are well built and last a long time.
The Linux based one was a solid machine PLUS it had the ability to satisfy my compulsive need to change things all the time. I also liked the fact that I could use it to SSH into my web server to make changes. Very cool in my opinion.
Very true.
This guy is a perfect example of that. Ofcourse, he does it because he's a geek and because he has the means. But more than that, its a status symbol for such folks to be carrying the latest coolest gadget around.
It's been a year now, guys. The completely unrelated SCO comments are old. The "wow, only 699 dollars" comments were funny for like a week. First post, GNAA, and other completely random stuff gets modded down quickly, so why doesn't this? There was a SCO story today. Make all the stupid comments there. They don't belong in every story.
You too? That was my first computer. Well, it was my mother's first computer, that she got in 1989 when I was six. It first ran Deskmate. Later it ran Windows 3.1 (Which all but filled the 20MB hard drive.)
I remember it was my first exposure to QBASIC. I'd written a lot of Applesoft programs on the Apple IIe at school, so I thought I wouldn't have any problem. I vividly remember my first program:
10 FOR A = 1 TO 3
20 PRINT "hi"
30 NEXT A
RUN
RUN
RUN
RUN
-
Finally, I figured out how to run it. And it ran over and over and over on its own. Ever try to kill a program that restarts itself?
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
While I find the capabilities of this "linux-based PDA incorporating an Intel XScale (PXA255) CPU at 400 MHz" to be outstanding, my question has to do with a topic not mentioned in the article.
I genuinely believe that more can and should be done with both currently in development and especially in future PDAs with a different form factor, perhaps the "old" PSION style horizontal-type design? The keyboard layout alone was worth it IMHO but also it seems that the screen potentials as to sizes and resolutions would be another good reason.
I am certainly not proposing an "Ask Slashdot" as to "What would be your dream PDA" as most of the answers at least in the forum of
Thoughts??
I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. -- Hunter S. Thompson
Hrm. I dropped about $850 on my SL-C860. And is sure isn't because I have the money (as I am currently paying my way through school with a part time job and many many loans). The functionality of this device approaches that of a laptop, but its form factor is what most strongly influenced my purchase. Not to mention laptops are still too expensive for ones that don't fall apart after a month's use.
With the Zaurus, I can easily carry it in my pocket, use the campus' WiFi, and take notes in class (granted, a full keyboard would be optimal, but I can easily sketch notes on this thing). With a laptop you have to lug around a big bag that screams "steal me." Laptops also do not fit on univerity "desks." The battery life of a laptop would not last me through a day of class without recharging. I can go on, but I think my point is clear: laptops are bulky, especially if you are always on the move.
Not to mention that I can easily pull it out of my pocket and play a few minutes of Final Fantasy III on the bus ride back to my apartment.
--- At my sig, unleash hell.
So use the resolution to make text at the same size clearer. There's nothing inherently bad about a higher resolution, and many things inherently good.
Can anyone share their experience developing Java apps on Zaurus? Do all the Zauri have the same level of Java support? Can you recommend a URL to get me started? I did a Google search for Zaurus Java and most of the websites seem to be way out of date.
Test 1 2 3 4