Sticking in my craw...

[yzord]

Sorry if this is old news, but I'm ticked off!

I just found out that Sharp has released a version of the C860 for the Chinese market. It's the SL7500C, and it looks like it's been customized for chinese text, apps, etc. So much for their "focus" on the Japanese market.

Note, this is not an import job. There's pictures of the unit, and at first glance it's a different model - one obvious thing is that the keyboard is quite different (no more japanese text, different layout, etc). The funny thing is that the keyboard would be perfect with an english rom. BAH! I can't believe Sharp would pull something like this, and write off the rest of the planet that's been clamouring for a localized version. Thank god for developers like Cacko and the rest that have picked up the ball. Damn you Sharp, you could have started the snowball over here AGES ago!

I'm stopping here, before I say something that's not fit for public consumption.
Yz

ps. If you want details, google SL-7500C, and prepare to use babelfish.
Here's one to get you started: http://news.onlinedown.net/info/9534-1.htm

[clofland]

Holy Cow! They changed the keyboard!

You are right, it would be great for English ROM's. I can't see ANY non-"English" characters on it.

Maybe we should start importing Z's from China instead?

[ScottYelich]

looks like a c700 to me?

Scott

[danr]

A friend at work has translated the text for me.  It goes something like this:

Recently, I saw a new PDA with rotatable screen.  The model number is SL-7500C.
This model is jointly released by Sharp and Chinese Electronics Corp (CEC), using Intel Xscale CPU, simultaneously support Linux and Java application environment.

SHARP CEC SL-7500C is about size of your hand. Weight only 1/10 of a laptop.
It provides wireless network, word processing, presentation, mobile phone, digital camera, audio recording, etc.

SL7500C is stylish, with complete functions and good user interface. Showing NEC and CEC has been working hard in it.

The design come with standard QWERTY mini keyboard. So that text entry can be faster than using writing.

The main attraction of SL7500C is its high resolution LCD screen.  The size of the LCD is 3.7" and resolution is 640x480.  The screen can be rotate like a tablet PC.

A video demo is provided with the PDA and it is impressive. Sharp colour and smooth video.  The battery is replaceable Li and can last 5 hours.  If using special 1700mAh you can get 10 hours play time.  The audio volume is not very loud so it is sutiable for headphones only.

SL-7500C provided CS and SD card slots

SL-7500C based on Linux and Java platform.  Built in classic application like Hancom mobile word, electronics spreadsheet Hancom mobilesheet and presentation package.  Not only fast, it is also very stable and supports all Office file formats. So you can import Word, Excel files without problem.  It can also exchange data with other PDA, laptop or desktop, or even Bluetooth enabled mobile phone.  It can also connected external display device.  In addition, it use Zaurus audio player which support wav and mp3 files.  Video player support MPEG2 and MEG4 audio or video.

SHARP SL-7500C is very expandable.  It provides GPRS/GSM mobile function, wireless LAN 802.11b and wired modem.  Network interface  can be handled by a CF network card with simple setup process.  SL-7500C use NetFront3 web browser, it is fast and support various email download and attachment system.

In the demonstration I saw, the web access is demonstrated and the speed is 62k, the operation is fairly simple.

I can say that SL-7500C is a perfect business PDA. Spec :
CPU : Intel Xscale 400MHz
ROM : 8Mb
RAM 64Mb
LCD 3.7 640x480, 64k colour
CF card type II slot
SD card slot
Serial/USB connection
Infra red
3.5 stereo audio output
Standard 950mAh Li battery (replaceable). You can also get 1700mAh battery Size 120x83x18.6mm Weight 220 gram Price 7800 dollars (Taiwan?) It is still not for sales in most part of the countries so you might need to wait for a while before finding it in your local store.

[houkoholic]

This article originated from China (suggested by the Simplified Chinese text). The 7800 is in Yuan, which makes it roughly US$940 which is a hell a lot of money in China, something like a year or two's worth of a factory worker's salary, and I'd say probably 2-3 months worth of salary for an engineer or IT related workers (which is probably where the interest will lie).  The article's title questions how well the Z would sell at this price.  

Personally, I see this as not just a bad move on Sharp's part, but another case of business managers being way too optimistic about the Chinese market without doing proper research and forming a realistic market strategy when trying to penetrate the Chinese market in general.

[yzord]

What really bugs me is this attitude that the Chinese market will magically improve their fortunes, whereas a market that is clamouring for a unit like the C760 (North America and Europe) is ignored as being not worthwhile pursuing. Just look at the things people have had to do to get Cxxx units into the country! It's unbelievable that they actually spent more r&d dollars in building the SL6000 model when they already had a dynamite model ready to go.

How many Cxxx units have been imported and sold in China right now? I doubt it's anywhere near how many have been sold in the North America or Europe, and yet they believe so strongly ini the Chinese market, that they'll release the Z's with no prior history of Z's in China. I mean, it's like their market research deparment has a terrible case of ADD or something. Instead of trying to build their niche slowly and steadily, they're only going for perceived big sale markets.

Sharp's short-sightedness is comically pathetic. I hope for their own sakes that China is their "magic bullet", but somehow I doubt it's going to be.
Yz

[akpoff]

Wow -- what an improvement on the keyboard.  Presumably it's just they keyboard hardware that's changed and perhaps a keymap file.  Both would be an easy install job.  I wonder whether we could order it as a replacement part from Sharp via one of the importers?  I'd pay a *reasonable* price -- US$50 perhaps as much as US$100 for that keyboard.

Any importers online that want to look into it?

[padishah_emperor]

I saw this a while back


It was a C700 for the chinese market, that's all.

Old news now.