It's a bit heavy for full time use in a shirt pocket. It'll go in a pinch though. Definitely feels better as a Jacket Pocket Unit.
I don't have any good photos on hand. There was one review that matched it up to 2 other units (An sl-6000 and a Pocket PC, I think). My friend has a Tungsten C with one of the Aluminum Cases, and the 860 is almost exactly the same size in all directions as the C in the Aluminum case. No, it isn't a particularily dainty unit. Incidently, my friend with the C wants me to get him an 860 now that he's seen it.
As for the Outdoors, I was using it as a Map wandering around in full sunshine in Kyoto a couple of weeks back. The screen has a literally ridiculous high brightness setting (Makes a *great* emergency flashlight. Really has to be seen to be believed!) and you have to crank it all the way up to use it outdoors. It really wasn't too bad though. If your primary use is going to be outdoors it's a bit much, but if you're only going to be using it occaisionally without some sort of shade you're good to go. The screen in all other circumstances is mind-blowingly amazing.
True story - when I was on the flight back to Canada from Kansai the Japanese couple next to me saw me pull out my 860. They asked if it was a Japanese Dictionary (Kanji dictionaries are all over the place with roughly the same clamshell form factor - probably why Sharp Japan felt okay with a Clamshell PDA.) I told them no, it was a PDA. They asked me if it was American, and I told them no, it was Japanese. (They seemed pleased!) They then asked me, "Sony?" No - Sharp.
Their response? "Ah - the best screens."
I laughed my ass off over that. These were 0-tech people (A mother and her ~18 yr old daughter visiting Vancouver for 3 days. The daughter was mad to find out that I came from Edmonton, Alberta, because her dream is to go to the world's largest shopping mall ) Sharp has quite the rep over there.
As for the WiFi card, mine sticks out a bit, and I usually have a CF Memory Card of some sort in there anyway, so no, it never gets left in.
I had 2 pleasant surprises about the form factor when I got it.
1) the hinge lock only at 180 degrees. - I found that that is the only way I really use it when I'm keyboarding. It makes it really nice and easy to hold and type on it.
2) The rotating display - I never thought I'd use in in portrait mode vs Landscape mode, but if you're just reading, etc, then portrait mode with the jog dial on the side is a really comfortable-in-any-orientation way of holding it.
And forget anything with a smaller screen. VGA resolution is now my minimum requirement for a handheld. You can really web surf on the thing - none of this small screen formatting quarter or half vga schlock. I've used palm for years, and the 860 instantly replaced my current Clie. (TJ-35)
Can you tell that I like my 860?
