electronics store

The Zaurus series is super awesome. With it's new portrait view I was able to terminal server, using rdesktop a free alternate to Win ConnectZ, in to my Windows 2000 server at a resolution of 640 x 480. Compaired to older modles and other manafactured products where you get stuck scrolling around to use terminal server or have to adjust the screen resolution to match the PDA. One of the single grestest things about the Zaurus is that it is Linux based and has a comunity of people writing software for it. If you can't find what you want at the Zaurus web page, myzaurus.com, there is a tremendous resource for applications at http://www.killefiz.de/zaurus. I recently found a port of Gaim, an AOL Instant Messanging program, that works with the Zaurus there.

I do want to warn the potential buyer to read the warrenty carefuly to make sure the Zaurus doesn't fall outside of your expectations. I recently found out what the phrase "...with .01% or fewer pixels failing to light or remain lit at all times." means to me.

Even with my runin with Sharp's technical support and warranty policy my Zaurus is a wonderful machine.

I'm writing this from my new Zaurus SL6000l, yay!

Haven't gotten a really good chance to get it working with my other stuff yet. I was immediately disappointed to find that qtmail won't do imaps or smtp over ssl; our mail server won't accept clear-text passwords over the net (does anyone anymore?). Seems like a big shortsight for a business-class PDA.

Support files are sure tough to find on the Sharp site, still looking for kernel sources so I can compile up a FreeS/WAN kernel module.

I'm really looking forward to trying out one of the VOIP clients with it; the speaker and mic on the back are clearly positioned with using it as a phone in mind.

Yes! The screen does rock, I can't believe how tiny but fine it is. I'm going to be permanently cross-eyed in no time from working from 6" away!

Soon I'll be looking into trying OpenZaurus, it's clear that's the way to go.

I originally ordered mine from here; on the catalog page it said 'ships in 2-3 days.' After purchasing it, though, the wait got longer and longer; when it went to almost two weeks, I began to get angry, so canceled and ordered from PC Connection instead. Two days later it was in my hands!

This machine is really quite nice. However, it was not quite what I wanted and I sent it back and bought an inexpensive laptop instead.

Pros
====

WiFi - 802.11b. Easy to set up and configure.

GREAT screen. Really. Except actually maybe TOO fine resolution for the physical size! Text and images are *small* on this thing although everything is legible and images look great!

Linux OS. Really really really linux. I was able to, for example, mount NFS shares off of my server and play MP3s that were stored on the server as if they were local files. Not for the Linux neophyte, to be sure. But you really don't need to know anything about Linux to use this thing -- its just that you *can* use the Linux-y stuff if you want to.

Cons
====
Comfort. Although the screen is great and the Opera browser is very nice and the screen rotates to portrait mode, I never was able to get very comfortable holding and navigating pages. My hands would cramp, it's awkward to use the pull-out thumb board in portrait mode, you are constantly having to tap the screen with the stylus to browse links, etc. It was basically uncomfortable, ergonomically-speaking, to use.

Slow "Wake Up". Using a Palm m500 for the last three years, I expect my addressbook to be on and instantly usable when I press the addressbook button. But this mini-micro-laptop-wannabe took a couple of seconds -- literally, two or three seconds -- to "wake up" before I could, say search for an entry. That became quite annoying after a while. You have to understand that the Palm Pilot series is designed as an *extension* of the desktop -- the SL6000 is more like a desktop *replacement* (practically). But it does not work well for me as merely a PDA.

Poor support. Almost zero "official" information on Sharp's website(s). All information stops at the SL5600. This became *extremely* frustrating!

Not fully compatible with SL5xxx series software. The older software works, mostly, but sometimes doesn't work quite right. There doesn't appear to be much new software written for the SL6000. Not too many titles that will take advantage of that huge screen, for example.

Strange UI design weirdnesses. I can't fully explain, or give details (mostly because I don't remember specifics and I don't have the thing anymore), but there were some basic user interface things that weren't "polished" or fully realized. Small details that Palm OS has worked out MUCH better.

Will not sync natively (or in an officially supported manner) with my Linux desktop. Looked to be too much trouble to (A) set up syncing and (B) migrate over my Palm databases (addresses, calendar, etc.)

Palm PIM apps are difficult to migrate to the Z.

===

Well, there you have it. I bought the thing for its Linux OS, WiFi, and huge PDA screen. I returned it because it is not really a laptop replacement, or a PDA replacement, but falls somewhere in between. I doubt I would have been happy with a Pocket PC product for many of the same reasons that I returned the Zaurus, although that is speculation. (The issue there is moot as I will *never* buy a pocket PC or anything else that requires MS Windows in any form)

I think I would have been happier with the Palm Tungsten C (which has WiFi) or Tungsten E, or the Sony Clie UX50 or Sony PEG-TJ37, if I was looking for a new PDA. However, it turns out I was looking for a laptop, so a laptop (and WiFi PCMCIA card) is what I got.