Is a Zaurus right for me ?

[Anonymous]

Here\'s my situation: I have a Linux box (Celeron 900, 512MB RAM, SuSE 8.1) hooked up to an external DSL \"modem\" but sometimes would like to have a second computer for doing some light tasks: secure online banking, update my gnumeric \"checkbook\" spreadsheet, web surfing, hook up the stereo to it\'s audio out jack so I can listen to streaming RealAudio or Mediaplayer broadcasts:

e.g. http://wildcatsradio.com/replay.shtml

As far as hardware goes, I should be able to hookup a wireless access point to the DSL modem and a connect to it via a 802.11 card on the Zaurus (I think), and at least some of the Zaurus\' have audio-out jacks.  I assume SMC and CF are different formats than PCMCIA ?

Software-wise, though, is there enough processing power/memory to listen to streaming audio on these units ?

Is there software available to listen to both Real Audio and MediaPlayer webcasts ?

Is there a version of gnumeric available for this platform ?  I haven\'t been able to find one yet.

Do they come with a web-browser that conforms to 128-bit encryption ?

[tapjpa]

You can do all that and more with a Z, look through some of the posts here and you will get a quick idea of what everyone else is doing with their Z\'s.

[CoreyC]

If you are wanting to do all of that with a handheld, the Zaurus may be your only option.

\"Is there software available to listen to both Real Audio and MediaPlayer webcasts?\"

No... but there is software you can use for shockwave webcasts.

\"Software-wise, though, is there enough processing power/memory to listen to streaming audio on these units?\"

Absolutely.

\"Is there a version of gnumeric available for this platform ? I haven\'t been able to find one yet. \"

Not that I know of, but there is HancomSheet.  I\'ve never used it, but search for it... it may fit your needs.

\"Do they come with a web-browser that conforms to 128-bit encryption?\"

I am pretty sure Opera supports 128-bit encryption.  Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.

[Ethereal]

\"Do they come with a web-browser that conforms to 128-bit encryption?\"

I am pretty sure Opera supports 128-bit encryption.  Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.

Opera supports 128-bit encryption.  In fact, after unsuccessfully trying to use both Palm and PPC handhelds with various browsers to access our hospital\'s (insanely secure) HTTP-based patient record system, I was pleasanty surprised to find that Opera was up to the task.

[offroadgeek]

\"Is there a version of gnumeric available for this platform ? I haven\'t been able to find one yet. \"

Not that I know of, but there is HancomSheet.  I\'ve never used it, but search for it... it may fit your needs.

Actually, if you end up getting a Cxx0 series Z, then there is the pdaxrom (X11) that you could use, and they do have a package for gnumeric.  It\'s pretty damn cool.

I use HancomSheet a bit to look at/work on MS Excel docs for work, and it works OK... I haven\'t tested it with a gnumeric spreadsheet.

If you\'re thinking of the 5500, you would probably need to use HancomSheet, unless you want to try xqt + gnumeric.

edit:  so I did a quick test with gnumeric... it seems that hancomsheet won\'t read .gnumeric files, but if you do a save as to ms excel 97/2000/xp, hancomsheet will read it fine.  I didn\'t test to see if any other formats work.

[lardman]

If someone fancies cross compiling gnumeric using the arm4 rather than the arm5 instruction set then we\'ll be able to use it (in Xqt for example). I may do it one day, but I\'m in no rush I\'m afraid.


Si

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies folks, that\'s very helpful.

RealAudio/Mediaplayer streams: it looks like there\'s nothing available for Zaurus for now.

gnumeric spreadsheet: I may be able to find a common file format that I can exchange between my Linux box and the Zaurus.  This would require some trial and error -- too bad I can\'t rent a Zaurus for a few weeks to see what it\'s capable of, before dropping $500s on a unit.  Although I\'d rather have a new Zaurus than a used laptop, I may have to go for a used laptop for just this reason.

128-bit encryption with Opera is VERY good news, as is the assessment of the units speed.  :-)

[fedakin]

The zaurus is  without doubt the one for you in fact its the only choice if you have problems you could always go the WI-FI route, other handhelds are tempory, A Zaurus is for life!.







why do people display there hardware?, Vanity is the destruction of the soul!

[Anonymous]

As far as playing RealAudio or MediaPlayer streaming is concerned, you could use shoutcast or icecast as a proxy and translate the feed to mp3 or ogg vorbis to play on your Z.  (search, there is another thread on this).

Also, I use a prismiq mediaplayer hooked up to my stereo to stream audio and play mp3 over wi-fi.  It is only $200 and is linux-based as well.  Slimp3 is also a good solution for that.

[RichS]

\"why do people display there hardware?, Vanity is the destruction of the soul\"

Nothing to do with vanity. It simply answers the perenial questions of \"what are you running it on\". It\'s more of a curtesy to other users!

Now

Is there no linux Real player that could be ported? Would be nice...

[Anonymous]

\"why do people display there hardware?, Vanity is the destruction of the soul\"

Nothing to do with vanity. It simply answers the perenial questions of \"what are you running it on\". It\'s more of a curtesy to other users!

Now

Is there no linux Real player that could be ported? Would be nice...

There is Real Player for linux available.
http://proforma.real.com/real/player/unix/unix.html
Anyone to port it to zaurus?

[BlackCardinal]

Porting Real Player would require access to its source, and Real only provides an executable binary to download.

[tumnus]

Actually Real released the core source code for their clients as part of the Helix project. A group is supposedly currently working on writing an ARM based, but I\'m not sure if this is Qtopia based. I think someone else on these forums knows more about this than me as they\'ve had something to do with it, but I can\'t remember their name.