Linux Handheld Reviews Sharp Zaurus SL-C3200

Category Linux, laptops, Travel, Mobile, Technology | Permalink | 16. May 2007

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It seems that we’re in an evolutionary rather than revolutionary period when it comes to PDAs. Witness the Sharp Zaurus SL-C3200 which is basically the same as the Zaurus C3100 it replaces, and the C3100 was quite similar to the Zaurus C3000 it replaced. In fact all three are very, very similar to the now discontinued Zaurus C860 (I still own and use one of these) but the C860 lacked the hard drive. And so from the C3100 to the 3200 we get a 6 gig rather than 4 gig hard drive. For upgraders, there’s nothing terribly compelling save the additional hard drive space which is nice for those who want to carry a collection of MP3s or videos for playback on the go.

The Zaurus is in a class by itself, being a cross between a PDA and a handheld computer. Rather than running a somewhat limited PDA operating system, it runs Linux which means the CPU and RAM are the only real limit for running Linux applications. Linux apps must be recompiled to run on the Zaurus but that’s not a daunting task, and we’ve seen many useful ports and open source software for the Z emerge over the years. In fact, there are several ROMs available for the Z as well (modified versions of the OS and even different Linux distros).

This is an instant-on machine (no waiting for a computer to boot) with a VGA touch screen and an excellent miniature keyboard. Like a PDA it has full PIM applications, and adds very capable MS Office editors, the NetFront web browser, email client and more. The Zaurus’ web browser is much more like a desktop web browser in presentation and layout, though it doesn’t support the full range of desktop plugins. That said, it beats PDA browsers by a mile and you can install Opera to further broaden your browsing options. Given the screen resolution, killer keyboard, desktop-like web browser and strong Office suite, the Zaurus really crosses over into handheld computer territory and is more powerful than a basic PDA.

Intel PXA270 416 MHz XScale

64RAM 128 ROM
3.7″ TFT LCD
640×480 Screen
6Gb Hd

124 x 87 x 25mm

1800maH Li-ion

Source and More : www.mobiletechreview.com

Web Site: www.sharp.co.jp, www.dynamism.com

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