Akihabara News Reviews Sharp's SL-C3000

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/revue_32.html' target='_blank'>http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/revue_32.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"An EXTRAORDINARY PDA, that made nearly 10 years that I use PDA with like 1st true machine Psion 3. Before I had HP 48SX and GX. No PDA of new generation could erase my memories of user of Psion 5MX, and here is that Sharp with this Zaurus 3000 succeeded in making me forget my Psion!!!! Admittedly, the machine is not perfect, I would have liked a screen occupying all the surface of the higher part of the PDA, a connection USB2, that is to say a connection bluetooth or Wifi, but after all having of 2 ports report and MicroDrive of 4Go you can sacrifice the slot CF for a chart BT or Wifi."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20041118-AkihabaraSLC3000.jpg" /><br /><br />Daimaou over at Akihabara News reviews the Zaurus SL-C3000 (imperfect English translation quoted above and available <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?sourceid=mozclient&u=http%3A//akiba.sorobangeeks.com/revue_32.html">here</a>), the first PDA with an integrated 4GB Microdrive, and likes what he sees. A lot. So do I, for that matter. Too bad that this won't be available in North America or running Pocket PC (although you can get it from his <a href="http://www.geekstuff4u.com/product_info.php?products_id=109">GeekStuff4U import site</a> for 629EUR if you want).

[MBaas]

What I really like about this machine is the ability to use it 'the conventional way' or with a decent inbuild kbd. Without having ever owned an external kbd (but with a lot of experience with Psions kbd's) I imagine this must be far better (use in on your lap or when standing - now do that with an external kbd), so I want something like that. In a PPC!

What happened to the nice HP-prototype that also had an internal kbd? Any other manufacturers working on that?

Cheers

Michael

[surur]

Is that the famous tic-tac keyboard. Its does not really look that good.

This is what I call a real keyboard (for those who have never seen a psion 5mx)

http://www.foldsoc.co.uk/psion.jpg

Peopl would NOT hesitate to write whole books on these things, not just short URL's

The intergrated microdrive a good development, and it also looks as if it would be quite easy to remove it and upgrade to a higher density larger capacity in the future, or even to replace it with a lower capacity CF card if you so desire.

I just wonder where they store the OS. Is it on the microdrive (which would be bad) or in the 16Mb ROM, which would be good.

Its a nice device, but much too thick. Of a device that size with a keyboard I would expect a 800x600 screen too, instead of a 640x480.

The whole package appears to me to be overkill for a device which does NOT have a keyboard good enough to touchtype on and do serious work.

Surur

[MBaas]

Yes, that kbd was really good - now if we only get that a PPC with that ;)

Michael

[Deslock]

I don't understand why Sharp doesn't make more use of the footprint for the screen. They could easily fit 800x480 on there without changing the size or shape of the device or DPI of the screen. And why don't they use a Psion5-like keyboard?

Add those two things as well as wifi and BT and I know I'd send dynamism (http://www.dynamism.com/sl-c3000/) $900 before I came to my senses :-)

[Typhoon]

No WI-FI is ridiculous for a $650+ machine.

[Snail]

I agree, it looks like a nicely engineered device... 3 things hold me back from parting with the money though:

1. The keyboard looks no better than my UX50, which I find surprisingly easy to type on for long periods.

2. Linux... never used it, so it would be a brave jump to part with £450 for an OS I know nothing about.

3. Applications - again as a Linux newbie, I've no idea how good they are.

[dh]

I had been hoping for something more revolutionary from Sharp. Built in wireless, bigger screen etc.

I'll plan on using my C860 for another year or so and see what happens in the future.

The form factor alone make the Sharp devices a step above anything else out there.

[Typhoon]

I had been hoping for something more revolutionary from Sharp. Built in wireless, bigger screen etc.

I'll plan on using my C860 for another year or so and see what happens in the future.

The form factor alone make the Sharp devices a step above anything else out there.

Hey you know what type of development software is out there for OpenPDA Linux? And for what languages? C/C++, Java, C#? And what is your opinion application wise for the Zaurus Linux PDAs?