Is there a new CXXX coming soon?

[Miami_Bob]

Built in options are all very well except that, even on standby, they tend to really suck the batteries down. I would much rather have expansion slot options so that I have more control over my battery life.

Have never seen the 6000 screen in real life, but the C860 screen sucks big time in bright light situations no matter what one does to try to compensate. So, depending on battery life again, I might go for that.

And, in case some here DON'T think battery life can be critical, we are JUST being missed by Hurricane Frances now. If my power goes out for a week, my C860 becomes a pretty little brickette on day #2. Where as my old HP200LX would keep giving me phone #s & taking mission critical "to do" notes for about 50 days on a fresh set of AA DuraCells with another set in my pack for replacing THOSE when THEY died. Nuff said??

[omega]

Miami_Bob - car battery! ;-)

[loopy29]

Miami_Bob,

Some comments.

Expansion options are off course crucial. However, when I still had my Z (sl-c750) one of the things I disliked was the protrusion the wifi card added. It made it more of a nuisance to type on the keyboard with the wifi card plugged in. Off-course a on/of soft or hardware button should be provided for the built-in wifi.

It would suprise me if a backlight would consume power in standby mode...

Nicer materials don't suck battery power...µ

Many options could be added without sacrificing battery power too much if they are added wisely.

It would raise cost again off course, but I assume that some basic IT features are getting cheaper to manufacture over the course of a few years so that would compensate.

[Miami_Bob]

Miami_Bob - car battery! ;-)

Welllll. The C860 battery takes hours to full charge. And I recall a former client who, during a power outage, ran his car with the AC on so that he could nap in comfort. He "woke up" wearing a MDCME toe tag. Carbon Monoxide - cause of death.

Besides, when you can't buy gas for about the same period of time that the power is out, you don't run the vehicle unless absolutely needed.

Trust me on these; I'v lived in S FL since about 1957 (G).

[Miami_Bob]

Miami_Bob,

Some comments.

Expansion options are off course crucial. However, when I still had my Z (sl-c750) one of the things I disliked was the protrusion the wifi card added. It made it more of a nuisance to type on the keyboard with the wifi card plugged in. Off-course a on/of soft or hardware button should be provided for the built-in wifi.

It would suprise me if a backlight would consume power in standby mode...

Nicer materials don't suck battery power...µ

Many options could be added without sacrificing battery power too much if they are added wisely.

It would raise cost again off course, but I assume that some basic IT features are getting cheaper to manufacture over the course of a few years so that would compensate.

WHen my wi fi card is in, I'm not usually working the keyboard (G). When wi fi is done, the card pops out & is stored. No problem.

I'm over the "double nickel" and have had surgery in both eyes. Got artificial lenses & retinal damages. No backlight & I can't see the C860 display to use the device.

In a more perfect world, on standby internals would use little or no power, but I have found that in real life this is hardly ever the case.

"Without sacrificing battery power TOO much .." (emphasis mine). Each & every add on that I do not need at the moment, sacrifices too much battery power for my liking.

Course, I'm a cranky old hold out who likes his choices his own way (G).

I still say, if I wanted a notebook, I'da bought a notebook (G). My C860 doesn't NEED a DVD burner built in (he said to push the point).

[loopy29]

WHen my wi fi card is in, I'm not usually working the keyboard (G). When wi fi is done, the card pops out & is stored. No problem.

Carrying essential - and nowadays I consider Wifi essential for any mobile computing device - features as add-ons is a nuisance. They get lost, the take-in extra space and when on the move, e.g. at a conference, I want to travel as light as possible. I NEED Wifi there and it should be built in, even at the expense of battery life...(and I still feel that some features don't eat as much battery as you think when turned off...)

I'm over the "double nickel" and have had surgery in both eyes. Got artificial lenses & retinal damages. No backlight & I can't see the C860 display to use the device.

I follow you there, I wouldn't wanna live without a screen backlight either. However, I was talking about a keyboard backlight, so you could see the keys in darker conditions. Again, you should be able to easily turn it off. Should help with those artificial lenses & retinal damages.  

BTW, I could live without the built in HD, and OFF COURSE do not need a built in CD  

Concerning battery life, maybe they could use OLED display. I hear it doesn't need backlighting. Should be very interesting. Probably isn't as nice yet as the CG silicon screen...

[soycap]

I did the following keyboard light mod on my sl-5500

http://www.tekprosystems.com/zaurus/mod.htm

You may be able to do something similar to a clam shell as well.

soycap

[Miami_Bob]

However, I was talking about a keyboard backlight, so you could see the keys in darker conditions. Again, you should be able to easily turn it off. Should help with those artificial lenses & retinal damages.  

Concerning battery life, maybe they could use OLED display. I hear it doesn't need backlighting. Should be very interesting. Probably isn't as nice yet as the CG silicon screen...

Ahhh. With the C860 you really don't need a backlighted keyboard. Just tilt the screen a bit forward & let it shine down on the keyboard. Works well even in complete darkness (G).

The C860 screen is very nice ... except in strong light conditions when it becomes unusable. But the level of backlight really makes a major difference in how long the battery lasts (G).

[attis]

 I've actually been emailing Sharp requesting that they make a clam shell version the sl-6000w. Maybe if enough people request these features they will start to pay attention.
http://www.myzaurus.com/requests.asp
Let them know they have people waiting to give them money.
BTW an OLED screen would rock.

[loopy29]

I just made a similar request. I am afraid though that this will not be heard..;

[dhns]

I just learned that the SL-5500G seems to be really sold out in Germany (took one year longer than anticipated). No dealer or distributor has any devices left.

So Sharp should be unburdened from that stock and be free to think about new product generations.

that they make a clam shell version the sl-6000w.

I would prefer a Clamshell version of the SL-6000L (or better: a C860 with integrated WiFi) - I have no use for Bluetooth.

BTW an OLED screen would rock.

Agreed!

-- hns

[Miami_Bob]

I've actually been emailing Sharp requesting that they make a clam shell version the sl-6000w. Maybe if enough people request these features they will start to pay attention.
http://www.myzaurus.com/requests.asp
Let them know they have people waiting to give them money.
BTW an OLED screen would rock.

Problem is that Sharp has NEVER, TTBOMK, officially released or supported a Cxxx "clam shell" Zaurus outside of Japan itself despite the fact that there are LOTs of us spending very good money & lots of it to obtain them in spite of Sharp's "marketing strategy" or lack there of.

Seems like Sharp Japan just flat does NOT care in the least what their customers, potential customers or once upon a time but no longer customers think, suggest, want and/or do.

Yet they continue to produce those cheap assed, pathetic pieces of complete & total crapola that Radio Shack purportedly "sells" as "clamshell" PDAs.

Pity, really. Cock pistol; shoot self in foot; repeat till out of ammo; reload & loop to start till out of foot; begin on other foot. Way to go, Sharp! DUHHHH!

[Zuber]

I fail to see why Sharp Japan get so much stick.

It is Sharp Japan that have introduced these excellent units. IMHO, it is Sharp Eurpoe and Sharp USA that have the problem.

From what I have been told, and it may be wrong. Sharp USA, Europe and Japan are all different entities that (are supposed to) work together.

So you can hardly expect Sharp Japan to start selling/promoting/supporting the clamshell model abroad. Apart from anything else, Sharp USA/Europe would be less than happy and would go nuts.

[iamasmith]

I have seen some references on a Japanese discussion group saying that the SL-C9x0 will probably have a PXA270 processor capable of higher clock rates than current PXA255 models but I think this is all speculation.

I wouldn't hold my breath for OLED/OLEP displays. Sharp spent a lot of time developing the CG Silicon technology as a cost effective, power efficient and small scale display technology - I think their focus is going to be on that for a while.

[Miami_Bob]

I fail to see why Sharp Japan get so much stick.

It is Sharp Japan that have introduced these excellent units. IMHO, it is Sharp Eurpoe and Sharp USA that have the problem.

From what I have been told, and it may be wrong. Sharp USA, Europe and Japan are all different entities that (are supposed to) work together.

So you can hardly expect Sharp Japan to start selling/promoting/supporting the clamshell model abroad. Apart from anything else, Sharp USA/Europe would be less than happy and would go nuts.

I may be wrong, but my impression is that Sharp JAPAN is the reason that the other Sharp "areas" can not sell the Cxxx series.

And, apparently, the assorted Sharp domains are NOT so completely independent as all THAT, Zub.

Look at

 http://sharp-world.com/index.html

 and at

 http://sharp-world.com/worldwide/index.html

Looks like they communicate well enough between themselves when THEY *want* to do so, eh? But ain't it strange how both pages, entirely in anglic, have that:

 " -> Home -> For Business -> Japan "

route mark topside? Which jumps the user directly to:

http://www.sharp.co.jp/

ALL in Japanese, too.

Who do you guess is the horns on the ox, eh?

If you check "Products" (WORLD WIDE, now mind) you get Electronic Organizers but no PDAs or PMTs. Drill one more layer there & you find 6 ZQ series (including the cheap ass Radio Shack items that I mentioned above) and 3 EL series (ditto).

NOT ONE Cxxx OR SL-xxxx however. And notice, please, that all the world is represented on this page EXCEPT for JAPAN. Hummm? Just coincidence? Or a plot by ALL the other Sharp domains against *Japan*?

NOW, Zuber, with all due respect, I next Googled for "Zaurus", limited to site:Sharp-world.com for 34 hits returned.

Most were corp promo hype like

http://sharp-world.com/corporate/info/his/h_company/1996/
http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/0103.html

A few were corp hype PDFs like

 Design Strategy for LCD-Applied Products
http://sharp-world.com/corporate/rd/tj1/pdf/4.pdf

 Concept Development for LCD-Applied Products
http://sharp-world.com/corporate/rd/tj1/pdf/3.pdf

But not a single one was current or relevant to our Z's.

Come on, Zuber. Its obvious as the hand in front of one's face, IMHO, who is calling the Sharp International tune & why the Cxxxs are restricted to Japan only. Sharp JAPAN *wants* it that way.

Again, with all due respect, SHOW me reasons to believe otherwise. I'm willing lo listen to good *facts* with open mind.