Zaurus 6000 pulled out of USA

[speculatrix]

http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/5438.html

a sad day for anyone outside Japan.

"Facing stiff competition and low sales, a Sharp representative has informed infoSync World that the company has decided to fully withdraw its Zaurus SL line of Linux-based handhelds from the US market and focus on its home market in Japan. The company will be selling through remaining SL-6000 handhelds already produced and will continue to offer support and service for existing products, but will not be producing or selling additional units or models in the United States. The Zaurus line will continue to be sold in Japan, where different models have been available and have sold much better than in other markets."

[zaurusbs]

Maybe this was already here, but i just saw it:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-5419588.html
from ZDNet.
For what it's worth, every device I've ever really liked was discontinued at some point. I don't just mean taken off the market for an upgraded model, I mean finished, shut down. First Sony, now Sharp. Oh well.

[sigmaX]

I've got an elitist theory on this: Common people are essentially mediocre, actually comprised of those persons that BARELY know how to use technology, but got the money to buy it ("Oh my god I have to change my computer because my HD is full", "OH! A virus broke my computer, I have to trash it away... Now how do I read all those misterious emails that I was receiving ?").

They buy PC. They buy cheap. They respond to what mass market offers. The trick is to offer them something low cost, where usually creativity / technology is at its lowest denominator, as a NON essential part of the deal.

From time to time, there is an invention counterparting this: Like the Commodore AMIGA, or the ZAURUS / HIDDEN KEYBOARD / CLAMSHELL / UNIX, (or eventually UNIX ITSELF) designed for tweaking and for creative minds, with creative concepts. You can detect these products because usually got an individual or group of individuals behind, the (nowadays rare enough) INVENTORS:  Sir Clive Sinclair (for the ZX SPECTRUM in England), Jay Miner for Commodore Amiga (this guy was essential in other inventions, related to medical world), Linux Torvald (ehem), etc.

I would like to know WHO (or WHAT TEAM) is behind Sharp Zaurus. I am sure it is NOT an obscure 200 engineers team doing small pieces each one, ONLY,  but rather one or two BRILLIANT minds seeing the big picture, technical and eventually in marketing (although probably the real marketing people didn´t listen to them, and actually closed the line).

The mass market owners (read eventually MICROSOFT, COMPAQ/HP, DELL/ CHINESE LAPTOP MANUFACTURERS, or WHATEVER) ADOPT some of the technology depicted from these outstanding products and applies (usually small bits of it) in their forthcoming products (even NOW I can depict some "Commodore Amiga" technology here and there, call me a lunatic if you want

We shall see the clamshell design in phones, etc. (although the clamshell design is NOT sharp invention, I assume, but clever application of it into a handheld device. I also would like to know if -prior to C700 model, there where already tabletPC with clamshell design)

Whatever  Dont take this too seriously and excuse my poor english.

[zii]

I was just wondering if the US government didn't like people running anonymously around the world on small linux running wifi PDAs with their own compilers

Just my conspitacy therory.

[aarons]

Phew.  I just received my zaurus 6000 yesterday.  I tried ordering one from pcconnection but they said they were backordered, then I called to check on teh status and they informed me their distributor wasn't going to carry them anymore.

So I called cdw and they had a few in a warehouse.  

I love this thing.  So far my only complaint is that the tkcjabber client doesn't work, and gaim isn't built for the vga display.  Does anyone know how to fix that?

[Omicron]

Couple of related interesting threads going on in nthe Deals Forum.  Worth taking a look if you are in the market.

Amazon Selling 6000L for $449 with 128MB SD card. (was originally going for $399, but raised price).

Of interest to non-USA buyers....Ebayer sellers are now selling the 6000L with international shipping at close to Amazon price, but shipping outside USA can get pricey. USA Buyers  might be able to squeek out a few extra bucks in exchange for 128MB SD card.