Zaurus Replacement?

[adf]

hmmmm.

I think things are not all that grim. The tendency of computer technology is to get smaller, cheaper and faster. I think a simple evolutionary model will result in chaeper compact computers in the not too distant future... as in cheaper oqo type stuff in a few years.

In the meantime, the zaurus is very good. Open embedded seems to making progress, embdebian is stirring.

a lowpowered handheld small gadget that runs linux and is ..say a 6000w clamshell.. probably won't happen -though i'd buy one if it did- before other technology changes the ground of the discussion.

I mean.. why not think in terms aof wearable devices.. maybe with an eye movement input/output monacle for a portable interface and a docking plug of somekind for desktop use?  

Is that any more outrageous a thought than a Z6000 would have been 10 years ago (when the pentium 100 & and win95 was king)?


sorry.. just had to get fututristic for a moment

[speculatrix]

when I said "we put a fund together", that'd mean at least 500 of us would cough up US$100 each, i.e. $50000 in order for them to take us seriously. If any member of the community won the

$50,000 fan-money for a product whose development costs run into the millions?
Marketing... production... etc...
You're talking probably a few orders of magnitude difference.
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I'm talking about raising 50k to get Sharp to produce a lightly modified version of the C3000, not a totally new machine. Or to get HTC to release enough specs on the MDA-IV to allow porting linux to it.

Yeah, if you want a totally new machine, your first call is to a cellular company and persuade them to place an order for 10,000 linux based smartphone PDAs.

[adf]

If we could agree on the specs of the zaurus mods and the specs of the escrow I'd do it.

the thing is... what are the light mods we would all agree on?  

assume a 1k/3k base , as you said. ..then... what?  

more flash-- cheap and easy, I think (lobby for 256megs?)
Bluetooth--I think it is also cheap and easy
More ram --cheap and easy--also 256 megs?.
onboard wireless (is g possible without to much trouble?)--cheap and easy

2nd cf slot and no microdrive?  (maybe put access inside the battery compartment to save exterior redesign?)

higher clock speed?

How seriously difficult and expensive would using the 6k screen be?

What would you guys change/add/remove? How much would we be willing to pay for the device described above? how long would these specs stay current..before we want something else?

I doubt sharp will make even this... but i'd gamble 100 bucks stuck in escrow for a little while to try it.

[ev1l]

Nokia just annouced new models with expanded multimedia capacity, including one with a microdrive and a 2MP camera

[nathanwms]

If we could agree on the specs of the zaurus mods and the specs of the escrow I'd do it.

the thing is... what are the light mods we would all agree on? 

assume a 1k/3k base , as you said. ..then... what? 

more flash-- cheap and easy, I think (lobby for 256megs?)
Bluetooth--I think it is also cheap and easy
More ram --cheap and easy--also 256 megs?.
onboard wireless (is g possible without to much trouble?)--cheap and easy

2nd cf slot and no microdrive?  (maybe put access inside the battery compartment to save exterior redesign?)

higher clock speed?

How seriously difficult and expensive would using the 6k screen be?

What would you guys change/add/remove? How much would we be willing to pay for the device described above? how long would these specs stay current..before we want something else?

I doubt sharp will make even this... but i'd gamble 100 bucks stuck in escrow for a little while to try it.
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I believe many of the specs you mention will be in the next generation zaurii in the not to distant future.  Wifi hotspots are growing all across Japan and being made available to those who commute by train.  Voip is catching on quickly as is streaming video.  

All of these things mean that future Zaurus models will likely have faster processors, possibly even companion chips for graphic/video (Intel 2700G?), built-in wifi to allow users to still use their phone network card in the CF slot but be able to take advantage of a wifi hotspot without removing cards, better screens for video viewing in any light conditions, even more storage for the space hungry video files.

I would like to see Sharp push the envelope even more than they have, but there is a lot of money to be made in incremental upgrades, especially when the competition isn't producing these super handhelds either.

[davidmcnaught16]

Now, what I'm going to say is a bit silly, and would probably be way too expensive etc, but I enjoy thinking about it anyway:  Why not buy out Sony's old Clie division and make a great PDA?

I used to own a Sony Clie NX80v - amazing device, extremely well built (Lovely Magnesium rather than tacky Zaurus and other PDA's plastic!), had good features (Camera, microphone, Music controller etc) and had good hardware and battery life.

I don't have a clue about Sony's structure, how they manufacture etc, but as they have stopped making PDA's, could they sell off that division of their company?

Basically, I would love a decent clamshell mini-laptop PDA running Linux, so something like my current C860 but with features more than 'screen and keyboard', and maybe a bit smaller.

If the Clie NX80v was made landscape with good keyboard, improved screen (Like C860/1000/3000's, maybe wider), add Wifi (Maybe bluetooth) and Linux, and you've pretty much got my perfect PDA. (I thought the UX50 was my dream PDA, until I had it and realised it was rubbish compared to the NX80v or Zaurus C860, but it was very small!).

The NX80v was Xscale based, so adding 400-600Mhz processor, bluetooth and Wifi would be fairly easy I guess.  This PDA would not be cheap, but could probably cost a similar price to a C3000 if made in large enough quantities.  If I had the money, and it was possible, I'd buy Sony's old Clie division and make a wikid cool PDA!