Is It Really Worth It?

[Armagon]

Greetings,

I now have my heart set on a C1000.  I've compared prices (and warranties/services), done research, etc, and I've finally costed it all out.  To get a C1000, SD card, case, screen protector, and pay the import fees and taxes ... costs almost as much as a new desktop computer [and is twice as much as I was hoping to pay when I was thinking of getting a 5600]!

Yikes.  That's a lot of money.  

I want it.  And if I actually use it to do all the things I want to do with it it'll be worth it.  But if I don't actually use it, it's not worth it.  [And, alas, I've spent money on things before that I still hope to get around to using Someday Real Soon Now™.]

Man, it looks like a great device.  With continuing development and USB host capabilities, it ought to be future proof.  And, ammortized over a year, it'd cost less than half of my transit passes [and help fill the two hour commute each day.]

OTOH, that's a lot of money; far more than my birthday and Christmas should cost.

Sigh.  So, my question is, have you found your C1000 to be worth it?  Would you make the choice to buy one again?  [I presume that other of you are frugal and have other obligations ...]

[Of course, another question that needs to be asked is, would anyone be frequenting this forum who would realistically answer the question with a "no"?  But then, it is probably impossible to find an unbiased group who knows what a C1000 is.]


Thanks for your thoughts,
Armagon

[bam]

short answer, yes.

[ThirtyOne]

For what you want to do with it, why not get a C760.  I love mine.  It does everything on your list.  And they can be had used on this site for a couple of hundred less than the C1000.

[Meanie]

well, I got a C3000 and C3100 which are not exactly C1000 but similar and more expensive. I thought the extra internal disk is worth the extra money. Heck, I need that extra space as you might soon realise once you got happy with your C1000. There is so much you can load into your Zaurus and that's why you will need extra space. If you got the money, I would go for the C3100 instead rather than the C1000. Honestly, the Zaurus is not that expensive. I initially got the C3000 but later on also bought the C3100 cause I think they are worth it. If you think they are expensive, then have a look at an OQO. It costs four times as much as the Zaurus but I am still going to get one of those eventually when they become available for people outside the US.

[champagnierle]

Heck, I need that extra space as you might soon realise once you got happy with your C1000.
If you think they are expensive, then have a look at an OQO.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=102911\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Hi all,
I recently bought a C1000. If you add a fat SD and a fat CF card I think you might not run into that much trouble regarding disk space.

Is a Zaurus worth its money? I bought mine in Germany. Not that cheap. But it's like a watch. Once you are used to it you will feel naked without. I'm really glad about the keyboard. You are that fast entering new dates and so on... It's not a PC keyboard and fast is relative but when you just want something not to forget I would really suggest a clamshell.

Greats

Marc
P.S.: @Armagon: where are you from?

[chiark]

One thing I'd counsel you to do before shelling out: check you can live with the form factor especially due to the weighting you give the keyboard.

I am still finding the 1000 slightly too small to use as easily as I'd like, both in terms of screen size but, more importantly, keyboard.  Sure, I can add an external keyboard, but that's more to carry.

I got my 1000 including case and wifi card for $350 shipped off ebay; keep looking as you might get a similar deal, or go for a cheap 760 as meanie says.

[Armagon]

P.S.: @Armagon: where are you from?

I'm in Canada, in one of the suburbs of Vancouver.  [I just updated my contact info to reflect this.]

One thing I'd counsel you to do before shelling out: check you can live with the form factor especially due to the weighting you give the keyboard.[div align=\"right\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Chiark,

how can I check?  I'd love to give it a try before I buy it.  They don't sell any here, and I don't know anyone here who has one [and there is only one post in the Vancouver regional board on this site.]  Are there any other PDAs with a similar form factor I could try?

Part of the reason I'm going for a clamshell is they sound like they have keyboards that are useful (not as useful as a PC's, but more useful than the non-clamshell's, or a Blackberry's.)

---

Spending this much money (and it is a lot to me), I would like the device to last for quite a while (say, be useful in five years.)  My current thought is that with the USB connection, the C1000 trumps the C700 in terms of being extensible.  Although, maybe that's not something I really need.

I don't think I'm going to buy a c3100.  My hope is that I can always add an external micro HDD at a later point (if I need one) to the C1000, and thus defer (or avoid) that cost.

Also, with my first one, I'm expecting that a [a href=\"https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=15928]good warranty[/url] and service policy is useful.  I know I could save $100 US going with PriceJapan or GeekStuff4U, but I think I will sleep better at night getting one from StreamlineCPUs.  [Certainly, I hope never to use a warranty!]

Armagon

[nilch]

For what you want to do with it, why not get a C760.  I love mine.  It does everything on your list.  And they can be had used on this site for a couple of hundred less than the C1000.
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True the C760 will be less costly and do most of the functions - but again the MAIN MAJOR plus of the C1000 and above series is the USB HOST.
That single thing made me sell my 5500 / C750 together to buy a C1000.

And boy does it come useful ? Most other people have stuff on USB sticks, so when I can just pull out my Zaurus and say connect their USB stick to read off files they want to share with me or copy over some of my work to them - they are amazed and quite frankly, so am I. Previosuly I would have need to be in front of a computer to do that.

I alos plugged in a 20GB HDD (the portable type) and that gives me everything I can carry in one portable pack. So think about it.

About long life sustenance - I have been using my Zaurus - 5500 - C750 and now the C1000 for nearly 3 years on - and I cant imagine being without it for data and the portable power. As it gets older - it becomes like a old friend - you can depend on.

[GadgetGuy]

P.S.: @Armagon: where are you from?

I'm in Canada, in one of the suburbs of Vancouver.  [I just updated my contact info to reflect this.]

One thing I'd counsel you to do before shelling out: check you can live with the form factor especially due to the weighting you give the keyboard.[div align=\"right\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Chiark,

how can I check?  I'd love to give it a try before I buy it.  They don't sell any here, and I don't know anyone here who has one [and there is only one post in the Vancouver regional board on this site.]  Are there any other PDAs with a similar form factor I could try?

Part of the reason I'm going for a clamshell is they sound like they have keyboards that are useful (not as useful as a PC's, but more useful than the non-clamshell's, or a Blackberry's.)

---

Spending this much money (and it is a lot to me), I would like the device to last for quite a while (say, be useful in five years.)  My current thought is that with the USB connection, the C1000 trumps the C700 in terms of being extensible.  Although, maybe that's not something I really need.

I don't think I'm going to buy a c3100.  My hope is that I can always add an external micro HDD at a later point (if I need one) to the C1000, and thus defer (or avoid) that cost.

Also, with my first one, I'm expecting that a [a href=\"https://www.oesf.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=15928]good warranty[/url] and service policy is useful.  I know I could save $100 US going with PriceJapan or GeekStuff4U, but I think I will sleep better at night getting one from StreamlineCPUs.  [Certainly, I hope never to use a warranty!]

Armagon
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=102974\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

If you ever come to Toronto: we could get together, and you could try my C3100...

I have also considered for a long time the C1000 - but now I am very happy that I went with the C3100. I do use wifi all the time, and SD storage is slow (and it is maxed out at 1 GB) - so the internal HDD is very very useful ( just installed debian on it...)

So, if you consider the C3100 a long term investment ( I do ) - you maybe (much) better of with it instead of the C1000...

As far as prices are concerned:  streamline cpu's charges USD 775.- for the C3100 + shipping. I have paid about USD 550.- ( at that time about can$ 700 ) when purchasing from Pricejapan - with shipping and other costs included. So that is a difference of over $200 (to be exact: if you assume $15 shipping for streamline, that brings the total to 790.- which compares to the pricejapan $549 when shipped with EMS: a difference of $241!) - or about 40% of the price of the unit. And I took the risk of having to send it to Japan for repairs - which may cost me USD 100.- (or less).

[kahm]

My friends and I have bought 1 5000, 1 5500, 1 6000, 2 860s, 2 1000s, 2 3000s, and a 3100. We sent one of the 860s back to Japan unnecessarily for a sticky SD slot. None of the rest have had so much as a hiccup.

All of the clamshells came direct off the shelf from Japan.

As far as I'm concerned, 200$US is a lot of money to pay for a warranty on these things. OTOH, I do take really good care of mine, and I have two - one to use as a backup, so YMMV.

[bam]

get the 3100, but then again, just get a c1000 then a cheap 2/4/6Gb microdrive for your CF slot , unless of course you are going to install debian and want wifi with it, in that case get a 3100

[bluedevils]

dude.  I have a 3100 coming to me and I'm heading to (near) vancouver to see family for christmas.   Obviously you can't wait a month (I bet).

[Armagon]

dude.  I have a 3100 coming to me and I'm heading to (near) vancouver to see family for christmas.   Obviously you can't wait a month (I bet).
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=103028\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Ah, the irony of it all.  I'm going to be in visiting family in Alberta 'round Christmas time... [And I sure hope I've got something in my hands well before a month is out!]

Thanks though!
Armagon

[Ragnorok]

I got my 1000 including case and wifi card for $350 shipped off ebay; keep looking as you might get a similar deal, or go for a cheap 760 as meanie says.
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- Dang, chiark!
- Course I got Hiro last May, when the C1K was just released, and thought I got a deal at USD 550 from Chase & Company.  I didn't get the C3K because I didn't like the OS being on the hard drive in a portable unit ... I feel very strongly that it's better to have that in flash, along with enough apps to keep it usable if the HD fails.  I'm fantastically careful with my expensive toys, but it only takes losing everything one time to be too much!  (wink)
- Were I getting one now, I would definitely get the C3100; best of both worlds with flash & HD.  But hey, in the high-end computer/PDA world you jump when you can't wait any longer and know something you want more will come around in less than six months.  That's just how the game is played.
- Having said that, I LOVE the C1K!  I've always preferred clamshells, so its form factor is the cat's meow for me.  I'd like the screen to be bigger, but it's not unusably small, and I really like the full VGA resolution.  I find the 1GB SD limit annoying, and somewhat stingy of Sharp, but it hasn't really be a noticable impediment to my usage.  I do miss having a swap file, though, which is doable in flash but A) slow and B) still not recommended.
- As bam mentioned, if you're going to do a lot of X/Debian, whatever, or flash pdaXRom, you may want to seriously consider a 3100 because you will use the HD.  Otherwise I'd think a C1K would be just fine.
- Hope this helps...

[chiark]

Yeah, "dang" indeed on the price...  I really lucked out, but the guy just listed it as "SL-C1000 from japan, english OS", so unless you search for SL-C1000 (rather than Zaurus) you wouldn't have found it.  I won it with my first bid, no-one else even put a bid in...

As for whether the keyboard would suit, er, I really don't know how to test this as there's nothing I've found like it.  The problem that I have is that I type two handed, and if I try to do that on the Z, it just doesn't work well as my fingers are colliding all the time.

Q to P on the top row is 10.5cm...  and the width of my hand is about the same.  Try drawing out a keyboard with 7mm keys, 3mm gaps, and seeing if you could conceivably live with it.

Being frank, I have found that I am much more comfortable typing on the Jornada 728, but the OS on that is "sub optimal".  The Z is a compromise between size and usability, and I'm almost coming to the conclusion that it's too small.  

One thing: buy well and you shouldn't lose money on your Z if you decide to sell it!