if i add a decent amount of cf/sd memory, is this device more or less a laptop replacement? e.i., can i install/compile a random linux/X/GTK/motif etc. package on it? like e.g. firefox, freeciv, latex, ghostviev, gcc etc? and if it is not prepackaged, do i have a reasonable chance of compiling it myself? or am i limited to qtopia apps and to what is described in the zaurus software index?
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Well, I run pdaXrom on my C1000. It is one of the best choices if you want to run/compile X windows applications. [OZ/GPE is another choice to consider, but I don't know as much about it.]
The pdaXrom tool-chain is very nice; it really isn't that hard to cross-compile applications, and you can also natively compile them. I was able to compile inkscape, which uses gtkmm (and hence gtk and x libraries), and, although I was daunted at first, it really wasn't that difficult. KDE also runs (but really slowly), and the headers to compile for it aren't readily available yet.
So, yes, you've got a great chance of being able to compile random linux applications. Your biggest problems are going to be speed and memory. Inkscape, for example, is short on both. Speed can be helped by overclocking (many C1000s will run at 600MHz), and memory can be helped by putting a swap partition on a CF or SD card.
There is also an active community on these forums, who answer lots of questions, and pdaXrom is under active development. There are also many applications already available. pdaXrom is a great choice if you want to run standard applications.
As for being a laptop replacement -- well, I suppose it depends what you want to do with a laptop. It would not be incorrect to say that I got my C1000 as a laptop replacement. It is wonderful for reading with and for listening to music. (I presume that movies and games work fine, but really haven't tried.) The biggest shortcomming is in typing speed. While I shudder to think what the unit would be like without the (perfectly functional, but somewhat slow) thumbboard, I really wish I had a keyboard. -- But, all is not lost! With the USB-to-go capabilities, I can plug a keyboard (or mouse) into it. [I just need to decide upon and purchase a keyboard.] With a full-sized keyboard, I think my Z'll do everything I need of a laptop. [Edit: make sure you get a Z-Host cable if you get a Zaurus SL-C1000/3x00. This lets you connect standard USB devices to your Z.]
I hope that helps a little.
Oh yeah. If you do run pdaXrom, you will not be able to natively run the Qtopia apps that come with the Z. If they are important to you, it is possible to dual-boot. [Recompilation is also a possibility, but some are closed-source.]
Armagon
