What Do You Guys Do With A Zaurus?

[CollecTek]

So is it easier to thumb type or use a usb portable keyboard with these things? What are you guys using for text input?

depends on what you are doing at the time, I use a palm universal wireless keyboard through IPK when I have to do a lot of typing

[mfbrown]

So is it easier to thumb type or use a usb portable keyboard with these things? What are you guys using for text input?

As far as I'm concerned, the main point of a Zaurus is the keyboard.  Having "learnt" to thumb type on a Psion 3 (of blessed memory), the clamshell Zaurus is the only PDA I could consider.  If you're going to get a usb keyboard, I'm sure it's easier, but rather defeats the object as I see it.  But what I'd like to know (stealing the thread - sorry) is how easy is it to get the pickboard (which works fine in SharpROM) working in Cacko?  'Cos just occasionally it's helpful - e.g.in the dark!
Thanks,
Mark

[CollecTek]

actually it is infrared  

...But what I'd like to know (stealing the thread - sorry) is how easy is it to get the pickboard (which works fine in SharpROM) working in Cacko?  'Cos just occasionally it's helpful - e.g.in the dark!
Thanks,
Mark

If its the onscreen one you are talking about....I think it is enabled by default, just a short click from the keyboard icon

[mfbrown]

actually it is infrared  

...But what I'd like to know (stealing the thread - sorry) is how easy is it to get the pickboard (which works fine in SharpROM) working in Cacko?  'Cos just occasionally it's helpful - e.g.in the dark!
Thanks,
Mark

If its the onscreen one you are talking about....I think it is enabled by default, just a short click from the keyboard icon

Yes, the Pickboard is there, but doesn't do anything in Cacko.  I suspect it's a question of not having a dictionary in the right format for it - but I don't know what format that is, nor where to put it.
Thanks,
Mark

[CollecTek]

hmmm... that is weird mfbrown, My cacko's  onscreen keyboard works right  

web browsing, wifi sniffing, serial console for managing cisco network kit, ssh terminal using openvpn client *, rss reader, media player (mp3, movies, internet radio streams), vnc or rdesktop client to control media player, VOIP phone (saves me money on international calls when I'm in USA calling UK).

speculatrix, how are you connecting/managing the cisco network kit? what are you using for a rss reader?

thanks

[speculatrix]

I'm using a USB to serial converter for talking cisco console; so long as the usb-serial adaptor isnt too power hungry, I was using minicom on cacko.

I've used random rss readers, but I must admit not for some time as I now use nokia tablet for that.

[teh.sean]

So is it easier to thumb type or use a usb portable keyboard with these things? What are you guys using for text input?

depends on what you are doing at the time, I use a palm universal wireless keyboard through IPK when I have to do a lot of typing

So the IR palm keyboard works well on the Zaurus? How much fiddling does that take to work? How's the keymapping?

[CollecTek]

So the IR palm keyboard works well on the Zaurus? How much fiddling does that take to work? How's the keymapping?

the palm wireless keyboard works great on the zaurus! I had to install the "irk-zaurus-j" which is ver. 0.11.1f. Once installed, Palm wireless was one of the choices from a drop down list--and it worked. Almost all the keymapping is the same as the layout on the ir keyboard.....there is no cancel button and a few palm fn keys are disabled/not in use.  But other than that--it works great. I still have to play around with some of the features, I can assign hotkeys/buttons for the keyboard

[dlj0]

So I pose the question to you guys, 'What do you do primarily with your Zaurus?'

Well, for this semester I'm on sabbatical, living in Spain (Valencia).  My 3100 is my only computer.  The Univ. here did have another machine available, but it is probably the least reliable Mac on the planet, so I don't bother with it.  I use the Z at the office for browsing, e-mail, connecting to my machine back home for serious computational things, and writinf papers (with LyX and LaTeX).  I then take it home and use it for basically the same things there.

After 3 months of it I'm fairly adept at typing on it, but I am also somewhat tired of the small screen.  I do admit I long for a "real" computer, but for trips this is still the best.

[laan]

Wifi (hotspot/"borrowed") X client // GPRS/UMTS nx client from a server based at home so mainly i use zaurus for ALL when i'm outta home.

[craigtyson]

In Order of Frequency:-

Read EBooks

Play Doom / Heretic

Read Tube maps

Take Notes and Minutes at meetings

Brows Web

Send Email

Watch Movies

backup drive for Photos on camera

Chinese transaltion / dictionary

C