Friday, March 29, 2002
Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 coming to a store near you
Posted by Ed Hansberry in "HARDWARE" @ 07:42 AM
http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-2709830-404-8407129.html?tag=st.co.1087.boxhl.2709830-404-8407129
Finally, the first widely available Linux based PDA, nearly two years after people said iPAQ's would be flooding the street with Linux in the ROM. CNet has had it for a few days. "Sharp's new Linux-powered Zaurus SL-5500 may be one of the few PDAs that is able to challenge Pocket PC devices in terms of power, speed, and features. We've only just received a final production model for review and are deep in the midst of testing it. We'll have a complete review ready shortly, but here are our initial impressions. The SL-5500's hardware is similar to that of high-end Pocket PC devices. The 7.3-ounce device has a 206MHz Intel StrongARM processor, 64MB of RAM, and a very nice, 3.5-inch, 240x320-pixel color LCD. But the Zaurus has one unique feature that will surely earn it some fans: a thumb keyboard that's hidden under the device's thumb pad and application buttons."
"But why Linux? The open source OS has proven its mettle in Web servers, but it remains to be seen whether it is a better handheld solution than Palm or Pocket PC. The interface works much like Palm's, with tabbed pages that display lists of applications and documents."
Here is my thing. I am not sure about the keyboard. You hear so much hype about those thumb keyboards, and I know there are people that love them. But RIMM came up with it first, and last sales figures I heard on those were under 250,000 units in total sold, ever. Now the Handspring Treo has a model with it, and one without it, which I think is smart. But the Zaurus has it regardless. As does the new Sony NR-70. I am not a big guy by any stretch of the imagination, but my thumbs are just too big for those little keys. I played with several thumb keyboards on both the iPAQ and Jornada when in Germany, and even those their that liked it and had used it a while could not keep up with me when I was using Fitaly, a SIP replacement designed for stylus input. And don't get me started on serious work, where the Stowaway full sized keyboard is the only option for touch typing. So for me, I wouldn't touch the Zaurus because of the hardware. Just my humble opinion, but these things should be options, as Compaq, HP and Handspring have made them for their devices. Not forced with single model as Sony and Sharp have done. Maybe it is just me. I really don't know where the keys are on my laptop's keyboard. Tell me to pick out a letter and I have to look for it, unless my hands are in the home position, then my fingers just find the keys themselves. With the thumb keyboard, it is all hunt and peck for me. :-(
What do you think? Thanks to Mobile Bob for the link.
Finally, the first widely available Linux based PDA, nearly two years after people said iPAQ's would be flooding the street with Linux in the ROM. CNet has had it for a few days. "Sharp's new Linux-powered Zaurus SL-5500 may be one of the few PDAs that is able to challenge Pocket PC devices in terms of power, speed, and features. We've only just received a final production model for review and are deep in the midst of testing it. We'll have a complete review ready shortly, but here are our initial impressions. The SL-5500's hardware is similar to that of high-end Pocket PC devices. The 7.3-ounce device has a 206MHz Intel StrongARM processor, 64MB of RAM, and a very nice, 3.5-inch, 240x320-pixel color LCD. But the Zaurus has one unique feature that will surely earn it some fans: a thumb keyboard that's hidden under the device's thumb pad and application buttons."
"But why Linux? The open source OS has proven its mettle in Web servers, but it remains to be seen whether it is a better handheld solution than Palm or Pocket PC. The interface works much like Palm's, with tabbed pages that display lists of applications and documents."
Here is my thing. I am not sure about the keyboard. You hear so much hype about those thumb keyboards, and I know there are people that love them. But RIMM came up with it first, and last sales figures I heard on those were under 250,000 units in total sold, ever. Now the Handspring Treo has a model with it, and one without it, which I think is smart. But the Zaurus has it regardless. As does the new Sony NR-70. I am not a big guy by any stretch of the imagination, but my thumbs are just too big for those little keys. I played with several thumb keyboards on both the iPAQ and Jornada when in Germany, and even those their that liked it and had used it a while could not keep up with me when I was using Fitaly, a SIP replacement designed for stylus input. And don't get me started on serious work, where the Stowaway full sized keyboard is the only option for touch typing. So for me, I wouldn't touch the Zaurus because of the hardware. Just my humble opinion, but these things should be options, as Compaq, HP and Handspring have made them for their devices. Not forced with single model as Sony and Sharp have done. Maybe it is just me. I really don't know where the keys are on my laptop's keyboard. Tell me to pick out a letter and I have to look for it, unless my hands are in the home position, then my fingers just find the keys themselves. With the thumb keyboard, it is all hunt and peck for me. :-(
What do you think? Thanks to Mobile Bob for the link.
