Is there a new CXXX coming soon?

[markpmc]

Well it's time for me to start bugeting for a new PDA.

Did the A300 flop? I'd really like to see an upgraded model of this thin model.

Any news or rumors on new C Series zauri? I'm looking for built in Wifi w/ bluetooth as an option.

markpmc

[iamasmith]

I think this is where the SL-6000 comes in, you don't get the clamshell but you get the option of having WIFI and Bluetooth I believe, if you have deep (and BIG   pockets).

Not sure if SHARP will cram this into the SL-C series, it doesn't need it. Simply plug a card in to use it and feel smug that they aren't wasting space in your pocket with a case large enough to hold all that hardware that you don't use all the time.

Personally I like the minimalist approach + once you have all your CF cards you can probably use them on a whole range of other devices in the future. I would much rather SHARP stuck with the idea of keeping the SL-C series lean and mean and if they do cram anything else in let it be a new accelerator chip or something that's going to improve the overall feel of the device. (BTW: I have nothing to complain about on my SL-C860 here).

[_Psycho]

I hope the next version will has as much features as the ipaq 6315 with Wifi, Bluetooth, Gsm, camera 2 mega pixel (like the docomo(sp) phone i saw), voice recorder, 6-8 hours of battery life (the 6315 cpu is a slow omap 185mhz or something).
Put in that a GSP and we have the paradise =P

[speculatrix]

At the very least Sharp could put the 6000's screen into the 860, as it's a genuine improvement.

In theory adding bluetooth should be trivial, most bluetooth chipsets cost less than US$10, which would give an 860 a real communications advantage.

If was mobile a lot, I'd want BT over 802.11; however, I'm mainly office bound so wlan would be preferred, but if course it's possible to get usable speeds for tcp/ip over bluetooth. BT would also make it much easier to use an 860 as a VOIP device using a BT headset with a compact flash 802.11 card. BT would also allow adding keyboards, mice, and portable printing.

But, really, an 860 with the screen, BT and 802.11 would get my money *so* quickly.

Oh yeah, and the addition of the USB master function would be essential.

Paul

[Stubear]

BT isn't too popular in Japan at present. So built in BT is probably a long shot, built in WIFI is more probable.

As the Summer Bonus season is almost over and there have been no announcements by Sharp about a new clam shell model, it seems doubtful that we will see one before Nov/Dec now (when Winter Bonus Season starts) So I don't suggest holding your breath

Stu

[mussi]

I'd prefer to have WiFi as I don't even have Bluetooth enabled devices myself, and frankly, I'm not planning to get some in the near future neither.

802.11b makes more sense as one can use it to surf on the internet and not rely on a cell phone. What would be great, however, is a CF GSM card.

[nathanwms]

I'd love to see integrated wifi, BT and even a microdrive; however, all of these can be added now externally.  What I really want is the ability to play a wide variety of video formats at a high frame rate.  The current hardware is the limiting factor and I hope the next clamshell will have a processor or group of processors that will make this happen.

[ashikase]

If Sharp does release a new model, my guess is that it will probably be announced at the CEATEC 2004 convention coming up this October - the C700 was revealed at CEATEC 2002.  It looks like my company is sending me to CEATEC again this year, so I will get to find out firsthand

I agree with Stubear about BT - it really isn't very popular here.  I would like to see integrated WiFi, as I really dislike having a card jutting out of my CF slot, but I'm not holding my breath.  Instead, I'm waiting (impatiently) to see if C-Guys come through on their plans to release a Zaurus driver this month for their SD-Link11b card.

- ashikase
  anpachi, gifu, japan

[ZDevil]

I'd love to see built-in bluetooth, which enables smooth communication among small gadgets like mobile phones, cameras, DVs, headsets and other compmuting devices, in the next model, rather than wifi.

IMHO, the popularity of bluetooth and wifi varies from place to place.  Wifi rocks in Japan and perhaps the US also, despite its still lack of adequate security protection.  Bluetooth is more popular in Europe and in Asia like Hong Kong (where I am staying now).   Please don't get me wrong as I don't mean it to be a flame war again about wifi vs bluetooth.  Afterall this is just a matter of user preference.

Another great sensible move is to have a genuine usb host.  

Dual slot should remain.  Despite the proliferation of new card formats, compact flash still seems to be the best in terms of price, availability and cross-device support.

A built-in camera would be nice.  Many PDAs already have it.  New generation phones get it.  Then why not Z?

Just my 2 zents.  

[markpmc]

CEATEC 2004 convention coming up this October

That's probally as long as I'll be able to hold out. Since I expect my next pda to be in the $600+ range I guess I'll start saving this month.

Thanks,

markpmc

[mussi]

I for my part don't need a camera directly in the PDA (mainly because I prefer to have a real digicam handy), and in my company, it would be a big no-no to carry a PDA with camera around, so we better keep that away.

And I'm slowly willing to pay a few bucks extra to have a cell phone/PDA without built-in camera.

[sylvius]

The one issue I have with BT is that the security seems really poor. Look at some of the bluejacking/bluesnarfing sites. It's really trivial to hack into BT devices, even ones that are not discoverable. I'm not sure how good I feel about using BT in the middle of NYC, daring people to easily hack in.

[Zuber]

Bluetooth security on current zaurus units is very good.

Unless you install a fix, most cards seam to be disabled when the unit is suspended. I quite like it that way. Just slip the card out and back in to re-enable.

Back on topic though, I think a built in camera is a bad idea. Too many companies don't allow them on site.

Besides, plenty of camera phones around if it is not a problem.

Now bluetooth for transfer of pics etc. to the z would be useful.

[loopy29]

Hi there,

It's been some time since I had been here. I used to own a sl-c750 and was quite fond of it, but at some point I REALLY needed some good PIM apps, which weren't available at the time. So I sold the Z and bought a Palm Tungsten T3. Great PIM apps, really great, but for the rest quite a boring device. The thing I probably liked most about the Z were the immense possibilities. A full shell, new ROMs comping out all the time, ... but no good PIMs. I see a lot has changed now with the advent of PdaX ROM rom and KO/pi, and I'm seriously considering selling the tungsten and getting another sl-cXX device.

However, like probably many others, I feel there hasn't been a "real" significant update for about 2 years since the sl-c700 came out. (The most significant was probably going from 700 to 750, new processor and kernel improvements and all...). So I'm desperately awaiting a succesor that adds some significant features. What I hope for:

*Connectivity with BT AND Wifi built in. Just one of them would be a good start too.
* the screen on the 750 was gorgeous, so no need for improvement there, but if the 6000 transflective screen is better,
* Backlighting for the keys is really important. I used the zaurus a lot while laying in bed with the GF sleeping next to me. No backlights meant frequent typo's.
* I wouldn't mind if the device grew a little (to accomodate the larger screen for instance), but not much.  The 6000 looks way too big to put in your pocket. The sl-c750 was never a problem in that regard.
* Faster processor. PPCs are getting them, so should the Z. This would improve movie playback and emu game playback.
* Nicer materials would be nice to ( cf Sony X505.. or some magnesium alloy)
* Last but not least: A built in HD. They can make devices like the impod mini and even smaller with a 4 or 5 gig HD, so they should be able to put them into the Z. A mp3 player after all also consists of approx the same components. (I know this is a simplification...)
*Don't sacrifice battery life!

(* Camera is NOT necessary. Actually rather not.)

There's my requests. If most of them get implemented, I'd get the new device in a heartbeat for about 700 to 800 euro and I believe so would many others.

[loopy29]

Oh, I forgot one more request:

USB host would be very nice. I gues this one shouldn't be too hard seen as they already added it to the 6000. Does anyone know the frequency of past announcements. Isn't it about time for a new one. Maybe at that conference CEATEC? Nobody knows anything more?