Hi,
I've only owned my SL-C860 for a few days, but as I'm trundling around trying to find software and ROMS I get the very strong impression that a lot of development efforts have been abandoned.
A lot of packages, for example, don't seem to have been updated since early 2003 - at least, the feeds I'm looking at (from zaurus.spy.org). I'm finding most packages problematic as hell (i.e. they don't install, don't work, or cause issues), as they seem to be for older Zauruses/Sharp ROM's.
What happened?
I had that feeling too for a while after coming from a 5500...it seemed like nothing worked as expected on the Z except the stoock apps.
But over time I found that I got eveything I wanted from the unit and there is plenty more if I simply wish to pursue it.
For example, I use my C860 for:
1) Excellent movie playback...a favorite of mine is to run a movie and pipe the sound through a cheap walkman cassette adaptor into my car stereo and listen to movies on long trips (Great movies for this are PHONEBOOTH, SUICIDE KINGS, and RESERVOIR DOGS as you don't need to see the video as it is 99% talking). Plus since I close the 860, the battery last a long time. When in waiting rooms I often watch movies ....You can fit several on a 4GB Microdrive in Highqaulaity or about 12 with a some sacrifice in video qaulity. I use 800 Kbps, so my movies run large (450MB, but nice), I played some old 5500 movies coded at 200-300Kbps and they play very well although pixelation is litle more obvious since the screen is 640x480....however at 200-300Kbps, the average movie is only about 200MB.
2) Mp3 Music playback is great when on the subway or walking/communiting...anytime when you need your eyes or you will be getting up and moving alot (like changing subway cars, etc).
3) Many o my favorite 5500 games play well on the C860, but since I got the instructions to install the Nintendo Emulator (regular NES), I literally have tons of games at my disposal. And they are TINY in filesize. They play just like the real thing...full sound and full screen.
4) I even got SNES to work for a few games...studders a bit, but for my all time favorites, I don't mind.
5) Email and Web surfing are a dream come true.
I hope someone here can tell me what I need to get Kismet running on Cacko QT...It has installed and all, but doesn't seem to show any data or logs...jut lights the modem for a few seconds and goes out. If I could find some local hotspots,, that would make surfing and email even better and more flexible.
6) I found a great sound booster that I am integrating into my larger 860 case to power to small speakers, that way I can watch movies without heapjhones and with complete clarity....This is described in the "Deals" forum and available at radio shack for $22.
7) Work processing and PIM are sweet and work well. The new Note taker program is really cool for jotting down just about anything.
Portabase makes for a great, simple (encryptable) database app that is fully functional with a simple GUI (but lots of power under the hood). Not too mention prtablse supports windows, linus, etc etc.
9) Programming, The 860 Runs Java very very well, I do most programming on a notebook and move it to the Z for testing, but I would really like to set up a compiler on my notebook AND Z to compile more meatier programs (hile on the road) such as doing ports of old farvorites or adding a feature or finishing a program that was written for the 5500 or abandoned.
10) Reading Ebooks like Z4CK is a blast and a great way to pass time.
11) With the full keyboard and gorgeuous screen, I don;t think I could go back to a regular PDA, although the 6000L holds some serious appeal. However, the 6000L is even still in the integration phase for alot of ROMS, so it ihas a ways to go...but buil-in WIFI and an even BETTER screen are tempting...not as good a keyboard, but it would be a nice addition (still keepng my 860 though, no matter what).
The point is, find out what you WANT from the Z and then spend the time to GET THAT ONE THINGG working for you....and I am willing to bet you will get all the help you need here at ZUG. (and it will happen faster than you think...that is always the case I have found...if you wnat it...someon has invariibaly done it already). Next, move onto the next biggest this you need from your poratble computer and so on and so on.
I realized that I wasn't diappointed with the c860 in the begining, it was that I hadn't really a clue where to start and what was most important on MY list. To this day, I still love that my 860 (like my 5500) wakes me up in the morning and duing catnaps in the daytime. (alamr clock was my first requred App, beleive it or not)
Dead or incomplete development is always an issue with opensource...people get busy or they decide they don't need the functionality that bad...but good projects tend to get taken back up by a new person and evenually completed.
The CX00 series was never meant for US and to this day, it is still being ordered and new people are ariving here in the forums. Alot of the docs have gotten a bit out of date, but most of the real gurus are still here and still using it. I find that once someone gets the Z just the way they like it, they tend to droip out of the forums. But they also still have thier Z and use it daily .
Offroad, I suggest looking through the docs and making a list of things that need to be added and updated and preseent the list tho the group....see if people have an interest in takling the docs (one at a time per user) and getting them all up to date....of couse this will require a coordinated effort and a little nagging, but we got the resources here and it will make the site alot more useful and alot more FRESH looking and up-to-dateAnother thing, Look at old posts and (if they seem to have ended without resolution) go ahead and PM the posters and you may vry well find that they still are solid Z users and have found the solution to the problem they posted about originally, but never bothered to post a follwup.
Sorry for the long post, but suffice it to say, I have been there (where you are) and once I made an effort to customize my Z specifically to my needs, I realized NOTHING would ever replace the capaboilities i grew accusommed to carrying around in my pocket.
Hope this helps.
