Should I Buy C3000 From Japan Or Here (usa)

[perseus]

Hi Guys,

I am currently the happy owner of the SL6000. I have had this baby for 3 months now. I am a newbie and have started reading about linux and just recently managed to install suse on my fujitsu s6120 laptop. I still am not able to print and have not figured out the battery settings and power management for when I close the lid. That topic is for another forum though. So here is my dilema:

I love the Sl6000. My only problem is that it is rather big as I carry it everywhere. I want to either keep it for home use, as a tablet internet connection as I have been doing for 3 months now or sell to someone and make them happy for a change. It is in excellent condition. I have had a screen protector since day one. I keep it wraped in one of those cammera soft cloths with velcro corners since I have not been able to find a case. This arrangement works rather well in combination with a small messenger bag. I take very good care of my toys!

I am lusting over the C3000. My boyfriend is in Japan until Monday and I am debating on having him bring me this toy back. Will there be something with built in wireless I should hold out for? Will I save a lot of money by buying it in Japan? Is it better to buy it from an importer like Dynamism in case there is a problem with the unit? I have had numerous palm pilots and pocket pcs and have never had any manufacturing defects and or problems. Plus, I tend to replace these gadgets in 6 moths to a year, and last but not least.. How difficult is it to convert to English. I have read some forums and seems like it should not be too difficult, but do not forget I am a Zaurus Newbie.

Thanks for tanking the time to read and reply.

[totsubo]

Just in case you *do* decide on having your boyfriend by you a C3000 Laox in Akihabara is having a special sale. 59,800 for a C3000 if you sign up for there AirH" (Air Edge) dial-up service. But since you are not in Japan it would be a useless service plus they probably won't even let you sign up for it

One block down on the corner though is a cell-phone/pda shop that sells the C3000. I was able to negotiate the price down to 70,000.

Bic Camera sells it for 78,800 and if you buy over the Internet (maybe even if you buy in the store and pay cash) you 15% points. But again if you don't live in Japan that might not be worth if.

I just got my C3000 last week and so far am having fun. Switching it to english was not hard and I even got to keep the japanese input method and dictionary to stay.

I just installed a new Linux kernel last night and it works fine. I even have it overclocked and so far no problems!

Now I can just hope that a new windowing manager for the C3000 will come out. Qt is nice but...

[perseus]

Thanks totsubo.

I will have my boyfriend negotiate the best price. I just sent him an email with various prices on line. I have seen on the travel channel that vendors will often times negotiate better prices for their gadgets if you tell them you saw it somewhere else much cheaper or if you tell them you are going some where else. They are eager to make the sale. Although, I do not know this for a fact since I have never been to Japan.  Does the ac adapter work in the US also or do I need to pick something else up?

[totsubo]

don't know about the adapter. search the archives but i have a feeling it should work. i can check what the specs are when i get home tonit.

As for negotiating the price you are absolutely right. Thats how i got the shop on the corner to go down. But that is not a rule per se. This store was asking full retail price so it was obvious they could do better. Especially when i pointed out the place two stores over was cheaper.

[loopy29]

I don't think a Japanese adapter will work in the US. That's why many online retailers such as conics ship with American or worldwide adapters.

[TRIsoft]

Perseus,

i have a few more hints to add:

You should always think about the possibility of a repair.
If you buy a device in a japanese shop, you're LOST !
They won't accept repair shippings because they don't
have a clue how to send it back to you. Also it's not possible
to send a device to SHARP Japan for repair if you're outside
Japan.

If you buy a device in Japan or from a japanese dealer,
do yourself a favor and buy a SHARP EA-70S ac adaptor.
Don't try to use the EA-72 100V type in the US. It will work
for a while, but you may face a destroyed charger
electronic soon.

There's a lot more, but these are the _really_ important
points to have in mind.

///TRIsoft

Marc Stephan

[mammothrept]

If you are buying in Japan, I would go to that 'store on the corner.'  The sign atop the store says Sharp and in smaller letters it says Cyberspot (www.cyberspot.co.jp).  The company's real name appears to be Nishimura.  That is what is on their business cards and the credit card receipt for my Z.  If you buy there, it would help to have some Japanese language ability or at least a Japanese speaking companion.  Not absolutely necessary but useful.

Another interesting option if you are in the country is pricejapan.com   They seem to have the lowest price anywhere.  They speak Engllish and have a purchasing service for tourists staying in Japan and will get you gadget for a few per cent over the lowest widely available retail price.  I suspect they are supplementing their 3 per cent commission with whatever the kickback is on the frequent buyer membership cards available at places like Yodabashi Camera or Laox.  (Nothing dishonest about this).

Again, if you are shopping in Akihabara, check out Mobile-senka for accessories.  Little 6th floor shop for pda accessories.  Here is a map; http://www.wolf.ne.jp/tokyo.html

If you are not in Japan, screw the cost savings and buy from one of the repackers like Trisoft, Conics or Dynamism.  A Zaurus is wonderful but too expensive to buy without access to technical support if you muck it up.

Perseus,

i have a few more hints to add:

You should always think about the possibility of a repair.
If you buy a device in a japanese shop, you're LOST !
They won't accept repair shippings because they don't
have a clue how to send it back to you. Also it's not possible
to send a device to SHARP Japan for repair if you're outside
Japan.

If you buy a device in Japan or from a japanese dealer,
do yourself a favor and buy a SHARP EA-70S ac adaptor.
Don't try to use the EA-72 100V type in the US. It will work
for a while, but you may face a destroyed charger
electronic soon.

There's a lot more, but these are the _really_ important
points to have in mind.

///TRIsoft

Marc Stephan
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[perseus]

Thanks for all the really good input guys.

I am now having second thoughts about buying it in Japan. I do have an sl6000 that came with an EA-70 power adapter. Does anyone know if this adapter will work on the C3000?

I just checked out dynamism and it seems like the price of the unit could go well beyond $900 perhaps even hit the $1000 mark after tax and shipping, plus I do not know if the adapter is sold seperately. It sure looks that way. Could some one give me an idea of how much they paid if they bought it there.

Also, my main concern is not sending back to Japan in case of repair. My main concern is converting to English. I do not plan to install any other rom, at least not right away, plus I do not think there is one available yet. I will mainly use the sharp rom with some compatible software
that I should test on my SL6000 first, and web browsing.

My experience with high tech gadgets has been really good. I have always taken very good care of them and have never had the need to call the manufacturer and or ship to them. However,
this is a japanese unit and anything could happen. Further more, I like new technology and will possibly be looking at something else in about six months to a year.

A little help guys... What do you guys think I should do? If I do not buy now I will probably have to wait several months to save some more hard earned cash.

Thanks again.

[bluedevils]

The clamshell *is* much better to carry around as a PDA, but I am also having trouble because my out of warranty 760 has a broken sound module.  I'm currently waiting for the next model Z and I will buy from a company proven to support the Z's repairs in and out of warranty.  I don't mean that they would provide the service for free, but will provide a service to help get it repaired.  Currently, I'm weighing whether it is worth to get my cousin's in-laws in japan to help out.

[fastscirocco]

The clamshell *is* much better to carry around as a PDA, but I am also having trouble because my out of warranty 760 has a broken sound module.  I'm currently waiting for the next model Z and I will buy from a company proven to support the Z's repairs in and out of warranty.  I don't mean that they would provide the service for free, but will provide a service to help get it repaired.  Currently, I'm weighing whether it is worth to get my cousin's in-laws in japan to help out.
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I have been thinking about buying a C3000 from www.pricejapan.com

I'm confused if the ac adapter that comes with it is correct for US use.
This is what they say about accesories:

"1. Sharp SL-C3000 comes with battery (EA-BL11), AC adapter: EA-72 (only for 100-120 volt), touch-pen(attached to SL-C3000), protection card, USB cable, CD-ROM, Users manual (written in Japanese language), warranty card.

2. Its original power adapter is only for 100-120 volt.
If you want universal voltage adapter,
we recommend FPS-101E1(price is US$40: in stock)

3. additional SL-C3000 Spare Battery(EA-BL11): $98
SL-C3000 Stand-alone Battery Charger(CE-BC22): $69
CE-RH2 (Stereo headphones with remote control):$72

4. We don't sell Wireless LAN card, as Sharp does not release it."



Now as for repair, they say the following:
 About Warranty.

Warranty is valid only in Japan for 1 year. It is not valid in your country.
International warranty or more than 1 year warranty will NOT be applied.
When machines need warrant repair, you should send machines to makers in Japan, via us.
Shipping cost of Item's round trip will be your burden(roughly $150-300 in case of projectors)
For first year after your purchase, our fee for item's repair in Japan is zero.
After 1 year warranty passes, we can serve as agent for repair in Japan.
( In latter case, our fee is $50 plus with actual repair costs.)


So pricejapan is still looking good to me, ahas nybody else here purchased their C3000 from them pricejapan?

[Streamline]

The best adapter to use for the C3000 is the Ea-70s in the US/Europe this is a Sharp adapter. These come with our units as a standard. http://www.streamlinecpus.com . When purchasing your Zaurus whether it be a c3000 or what have you make sure you are getting what you pay for there are many retailers out there for these now all with different offerings its always good to research the company's a bit and get the best deal for your needs as everyones needs are different.

[kahm]

I've got an EA-72 with my 860, and it works fine here in Canada. I also use EA-70s that I got with my 5xxx Zaurii, and I've also used the power adapters from my Compaq 3600s, as they have the same voltage, polarity, and tip.

The EA-70s are the nicest, though. They don't have a big brick at the end of the cord - they come in 2 pieces with the brick in the middle and a regular plug on the end. Very nice for plugging in to crowded powerbars.

One thing that you should have your boyfriend do is look for accessories! Get the Pilot Pentopia Extensible Stylus for the Z(About ~1500Yen @ Sofmap when I was there in October) - hands down the best stylus I've seen for the Z, and they don't seem to be available anywhere else. Last I looked they weren't even listed on the Pentopia website.

Looking for a case may not be a bad idea, either.

[speculatrix]

I am now having second thoughts about buying it in Japan. I do have an sl6000 that came with an EA-70 power adapter. Does anyone know if this adapter will work on the C3000?

I think you're getting a little paranoid. Sharp stuff is pretty reliable - most problems on this forum seem to be people using bad power supplies - reversed polarity, or re-flashing carelessly.

Is your boyfriend going to be going back to Japan at any time? Then he can take it back if you're incredibly unlucky enough to have a faulty one. He can also test it as much as possible whilst there - my experiences of electronics tends to be that they either fail out of the box, or fail in hours of use.

You would be saving enough money to almost buy two, so what I would do is buy two, keep one spare for a month until the other proven, then sell spare on ebay! If one breaks not totally, it'll still be worth more just for salvage than you paid for it in Japan.

Also, perseus,  would you boyfriend be available to buy any more on behalf of those of us on this forum :-)

[perseus]

Thanks for all your help guys. I did get a little paranoid about breaking this beauty and then having to fly to Japan for repair. All because I wanted to save a little cash and have it by Monday. I agree with the fact that Sharp makes some wonderful devices and the quality of their products shows.

My poor boyfriend is in Japan, equipped with an HP2215 with Japanese software (I know windows - oh the horror!) trying to communicate with vendors that do not speak English. He told me that he has had a hard time communicating much less negotiating a better price. He also tells me that there are so many gadgets there I would go nuts! So the final price he could come up with is 66,000 Yen, which sounds very tempting......

However, I called Dynamism this morning and got them to lower their price a bit... I highly recommend Dynamism if anyone out there is still looking for a place to buy this baby! So I get a US adapter, 1 year warranty, unlimited tech support, and English Conversion. I will have it by Wednesday. So next week I will have an SL6000 in great - almost new condition for sale if anyone is interested.

My boyfriend found me a nice leather case and he is presently looking for screen protectors and the pentopia stylus someone suggested.
All in all, I am very happy....

Thanks guys!

[fastscirocco]

However, I called Dynamism this morning and got them to lower their price a bit... I highly recommend Dynamism if anyone out there is still looking for a place to buy this baby! So I get a US adapter, 1 year warranty, unlimited tech support, and English Conversion. I will have it by Wednesday. So next week I will have an SL6000 in great - almost new condition for sale if anyone is interested.

I am trying to make up my mind regarding what Zaurus to get and where to get it.
So if you don't mind I have some questions:

1. How much did Dynamism end up charging you for the C3000?
2. What AC adapter comes with it from Dynamism?
3. Did you ever consider pricejapan?
4. How much will you want for your SL6000?

Thanks