Hi all,
For the past 9 to 10 months, I've not been using my C1000 nor my 5500. I've been busy and neglecting them.
Around the same time, I started using Ubuntu on my 15.4" notebook and around mid last year, I got a Asus eeepc 701.
The eeepc did not get as much usage as my c1000 when I was still using it (the zaurus). It ran xandros and although one could install other OS onto it, I dabbled for awhile and basically stopped. I was too busy.
But all these months, I was using Ubuntu on my main notebook. Now looking back at the zaurus, I really appreciate how it is remarkable in many ways. For one, it was running linux. For two, many things just worked. So much so, I did not really knew that much about how things worked. For the notebook, sound and graphics were half the time working. So I spent many hours on the terminal configuring. I guess there was a realistic limit as to how much one could install and run on the Z, so it limited what one could tweak it to do. Further, I was just too comfy with Cacko and the apps in it basically did what I expected a tiny device like that to do.
Now I wonder if I should step out of cacko and bring in zubuntu for my c1000.
I wonder if I use it often enough to warrant the investment in time and setup.
hmmm
And the 5500? After neglecting it for almost 2 years, an over night charging brought it back to life again. Sometimes I wish it would die so I can get an Asus 900HA eeepc without feeling guilty! ... but it just booted up to opie 1.2 like nothing ever happened.
I wonder if SHARP will ever restart the zaurus line and take center stage once more. I wonder. I hope it does, 'cos it did such a good job with the zaurus hardware. But I also fear that it does. I doubt it would go rock bottom with pricing like Asus did. And I also fear that it (SHARP) would drop the platform after a few lame misguided attempts. Only this time, there are many other OEMs at the game, so we consumers will not be left in the cold.
I wish my eeepc had InstantOn like my zaurus, and had wakeup / alarm capabilities so I can use it for appointments. I also wish it (eeepc) had longer batt life like the z, or like the pre-color palm used to have. Two AA cells for a few weeks! Try beating that!
Maybe the 900HA will be my zaurus replacement. It boasts 5hrs batt life although we all know it will be more like 4~4.5hrs or less. Sure, it is lower than the zaurus, but it will be enough for now. It has the smallest footprint for a 8.9" netbook, longer (est?) batt life for its size and for a dirty cheap price at $299, it is even cheaper than my c1000 when I got it 2.5 years ago! It would have a 160gb hdd, so storage is not an issue. I have mobile broadband ready via USB, and if wifi is around, I can tap onto that. All without too much tinkering.
So unless SHARP pulls out something from its sleeves at the 11th hour, I see myself getting further away from my zaurus despite all its strengths and features that I love.
In the end, I may still keep the c1000, and once awhile, charge it up and show ppl how way before the netbooks, we had a convertible "tabletpda" running linux, surfing the web on firefox etc.
