No More Updates From Sharp For The Netwalker? Options

[XE1UFO]

I think we are reliving the great disappointments that we went through with the Sharp SL**** series. I have the SL5500, SL5600 and SL6000. They (Sharp) were real good for updates t the beginning, and then forgot we existed.

Maybe they are counting on the users to build their own versions of the OS and keep it updated???

[ArchiMark]

While I understand your point, I think you're forgetting that

A) most of the devices you mention including the Netwalker were Japan market devices, not intended for markets outside of Japan, ie, you and me....so, why would Sharp expend $'s to support you or me in terms of how we'd like to use a device that was never intended for us?

most of us at OESF used these devices for purposes that Sharp never really intended, ie as pocket Linux computers instead of as electronic dictionaries and glorified PDAs....so, again why would Sharp need to update these devices????

Hence, the need for OESF as a forum for all the crazy techie guys out there that recognized the potential under the surface for these lil' devices and were willing to spend lots of time to mess around with them......

That's my take on it.....YMMV.....

[XE1UFO]

While I understand your point, I think you're forgetting that

A) most of the devices you mention including the Netwalker were Japan market devices, not intended for markets outside of Japan, ie, you and me....so, why would Sharp expend $'s to support you or me in terms of how we'd like to use a device that was never intended for us?

Thanks for your input, but actually the SL**** series WAS sold to the general public up in the U. S. (I say "up", cuz I live 700 miles South of the border.) through Best Buy stores and many others. I bought my first SL5500 in McAllen TX on a trip up there.

So in that respect, U.S. is also not the only English-speaking market in the world. Plus the general Linux community is huge. I believe they could have built a much-larger dedicated customer base, with a stronger update and support program.

My two pesos' worth.

[ArchiMark]

Please re-read my post....

I said 'most'....I did not say 'all', there is a big difference between those 2 words....

So, yes, I am aware of the fact that the SL-5500 series was sold in USA....

A) I remember seeing them in the stores here in USA such as Office Depot, etc...usually, they were not working as people had played with them and parts were missing, but occasionally one worked and you could seen how they worked...

The follow-up device the SL-5600 was sold at some places in USA too...

So, to clarify, after the portrait orientation devices, SL5x00 series, came the next set of Zaurii, the clamshell designs, which were not sold outside of Japan except by gray market exporters...hence, my statement that "most of the devices"....

Anyway, again my point was merely to point out that Sharp did not intend for MOST of the Zaurii to go outside of Japan and intended them to be mainly a combo of PDA and electronic dictionary devices. Therefore, why would Sharp provide upgrades and support for these devices for purposes they never sold them for nor intended them to be sold for?????

The fact that you, me, and a bunch of others here at OESF happened to enjoy playing around with Zaurii and using them as full fledged pocket Linux computers is irrelevant to Sharp....this does not mean that I would not have liked to see Sharp support the Zaurii with new model and upgrades of the kind we'd like to see for the older models, as of course, like everyone here, we would! However, my point was just to say that sadly this is a totally unrealistic expectation given the above....

Hope this is clearer now....

Feliz Ano Nuevo 2011!

Recuerdos,

Mark

[koan]

Netwalker wasn't sold outside of Japan, was it ?

Sharp is not a software company they are an electronics company. They made an electronics based product, using an OS with firmware and applications and sold it. They made updates while they were selling it until all major bugs were fixed.

The SL-C series was an opportunity to commercialise the CG Silicon display. There is no money in it for them. The big money is in smartphones and TVs. Sharp is not Apple. They have no benefit from supporting old products with a shrinking user base. Sharp are now using their experience in CG Silicon to produce displays for Nintendo's 3DS; they are also one of the largest manufacturers of displays for car GPS and ICE systems.

We should all just be glad that they chose Linux + QT for Zaurus and welcomed developers to the platform. They could have continued to use that ancient OS they used in the old Zaurus M series plus locked it all down with DRM and an app store!

[ArchiMark]

Netwalker wasn't sold outside of Japan, was it ?

Netwalker was sold outside of Japan by 'gray market' exporters, such as Dynamism, Conics, etc...not directly by Sharp. Which is why you could not buy Netwalker or SL-Cxxx series outside of Japan at the typical electronics retail stores (such as Best Buy, etc in USA...)...

Netwalker like most Zaurii, were designed, manufactured, and sold for Japanese market, not outside of Japan. That is why we have to buy these products from special places like Dynamism, Conics, etc...as they buy them for us in Japan and then resell them outside of Japan...

Sharp is not a software company they are an electronics company. They made an electronics based product, using an OS with firmware and applications and sold it. They made updates while they were selling it until all major bugs were fixed.

The SL-C series was an opportunity to commercialise the CG Silicon display. There is no money in it for them. The big money is in smartphones and TVs. Sharp is not Apple. They have no benefit from supporting old products with a shrinking user base. Sharp are now using their experience in CG Silicon to produce displays for Nintendo's 3DS; they are also one of the largest manufacturers of displays for car GPS and ICE systems.

Agree....

We should all just be glad that they chose Linux + QT for Zaurus and welcomed developers to the platform. They could have continued to use that ancient OS they used in the old Zaurus M series plus locked it all down with DRM and an app store!

Yes, we were lucky with OS issue...and ability to flash new ROMs.....

[ptoki]

Is there source code for netwalker specific kernel changes which was done by sharp?
As I understand, the main problem with netwalker support out of the box under debian/ubuntu is those changes. Simply stock kernel is not tweaked for netwalker.
Am I correct?

[RX Shorty]

I think so... it drops the keyboard settings and the wifi settings...

[RX Shorty]

Found something on a the sharp site.

OS with support for products
NetWalker PC-Z1/PC-Z1J/PC-T1搭載のOS 「Ubuntu 9.04（ARM版スマートブックリミックス、シャープカスタマイズ版）」につき、本製品を継続してご利用いただくために、Ubuntu 9.04の重要なセキュリティアップデートを 2012年5月まで定期的にご提供させていただきます。 Equipped NetWalker PC-Z1/PC-Z1J/PC-T1 OS "Ubuntu 9.04 (ARM version Sumatobukkurimikkusu, customized by Sharp)," per order to continue to stay in this product, Ubuntu 9.04 key security We will provide regular updates until May 2012.
［内容］ [Contents]

・ アップデート対象： 当社で重要性が高いと確認した Ubuntu 9.04 に関する脆弱性問題。 Target - Update: confirmed to be highly important for our Ubuntu 9.04 Vulnerability.

・ アップデート提供予定時期： 2011年5月、2011年11月、2012年5月 の 3回を予定。 Updates will be provided, Year: May 2011, November 2011, scheduled for May 3, 2012.

Source: http://www.sharp.co.jp/support/mit/

[RX Shorty]

Time schedule provided. Update: May 2011 (available from), November 2011, will be held May 3, 2012

Still nothing

[RX Shorty]

Well the support has security update....

We start with providing a security update for OS products ※. （2011年5月） (May 2011)

[RX Shorty]

And the last update on Ubuntu 9.04 from Sharp is online....

It is a pitty they only did security fixes instead of distro upgrades.

[Adam12]

And the last update on Ubuntu 9.04 from Sharp is online....

It is a pitty they only did security fixes instead of distro upgrades.

No one can be really surprised, this is exactly the same thing they pulled with the Zaurus. The difference of course was that the Zaurus had a much bigger user community (and so there were many more developers on the case) and the Netwalker has a mass-market OS on it, so it was always possible to tell exactly how far behind the latest OS version we were falling.

Did anyone ever follow up on the Lucid kernel build for the Netwalker? I know that the Sharp kernel mods are the main thing keeping us from just doing a plain old dist-upgrade. I saw a Russian (I think?) developer had some preliminary patched kernel sources for 2.6.31 going, but I didn't see any build instructions and I'm wondering if anyone ever got anywhere with it.

[ArchiMark]

Yes, it's really a shame about the Zaurus series, the Netwalker, and other linux based devices such as the Nokia N8xx and N900 series (still have a N900...)...unfortunately, all the manufacturers have jumped on the tablet bandwagon....oh well....

[RX Shorty]

I am still hoping for a real zaurii follow up...
Make it a C4000, a bit thinner and more cpu power and ram and ready to go!