Hello everyone. I'm considering buying a C3100, but I have a few questions for you all.
A little background:
I've actually been using Zauruses since Sharp introduced the first one (the P-3000 if I recall correctly) in the mid 1990s. Back then, they were all black and white (and non-backlit) and ran off of two triple A batteries. The main reason I wanted it back then was that I was studying Japanese. I was visiting Japan for the first time and was blown away when the salesperson wrote in Japanese on the screen and it was recognized. I don't know if the Zaurus was the first PDA to have Japanese handwriting recognition, but it was the first one I had ever seen. The reason this is a big deal is that if you know the basic rules of stroke order, you can look up kanji that you don't know the pronunciation for. Before this, I had to use a kanji dictionary, which was a very time consuming process. I usually didn't bother.
Anyway, I used that Zaurus for a few years. Then I bought the Color Zaurus while I was working in Japan. I think this was the first PDA with a color screen (and a digital camera card as well), and it was pretty amazing at the time. Of course, it was about the size of a VHS video tape and cost a small fortune, but...
My next Zaurus was the iCruise (hence my user name --- sounds dumb, but it just sort of stuck). This was one of the first PDAs with a VGA screen, and it was beautiful. Unfortunately, Sharp did a pretty half-assed job with the operating system, so it was a mixed bag when it came to usability.
Finally, I bought the MI-E21, which had the same form factor as the first Linux Zauruses brought out in the US, but still used Sharp's proprietary OS. It was nice to use when I was commuting in Japan, since they had a great wireless Internet services even several years ago. I also converted a bunch of electronic dictionaries for the Zaurus, which allowed me to look things up on the go.
I considered buying the first clamshell Zaurus, but instead I bought a Clie TG50 because I was tired of not being able to sync with my Mac. It's a pretty good PDA, but it really doesn't meet my needs anymore (see below).
What I need from a PDA
I've recently realized that my needs have changed. I have relatively little need for a PDA that focuses mostly on PIM functions. I have a very small address book, rarely write things down in my calendar, etc. What I could use is something that is very portable that allows me to surf the web, read and write email, view pictures and video, and access my electronic dictionaries.
At first, I wanted an OQO, but I did a lot of reading and found that it has some problems that make it less attractive than I had originally thought. Plus, it's around $2000, which is out of my budget for something like this. Then I got to thinking about the Zaurus. The more I read about the latest models, the more it seems like the C3100 (or possibly C3000) would fit the bill. My only complaint is the lack of built-in WiFi and bluetooth. But the built-in microdrive goes a long way toward making up for this, and I already have a CF WiFi card that I used with my last Zaurus.
Is there a good reason to get the C3100 over the C3000?
From what I can tell, the differences between the C3000 and C3100 (aside from the color) are that the C3100 has 128MB of internal flash and comes with a bunch of content pre-installed. The dictionaries are interesting to me, but I already have them in forms that are Zaurus-compatible (using something like Zten) so I don't think that alone is reason to pay more. Is the 128MB of flash that big a deal?
Where is the best place to buy a Zaurus?
I won't be making it back to Japan for 6 months at least, so getting it myself isn't an option. I do have friends and family there, though, so it might be possible to have them send me one. I'm not sure about customs though. Has anyone had any problems going this route?
I am a Japanese translator, so I don't need or want an English-converted model. The stock Zaurus will be fine. Dynamism said they would give me a $100 discount for a stock Zaurus. They are somewhat expensive, but the fact that they offer support for the Zaurus is nice. I've looked at some of the other places that sell them, but I wasn't sure about their reliability.
Keeping in mind that I need to retain the ability to read and write in Japanese, what OS/kernel would you recommend?
I was fascinated by pdaXrom, since it seems to turn the Zaurus in a genuine mini-laptop, but I'm afraid it's beyond my abilities. I know very little about Linux, and while I'm willing to learn, I really want something that I can use with a minimum of experimentation and problems. Is the stock Sharp ROM my best bet? I think I'd at least like to try out the "special kernel."
How is the web browsing experience on the Zaurus?
With my previous Zauruses, web browsing was good but not great. With the iCruise, the VGA screen made it possible to read many web sites that the average PDA would have trouble with, but it would run out of memory on large pages, and it was relatively slow. The MI-E21 had better compatibility, but its QVGA screen made browsing a pain. I'm hoping that the new Zauruses have the best of both worlds -- decent compatibility combined with a nicely sized screen. I'm sure some things like Javascript will cause issues, but can I assume that surfing most web pages won't be a problem? How is the speed when using a WiFi card?
What options are there for reading IMAP email on the Zaurus?
This is a biggie for me. I need to be able to access a couple of IMAP email accounts for sending and receiving email (much of it in Japanese). It would also be nice to be able to open attachments. Does the email program that comes standard on the Japanese Zaurus have any issues with this?
How easy is it to use a bluetooth CF card?
From what I've read, it seems possible to use a CF bluetooth card with the Zaurus. Is this easy to do, and will it allow me to use the Zaurus to surf the web with my bluetooth-enabled cell phone?
Well, that's all the questions I can think of at the moment. Thanks for the help!
