OK, so I have "too many Zaurii"

[yodabob]

I\'m now the proud owner of an SL-5600, an SL-6000L, and a CL-860 (ordered tonight).  I\'m just trying to pick the \"best of breed\" for what I do, and what my needs are.  I\'ll be evaluating each of these based on these needs.  If anybody\'s interested in the results, I\'ll be happy to post them out here.  Let me know if this is just more \"boring information\", or if this would be something of value to the ZUG.  I\'ve got some liquid capital, and thought I\'d just try out each of these newest beasties and see if I could give back some of the value each of you have provided me as a newbee.

If there are some specific things you\'d like evaluated, given that I have all three of these things, please let me know.  Be patient, I\'m still a newbee, but I\'ve seen the light.  I sincerely hope it\'s not the headlight of an oncoming train !

[elvis]

I am so tempted to get a C860 myself since my fiancee is in Japan right now and could pick one up for me bypassing the Dynamism \"tax\" -- but I am torn between that and getting a 6000L... at the same time I am afraid of getting burned again. I\'ve only been 40% satisfied with my 5500 mostly because it seems underused (i.e. software is lacking).

[markw]

You can never have \"too many Zaurii\". Its just impossible.

[padishah_emperor]

You can never have \"too many Zaurii\". Its just impossible.

Words of profound wisdom
 

[nilch]

If there are some specific things you\'d like evaluated, given that I have all three of these things, please let me know.  Be patient, I\'m still a newbee, but I\'ve seen the light.  I sincerely hope it\'s not the headlight of an oncoming train !

Its great to have someone who can test things on all three zaurus models, since many of the developers here don\'t have that advantage at all.

Yodabob, you might firstly test software applications  which you have on all three devices and lay down how they behave - i.e. the quirks and bugs. If it works correctly, then that too should be noted. Maybe a table of apps and they behaviour on 3 devices will be a great help when people download any application. I think that\'s a sorely missed feature for all of us Zaurus users.

If you are really doing this serioulsy, I might give you a copy of a commercial app (i designed) to you free to test too. I think other developers might also welcome this opportunity to have the benefit of understanding the quirks and bugs on other devices from which they initially designed for (the SL-5500 in most cases).

Few of the things to put down
a) how they behave when rotated on the fly
 do they work in magnified mode ?
c) do they crash when run in non-magnified mode
d) are the icons and text visible and sharp on the high-definition zauruses (7xxx and 6000) ?
e) do ipk\'s of apps install flawlessly on all three device ?

.....

allbest

[tji]

What version of the SL-6000 do you have? (WiFi support?  Bluetooth support?)

If you have the WiFi version, can you give some info on the software for finding, configuring, and connecting to WiFi AP\'s?
I find the software available for the SL-5500 to be less than great..  For example, it does not remember WEP keys.  So, I have to run shell scripts to set keys when moving between home & work.

[bluedevils]

 I don\'t remember ever having that trouble with my 5500.

What version of the SL-6000 do you have? (WiFi support?  Bluetooth support?)

If you have the WiFi version, can you give some info on the software for finding, configuring, and connecting to WiFi AP\'s?
I find the software available for the SL-5500 to be less than great..  For example, it does not remember WEP keys.  So, I have to run shell scripts to set keys when moving between home & work.

[tji]

 I don\'t remember ever having that trouble with my 5500.

What do you consider trouble?

Sure, I can get wifi working with my Z.  It\'s just a lot more effort than it should be.   Especially when you need to have different settings, like WEP keys, for wifi networks, you need to manually configure everything.   Even with open AP\'s, I sometimes have trouble because the Z will attach to a different network than I want it to when there are multiple to choose from.

On my PowerBook, after I enter my WEP settings, they are remembered.  Next time I encounter that AP, it will automatically attach with the WEP key I entered before.  XP does similar things.

I recently found a Linux tool that sounds like it would work:  http://www.stud.uni-hamburg.de/users/lenna...jects/waproamd/
But, I have not tried it yet.

[yodabob]

OK,so to start with the \"basics\", I\' m sending my 6000L back to Amazon.  I\'m just totally awed by the C-860.  The screen is unbelievably great, as is the keyboard, and the construction of the unit itself.
I have a D-Link DCF-660W and it works perfectly.   I did nothing.  I have yet to \"figure out\" the \"bookmarks\" in the Jap browser, but I will.  Synchronization worked perfectly (6000L software, but \"network\" driver for USB from the 860 CD.  Sorting in contacts is a bit \"daft\" but covered elsewhere.   I just finished watching \"The Missing\" on it, and it was perfect !  Over half battery left, after watching a two+ hour movie.  I used tkcVideo to watch the move and it was perect !  E-mail worked perfectly, send and receive.

Synch\'d successfully with Outlook 2003, in contacts, calendar, and ToDo ( haven\'t tried e-mail synch yet) and it worked perfectly.

The USB network drivers work fine.

I have \"limited\" use of other IPK\'s.  But I do use Personal Sky Chart to control my telescope, and it works perfectly.  tkcVideo works unbelievably well (as expected) and is good in both landscape and \"portrait\" modes.

Networking is terrific with my D-Link DCF-660W card, a \"no brainer\".

I really can\'t believe the quality of this display! Or the overall quality of this device.  I\'m absolutely in awe !  Why would any sentinet human life form get anything else.  ANY WHY IS THIS THING NOT IMPORTED INTO THE US !

[bluedevils]

I didn\'t have to make wep key scripts and my wep settings for multiple APs were never lost.  The only time I might have had troubles was with sharp ROM 2.38v

What do you consider trouble?

Sure, I can get wifi working with my Z.  It\'s just a lot more effort than it should be.   Especially when you need to have different settings, like WEP keys, for wifi networks, you need to manually configure everything.   Even with open AP\'s, I sometimes have trouble because the Z will attach to a different network than I want it to when there are multiple to choose from.

On my PowerBook, after I enter my WEP settings, they are remembered.  Next time I encounter that AP, it will automatically attach with the WEP key I entered before.  XP does similar things.

I recently found a Linux tool that sounds like it would work:  http://www.stud.uni-hamburg.de/users/lenna...jects/waproamd/
But, I have not tried it yet.

[padishah_emperor]

I\'m just totally awed by the C-860

Me too! Been a few weeks now since my baby came, I had a \"Week of Woe\" while flashing ROMs etc, but oh my, oh my, \'tis gooood!

I really hope you have as much fun with yours as I\'m having with mine.

;-)

[yodabob]

Just a basic update.  The 6000 is indeed on it\'s way back to Amazon.  I just can\'t believe the quality and capability of the C-860.  The browser is excellent (once you figure out how to make bookmarks!) and other apps work wonderfully.  The only \"lingering\" problem is the sorting in Contacts, but I\'m working on that one.  It does \"select\" on Categories, and it also appears that if you make custom categories, it \"replaces\" the Japanese categories with ones that you\'ve selected.  More on that later.
I can\'t say enough good things about tkcVideo, the quality of the output is just superb.  Not the 5600 version but the Cx00 version that Shawn offers.  Synching went amazingly well, perfectly in fact, but the install of software and USB drivers is very important.  If you get that right, synching is a complete no-brainer.
E-mail client is up and running and works perfectly.  Avoid the \"Wizard\" interface in networking, and just use Add instead.  All of it\'s menu\'s are English, not so with the wizard, but the wizard is tres\' lame anyway.  I do have a good NAND backup in case anybody wants it.

[Ethereal]

Why would any sentinet human life form get anything else?

B/C that sentient life form needs \"two-fisted\" wireless connectivity (ie WiFi at work and Bluetooth on the street) and isn\'t amused by shuffling CF cards in and out of the unit. :x

[DrWily]

This is my job, I love it!