Sl-6000l - Sold

[neuroshock]

certainly you can do better than "sucks" for multimedia on a 6k.
I have using a mixture of stuff from guyhem and mazlovsky, or by using pdaxrom.

for the kind of multimedia thing you are talkng about, i'd have gone for a pepperpad or  a nokia 770.
still a "head to head" will be interesting
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Adf,

Fair enough. I was a bit frustrated with my 6k when I wrote that and it seems excessive to me now also- I just changed it and added a few more comments to better explain my issues with Video performance on the 6000.

Also I really have contemplated buying a non-Zaurus, but I'm just a Linux addict to the core and to the best of my knowledge the Zaurus clamshell's and the 6000 series are the only Linux based Pocket-PC class computers out there that perform well enough to tackle the job.

Another thing, Adf I truly respect your opinion a lot and always have as we've banter'd back and forth over the various issues etc. concerning the 6000 in the last year. Knowing that and also knowing you have found an urge to possibly get a 3100 yourself, PLEASE feel free to PM me with the issues that are the most important/relevant when comparing these two models.  I'm sure my own personal "issues" are not the norm when ppl look at these models simply because of my rather unique needs/wants.  Your input about what to compare/contrast when I do the review will make it much more useful to others I believe.

As always Thanks!,
-Neuro

[bluedevils]

I have a 6000 and a 3100, but I haven't used them to their full abilities yet. They will drive home the point that both are good devices, but each are missing a feature the other device has.

[adf]

I have a 6000 and a 3100, but I haven't used them to their full abilities yet. They will drive home the point that both are good devices, but each are missing a feature the other device has.
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I think this hits it... That I hate to buy something so close in performance without getting a real benefit that touches on how I use the z.

Multimedia:  I'm really ok encoding video for my 6k, and happy enough with mplayer playback that it wouldn't cause me to switch. In multimedia my current issue is my stupidly enormous radio shack 2.5 to 3.5 mm audio jack converter that sticks straight out of the z. (I should buy earbuds to fix that, though..not a new z)
 However, on the same rom, (I'll give you guylhem and cacko for sharp variants, if you like) is the 3100 video playback any better, or can it be done with less power?

Form factor:  The clamshell is acknowledged to be the best style for these things, and I do like landscape mode as default. Also the keyboard is considered better. I'm pretty used to my 6k, though and am curious to hear from someone who uses both if they see a real practical benefit to the better keyboard, and if the use of the stylus doesn't get awkward? (for those used to the 5x00&6k, that is)

More important here is size and weight. The 6k is, as we know, huge, and reguires a "bat-shield" screen protector to be pocketed without fear for the screen. It folds out to about a kubit long when one is typing.

Is the 31 noticeably smaller, lighter, more pocketable? I mean in a way that would change how often/easily and in what pocket it might be carried? If I put the 6 in my pants, I need suspenders to keep 'em up and am really AWARE of it.. any better on the 3100?

The last thing is the screen.  I spend a lot my Z-time in firefox & vnc, and some in scite and abiword; a real loss in screen quality would mean a real reduction of my enjoyment of the device. I'm curious about how this compares in "head to head" use.

and a brief note--Both the Nokia 770 and the pepperpad run linux.
The pepperpad is much bigger than a z..approx 12"x6" w/ a 20 gig hd and 800x 600 screen and a pxa proc at 600+ mhz and media co-processor

The nokia is keyboardless with only mini sd (and I think usb) external storage an 800x480 screen and no keyboard at about the size of a 5500. it also has some kind of media co processor, I think

For multimedia and entertainment, the new gamepark thing the gxp2? g2xp? gx2p? looks pretty cool, and very cheap (also linux)

and is the tiqit ever going to actually hit the market?

My thoughts on the matter ATM -- that, and for american, at least, the dollar is good vs. the yen. good time to buy.

[Mjolinor]

You really don't seem to have much luck here. Your link takes me to either a Japanese / Chinese (can't tell the difference) page or a page not found. I'll have a go

http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ5831722636

eBay can't leave things alone. It used to be so easy to copy and paste and now you have to manually edit the flaming thing to get it to work properly. Let's hope this does.

I do a lot of shipping into the UK from the US (and other places) and you can be lucky. When customs get hold of it they often pass it on without charge. It's just the luck of the draw. I've just come back today from the US and if timing had been better I could have carried it in for whoever bought it. I don't think I am going back until January but I may be having things posted here in December. If a UK buyer gets it then I am prepared to ship it to work with other things if there is anything coming over, then repost it in the UK (provided I get the money for that). The company I work for are based in Boston US and Manchester UK.

A word of warning. From my experience shipping in December is a bad idea, more gets lost and significantly more gets broken at the back end of November through December than at any other time.

[bluedevils]

adf,

the 3100 screen is not quite as good as the 6000, but it is still very good.  The default landscape offsets the difficiencies in the screen.

I can't comment on video as the 3100 is still new to me and the 6000 has just been freed from server duty (the 760 is now the web/ntpd server).  I will be putting on the guyhelm rom soon.

The 3100 keyboard *is* much better.  You have dedicated number keys.  You are also typing less on the tip of your fingers and more on the ball of the finger.

The 760 has the best weight and size.  The weight of the 3100 is comparable to the 6000.  Size wise I get the impression the 3100 and 6000 aren't too far off.  The 6000 is longer, but the 3100 is thicker and slightly wider.  The 3100 fits more pockets and bags, but bulges out more (good for some guys I guess).  I'm not even going to compare with expansion sleeve.

Is the 3100 worth upgrading from a 6000?  For pda duty or programming, yes.  Integrated Wifi is less important than a better keyboard, 128MB user space and 4GB hdd.  For wardriving or surfing wifi for around the home, the 6000 is simpler to use.  Reading on the 6000 is better due to screen size.  If you have the expansion sleeve the battery life is huge, but so is the size and weight (double)

I am very forutnate to have all three Zs

[neuroshock]

for the kind of multimedia thing you are talkng about, i'd have gone for a pepperpad or  a nokia 770.
still a "head to head" will be interesting
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Adf,

I finally found the time to go lookup info on the Pepperpad and Nokia's 770!
 
There are LOTS of things to like about the Pepperpad, not the LEAST of which is the potential for the Linux OS it's loaded with to be hacked to Venus and back!  However when you hit that $800.00+ price tag you suddenly see LOTS of reasons why not to buy a device that is limited to life within the home.  For example while I'm at home it almost IS an ideal multimedia solution, but for when I'm in the Hospital and lack Internet connectivity its appeal becomes much weaker.  Also it has occurred to me that it COULD be a super Ebook reading device!  Which is very exciting since IMHO no company has hit upon a really good Ebook reading device (imho there hasn't been a decent Ebook reader since the Gemstar/RCA REB-1100)- um except that the Pepperpad has NO ebook reading software *sigh* Maybe once there's some linux hacking/development on the Pepperpad it may become my ultimate device for my peculiar needs!  But not right now, not for $800.00.  It's gotta grow up first.

The Nokia 770 I'm not as sure about.  Reviews seemed split 50/50 with the writer either being almost orgasmic about the device or flaming it into never-never land.  Information (well GOOD information) seemed much harder to come by.  As opposed to the pepperpad, the pricetag seemed much easier to swallow at around $300 dollar(ish).  Depending on which review you read you may or may not come to the conclusion that it's actual performance in multimedia apps (Mpeg4 etc) is up to par. I'm also still unclear as to whether they have left the OS open for tweaking and altering or if it's locked up tight hardcoded to a rom.  However if it performs really as bad as quite a lot of the reviews claim, then I would get better performance from my SL-6000. (which I'm obviously not happy with either.)  But, as with the Pepperpad, so long as the OS is hackable I'll take the "glass half full" view of both devices.  Once some alternate OS/Roms and/or a greater variety of programs (insert "JustReader" here to start with) I may very well become the owner of one or both. It looks VERY promising for the future. But not for now.  It doesn't even seem like a close call due to either Money on one hand, or Performance on the other or the lack of a broader range of programs for both.

Thanks Adf, keep stretching my awareness every time you get the chance.  I'd never have tripped over those devices myself-(I didn't even know to look!)  You should REALLY consider starting a thread in an appropriate forum around here for devices like the Pepperpad and Nokia 770 that may be of interest to others and that may mesh well with the Z's we already have.  I'd bet good money that in the near future if you were to couple a device like these with a Zaurus you'ld have a better overall package/performance while STILL paying less than you would for inferior performance on a laptop.  You're a natural at this and you can say in 10 concise words what it takes me 3 full paragraphs to get across- I envy that ability.

Thanks for making me think, and as always- "yer da man". Don't ever stop smacking me in the face with cool stuff like this- finding even one device of this nature can GREATLY increase my quality of life as a disabled person and- I've never told you this- but it was a post of yours that drove me to buying a SL-6000 in the first place.  I'm not even sure if  you had yours yet at that time yet but your cool headed thoughts about the matter made it an easy buy for me.  I've NEVER regretted buying a 6k and I've enjoyed it like no other pda/device in it's class that I've ever had or seen.  What this means to ME is that you're personally third in line for the person(s) who most greatly increased my quality of life in the last 12 months. For that I'm grateful beyond words.

Your Friend,
-NeuroShock
Dan

[adf]

Glad you found the info useful.  Pepperpad, I think has put out a dev kit.  Might not be too hard to port stuff, as it is a pxa 270.