Zaurus SL-C3000

[uczmeg]

Won't the problem with the current ROMS for the 860 be that they are too big to fit in ROM space on the C3000?

My guess is they'll need adapting a little to make them install to the hard drive?

[vishnja]

Being able to dual boot PPC (or even Palm) and Linux would increase productivity quite a bit.  Why do you think it would prevent anyone from using it productively?

The fact of the matter is, PPC/Palm are supported in the US, sync on Macs, and have better stock PIMs and some other applications.  If we could go back to the days of WinCE2 where you could load a CF card in with Linux and run a boot loader, that would be great.  Then I could use PPC/Palm for my day to day business needs and then pop in a CF card with Linux when I need/want to hack.  It'd be even better if they'd give us a fat flash chip to load both OSes on comfortably.

Booting takes time, whether from RAM or cf, doesn't matter that much. If you want to use the Z as a PIM device, this would be too much time. Imagine situations like this: "oh, hang on just 2 minutes, I'll have to look up this telephone number/ckeck my schedule" just because you were hacking the shell and need to reboot the device.
It's form factor, "allways there and ready and instant on" is was makes the Zaurus a PDA. My laptop needs 3 secs to wake up from sleeping mode, my Z just 1. For me, that matters.

[ccrandal69]

Not necessarily.  If the primary OS is PPC, this isn't a problem.  Just like I said earlier with the older WinCE2 devices, you'd just pop in a CF card and then run a boot loader to start up Linux.  So, accessing my business applications aren't impacted.

And even if they were, I don't really care since turning off a PDA usually means putting it into a suspend mode and turning it on takes it out of suspension.  So, the only time you'd need to boot is when you take the PDA totally down.

I guess I don't see what there is to be concerned about this.

[leskimo]

new images + video from the WPC expo @
http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/

direct link to the wmv
http://akiba.sorobangeeks.com/news_pics/8800/z3000.wmv

[runixd]

Won't the problem with the current ROMS for the 860 be that they are too big to fit in ROM space on the C3000?

My guess is they'll need adapting a little to make them install to the hard drive?

At most you would probably need to update fstab, which shouldn't be considered as a hack or modification I guess.

[iamasmith]

Well I like the white case and did you notice there's a Ctrl Key !, still no Alt though !

[kopsis]

This is pure and total speculation on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if we find that Sharp just threw a conventional rom image file (like the kind you use to reflash the ROM) onto the HD and tweaked the kernel to loop mount it. That way they don't have to deal with partitioning or non-FAT filesystems on the drive, restructuring the ROM, protecting the portions that they don't want users to change, etc.

[iamasmith]

This is pure and total speculation on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if we find that Sharp just threw a conventional rom image file (like the kind you use to reflash the ROM) onto the HD and tweaked the kernel to loop mount it. That way they don't have to deal with partitioning or non-FAT filesystems on the drive, restructuring the ROM, protecting the portions that they don't want users to change, etc.

Not entirely sure that they have done this, I saw something about only getting close to 4Gb space if you removed the dictionionaries.... However, I guess the dictionaries could still be on a FAT drive..

[alan]

go hereNOW!!!

http://ezaurus.com/

[jettie1767]

Thanks for the link!

The C3000 looks a lot chunkier than the C860.

[offroadgeek]

go hereNOW!!!

http://ezaurus.com/

maybe you missed the existing thread with 82 posts already about this...  I'm merging these

[jamesannan]

Can someone confirm what the lack of Java will mean in practice? I saw someone write that existing apps will work on the new model. So does that not mean it would be easy to install the java that came with the 860? Would certainly be a show-stopper for me if not...having just taken the trouble to learn some java so I could write a portable application!

(I know that upgrading from 860 to 3000 sounds like it hardly makes sense - but my wife is starting to like the 860, and we both want java)

James

[iamasmith]

I can't see any technical reason at the moment why you can't install Java PersonalProfile that came with the 860 on a 3000, however, I think there's something in the small print about the JVM being licensed for the device it came on. You may want to check into that (or you may not).

Actually I think the SL-C3000 is going to appeal to people that want to run PocketWorkstation (when they sort out an X Server that runs on it, assuming the graphics chip has changed) and if you are running that then I suppose it's feasible that you may want to run fullblown Blackdown JDK and use Swing etc.

It is going to be interesting to see what sort of battery life these units get as I understand that they still have the 1700ma/h batteries like the 860 and I know that if you use a WIFI card in the 860 then the battery life really takes a dive, I wonder what it's going to be like possibly with an SD card, WIFI card and the onboard HD (Microdrive ??).

- Andy

[aguazul]

I don't know why there is so much whinging going on about this model.  I've been waiting on the side-lines, considering the Zaurus (and other options, like maybe the OQO), and this looks like the best option yet for me by far.  I need wireless, and I need storage.  With one CF slot, that is a problem.  With the HD in the Zaurus, they have just solved that problem.  Also, I'm sure they're buying these HDs much cheaper than I could -- now that the MuVo2s don't have usable microdrives in them any more.

As far as I am concerned, this is starting to look like the first really usable Zaurus for my purposes.  I could keep a sync'd copy of all my E-mail on it now (i.e. simultaneous WiFi and HD access to do the syncing).  I could use it to backup my photos from my camara (i.e. simultaneous SD and HD access).  Maybe I could even use it for field audio recording one day (www.core-sound.com, i.e. CF and HD access).

I'm glad to see some people (Dynamism UK, Handheld Linux DE, ShirtPocket?) are looking at bringing it to Europe.

Also note there is no reduction in RAM-style memory (64MB).  Only the Flash-style memory is reduced, but as I understand it, this is only really needed for booting from when you have 4GB of HD-style memory built in.

[rikiya]

Just in case anyone didn't notice, the SD card slot has moved to tthe front from the back!