Comparison Sl-3k Vs Dell Axim

[OttoAcuna]

I am thinking on buying a new handheld, but I would like to know your opinion on the differences in capacity between a SL-3K and one of the new generation windows handhelds.

Of course, I obviously know one is linux and very configurable and the other not, but beyond this, on a day to day tasks stuff, what do I gain from using the zaurus. I like from the new axim that has BT and wireless integrated. I dislike that it is not a clamshell.

Any thoughts? I am not asking for flames by asking this on a linux forum, just curious from a business user point of view and I know that the users on the forum have much more experience with this machines.

I currently have a SL-5500 and like it a lot, but find kind of hard to be carring around all the adapters.

Regards from the Tropics

Otto
San Jose, Costa Rica

[Sna]

What i can say is that
Windows machines are more pim oriented, and are smarter to synchronize, with many programs, but some are commercial, and no porting possible for an existing windows application
in top of that the configuration of the OS is a little too limited, and the functionalities also.
in term of hardware, the clamshel device is more confortable to carry if you need all time a keyboard (you have to carry it separately for an Axim)

ok now for the Zaurus
the pim is not too bad, but can be better, the machine is more oriented mini-pc. You have also a lot of programs but the majority of them are ports of existing open-source applications on linux, then are free
Porting of existing linux applications is possible for a Zaurus
in top of that the OS itself can be easily configured for each setting you want (maybe the setting is in a old good text file, but it exist) and even the OS can be changed for a full linux distro with openoffice and all the normal stuff

so yes, the zaurus is a powerfull machine, but some times you have to tweak some things to use your Z at his maximum

hope this helps

[bluedevils]

well I have owned a few Zs and an hp rx3115.  I have also seen a friend's dell x50v.  As a *nix guy I don't find the pocketpc as intuitive.

The one expected irk is that you will have to pay for a decent PIM or filemanager or any other program.  I find there are good pims (kopi/kapi) and filemanagers that are free or cost much less on the Z.

I use my 760 as a pda, streaming music player, IM, picture and movie player, word and spreadsheet editor/viewer before I use the *nix stuff (apache,iptables,perl,rdesktop,vnc,serial console to sun machines,bash scripting,ssh,etc...).  The only thing I see the windows stuff having an advantage is seamless and easy sync with outlook.  I sync with kde on gentoo (more like replicate) so it is a non issue for me.

The main thing is to use the cacko rom for stability.

Hardware wise, it is kind of nice having wifi and bluetooth built in.  I find bluetooth to have limited value unless you plan to use DUN, but it is so slow anyways.  Plopping in and carrying around a small wifi card is a very minor issue.  If you get the 4GB Zs, then carrying CF storage becomes less of an issue.

[kahm]

Windows Pocket PC or WinCE or whatever they're calling it these days looks nice and works well, so long as you never touch anything. Proper VGA support is spotty, rotating the screen can cause issues, and the software is about as flexible as your average brick. Not to mention the horrible lack of a keyboard!

OTOH, the built in connectivity is nice, there's lots of software out there as long as you don't mind paying for it, and it synchronizes well with windows and outlook. (So long as Activesync, which can be a very annoying piece of software, even in its latest versions, isn't feeling cranky.)

If you want software that *just works* for PIM, go for Palm. Palm's networking software, like web-browsing, sucks pretty harshly though.

In short:

Palm's hardware is Okay, Pim is great, web sucks, poor flexibility.
MS's hardware is great, Pim is okay, web is okay, okay flexibility.
Z's hardware is great for different reasons than MS's, Pim sucks, web is great, great flexibility.

That's my take on things. I'm a geek, so I completely abandoned over 5 years of using a Palm the instant I got my 860. I've tried Microsoft based PDA's repeatedly over the years and I've never once been satisfied with the stability or usability.

[adf]

wow.. that was pretty mellow.

You never mentioned what you want the thing to do, did you?  
It might be that the axim is just the thing...
Or more likely that a smartphone will do it (there is a good variety available--even some clamshells)
DO you want a tiny, pocketsized pc? A pim? A communications device? a media player? max flexibility?
Also there are z6ks still available (no adapter needed) and the new 3100's.

[Da_Blitz]

I recently had the axim x30 before switching to the c3k

for multimedia, the x50v cannot be beaten, as you can playback 640*480 Xvid conetnet @ 1.5Mb/s with the processor clocked at 208Mhz, so you will actually get 4 hours of batterylife

with both the x30 and the c3k i had to clock it up to 624Mhz which would drain the battery in no time (90% cpu usage on the x30), so if its media you are after the x50v is you best bet (espesially with the vga out of the 2700g)

if your a heavy user of linux at home then i would go with the c3k. for me it was alot more stable as i had to reset the x30 on a daily basis, this wasent windows hoever but started happening when i installed ANY software to the pda and you get use to it so its no biggy as it reboots in about 10seconds (unliike the c3k)

if you are doing typing on the move (like in a cab) dont even consider the dells but go with the c3k as it is immposible to type with the onscreen keyboard when moving, i use to think i would damadge the screen because i would hit it so hard with the stylis

for the x50 adding a microdrive severly decreses the battery life as the c3k's has extra capacity to 'compinsate' for the power draw, althogh it does have built in wifi so you dont need the slot

for me the c3k is a no brainer, but if youre not up to speed on linux, play media or need things like wpa or special software from your company for encrytption/mail then the x30/x50 would be a better choice

as a final note there is a linux port bieng worked on for both the x30 and x50 (with x50v support) on handhelds.org

[Jonathan]

I have both the C3000 and the latest Dell Axim x50v.  

I wrote a short summary of differences (from my point of view) on another thread here:

C3000 vs Dell x50v

A couple of months on from that post I use the C3000 every day and the x50v stays in its cradle.  I only use the x50v for a GPS receiver for long journeys in the car - better than the C3000 for this job.  Quite frankly the Windows OS is so incredibly limiting and annoying - not to mention the expensive software you need to buy to make it useful - that I get kindof angry using it.  Lack of keyboard is also real downer - although I have the nice-enough BT foldup keyboard, it's a pain to carry.  

If the C3000 died and I needed to use the x50v on a daily basis I'd probably rush out and pick up a C1000.  

Hope that helps,

Jonathan.