01-22-2007, 06:00 AM
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Contributing Editor
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,111
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Sharp To Cease Production Of The Zaurus Line
"TamsPalm has posted the sad news that Sharp is ending production of it's line of Linux Zaurus PDAs in February. Apparently, parts will be available for a long time from third party suppliers, which is a testament to the dedicated following that has been built by the products...But if you have been wanting to use a new Zaurus, or would like to pick one up for the novelty and gadget factor, this may be your last chance outside of eBay."
The Sharp Zaurus line was pretty innovative for its time - one of the first PDAs with a built-in hard drive and keyboard, VGA screens, clamshell design with flip-over screen (preceeding the Universal by a couple of years), and cool stuff like USB host. The fact that it ran Linux meant that there was a lot of expandibility in terms of software and geek credo, even if the built-in apps weren't always up to scratch. The Zaurus' main downfall was price, and the fact that availability was largely limited to Japan, though you could get some models through specialist importers like Dynamism.com. This really sounds like the market for standalone PDAs is dying out, unless you have some value proposition that makes sense to consumers like GPS - and even that is now turning up in smartphones. So R.I.P. Zaurus - you will be missed.
Obit at jkOnTheRun
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"A planner is a gentle man, with neither sword nor pistol.
He walks along most daintily, because his balls are crystal."
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01-22-2007, 06:50 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
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I know a few Zaurus Zealots who just kept going on and on about their machines... Yes, ahead of their time at THAT time... And the one posted here is pretty cool too...
But unless you're in the Microsoft or Apple bed, you're almost guaranteed to doom.
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01-22-2007, 10:07 AM
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01-22-2007, 10:30 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 67
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I got a Zaurus 5500, but I never really use it... The OS on it does not feel modern and fresh (neither the GPE and QPE open source alternatives do). I only like the keyboard in it, everything else I dislike on that PDA: from the dim screen, to the absense of a speaker and microphone and Bluetooth stack.
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PDAs: x50v, rx3115, PalmV, TH-55, SL-5500, T-615C (previously owned: Axim X5-Adv, h2210, e800).
Phones: QTek 9100, W810i, M600i, E61, A780, 6288, SLVR L7, U8500, KG800, ROKR E2, D840, K300i, 3300, K700i, i-Mate, T310, (previously owned E680i, E398, MOT M1000).
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01-22-2007, 11:05 AM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,067
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Eugenia
I got a Zaurus 5500, but I never really use it... The OS on it does not feel modern and fresh (neither the GPE and QPE open source alternatives do). I only like the keyboard in it, everything else I dislike on that PDA: from the dim screen, to the absense of a speaker and microphone and Bluetooth stack.
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Yup, the QVGA 5500 isn't the best Zaurus model out there.
The SL series, on the other hand, is a real wonder with the best screen ever built-in into a Pocket PC (albeit the Sony screen of the hx4700 / Universal / VGA Pocket Loox models is pretty close). Also, its hinge is FAR better than that of the HTC Universal (the latter was designed more than two years after the first SL-series model, the SL-C700).
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01-22-2007, 04:20 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Linux on PDAs has always been overblown hype.
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01-22-2007, 07:36 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 118
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I still keep fresh batteries in the Sharp Zaurus ZR-3500X that I bought refurbished in 1998. It had a built-in modem and software to connect to Compuserve. It is still functional with the same contacts I stored there in 1998. Used the device on a 7-week bike tour of the UK to send back daily experiences to my biking friends in the USA. I could use it if any of my PDA's should go out just before a road trip.
Brad
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01-23-2007, 12:47 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,639
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Linux on PDAs has always been overblown hype.
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Not so fast Mr. Dunn.
I'm lucky enough to own a Z C860 and it was just sooooo close to being the perfect PDA. The form factor, construction and general quality are just fantastic, I used many devices over the years and nothing comes close. Excellent VGA screen.
The Qtopia based Cacko ROM is also first class and amazingly stable. If only any of the Pocket PC/Windows Mobile OS's I've owned had been half as good.
Now, having said all that I no longer use it. Why? Well, although KO/PI (despite the dumb name) is as good (or better) a PIM as Pocket Informant, there is no easy way to sync with Outlook. This was a killer for me.
Not having embedded wireless of any kind was a big downer as well, having to use a CF card for WiFi access just got too much. Now I'm back in WM mode with the usual unstable OS, but it (kind of) works for me with reasonable OL sync and proper wireless.
I miss the form factor, some of the great apps - Opie Reader is the best eBook reader I've ever used, StageOne is a fantastic notes app and Textmaker for Zaurus is - well it's Textmaker. I also miss never having to soft reset - Linux on the Z just works and works.
Like I say - soooo close. It's a shame that an inferior product actually works better in real life. At least HP put the reset button in a convenient spot on the 6940.
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Cheers!
David
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01-23-2007, 12:22 PM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,067
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dh
I miss the form factor, some of the great apps - Opie Reader is the best eBook reader I've ever used, StageOne is a fantastic notes app and Textmaker for Zaurus is - well it's Textmaker. I also miss never having to soft reset - Linux on the Z just works and works.
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Also add the possibility (even with some restrictions because of the limited RAM) to run REAL X apps with pdaXrom.
Also, even without pdaXrom, rdesktop (available for all the Zaurus OS'es) is WAAAAAAAAAY better than the TS client in WM5 - it supports everything the desktop Remote Desktop client supports.
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01-23-2007, 03:08 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dh
...there is no easy way to sync with Outlook. This was a killer for me...
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That's the killer part about Linux though - sure, it's stable, but it doesn't plug well into the current ecosystem of products, especially not Microsoft ones. There's also not nearly the rich level of third party software products for it, because who's going to make money selling software for a Linux PDA? Things with Linux have gotten better on the desktop world, sure, (Ubuntu is pretty good) but in the PDA world? It was just never meant to be. And even the more successful versions of Linux (in terms of sheer numbers) are customized versions from Motorola and whatnot that are more like platforms unto themselves than real Linux. The "do anything, go anywhere" aspect of Linux is simultaneously it's biggest strength and biggest weakness. In the PDA/phone world, platforms need consistency in order to grow.
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