Author Topic: Newbie Considering C1000 (Read 4607 times)

Drake01 · « **on:** March 29, 2006, 11:05:39 pm »

My old PDA is dying and I need a replacement. I've been using the Palm platform for several years (Handera 330, specifically), but I'm seriously considering a C1000. I considered getting a low-end Palm just for PIM and a couple utilities, but I feel I'll be losing a lot of functionality going that route.

I use Linux at home, but I've heard mixed reviews about PIM apps on the Zaurus. What can I expect from the C1000 in terms of performance and ease of use?

Another reason I'm considering the switch is that I'm already invested in SD & CF memory and CF accessories from my old PDA. It looks like my Symbol WiFi and my Targus modem cards will work, but I haven't seen much about my Kingston CIO10T ethernet card. Does anyone know whether the Kingston card is compatible?

Another question about the CF: It definitely looks like the C1000 has a CF slot that will accept IO devices, but I've read a couple times that the C1000 is missing the CF connector and associated chipset that the C3000 has. Can I assume this is an internal slot that would contain the HDD on the C3000? Since I'll have to order this from an importer, I'd like to understand what these "missings" refer to.

And since this is a Japanese market product which is re-flashed to support an English interface, am I going to encounter vestiges of the Japanese OS? I would probably be annoyed if there are significant items in the OS that I can't read and which would inhibit my use of the device.

This is a great forum and I've found it very helpful. Thanks in advance for your responses.

sidmoraes · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2006, 10:15:10 am »

Quote

My old PDA is dying and I need a replacement. I've been using the Palm platform for several years (Handera 330, specifically), but I'm seriously considering a C1000. I considered getting a low-end Palm just for PIM and a couple utilities, but I feel I'll be losing a lot of functionality going that route.

I use Linux at home, but I've heard mixed reviews about PIM apps on the Zaurus. What can I expect from the C1000 in terms of performance and ease of use?

Another reason I'm considering the switch is that I'm already invested in SD & CF memory and CF accessories from my old PDA. It looks like my Symbol WiFi and my Targus modem cards will work, but I haven't seen much about my Kingston CIO10T ethernet card. Does anyone know whether the Kingston card is compatible?

Another question about the CF: It definitely looks like the C1000 has a CF slot that will accept IO devices, but I've read a couple times that the C1000 is missing the CF connector and associated chipset that the C3000 has. Can I assume this is an internal slot that would contain the HDD on the C3000? Since I'll have to order this from an importer, I'd like to understand what these "missings" refer to.

And since this is a Japanese market product which is re-flashed to support an English interface, am I going to encounter vestiges of the Japanese OS? I would probably be annoyed if there are significant items in the OS that I can't read and which would inhibit my use of the device.

This is a great forum and I've found it very helpful. Thanks in advance for your responses.
[div align=\"right\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Yep... The missing CF connector is for internal micro-drive.
Ethernet: try to see: [a href=\"http://tuxmobil.org/pcmcia_ci10350.html]http://tuxmobil.org/pcmcia_ci10350.html[/url]
For translation, you can try to reflash with cacko. You will have a English PDA.
Symbol Wifi works. Maybe you have to edit some config files. Only this.
Targus modem works.

rickh · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2006, 10:47:17 am »

Quote

...
I use Linux at home, but I've heard mixed reviews about PIM apps on the Zaurus. What can I expect from the C1000 in terms of performance and ease of use?
...
[div align=\"right\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

If you use [a href=\"http://www.pi-sync.net/]KDEPimPI[/url] you'll find that it's pretty capable. You'll be able to sync your data with pretty much everything in either direction, too, since the *.ics format is used. But KDEPimPI also runs on the desktop, too.

On an unrelated note, the online calendar I use is Calendarhub. It can import and export *.ics formats, so I can finally sync online cals with both desktop and Zaurus.

R.
==

uth · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2006, 12:27:20 pm »

The C1000 was my first PDA, so I don't really know how great PIM apps can be. The ones that are on the C1000 seem to do what they need to for me, but don't have any wow! features. There are replacements with more features.

The default Sharp can easily be converted to English. There will be only a couple of areas with Japanese left-overs. As others have mentioned, Cacko will give you 100% English. I just flashed Cacko onto mine (after using the Sharp rom for a month), and I can definately say it's much better.

As others have mentioned, it's the internal CF slot that's missing, so you can't add an internal microdrive and make it a C3100. You could still add a microdrive to the external CF slot if you desired.

Ferret-Simpson · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2006, 02:03:05 pm »

The thing you want to look out for is "Will you need a hard disk?"

Both The sharp rom and Other roms can be upgraded to use other PIM applications. The thing you've got to realise, is that since SL-5000d, the Zaurus was never deigned to be a PDA, with great PIM apps. Sharp's niche is for a Corporate device, which can VPN into the corporate network, VNC all their existing computer systems, run full productivity suite, and basically be everything PalmOS and WinCE devices AREN'T.

If you get a Zaurus, I doub't you'll regret it, and if you do, change the OS! There are hundreds of ROMS, and even a BSD or two out there.

Just get it. Now to decide, do you want the hard disk? I warn you, having the hard-disk gives an insatiable craving to copy movies and PSX games onto the Zaurus. Both of which you should of course immediately do.

My 2 pence.

Ferret.

Mac · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2006, 02:48:17 pm »

get the C1000, you wont regret it. I used mostly Palm in the past, and hated the lack of true multitasking, forced to use several hacks/applications to do simple things. With palm you're inside a sandbox and limited IMO. The zaurus isn't a PDA like mentioned before, it's a laptop replacement. Having a terminal that fits in my pocket is priceless for me
I bought a palm lifedrive 1 month before the zaurus, and the palm is collecting dust, it's like a kids toy ;-)

For PIM I also highly recommend the kde applications. I used the palm applications and Iambic agendus in the past, with kde you'll feel right at home!

ease of use? If you use linux at home it will be very easy for you, I'm a Mac user and the zaurus is the perfecting device to learn linux stuff and the GUI is as easy as palm

Japanese leftovers? I installed mcconvert_0.1a_arm.ipk, deleted some Japanese dictionaries and I can't remember the last time I saw kanji (apart from the kanji printed on the keyboard off course)

long story short, say bye bye to boring palm os and enter the world of the PMT
(Personal Mobile Tool)

Ferret-Simpson · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2006, 03:05:58 pm »

My friends always look so confused when I start talking about my PMT problems.

Drake01 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2006, 09:56:32 pm »

Quote

Yep... The missing CF connector is for internal micro-drive.
Ethernet: try to see: http://tuxmobil.org/pcmcia_ci10350.html
For translation, you can try to reflash with cacko. You will have a English PDA.
Symbol Wifi works. Maybe you have to edit some config files. Only this.
Targus modem works.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=121063\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Thanks for the link! I didn't find that one. Looks like I'll be in good shape.

Drake01 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2006, 10:20:11 pm »

Quote

The thing you want to look out for is "Will you need a hard disk?"

Both The sharp rom and Other roms can be upgraded to use other PIM applications. The thing you've got to realise, is that since SL-5000d, the Zaurus was never deigned to be a PDA, with great PIM apps. Sharp's niche is for a Corporate device, which can VPN into the corporate network, VNC all their existing computer systems, run full productivity suite, and basically be everything PalmOS and WinCE devices AREN'T.

If you get a Zaurus, I doub't you'll regret it, and if you do, change the OS! There are hundreds of ROMS, and even a BSD or two out there.

Just get it. Now to decide, do you want the hard disk? I warn you, having the hard-disk gives an insatiable craving to copy movies and PSX games onto the Zaurus. Both of which you should of course immediately do.

My 2 pence.

Ferret.
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=121101\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

I think I'll be okay w/o the HDD. High capacity flash cards are available and I'm not expecting to use this as a true laptop replacement. As far as watching movies, I might have to load some stuff to a card and see whether I'd be interested in getting a CF minidrive later.

I understand that this is not a true PDA. Palm OS was originally designed for that purpose and it seemed to work pretty well, but it also had shortcomings and I ended up using replacement apps and hacks to make it work better for me.

I never got VPN to work on my old PDA, and VNC was barely usable. The FTP and SMB tools I tried were buggy, but worked in a pinch. I'm looking forward to a much better networking experience with the Linux-based OS. The keyboard will be a definite plus, and I love the flexibility with the CF and USB. Basically, if the calendar and address book are usable and I can sync them, I think this Zaurus is what I want.

I think my wife would have preferred it if I was a little more disappointed in the responses I got here. I don't see a problem with getting the C1000, but I'm not sure I could talk her into letting me spend for something significantly more expensive, even if it has an internal drive. Now, if I only spend for the C1000 now, and pick up a CF drive later...

uth · « **Reply #9 on:** March 31, 2006, 04:49:39 pm »

Quote

I think I'll be okay w/o the HDD. High capacity flash cards are available and I'm not expecting to use this as a true laptop replacement. As far as watching movies, I might have to load some stuff to a card and see whether I'd be interested in getting a CF minidrive later.

You can also throw a large capacity, cheap desktop drive into an external USB enclosure and hook that up to the Z. Not very portable, but usually much cheaper than a Microdrive.

InSearchOf · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2006, 08:50:21 am »

Did you end up purchasing a C1000?

Drake01 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 06, 2006, 10:39:54 pm »

Quote

Did you end up purchasing a C1000?
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=122025\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Yep.

Wow! Just checked tracking info and it looks like it left customs in Chicago this afternoon. That was much faster turnaround than I expected. I ordered over the weekend, and as of this morning it looked like it had just left Japan. I might have it by this weekend!

Hmmm... This is not an ideal weekend to have such a distraction. I have a feeling those fence posts are not going to be replaced for another week or two. I wonder if I can get out of that wedding, too... it's not my side of the family anyway.

News:

Author Topic: Newbie Considering C1000 (Read 4607 times)