View Full Version : New Zaurus Model, With 480x640 Screen
Janak Parekh
10-26-2003, 05:15 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.zaurususergroup.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=77&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0' target='_blank'>http://www.zaurususergroup.com/modu...order=0&thold=0</a><br /><br /></div>Looks like Toshiba isn't the only one working busily on integrating 480x640 screens. There's a new portrait Zaurus PDA, the SL-6000, that will have a 480x640 screen, integrated thumbboard that "slides open" much like previous models, integrated WiFi and Bluetooth, SD/CF slots, USB host, and rotation-on-the-fly. Unfortunately, it looks like it will be bigger than the SL-5500/SL-5600, which weren't that small to begin with. Here is an early low-res picture.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20031026-Zaurus.jpg" /><br /><br />Of course, it runs Linux; I don't know if the organizer applets will be improved. Nevertheless, it's good to see OEMs pushing our expectations of what handheld hardware can be.
ctmagnus
10-26-2003, 05:51 AM
It is designed to be more rugged, and can withstand a drop from approximately 1 meter.
:way to go: Typical daily-use scenario for many.
Check out the USB host port, though. While :rock on dude!: in concept, that's an awfully strange looking connector, imo.
caudax
10-26-2003, 05:57 AM
looks like a standard mini-USB to me...
Oh, and by the way, I think that this unit is all well and dandy in concept, but the thing is just too MASSIVE!!! A 4 inch screen and a bunch of buttons, and an extendable keyboard and dual slots and dual wireless all in one device... how much does it way? a pound?
Isn't that the size of regular cellphones in Japan? :mrgreen:
klinux
10-26-2003, 10:19 AM
Isn't that the size of regular cellphones in Japan? :mrgreen:
Don't you mean the size of FOUR regular cellphones? :D
surur
10-26-2003, 11:25 AM
Does this mean 480x640 is going the the new standard in LCD's and PDA's?
Am I going to regret buying my very high spec XDA II in 2 months time because all the new PDA's are VGA? The horror! :mecry:
Surur
retrogamer
10-26-2003, 11:32 AM
PDA's are dead if not integrated with some kind of wireless network, data or voice.
my PDA is worth MUCH more if it has say SMS service out of the box.
Thinkingmandavid
10-26-2003, 11:34 AM
MMM, too big. but nice to have it all in one. Tehy should be htinking about putting it all in and bringing the size down by 1/3 :wink:
looks like a good way to build your biceps through the day.
They are actually going to market this if it is bigger than the last model?
I Like the Zaurus but not that much.
Stake
10-26-2003, 12:01 PM
Sharp released a Zaurus not too long ago with a 640x480 screen. A co-worker has an English convered model and the screen looks amazing though there is no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth built in. CF and SD are standard. It has a nice keyboard in a clamshell design a la Sony. Size and weight isn't too bad but it's clearly out of the pocketable range.
http://www.dynamism.com/zaurus7xx/index.shtml
Hopefully this will now be standard by the middle of this year for PPC.
The question now becomes MS and their Pocket PC OS then?
Hey, isn't Jason at this very minute in some MS conference? Can someone get in touch with him to ask (or harass) the MS staff about VGA support??
jmarkevich
10-26-2003, 02:03 PM
It doesn't look huge to me... check out http://www.zaurususergroup.com/images/6000/imga0063_jpg.jpg with an actual hand in there, for comparison reasons.
It looks like it's about an inch longer than my 3650. Or is everyone comparing this with an iPaq 19xx? Or a Tungsten T3 :lol: ?
Thinkingmandavid
10-26-2003, 03:03 PM
Good question, what is everyone comparing the Zaurus to?
55xx?
19xx?
22xx?
39xx?
e740?
e755?
Tungsten :roll:
Zire :roll:
Loox :D
355?
mmm, looks like it should be a poll:) hehe
I remembe it at best buy and I still think it is too big to carr in the pocket, even in a case. but I did like it but the size was one of the factoring reasons Ididnt get it. If i was seven feet tall then maybe it would look little.
lapchinj
10-26-2003, 03:29 PM
... but the thing is just too MASSIVE!!! A 4 inch screen and a bunch of buttons, and an extendable keyboard and dual slots and dual wireless all in one device... how much does it way? a pound?
I have a SL5000 and it's rather very nice. It won't replace my iPAQ's at the moment but that's not because of its size. I don't know how much bigger the 640x480 screen makes it but the SL5000 is very rectangular as opposed to the rounded edges of my iPAQ's (3665 and 3850) and it would seem that Sharp made very good use of the squared off corners.
Any PDA should be built with 2 slots as a minimum. For me I load all my apps (100mb) on a card and having the extra card slot lets me plug in other accessories. Both my iPAQ's have dual slot Memplug sleeves and yeah they're more like bricks that would make it too big to be carried in a shirt pocket. (IMHO no PDA should be kept in a shirt pocket but people still do it and still loose them in toilets or storm drains.) I'd rather have the slots built in as opposed to adding sleeves. My V37 has only one slot and there nobody makes a sleeve for it (to add on extra slots) so once I load apps onto the V37's card I can't pull it to add accessories.
As far as my SL5000 the keyboard makes it a little tall but it seems the same thickness as a basic 3800. It fits the hand very nicely. But I think that the one thing that I see with both the Linux and the Palm OS is that there have to be more apps like PI, AF and Sprite backup for any of these to take hold.
Anyway once companies keep packaging so many features into the PDA they must get bigger or should I say chunkier.
Jeff -
Marcel_Proust
10-26-2003, 05:04 PM
2 questions.
everyone here is saying it's too large.
but the picture is with it fully extended. What are the actual size specs? Compared to let's say the new 4355.
Second, if it runs VGA, won't it run any Linux app? This would be something then.
DaleReeck
10-26-2003, 05:56 PM
It doesn't look huge to me... check out http://www.zaurususergroup.com/images/6000/imga0063_jpg.jpg with an actual hand in there, for comparison reasons.
It looks like it's about an inch longer than my 3650. Or is everyone comparing this with an iPaq 19xx? Or a Tungsten T3 :lol: ?
Maybe the dude just has HUGE hands :D
sponge
10-26-2003, 05:58 PM
Marcel_Proust: If you're handy with a compiler, you should be able to run a lot of Linux apps. However, it comes with QT, so you'll probably have to install X from my experience. Or just stick to terminal apps - ncurses is there and working too.
If WebIS were to make Pocket Informant and WebIS Mail in Linux versions, I would seriously consider a Zaurus. If the Linux version of Textmaker were to work as well, I think I would make the switch for sure.
The only thing that keeps me in the PPC fold are the great apps we have.
sponge
10-26-2003, 08:15 PM
I know the Zaurii used to come with Hancom Mobileoffice, far better than Pocket Excel and Word, and it comes with Opera, an awesome brwoser.
ctmagnus
10-26-2003, 09:42 PM
looks like a standard mini-USB to me...
I stand corrected. I just looked at the mini USB port on my card reader and did not realize before that there are the sockets for pins in it; I assumed the middle was a solid piece of plastic like standard A or B plugs.
:oops:
Take1
10-26-2003, 11:11 PM
Who buys these Zaurus things?! I thought Sharp would have folded up the tent with the original, having expectations of hundreds of thousands of sales, and probably selling hundreds period. If they went with either Palm or PPC, they'd probably have sold quite a few. Are there that many Linux geeks buying each version of the Zaurus, or does Sharp still think people will warm up to the OS given a couple of decades and millions of development dollare?!
sponge
10-27-2003, 12:41 AM
Wow. PPC zealot alert. There's quite a community around the Zaurus, they didn't "fold up the tent", and are selling a lot more than 100. Despite the "decades of development and millions of dollars" what's the most used webserver? Apache, open source. Time + costs != quality, is the point of this little comparison.
If I could afford it I would buy up a Zaurus in a second. While I'm too involved with a couple of PPC sites to give up PPC completly now, I'd bet dollars to donuts that I'd be using the Zaurus more.
Daimaou
10-27-2003, 01:38 AM
The Sharp Zaurus is Leader in PDA sales in Japan Since 4 or 5 years at least far before Palm (loved by Japanese thanks to SONY) and much far before PPC.
Also the Zaurus Community In either Europe or USA/Canada is amazingly huge, thanks now to the wonderful SL 7X0 Series, I still didn't bought one, but this SL6000 look so sweet to me
Janak Parekh
10-27-2003, 02:07 AM
Who buys these Zaurus things?! I thought Sharp would have folded up the tent with the original, having expectations of hundreds of thousands of sales, and probably selling hundreds period.
How do you know this? Sharp has a huge PDA presence in Japan, and the SL-5x00 has had its very useful niches, especially in the developer community. I for one am glad there's competition out there. :)
Sharp still think people will warm up to the OS given a couple of decades and millions of development dollare?!
Decades? Linux runs just fine as an OS, that's not the issue -- the productivity applets/GUI are what needs to be worked on before something like this can be a truly mass-market item.
--janak
jmarkevich
10-27-2003, 04:00 AM
Marcel_Proust: If you're handy with a compiler, you should be able to run a lot of Linux apps. However, it comes with QT, so you'll probably have to install X from my experience. Or just stick to terminal apps - ncurses is there and working too.
QT has an embedded version that doesn't require X. It runs straight from the frame buffer. That being said, you'd need to recompile stuff to use it.
jmarkevich
10-27-2003, 04:10 AM
If WebIS were to make Pocket Informant and WebIS Mail in Linux versions, I would seriously consider a Zaurus. If the Linux version of Textmaker were to work as well, I think I would make the switch for sure.
Exactly. I seriously considered a 5600 when Tiger Direct here in Canada had one for $249. Next, I considered loading Linux on my iPaq. First thing I looked for was a great PIM app, followed by a good word processor... and didn't find anything really impressive (Hancom word was just OK).
However, The Kompany has put out some compelling products: Their calendar is here http://www.killefiz.de/zaurus/showdetail.php?app=251 and shows a nice example of what they can do. The problem is, the Calendar, ToDo, Address Book and Mail are all separate applications. That puts you back about $50 dollars US to get something close to Pocket Informant (and WebIS Mail, too, I guess).
I can't give up the tools I have right now, but I'm keeping my eyes open.
ExtremeSIMS
10-27-2003, 05:34 PM
I loved being able to script wget as an Avantgo replacement, ssh, opera browser, cross compiling for the Zaurus those apps that I wanted, etc. OTOH, not being able to sync with the Mac was a pain. I know a lot of people that use the Zaurus as a stand alone - no syncing, everything stored on the Zaurus - but I prefer to sync to keep all my info accurate.
The form factor was nice, as well. The HP h4350 comes close.
sponge
10-27-2003, 08:59 PM
jmarkevich: It's still possible (at least with the iPaq and familiar) to get X on there too, and IIRC, you CAN run QT through X, though obviously it would lose quite a bit of it's speed. Worse comes to worse, there's always GPE.
It's been a while since I've used Linux on handhelds, so my memory may be a bit off.
markpmc
10-27-2003, 09:09 PM
It's not too big for me.
My next PDA will have a thumb board of some sort.
Sharp has teamed w/ IBM and is targeting enterprise sales. The goal isn't to sell these things to consumers, it's to sell them in lots of 500 to large corps w/ mobile work forces.
That said I'll seriously consider the Z6000 in Q1 next year.
markpmc
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