About the Sharp Zaurus
(I no longer use the Sharp Zaurus and do not maintain these pages. I have left them here in case they are useful to someone.)
The Sharp Zaurus series is a Linux-based personal organiser. The SL-C series, in clamshell format, are only sold by Sharp in Japan. The SL5500 and SL5600, which are in the format simliar to a Palm, are on sale in the USA and the UK.
Hardware
The SL-C750 has 64mb RAM and 64mb flash RAM. The SL-C860 and SL-C760 have 64mb system RAM, 128mb flash RAM, and a larger, longer lasting battery. All models use the Intel XScale PXA255 400MHz processor.
The Zaurus
SL-Series series has a screen that can be rotated from PDA-style
to laptop-style. (The Zaurus works either way, and the software automatically
adjusts if you change the orientation of the screen.)
Once in laptop-style, you can use the QWERTY keyboard. The VGA (640x480) screen is very clear. (The photo shows a Compaq iPaq compared to Zarurus SL-C760).
The Zaurus SL-C750
series weighs 225g and measures 120 x 83 x 18.6mm. (The SL-C860 and SL-C760
are 5mm
thicker and 25g heavier.) All models have compact flash (CF) and
SD card slots, as well as an infrared port. The C750 battery provides
around 4 hours of use
per charge; the SL-C860 and SL-C760 battery is rated at 8 hours, but exact
life depends on screen brightness, use of accessories etc.
Software
The Zaurus comes with the following pre-installed software: HancomWord, HancomSheet, Email, Calculator, World Time, terminal window, Image viewer (for .jpg, .bmp, .gif), Media player (for .MP3), NetFront web browser, Java virtual machine, Text editor (for .txt) etc.
However, the software for the CL series is all in Japanese. If you don't read Japanse, you will need to install a translated ROM, and English applications (the ones for the Sharp 5600 work fine.)
Many Linux programmes have been ported for use on the Zaurus. There is a software feed at http://www.killefiz.de/zaurus/.
You can run a full Apache webserver, with PHP, and MySQL server, enabling you to develop web applications. Installation details are here.
I also use my Zaurus as a music player (for MP3 or Ogg Vorbis files). I have ripped my CDs to my server at home, and can use the Zaurus to connect wirelessly and play them through the hi-fi in another room. (I use the tkcPlayer from theKompany.) The sound quality is excellent, though there is a noise between tracks.
Accessories
The CF slot gives you lots of flexibility. CF is technically very similar to PCMCIA, and so there are a lot of accessories similar to the kind you might get for a laptop.
I have a WiFi network card, a wired Ethernet 10/100 Mbps network card, and a telephone modem. You can also get a GPRS card, and an XVGA card for presentations. (The XVGA card does NOT allow you to use an external monitor).
The SD card slot can only be used for storage. Apparently SD-format accessories, such as network cards, do not work.
I also use the IR to connect through my mobile phone to the internet via GPRS.
My own views
I love having a full Linux computer in my pocket.
There is no question about it: the PIM applications and the synchronisation are not as polished as Palm. If you just want a date book and address book, get a Palm. That said, the PIM applications are perfectly usable , and I have managed to get my diary to synchronise with Groupwise in the office. (This wasn't easy, and involves going via both an iPaq and MS Outlook.) The addition of KO/PI and KA/PI will make the use of a Zaurus as a PIM more reliable.
But if you want something a bit more powerful, and you love Linux, take a look at the Zaurus. I can surf the internet using Opera, collect my email, develop web applications, use a word processor and spreadsheet that are compatible with Microsoft file formats, and use a range of open source software downloaded from the internet. The unit is just small enough to carry on my belt, but big enough to have a useable keyboard, and to be able to do some real work.
It is good to be part of a community of developers: there are some very active forums (eg the Zaurus UserGroup and Externe) with lots of sharing of ideas and experience. You just can't get that dynamic interchange with Microsoft products, because the software is closed and proprietary.