Ah...Softmap 5 in Akihabara. You were there last fall huh ? Tell me, did they ever get around to wiping up the gallon or two of drool I must have left behind there last spring ?
I'm pretty sure there was still some left in the corners when I was there in October. Not that I helped the situation any - I probably lost 5lbs in water weight in the various Sofmap's that I visited.
That being said, Sofmap is rather expensive for new items. I get my C1k's at a place called "Naniwadenki" for ~43000Y new, rather than ~50000Y. Getting used might not be a bad idea.
More of exactly the kind of user perspective I love when I'm making a purchase choice.
(I know the format of the respones I'm going to write is usually indicitive of a rebutal. Rest assured I am simply responding in an organized manner)
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This is actually a real concern of mine, as I'll be in Japan for a year trying to learn to speak Japanese (actually I already can sort of speak it, but I never get any practice so I'm abysmal at it. I will now though...). But as you say it has some built in stuff, and Effy-CJK 3.0 can be had for less than $50. So I suppose that is a blow for the 760...
You may want to check the Japanese HOWTO at
http://www.cacko.biz in regards to the 860's Japanese software and how to get it.
The extra 16mhz... 'meh'...the improved instruction set however is a bit of a draw. The usb host is (in 80's jargon) RAD...but I honestly don't think I'd use it much (I could be wrong). The improved kernal is also a bit of a draw, can the stock rom from the C1000 be applied to the C760 ?
Sharp doesn't use a 2.6 kernel. The Cxk's use kernel 2.4.20. There's no way you can use the C1000 rom on the Cx60s.
I already have *most* of the accessories I really need. The headphone remote has always been tempting, but as I prepared to sell my 5500 I picke dup an RCA Lyra for cheap off ebay and I've been using that lately for my MP3's. It's not at all competetive with even mediocre stand alone MP3 players out there, but I'm getting used to it, so I probably won't cave on that. I have my WIFI card (unless someone knows of a Kismet compatible CF card with an MC Card jack...) and I have a 1GB CF Flash card for movies. For apps and some MP3s I've got one or two 256mb SD cards lying around. If they cheapen down in the next few months I'll go ahead and pick up a 512mb. The case you mention however I will defenitely be on the lookout for. I'll probably also pick up a Semson battery extender since they are cheap and compact.
The remotes for the Z's are great - It lets me completely replace my MP3 player, as well as my Palm and Laptop
The Cxk remote changed the way some of the buttons work in comparison to the Cx60 remote. I'm going to track down the kernel patch that deals with the remote and change it back, because the old one was better. (The buttons are exactly the same layout - they've just changed the positions of Stop and Play, as well as FF and RW were reversed. )
For a battery extender, check out the Pelican Powerbrick for the PSP. ~3700mAh rechargeable pack for ~$20US. The PSP takes the same powersupply as the Z.
Most people seem to like the C1000 keyboard for it's less membraneous feel, and if true I would prefer that as well. I'd also head the beveled edges of the Cx000 duo give them a tighter feel when closed. Weight doesn't bother me too much. Kind of ironic, I vastly prefer the d-pad concept to the seperate arrow buttons, but if I get into gaming a bitmore and the center button does something it could get mightey annoying indeed. Good points though...lots to consider in that paragraph...
The keyboard on the Cxks is definitely better than the Cx60's. It has a nicer feel, better appearance, and a dedicated control key. The D-Pad is also *much* better for gaming than the arrow keys on the Cx60 could ever be - the center button isn't really an issue.
Well, I haven't bought anything yet. I'd be interested to see how others who maybe own both respond to your notes here. But you are right, bottom line price is big factor and I am not rich. If I would simply walk into a store tommorrow and chose between the two and the 760 were $350 while the C1000 was $600. I'd probably go with the 760. I'll just have to see. I've got so many toys that I can't play with them all , so a bunch are going to eBay within the week. I estimate I should get anywhere from $300 to maybe $700 the market being as fickle as it is. That will play a big role in what I can spend on this purchase.
My take on the Cx60 vs Cxk issue is thus:
For the extra money for a Cxk (And in the case of the C1000, this isn't much), you get the USB host, better keyboard, bigger and newer battery (which may matter with an older used device, given the ~2yr half-life of Lithium Ion), and a current unit. The Cx60s are currently better supported, but they aren't being made any more and video performance is being held back by the ATIW100 video chip. There have been software updates in the last week or so for a WMMX (Wireless MMX - a feature of the newer processor) enabled video player that, even in this early stage, allowed for 640x480 video on the Cxk. I expect that, once things are polished off, the CxK video performance is going to absolutely destroy the Cx60's.
On the down side, the CxK roms aren't quite done yet (But very close. The rom for the C3k is in Beta, and Maslovsky is working on the C1k. There's an alpha OE/Opie Rom as well). Plus, the new units are a little larger and heavier, but their ergnomics are better, and button placement (like the power button) are more intelligent. The C860 design with the large battery cover was a complete hack, and it shows. The CxKs are better designed and better fitting.
My vote is squarely on the side of the CxK rather than the Cx60.
And yeah...as soon as I have cash in hand, even though I say I have almost everything I need...the pimping out will likely ensue..
One other minor note might be that if I buy the 760 in japan I'll have to anglocize it myself...not *too* hard based on the internet instructions I see, but one more thing to think about...
It is *very* easy to do. If you do get an Cx60, check out Cacko w/Japanese, as per the Howto I mentioned earlier. A fully English translated ROM that looks good and works better, with complete Japanese functionality for your studies.
Many thanks 'Tetron' for some mighty tasty food for thought !
Oh yeah, which battery does the 760 have stock (see the mental pimping-out has already begun)?
I believe the 760 comes with the large battery. It was the Black-Screened 750 that had the smaller battery.
Hope some of that long-winded mess helps.