A few years ago, most of the people reading this article probably carried two devices with them every day in their pocket or bag: a mobile phone and a PDA. PDAs aka Personal Digital Assistants were the norm back then, while smartphones were still just a glimmer in eye of Steve Jobs and the Google whiz kids. These days no one wants two devices when they can carry one uber-nifty mega smartphone right? Maybe not.

Once a month or so, I’ll receive an email like this one:

Hi Julie,

I was wondering if you could give me some advice on a replacement for my Palm TX?  I’ve done quite a bit of research and found that no one except HP (IPAQ) is making PDAs any longer.  (And they are expensive.)

I could go to a different platform, but it seems that there isn’t anything handheld that enables you to enter data with a stylus and that functions primarily as a business organizer (focus on calendar, contacts, notes, and enables you to sync it with the computer.)  I don’t need a phone with more functions and I don’t want to have to pay a monthly data fee to use the device. I really like the simplicity of Palm devices.  It seems I am not alone.

Some people are turning to the iPod Touch, but I really like the “always on” feature of PDAs. Plus, I understand it is primarily an entertainment device as opposed to a business organizer.

Any thoughts.  I’ll need to sync with a Windows 7 PC.

Don

I know that Don isn’t alone because I live with someone that has no desire for a smartphone. She still uses a Palm Zire 31 which was released way back in 2004, the dark ages of mobile computing.

As I see it, people that want to continue using pocket sized PDAs, have 3 choices:

1. Continue using older PDA devices for as long as you can find / replace them

Most of the people that email me asking for PDA advice, always start out by saying that their Palm device is dying and what current device can they buy to replace it. Guess what? You can still find brand new boxed Palm PDAs for less than $50 on eBay. And if you don’t mind used devices, you can easily spend less than $25. Handspring Visors and Windows Pocket PCs can be found too. This is the most inexpensive solution and most likely the best one for people who are perfectly happy kicking it old school.

In addition to the basic PIM (Personal Information Management) apps that are built-in to each device, you can still download 3rd party productivity apps from sites like Handango and Freeware Palm.

The biggest problem I can see with these older devices is the fact that there is little to no support for them other than like minded users on various online forums. There’s also the issue that as we continue to update our desktop computers to newer OS versions, the ability to sync/backup our data on these devices will probably become impossible due to software incompatibility. That said, depending on the device, you can still find syncing software for Palm and Windows CE/Pocket PC devices on http://www.hpwebos.com/ and http://hp.com respectively.

2. Consider a WiFi enabled Android device

There are two ways to get a pocket sized Android device that can serve as a PDA. One way is to buy a WiFi enabled smartphone and only use the WiFi connection instead of the cellular connection. Just like with older Palm devices, older Android smartphones can be found at bargain prices. However, if you want something shiny and new, consider one of the Samsung Galaxy Player devices. They offer 4 and 5 inch models that are priced at $230 – $270. They have all the main features of current Android smartphones like WiFi, GPS, Camera, SD card expansion and Bluetooth, but without the need to pay for a monthly data plan. I took a quick look at the Galaxy Player 5.0 at my local Best Buy and was tempted to buy one just to do a review.

One of the best reasons to go with an Android device is the fact that you completely bypass the need to sync data with a desktop PC. All data syncing is done with Google (calendar, contacts, email) via WiFi to the cloud. And for those of you that are extra paranoid, there are third party apps that will back up your data to an SD card.

3. Another option is an iPod touch

Apple’s iPod touch is almost like having a thinner iPhone without the actual phone feature. Priced at $199 – $399 depending on the capacity, the touch has WiFi, Bluetooth, and front / rear facing cameras. What it doesn’t have is a flash card slot or a real GPS… but there is a mapping feature that uses proximity to known Wi-Fi networks to figure out your location. Definitely not very accurate though.

There are a bazillion productivity apps for the touch including some of the really popular ones that used to be available for the Pocket PC and Palm OS like Pocket Informant and iambic’s Agendus.

Like Android devices, you have the option not to connect the iPod touch to a desktop computer as the data will be stored in the cloud with iCloud. iCloud will also make sure that your data is the same across all your iOS devices which is cool. I like that I can take a picture with my iPhone and it will automatically show up on my iPad and iMac. You can even sync your Google data (calendar, email, contacts) with Apple’s built in apps.

Of course if you choose option #2 or #3, you’ll have to charge your device every 2-3 days unlike 2-3 weeks or longer with an older Palm device.

If it were me, I’d probably choose the iPod touch for a few different reasons. For one thing, it has more support from Apple in the way of OS updates than the Samsung Galaxy Player and other older Android devices. Apple tends to provide major OS updates through 2 generations of devices. So if you buy the current or last gen device, you can still run the latest and greatest version of the OS. This doesn’t seem to be the case with Android devices. There is also a huge variety of 3rd party accessories for the touch that include cases, charging docks, speakers, fitness sensors and more.

So what do you think? Is there still a market for PDAs? Are there other devices not mentioned here that you think would make a great PDA for the non-smartphone crowd? Let me know your ideas.

Filed in categories: Android related, Articles, iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: PDA

Is there still a market for PDAs? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 21, 2011 at 5:49 pm.

Lately, most of the tablet talk has centered on HP and the TouchPad/webOS soap opera. The drama continued today when various tech news outlets reported that HP may be making as many as 1,000,000 more TouchPads to fulfill commitments with their supply-side vendors. At an estimated loss of almost $200 per unit I’ve got to believe that those vendor contracts must have had some significant penalty clauses. In any event, in just a few weeks everyone’s $99 TouchPad dreams may be answered and the eBay scalpers may be facing a bit of a nightmare.

With TouchPad fans now in a waiting game, and Apple not introducing a new iPad until sometime in 2012, tablet fans turned their attention towards Germany and IFA 2011 (a super-sized version of the Consumer Electronics Show). Everyone is chasing after the iPad and using different methods of attack. Google’s Android OS is the base for at least three major manufacturers to launch tablets of different sizes, shapes, designs and price points.

Sony entered the tablet wars with a couple of devices; a standard full-sized slate (SonyTablet S) and an interesting clam-shell design (Sony Tablet P). Toshiba added a second tablet to its lineup, joining the “Thrive” is the super-slim (.3-inch) Toshiba AT200. Toshiba has always been great at making computing devices smaller, lighter and thinner. I expect their latest handiwork will be well received. Lenovo, who already has two full-sized and priced tablets on the market appears to be trying to garner some of the low-priced TouchPad interest with its announcement of the 7-inch IdeaPad A1 priced at $199.

Then it was Samsung’s turn…and today they decided to go small rolling out a new Samsung Galaxy Tab at 7 inches and a 5.3-inch little gem called the ”Galaxy Note” that made my heart flutter.

The Galaxy Note is a 5.3-inch phone/tablet that includes all of the usual top-of-the-line bells and whistles; HD Super AMOLED display, 1.4ghz dual-core processor, and dual cameras (8mp and 2mp). The big difference though is a real, honest-to-goodness stylus. You can use the stylus or your fingers interchangeably throughout the UI and it includes handwriting recognition capabilities.

Yes, I know that Steve Jobs has declared the stylus a sign of device design failure, but for those of us that need to input text or are sick of pressing the wrong link or are just tired of carrying screen cloths everywhere we go the stylus is a wonderful implement. Hey, Steve, we all finger-painted at one time, but most of us progressed to crayons and then pens and pencils.

My first tablet was the Apple Newton MessagePad. I purchased it back in 1993. While it took Apple a few revisions to get it right the Newton 2100 became my constant business companion. It was the right size for taking notes in a meetings, reading and composing emails, looking at websites without having to scroll side-to-side or zoom in and it could easily be held in one hand. While writing by hand isn’t nearly as fast as typing on a full-sized keyboard it sure beats pecking away on glass or, even worse, the thumb stretch we’re all trying to do with our iPads, TouchPads, etc.

When the iPad came out,  Steve Jobs made a brilliant strategic move in downplaying a design decision Apple had made. Rather than be faced with the iPad as a finger only device and the others as the stylus UI he discredited the concept entirely. It worked, at least for a while; his competitors went along with the Jobs’ law of tablet input and created finger-only work-alike devices.

It’s my belief that there is a significant market for people that want a device that is smaller than carrying a “netbook-sized” screen around and larger than an iPhone-sized mobile phone. There was a time when almost every businessperson carried a calendar/notepad of sorts. Generally men carried them in the inner pocket of their suit jacket and women had them in their purse or business case. They were close by and allowed for notes to be quickly jotted down. In the early 90s companies tried to replace this item with the Personal Digital Assistant. It was a bit smaller, had a stylus for input and allowed for some form of handwriting recognition.

Then Handspring/Palm decided to insert a phone into the mix and created the Treo. Somewhere along the line the basic functions of taking notes, and real calendar functions got pushed into the background and gaming, video, and  internet/app use took over.

There’s nothing wrong with playing games, watching videos, running apps or reading the web, but as screen size has grown to accommodate those needs phones are becoming more and more cumbersome to carry. A mobile phone should be smaller, and meant for the quick retrieval of information, short text input and even an actual phone call or two. The smaller and lighter the phone is the more convenient it becomes.

When we’re going to be in a situation where we need more such as a business meeting few people are going to try and type notes on their phone…or pull out a full-sized tablet. That’s the time for what I hope devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note will become. Small and light enough to carry around regularly, but not all the time, fully stylus capable for relatively quick and accurate input and still large enough to allow it to make sense as a notepad, calendar, email client and even a semi-reasonable browser in landscape mode.

Hey, we know that all of this technology started with Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek…and Starfleet officers always carried a communicator (which got smaller as the series went on ) and a tricorder for gathering information and then when it was time to kick back with a video they pulled out their larger PADD. If they all could work in the 26^th century…I think they can work now.

Filed in categories: Android related, News, webOS

Tagged: Android, HP, IFA 2011, Lenovo, Newton, PDA, Samsung, Tablet, toshiba, webOS

Samsung Galaxy Note – Boldly Going Where Tablets Were Meant To Go originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 2, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

With all of the accessories available for your iPad, Kindle, Nook, TouchPad, Xoom, or other tablets, it isn’t surprising that there are some great accessories and some not so good ones on the market.  Knowing which ones to consider for your own use can be a challenge at best, so I am always excited to review an accessory and share my thoughts on the ultimate question “Should I buy this accessory, or not?”.

Today’s review is for an accessory that I must admit that I was skeptical about, The Stump Stand, available for $24.95 from The Stump Store.  Why was I skeptical you ask?  I am skeptical by nature and when a company delivers an accessory for the tablet market I think to myself “here comes another accessory that I don’t need, but would love to have.”  Usually, after buying an accessory for my tablet, an iPad 2, and using it for a few weeks, I am onto a new one – having forgotten about the last one that I have purchased with great intentions and expectations.  If you could see my accessory graveyard I think that you would understand – it is littered with accessories that I only used for a few weeks or a month and then forgot about, or worse yet, I bought the accessory only to find that it did not deliver as promised.  The Stump Stand is advertised by its creator as “The portable stand for your iPad” and after using the stand for the past week I have to admit that they did a good job creating a very functional and useful accessory.

The Stump Stand is one of the accessories that will not be finding its way into my accessory graveyard – it delivers where other accessories have failed.  It isn’t glamorous, nor does it need to be.  The Stump Stand unobtrusively sits on my desk, or by my bedside and holds my iPad 2 up for me to use and does so with aplomb.  It isn’t supposed to be flashy or sparkly to distract me from my work, it is supposed to be a desk accessory that provides functionality for my iPad 2, holding it upright and making it instantly available while I work.  I was surprised to find that I think the Stump Stand is cute and functional in a way that I think many other accessory vendors should consider taking note of as they build their accessories.  It feels simple, yet I know a good deal of thought went into designing and manufacturing the product.  The most simple products usually require the most thought to ensure that the initial idea is conveyed without additional layers of complexity.  One of the well thought out and simple yet useful design elements of the Stump Stand is a rounded cut out that makes selecting the Home button of the iPad 2 simple when in the vertical position.   The Stump Stand comes in a rainbow of colors and can even be customized with your company’s logo should you want to give them away to promote your company.

The Stump Stand will support any tablet or mobile phone with a width of less than .5 inches.  This is perfect for my iPad 2 as I can leave the cover on and it fits snuggly and securely in the Stump Stand.  The Stump Stand has .5″ notch cut into it with two different positions shaped into the notch on the accessory allowing for two different upright positions of my iPad 2.  As well, the Stump Stand has an angled flat surface with a design that I am assuming increasing adhesion so my tablet does not slide off.  In effect, there are three positions that the Stump Stand provides:

1)  Vertical with a slight angle

2)  Vertical with a more aggressive angle – this is my favorite so far at my desk as it is just the right angle for me to utilize my iPad 2, and

3)  Horizontal angled, or as the creator of the Stump Stand calls it, a “Ramp Position” as it resembles a ramp

When reviewing an accessory for the iPad or other tablet, I first considered the Apple provided accessories.  With the Stump stand it is easy to compare it with the $30 synthetic or $40 leather cover that everyone who has an iPad 2 has purchased.  It is sleek and functional as a cover, but in my experience the “stand” part of the cover could use some major reworking as the magnetic folding stand, while an engineering marvel, does not deliver in the real-world.  All too often falls off, leaving the iPad 2 flat on the desk, or on my bedside.  The Stump Stand delivers as advertised and is a welcome addition to support my iPad 2 on my desk.

The Stump Stand has a solid feel to it, and on the packaging the vendor challenges the market to “TOUCH ME” which is a clear message that the accessory is different.  It is soft to the touch, yet sturdy, made from a dense rubber compound.  Weighing in at 8.5 ounces the Stump Stand is sturdy on my desk, or any other flat surface that I put it on.  The Stump Stand holds my iPad 2 securely at the proper angle so I can easily access all of my Apps and information without having to move from my position, where I am also accessing a couple of laptop computers.  I could see the Stump Stand team adding an adventurer’s version of the Stump Stand based on the sand infused holders that have become a mainstay of the in-car GPS market.  This way the Stump Stand could work on non-flat surfaces as well as flat surfaces.

Back to the packaging for a moment – in my opinion, it is innovative – combining a cardboard backer with a notch cut out of it so it can be hung on a retailer’s display with a second notch cut out of both sides to support a rubber band that holds the product in place.  The cardboard backer is a combination advertisement and holding spot for the Stump Stand.  A custom imprinted rubber band holds the Stump Stand to the backer securely.  I can imagine seeing an end-cap in a retail outlet, such as Fry’s or Best Buy with a rainbow of Stump Stands to attract the consumer.  Again, the simplest of designs usually require the most thought to execute and the team at Stump Stand delivered.  Maybe the team should design packaging as well as tablet accessories?

I am not sure I would consider the Stump Stand a portable product that I would take on trips, as it adds a good deal of weight to my already heavy bag.  I would like to see a Stump Stand Mini for travel that cuts the weight down considerably as the iPad 2 cover is not very good for travel.  As stated before, the iPad 2 cover does not work as promised – great ideas and engineering, but poor execution, as the magnets are not strong enough to prevent my iPad 2 from toppling over, or it could just be that I am not very delicate when the plane is jumping up and down during turbulence.  I am going to take the Stump Stand on my next trip and see how it fares on the airplane and let you know.

I only had one other concern, besides the travel applicability of the accessory;  when using the Stump Stand with my iPad 2 it was challenging to use it in the vertical orientation with the power connector attached as the Stump Stand does not have the depth necessary to support the iPad 2 with its power connector in place without turning it upside down, putting the Home button at the top of the iPad 2.  This is not a major inconvenience for me as I usually use my iPad 2 in the horizontal orientation, but it would be nice to be able to should I want to do so.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Stump Stand for those that are looking for a great way to hold their tablet on their desk, bedside, or any other place they need to easily access their iPad 2.

Update:  September 28, 2011 – I took the Stump Stand with me on a recent trip to Europe and used it on the airplane.  It was very simple to use and I enjoyed having it on my tray to watch videos and type out a few messages.  I did have one interesting experience at security with the Stump Stand, as the security screener asked me what it was as it showed up on the X-Ray while traveling through Europe.   Not sure if it was the material the Stump Stand is made of, or the shape that caused the concern.  As far as the concern on the weight, to be honest, I did not notice any concern, as I used a wheeled briefcase for this trip, so it was not hanging on in my shoulder bag or in a back pack.

Filed in categories: Android related, Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: iPad, iPhone, iPod, PDA, Stand

Stump Stand Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 31, 2011 at 3:13 pm.

I can’t even begin to say how many times I have wanted to run a quick errand
without taking along more than the basic necessities – my ID, Amex, some cash
and my PDA phone. Even as a die-hard Gadgeteer I feel that it is a bit of
overkill to make a quick trip to the grocery store loaded down with a day’s
supply of connection cables, adapters and memory cards.

Julie and I have talked about how nice it would be to have a small bag or
specially designed wallet that could hold these basic necessities on quick
jaunts, and that’s what first brought the Maxpedition Rat
Wallet to my attention. The Rat Wallet is designed to carry the
"technologically savvy" users absolute necessities, while remaining small enough
to either tuck into a larger bag, wear on the user’s belt, or attach to the
strap of a larger Maxpedition bag.

As I mentioned in the
Maxpedition Fatboy Versapack review, Maxpedition bags are composed of
1000-Denier water and abrasion resistant, light-weight
ballistic nylon fabric which has been coated with DuPont Teflon
fabric protector. The various components of their bags are held together with
high tensile strength composite nylon thread


and all straps are made of high
tensile strength nylon webbing. All Maxpedition bags use YKK #10 high strength
zippers and zipper tracks and UTX-Duraflex nylon buckles.

The Rat Wallet is available in black, green and
khaki, I was sent the khaki version.

Measuring approximately 5.75" long x 4" wide x 2.5" thick when empty, this
smallish wallet has a lot of pockets and secret hiding places for tucking ID,
bills, receipts and yes – either a small PDA or typically sized cell phone.

Let’s start from the top…

On the front of the wallet is a plastic clip which holds the PDA or cell
phone compartment closed. Above that clip is a 4" x 2.5" zippered compartment
which is perfectly sized for ID, credit or business cards.

Undoing the clip on this compartment reveals a 4" x 2.5" open slot pocket
which is also perfect for holding ID, credit or business cards. Behind this slot
is a larger compartment measuring approximately 4.5" long x 3.25" wide x 1"
deep, which is a suitable place to carry a small PDA, mobile phone or even a
digital music player. Expanding strips of elastic making up this compartment’s
sides allow it to expand a bit to accommodate various items.

 
The pocket easily holds smaller PDA phones such as the Samsung
i550

The only complaint I have against this pocket’s design is that there is a
piece of velcro included which seems superfluous, considering that there is also
a plastic clip to keep the compartment secure. I realize that for someone that
never remembers to snap the clip the Velcro might be a good safety net – but I
would rather deal with the clip than deal with the Velcro.

My solution was to completely remove the stiff loopy strip of Velcro, and now
the compartment seems much more accessible.

The compartment is just large enough to hold the PPC-6700
PDA phone

On the back side of the wallet is a zippered compartment which when undone
reveals two pockets…

…which are suitable for holding ID, credit or business cards, as well as
folded cash, receipts, memory cards, digital music player earphones, small
adapters and / or folded checks.

The back side of the Rat Wallet has two Velcro loops which fold over each
other, making it possible to attach the wallet to a belt or bag strap. If the
wallet is usually stowed inside its owners gearbag, then this feature will
probably never really be used – but this portion of the wallet will still have a
function. Pulling back the top flap of Velcro reveals a 5" long x 3" deep slash
pocket which can be used to store receipts or other small flat items.

Notice that there is a 3" loop of nylon cord attached to the zipper for the
wallet’s middle section. This loop makes it easy to quickly open the wallet, but
it also gives the user a handy way to carry the wallet – by looping through a
finger.

Here is the Rat Wallet shown
attached to my Maxpedition
Fatboy Versapack strap. The ability to position the wallet on the exterior
of my bag makes it possible to access its contents easily, or remove it quickly
when I don’t want to carry all of my gear.

Really, the only complaint I had against the Rat Wallet was that extra strip
of Velcro. Now that I have removed it, I am able to enjoy the convenience of
having an all-in-one wallet to use when I want to run quick errands or travel as
lightly as possible.
 

Filed in categories: Gear, Wallets, Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Canvas, Case, Neoprene, Palm OS related, PDA

Maxpedition Rat Wallet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 7, 2005 at 9:31 am.

The SL-C3100 is the latest entry in Sharp’s line of Zaurus PDAs. Sharp sold
Zaurus PDAs in the US for a while, but decided to pull out of the US market
2 or 3 years ago. Interestingly, though, there are still many importers bringing
Zauruses to the US and Europe, and there is still an active community of Zaurus
users and developers. This is partially because the Zaurus offers a form-factor
that doesn’t exist in any other PDA, but the main reason is that Sharp decided
to scrap their proprietary OS and adopt Linux. This gives the Zaurus access
to a fairly large software library (at least in theory) and allows Linux users
to use the device easily.

The SL-C3100 (released in Japan at the end of June 2005) is very similar in
most ways to the previous model, the SL-C3000. The main differences are the
color (changed from white & silver to dark gray & silver), an upgrade from 16MB
of internal flash memory to 128MB, and the inclusion of some new bundled software,
including multimedia dictionaries, English lessons and video golf lessons (!).
I believe the CPU, memory, and other specs remain the same.

I had the opportunity to use a number of Zauruses while I was living in Japan,
but the 3100 is my first Zaurus that runs Linux (and in fact, it’s my first
time using Linux period). So this review is written from the point of view of
someone who is familiar with computers and PDAs in general, but who is new to
Linux.

Hardware Specs

416mhz Intel XScale CPU
64MB RAM
128MB flash memory
4GB internal microdrive
3.7″ 640 x 480 TFT CG Silicon display (pivotable, touchscreen)
CF card slot
SD card slot
Integrated QWERTY thumbboard
Mini-USB port (USB 1.1 compatible, supports USB host)
IR port
Mono speaker
Headphone jack (can also be used with external microphone)
Size: 4.9 x 3.4 x 1.0 inches (124 x 87 x 25mm).
Weight: 10.5 ounces (298 grams).

Package Contents

Zaurus 3100 unit (with CF card slot protector, battery, plastic stylus)
AC adapter (usable worldwide)
USB cable (one end is a mini-B connector, the other is a standard USB connector)
Software installation CDs
Earphones (crappy)
Various manuals (all in Japanese)

Overall Appearance

The Zaurus is a nice size overall. It fits in the hand well, and appears well built in general. However, its thickness (1″ thick) and weight (10.5 oz) make it seem larger than many other PDAs. You’re not likely to forget that you have this in your pocket, but it will fit there. There’s a hole for a wrist strap, and I would suggest using one, since I’m not sure how well a device like this would stand up to a drop on a hard surface.

The top of the Zaurus is made of a hard glossy substance that I assume is plastic,
but it feels almost like metal. It’s a dark silvery gray that looks quite good.
The hinge is made of a dark chrome that matches the cover nicely. The bottom
of the Zaurus isn’t quite as nice. It’s just black plastic. In addition, the
battery cover is laughably thin and creaks when you press on it. I suppose the
reason this stands out is that the unit is otherwise so well built, but it’s
still a little disconcerting.

The 3100 next to an iPod for scale

Clamshell mode

Screen and Keyboard

The Zaurus has a clamshell design just like most full-sized laptops. The
screen opens up and locks in the perfect position for reading while holding
it in your hand, and you can also use it sitting on a flat surface like a table.
The keyboard is quite good for a thumbboard. Pressing a key gives you tactile
feedback and a very slight click. With a little practice, you can get quite
fast at typing. The main problem is punctuation. Not only is the keyboard based
on the Japanese JIS keyboard layout, there are almost no dedicated punctuation
keys. Punctuation is accessed by pressing the function key along with the letter
or number keys. Until you acclimate to the layout, you will probably type alphanumeric
characters quite quickly, only to be stopped in your tracks as you search for
the apostrophe or double quotes. Still, this is the best PDA keyboard I’ve seen.
If you install something like KeyHelper (a keyboard shortcut and macro program)
it’s entirely possible to control the Zaurus without touching the stylus at
all. Speaking of the stylus, it is a 2.5″ piece of black plastic that feels
much too light. It also has a tendency to blend into its surroundings, so I
was always misplacing it. I ordered some replacement styli for the old Zaurus
models that Sharp used to sell in the US. These use an aluminum barrel which
gives the stylus a much nicer heft, and they still fit in the 3100′s silo.

The screen uses Sharp’s own CG Silicon technology and it is quite impressive.
It has VGA (640 x 480) resolution, and it’s true VGA, unlike the weird scaled
VGA that the PocketPC uses. This means that the screen can display an impressive
amount of information, and things like photos look sharp and clear. It’s very
bright and readable, although it does wash out quite badly in direct sunlight.
There is a row of five silkscreened buttons to the right of the display for
launching programs (this is mainly useful when using the device in “View Style”
– more on that below). When you shut the Zaurus screen, it makes a satisfying
sound. It certainly won’t come open by accident. You’ll notice from the pictures
that the screen is slightly off-center to the left, and that there is a lot
of unused space to the sides of the screen. This is my main complaint. There
is more than enough room to fit a widescreen display in this same case. They
could increase the resolution to around 800 x 480, making the device more impressive
looking and more useable.

The screen is actually only attached to the body of the device via a central
"neck". If you twist the display clockwise, you can turn it 180 degrees
and then fold it flat against the keyboard, just like a Tablet PC. When you
do this, the OS and most programs will automatically switch to a vertical orientation
in a second or two. This allows you to hold the Zaurus vertically like a Palm
or PocketPC device (Sharp calls this “View Style”). I think this was mainly
intended for people who want to be able to view documents or web pages while
standing up (like on a commuter train) and holding the Zaurus in one hand. The
Zaurus feels a little too thick to use in this manner for long, though, and
the lack of the keyboard makes it more difficult to use, since you have to rely
on the stylus for most things. On the left side of the device there is a “rocker
switch” which can be used to scroll documents or web pages, and OK and Cancel
buttons. The rocker switch is just not very usable, though. I found myself always
scrolling too far. A scroll wheel would have been a better choice, in my opinion.
I don’t use the Zaurus like this very much, but I guess it’s nice to have the
option.

Rotating the screen

View Style

Internal Microdrive
I believe the SL-C3000 was the first PDA to use an internal microdrive, and it is still an unusual option in the world of PDAs. Having so much storage is certainly nice. However, there are several issues with the internal microdrive that keep me from being completely enthusiastic about it.

First all, you can’t install programs to the microdrive. You can only install
software to the unit’s flash memory, a CF card, or an SD card. True, I think
it is possible to install something to internal memory, copy it manually to
the hard disk, and then create a symbolic link to its new location, but this
can cause problems and is probably not something that the average user should
be attempting.

The second issue is more serious. If the Zaurus refuses to boot for some reason,
the only option you generally have is to do a factory reset and then restore
from a backup. Unfortunately, performing a factory reset automatically erases
the contents of the microdrive. This means that while you can restore the contents
of the flash memory, which will bring back your programs and any other data
stored there, anything that you have on your microdrive will be lost. Plus,
there is no way to backup the internal microdrive, short of manually copying
data to a CF card or external disk. I had to perform a factory reset about four
times in the first two months I had the device. Admittedly, I was doing a lot
of “experimenting” with the Zaurus, so I imagine that my experience was not
typical, and I haven’t had problems recently. But I can’t recommend storing
anything on the microdrive that you don’t have backed up elsewhere. I personally
use it for dictionary files and videos, all of which are backed up on my PC.

Speed and Battery Life
One of the main complaints people had about the previous Zaurus model
was that it seemed sluggish. Part of the reason for this was that it had the
OS stored on the microdrive itself, and it had to spin up each time you accessed
something that wasn’t cached into memory. With the 3100, this has been solved,
since the OS is entirely in flash memory. It’s still not the fastest PDA in
the world though. It’s not a major problem, but programs can be a little slow
in launching and responding.

I haven’t performed proper battery life tests, but I believe I can get 6+ hours
when using the Zaurus with the screen at minimum brightness, which is still
quite viewable. Using my Bluetooth card doesn’t affect this much at all, but
Wi-Fi cuts battery life in half.

Memory Expansion
The CF card slot can be used for memory cards, microdrives, or things like Wi-Fi
or Bluetooth cards.

The SD slot can use cards up to 1GB (people have not been successful using
larger cards, so this may be a limitation of the Zaurus software). It does not
take advantage of the higher-speed SD cards out there, and it does not support
SDIO, so you can’t use SD-size Wi-Fi or Bluetooth cards. Aside from these limitations,
I’ve had no problems using the SD card slot with my 1GB card.

USB
The Zaurus has a mini USB port which can be used to connect to a PC, allowing
you to access the files on the microdrive and on other memory cards. There has
been some confusion as to whether the Zaurus has USB 2.0, so let me state right
here that it does not. File transfers occur at a rather leisurely pace.

It also has USB host functionality. This allows you to use a variety of USB
peripherals with the Zaurus, just as if it were a normal computer. The only
catch is that you have to find a USB adapter with a mini-A connector. The cables
that you often get with PDAs and digital cameras look similar, but have mini-B
connectors, which will not put the Zaurus into USB host mode.

Mini-A USB adapters

Zaurus with USB keyboard and mouse

Once you get the cable, though, you can use a surprising number of peripherals.
USB keyboards work without any additional software, although the keymap will
be for the Japanese keyboard, so the punctuation won’t match what is marked
on the keys. USB mice can be used with the installation of a small piece of
freely available software and work surprisingly well, although the cursor leaves
"trails" behind it where the screen takes a second or two to refresh.
You can use many USB hard disks, thumbdrives, CD-ROM drives, and more. I’ve
even mounted my iPod and played divx video directly off of its hard drive. However,
most of these things require that you type some commands in the terminal. Of
course, since the Zaurus only has one USB port, you’ll need to use a hub to
use more than one device at once. In the picture above, I’m using a Fellowes
folding USB keyboard, optical mini-mouse and a 4-port USB hub, all powered by
the Zaurus running on batteries.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and IR
Many people were upset when the 3100 was announced with no internal
networking options. However, when you consider that the device is intended for
Japan, where most people will probably be using compact-flash-sized cellular
modems for mobile Internet access, the omission of internal Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
makes a little more sense. Also remember that the internal microdrive makes
it less likely that you would need to have a memory card in the CF slot, freeing
it up for a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth card.

Wi-Fi is officially supported by Sharp, so most 802.11b cards should work in
the Zaurus. Still, it would be a good idea to do some research online to make
sure that the card you are considering has been used successfully by someone
else. I use a WLI-CF-S11G card from Buffalo. It works well, with no additional
drivers required. It does stick out more than an inch from the CF card slot,
though, making holding the Zaurus and typing more difficult.

With Wi-Fi Card Inserted

Zaurus with Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse

Bluetooth is a different story. Sharp does not officially support the use of
Bluetooth cards on the Zaurus. There is a software package called Bluez that
allows you to use Bluetooth, but it requires mostly manual configuration. This
entails going in and editing configuration files with a text editor and running
commands in the terminal. Also, the number of supported cards is limited, and
it can be surprisingly hard to find ones that work. I am using a Socket Bluetooth
card. It works well now, but at first putting the Zaurus to sleep would disable
the card. It took me a while to stumble onto the right configuration commands
to fix the problem. The Socket card is very nice, since it doesn’t protrude
from the CF slot at all. I was also able to use a USB Bluetooth dongle with
no problems.

I am currently able to use Bluetooth to access the Internet via my RAZR mobile
phone, and I have my PowerBook set to share my Internet connection to Bluetooth,
allowing me to surf the Internet and access files on my home network at a speed
that is very comparible to the Wi-Fi card. Using Bluetooth doesn’t seem to have
much of an effect on battery life, so I don’t use my Wi-Fi card much at all.

I haven’t had as much luck getting wireless peripherals to work. I’ve gotten
to the point where my ThinkOutside Universal Bluetooth keyboard and Macally
BTMicro mouse will work fine until they timeout and go to sleep to conserve
batteries. Then I have to manually reconnect to them. Getting things like this
to work requires a lot of experimentation, especially if you’re not a Linux
guru.

Of course, it’s debatable whether it’s even worth using a keyboard and mouse
with such a small device, but I think the keyboard is nice to have for when
you want to do a lot of text entry. The mouse is only useful insofar as it frees
you from having to stop and pick up the stylus to select something on screen.
Keyboard shortcuts can pretty much do the same thing.

I’ve never done it, but the infrared port can be used to connect to an IR-equipped
mobile phone. I can also be used to exchange some types of data. I was able
to send all of my address book contacts from my Palm to the Zaurus in one shot,
and you can also send Calendar and ToDo information, but only one item at a
time.

OS
As I mentioned above, the 3100 runs on Linux, or more precisely Qtopia, a Linux
GUI created for handheld devices. There are also a number of alternate “ROMs”
which are essentially different versions of the Linux GUI. At the moment, I
don’t believe any of the alternate ROMs are completely ready for use on the
3100, but I’m sure they will be in the near future. Some of them (like the Cacko
ROM) are essentially improvements on the standard Sharp ROM, while others (like
pdaXrom) are completely different and create an OS very similar to the one you
would have on a desktop Linux machine. In this review, though, I’ll only be
talking about the Sharp ROM. Also, since I am using the device in Japanese,
some of my screenshots will have Japanese in them. But this will be converted
to English if you buy a converted Zaurus or convert it on your own. I have also
added some wallpaper and changed some of the icons (the Mac OS X icons you see
below aren’t the original icons).

There is a taskbar at the bottom of the Qtopia screen that’s reminiscent of
the Windows taskbar, complete with a start-button-like menu in the lower left
that you can use to launch applications, make network connections, power off
the device, etc. Also displayed on the taskbar are a clock, battery and volume
indicators, and icons showing if cards are inserted in the memory card slots.
Other applets with a variety of uses can be also added. The programs that are
running are displayed as icons toward the center of the taskbar, in a manner
similar to the dock on Mac OS X.

Application Launcher

"Start Menu" Launcher

The Zaurus comes with a combination application launcher and file manager that
is accessed by pressing the “Home” key on the keyboard (or the silkscreen button
to the right of the screen). The launcher is functional, but pretty barebones.
You can divide your programs into categories, which are displayed via tabs at
the top of the screen. Icons can be displayed in one of two sizes (slightly
too big or way too small). The only changes you can make from within the launcher
itself involve tapping and holding an application icon and changing some of
its launch settings. Depending on the application, you can cache it into memory
(making it launch faster), run it with root privileges (necessary if you need
to modify some system files), or instruct a program created for the older QVGA-screened
Zauruses to take advantage of the 3100′s VGA resolution. Any other changes,
like altering an application’s tab location, icon, name, or display order are
done with a separate “Tab Settings” application.

File Manager

Tree!Explorer QT

The tab on the far right is the file manager. You can use it to copy, move,
rename and delete files on the internal microdrive, or on any inserted memory
cards. However, in the case of the microdrive this only displays the files and
folders in the “Documents” folder, not any other folders that might exist on
the microdrive. You also can’t use it to access any of the files in the unit’s
128MB of flash memory. If you want something a little more powerful and flexible,
I would suggest one of the add-on file managers like Tree!Explorer QT (pictured
above).

Anyone who has used a modern PDA or even a PC running Windows should be able
to figure out the basics of the Zaurus OS pretty easily. Qtopia seems pretty
different than most desktop versions of Linux, though. I imagine that the OS
would be relatively stable if you stuck to Sharp’s preinstalled applications,
but when you’re using some of the software available on the net or using it
with other peripherals, you may run into some stability issues. While it didn’t
lock up on me all that often, I was surprised that there is apparently no way
to force-quit a program that has stopped responding. No way, that is, except
for going into the terminal and manually killing the process.

Software
The Zaurus comes with a fair amount of software, but I’m only going to touch
upon the things that I think are interesting or important. Most of the "bonus"
software that was added to the 3100 to help distinguish it from the previous
model is of little use to non-Japanese speakers.

But first a word about third-party software. While there are some very good
programs out there, I haven’t been particularly impressed with the quality of
much of the software available for the Zaurus. Many programs were made for the
previous generation of Zauruses or are direct ports of desktop Linux programs
and haven’t really been optimized for the Zaurus at all. And in some cases just
installing the programs is a very complicated process involving tracking down
half a dozen library packages from various web sites, manually editing configuration
files, etc. Compared to the Palm or the Pocket PC, software for the Zaurus is
seriously lacking in user friendliness and variety. This isn’t meant as an attack
on the developers who are still supporting the Zaurus. I’m grateful for what
they do. It’s just too bad that there isn’t more good software available. Admittedly,
this is largely because Sharp pulled out of the US market. And it is true that
most of what is available is free and open-source — the only piece of commercial
software I mention in this review is TextMaker.

PIM Applications
The PIM applications are somewhat underwhelming. They do pretty much
what you would expect them to do, but they don’t do it particularly well. The
address book in particular is of questionable use, since it doesn’t sort English
names properly, even after you convert the system to English. I don’t use my
Zaurus for managing this kind of informatiom, but from what I can tell these
applications aren’t nearly as easy to use or as well designed as the Palm’s
PIM applications, or even the ones on earlier pre-Linux Zauruses. There are
some alternate PIM programs available that I’m sure are better, but I haven’t
really tried them. It’s nice to have this kind of program available, but realistically
most people aren’t going to be buying this machine to manage their calendar
and address book. The Zaurus is a little on the big and slow side for this kind
of use, and its form factor doesn’t lend itself to quickly checking information
on the go. It is nice to be able to see the contents of appointments on the
monthly calendar view, though (thanks to the VGA resolution).

I’m not syncing my Zaurus with any computer, partially because I’m not really
using the PIM functions, and partially because my main computer is a Macintosh
PowerBook. There are some work-in-progress versions of software that are supposed
to sync your Mac OS X Address Book and iCal information with the Zaurus, but
they didn’t work for me (it only synced part way and stalled). It is apparently
possible to sync the Zaurus with Outlook on Windows, but since it comes with
Japanese versions of the software, that can take some work to figure out too.
This is another reason I wouldn’t recommend the Zaurus to someone who is a heavy
PIM application user.

Calendar

ToDo

Address Book

Web Browsers
The Zaurus comes with the NetFront browser preinstalled, and there
are also several other browsers available. Opera is probably the best of these,
but the only versions that are available are work-in-progress versions that
aren’t entirely finished (some keyboard shortcuts don’t work, you have to change
permissions on some files in the terminal in order to save bookmarks and preferences,
etc). Once you get it working, though, Opera for the Zaurus is very good, and
definitely the best PDA browser I’ve used. It’s fast and renders most web pages
well. It doesn’t support things like Flash, but in most respects it feels more
like a desktop browser than a scaled-down PDA browser. There are enough pages
that don’t display well in one browser or the other that it’s hard to just choose
one, though. I use Opera most of the time, but occasionally switch to NetFront
for a few pages. It’s even possible to install Firefox if you install the X/Qt
environment, which allows you to use some Linux applications that weren’t written
specifically for the Zaurus. But this can be a little complicated, and I didn’t
see much of an advantage to using it instead of Opera.

NetFront

Opera

Email
The included email program, QtMail, is actually quite capable, although
it does have a few issues. I was very glad to see that it supported IMAP, and
I use it with my .Mac email accounts. Unfortunately, it always wants to sync
all of the folders for each account when it checks for new mail, which makes
it take longer than it should. It doesn’t support secure IMAP and it’s also
not possible to have it check for mail automatically at certain intervals.

It does allow for the creation of filters, and for sending and receiving attachments.
You can set a certain size over which messages will not automatically be downloaded
(only the headers will be downloaded). However, there is no way to have it just
download the body of a message and not the attachments — the size you set applies
to both the message body and attachments together. I have it set to around 35k,
which is enough to allow most text messages to be downloaded, but screens out
most attachements. You can manually tell it to download a message that has been
screened out in this manner, but if you get a message with a very large attachment,
you won’t be able to just read the message itself without downloading the attachment
first. Overall, it is a decent program, but its speed and lack of customizability
do leave something to be desired.

QtMail

Terminal

Terminal
What would a Linux machine be without a terminal? Actually, the Zaurus
doesn’t come with a terminal program preinstalled, but it is on the included
CD. I’ve used the terminal more than I thought I would, that’s for sure. This
is a very basic verson, but it’s usable. There are also third-party terminals
that you can download that support things like multiple windows.

Word Processors
The Zaurus comes with Hancom Mobile Word, which is a pretty basic "Word
Pad" style word processor. It can handle various text sizes, styles, and
colors, and it will allow you to insert pictures, but that’s about it. No tables,
spell checker, or other advanced features. It’s fine for doing some simple text-based
documents. I use TextMaker more often. It is a commercial program that retails
for $50, although you can get it for half that if you look hard enough.TextMaker
is a very impressive program. It can do most anything that you would expect
from a desktop word processor, including inserting images, tables, headers and
footers, etc. It even has on-the-fly spell checking (red underlining of misspelled
words) which is one of my favorite features of modern word processors. However,
it is obvious that it was not designed for the Zaurus models with VGA screens,
and some parts of the program seem unfinished. You can either have the icons
and menus be much too big or much too small, and the contents of dialog boxes
don’t fit the screen properly. There are also some performance issues, especially
when you are dealing with large files. Stiill, it’s the most fully featured
PDA word processor I’ve ever used. It can also read and save to Microsoft Word
format, which is a big plus.

It’s also possible to install things like AbiWord and OpenOffice, but performance
isn’t great and it can get somewhat complicated because it requires using the
X/Qt environment that I mentioned above.

Hancom Mobile Word

TextMaker

Spreadsheet
The Zaurus includes Hancom Mobile Sheet, which is an Excel-compatible
spreadsheet program. It works surprisingly well. I tried opening a large spreadsheet
Excel spreadsheet with over 1000 rows of data (many with lots of text in them)
and it opened in a few seconds and was quick enough to be usable.The
VGA screen really shines with programs like this. Compared to other PDAs, the
Zaurus can display much more on the screen, although you do need good eyes to
be able to read it.

Hancom Mobile Sheet

Audio and Video
The Zaurus comes with applications for playing audio and video files, although
there are better third-party options for both of these. The Music Player application
plays MP3 and WMA files (although not ones with DRM). It has the features you’d
expect from an MP3 player, and the addition of the optional remote control allows
you to use the Zaurus as a kind of erzatz iPod, but I really wouldn’t recommend
it for regular use. The sound quality is good through headphones, and the internal
mono speaker is also surprisingly listenable. I’ve used it to listen to podcasts
that I’ve downloaded directly to the Zaurus, and you can easily understand them
from a few feet away. There is also a voice recording application included on
the software CDs, but you have to use an external microphone with it.

The Movie Player application can play MPEG-1 and MPEG-4 video. I haven’t used
it all that much, since I don’t have much video in these formats. It seems like
a servicable application, but nothing particularly impressive.

Music Player

Movie Player

However, the Zaurus is actually a very capable video playing machine if you
use Mplayer. Mplayer is a free Linux video player, and there is a Zaurus version
available. Mplayer is a command-line application, but there are a couple of
frontends (Kino2 and Zplayer) that provide graphical interfaces for it. I’ve
been quite impressed with the quality I can get by ripping and converting DVDs
to divx files. This is especially true if you use Tetsu’s "special kernel"
which replaces a portion of Sharp’s OS software with a new version that has
been optimized for video. High resolution videos look especially good on the
Zaurus screen, and this is one good use for the internal microdrive.

Widescreen video playing in Mplayer (with Zplayer frontend)

Photos
Photos look great on the Zaurus screen, and it comes with two programs
that can display them. The first is Zaurus Photo Storage. This program allows
you to view photos on the internal microdrive or on a CF or SD card taken directly
out of your digital camera. It can also copy them to the internal microdrive
for storage. This would allow you to store your photos on the Zaurus while on
trip so you don’t have to worry about running out of space on your camera’s
memory card. Or you can just use the big screen on the Zaurus to check the photos
you’ve taken and delete the ones you don’t want. The program can display a slide
show and do simple file management.

The other program is Image Note. It can’t handle large megapixel photos like
Photo Storage can, but one nice feature is that it caches the thumbnails it
creates for your photos. Once you’ve created the thumbnails for a particular
folder, they will display very quickly from then on. Unfortunately there is
no "create thumbnails" command — you have to manually scroll down
through all of your photos to get the thumbnails created. It also has a slideshow
feature and basic file management features, like photo rotation and deletion.

There are several more advanced third party applications (and even The Gimp
if you install X/Qt) so you can do quite a bit of image manipulation on the
Zaurus if you are so inclined.

Photo Storage

Image Note

Dictionaries
I’m a Japanese translator and I have amassed quite a collection of Japanese
CD-ROM dictionaries. On my PowerBook, I have the data from all of the dictionaries
copied to my hard disk and I use a program called Jamming to search them all
at once in one interface. I’ve been using electronic dictionaries on PDAs for
years, but they usually require that you convert the data to some other format,
and most PDAs don’t have enough storage space to fit very many dictionaries.
One of the things that attracted me to the Zaurus was the fact that it can use
the very same dictionary files that I use on my PowerBook. No conversion is
necessary, and the viewing programs available are very similar to the one I
use on my PowerBook as well. The 3100 comes with some very good dictionaries
(the Kojien J-J dictionary and the Genius E-J/J-E dictionary) and you can add
any dictionary in EPWING format (a common format for CD-ROM dictionaries in
Japan). I have more than a dozen dictionaries on my Zaurus that I can search
simulatneously. Pictured here is the program I use, called ZtenV. It’s very
similar to the included Multimedia Dictionary, with a few extra features. The
Multimedia Dictionary even includes some audio, video, and pictures.

The thing that originally attracted me to the Zaurus line of PDAs when came
out way back in 1993 was that they had Japanese handwriting recognition. This
is a big deal to a student of Japanese, since as long as you know how to write
a Chinese character in the proper stroke order, you can look it up, even if
you can’t read it. Before this was possible, you had to use a kanji dictionary,
count the strokes in the character and look it up by its component parts —
a very time consuming process. I’m happy to say that the Zaurus still features
good Japanese handwriting recognition that can be used in any program. Its English
recognition isn’t quite as good, as it’s limited to letter-by-letter recognition.
It’s much faster to use the keyboard.

ZtenV Dictionary Program

Handwriting Recognition

Games
There isn’t a large library of games made for the Zaurus, so I would
recommend looking into emulation if you want to play games. Using emulators
can give you access to thousands of games. There are emulators for the GameBoy,
NES, Super Nintendo and others. Performance is usually pretty decent, although
the Zaurus keyboard really doesn’t lend itself to arcade games. Puzzle games
and RPGs can be quite playable, though.

SNES Emulator

Conclusion
I have mixed feelings about the Zaurus. I love the fact that it is
essentially a laptop that you can fit in your pocket. I love that you can use
a wide variety of peripherals with it. As a Japanese translator, I love having
many complete electronic dictionaries on hand at all times. And the tinkerer
in me sort of enjoys customizing it and getting various things to work. On the
other hand, the Mac user in me hates that so much tinkering is necessary to
get basic functionality out of the device, and I really don’t like the fact
that there aren’t graphical interfaces for so many things. I really think that
Sharp could have done a better job with aspects of the Zaurus, such as supporting
Bluetooth even if it isn’t built in. Still, if you don’t mind getting your hands
dirty editing configuration files, experimenting, and doing research online,
it can be a very capable little machine. Just don’t underestimate the amount
of time it can take to do this. I don’t know how many hours I’ve spent just
trying to get Bluetooth to work properly. Sure, it’s possible to use the Zaurus
without touching the terminal and without doing any kind of manual configuration
at all, but you won’t be taking advantage of its full power. In this review
I’ve really only touched the surface of what is possible.

If you want to use the Zaurus just as it is without doing any manual configuration,
I’d probably give it a 6 or 7 out of 10. But for people who don’t mind learning
how to customize it, I’d give it a 9 out of 10. If you’re considering buying
a Zaurus, your first stop should be the Open Embedded
Software Foundation web site. They have a wide variety of FAQs and some
pretty active forums filled with people who are trying to get the most out of
their Zauruses.

Price: I paid $672 from PriceJapan.com,
including credit card fee and shipping to the US (it arrived in 2 days — very
impressive). However, if you want a unit that has been preconverted to English
and that has better support, you will need to get it from somewhere else and
you will pay more.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Linux Based PDA related, PDA

Sharp Zaurus SL-C3100 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 10, 2005 at 2:39 pm.

It’s trivia time folks! If you’ve been part of the PDA ‘scene’ for any length of time, you should automatically associate luxury PDA cases with one company in particular: Vaja. We’ve reviewed many many of their cases from as far back as the year 2000. Now, how many of you can remember the luxury PDA case maker that came BEFORE Vaja? Here’s a clue… their cases were made in Italy and were for the Palm V. Anyone? Anyone? Does the name Ondata ring any bells? I reviewed their Palm V case in 1999. At that time, no one had seen a luxury PDA case and the price tag of $119 seemed insanely high.

Then in 2001, Ondata changed their name to Orbino and I reviewed another Palm V case. After that review, they pretty much dropped off the radar and Vaja has taken the lead as the premier handheld device case maker on the market. Well guess what? Orbino is back with a new luxury leather case. This time with what they call the Universale Palm PDA case.

From the name, you have probably guessed that this is a generic case. Generic in the sense that it has not been made to fit one specific PDA. It is made to fit Palms no greater in size than 5 x 3.1 x .5 inches. They say Palm, but of course any PDA of that size will work. Available in 9 colors (Black, Red, Sage Green, Smooth Brown, Yellow, Burgundy, Burnished Brown, Caramel Tan, Natural Hide and Pebbled Brown) and 3 special leathers (Crocodile and Shark), I was sent the Natural Hide version of this case. Natural hide is exactly what the case looks like too. I’ve done a bit of leather working myself, and the leather used appears to be a quality piece of thick, undyed, cowhide.

The way this case is designed, it has a flat tray where the PDA is housed, and 2 flaps. One on the bottom and one on the top. The top flap has the Orbino logo stamped into it and
a strong magnet which keeps both flaps securely closed. The bottom flap has a small leather pocket that can hold an SD card.

The sides of the case have Palladium rails affixed to them. This is a metal that is even more precious than Platinum. The rails are very shiny and have the Orbino logo stamped into them. Since the sides of the tray are already very rigid and thick, these rails really don’t serve a purpose, other than to add style to the case.

The “tray” is made of very stiff leather and with what appears to be a canvas liner. Sewn into the tray is a semi-transparent nylon holster. Here’s where I start having problems with this case… This holster has one large cutout, with a ‘bar’ going across the middle of the case. The holster material looks and feels cheap in my opinion. If you notice in the right hand picture above, the bottom of the holster isn’t even attached to the sides of the case. I really don’t care for this method of holding the PDA at all. *** See note at bottom of review.

I dug around for some PDAs that fit the size criteria and at the moment, all I could come up with was the Dell X50v and a Palm Tungsten|T. As you can see from the pictures, using the PDA while in this case will not be an easy task. The holster will get in the way. I can’t think of any specific PDAs where this will not happen. Even if there was a PDA that this holster could accommodate, using the PDA while in the case isn’t comfortable due to the boxy nature and flap configuration. There isn’t an easy to way to keep the flaps from folding back up into your way while holding the case/PDA in one hand.

In my opinion, Orbino should have just sewn the bottom flap to the tray and turned this into a generic PDA pouch, instead of what they think is a play-through case. Even though this is a handmade case with above average materials, $120 (or even as much as $325 for the Crocodile version!) is just too much to pay for a case of this design.

*** Well, right after I posted this review, I went back to Orbino’s site and see that this case no longer has the cutout in the holster. It looks to be the same except for that one detail… Even so, I still do not like the holster.

Price: $120.00 – $325.00

Pros:
Can accommodate PDAs of less than 5 x 3.1 x .5 inches
Handmade
Palladium rails

Cons:
Nylon holster design is cheap looking and not convenient for any PDA
Flaps get in the way of using this as a play-through case

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Generic PDA related, Leather, Palm, Palm OS related, PDA

Orbino Universale Palm PDA Case originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 30, 2005 at 8:14 am.

Product Requirements:
A PDA that measures under 5.5" long x
3.5" wide x 0.9" deep

When I reviewed the OtterBox
Armor 3600
back in 2003, there was no doubt in my mind that I had just discovered the "Humvee
of PDA Protection." No case I had seen, or that I have since seen, has even come
close to offering delicate electronics such perfect protection when they
are used in abnormally harsh conditions.

However, this solution was aimed more at larger sized PDAs, such as the
HP iPAQ 5455,
which I used for testing at the time. Those with shorter or more shallow devices
would have found the Armor 3600 to be a bit of oversized overkill, though I am
sure that there were some who went ahead and used one anyway, out of necessity.

Now OtterBox is offering a rugged solution for the more compact PDAs and the
people that use them in extreme conditions, the
Armor 1900.

Like the 3600 model previously reviewed, the Armor 1900 is not a case for
those that only need to add a bit of screen protection to their PDA. It is for
people who have to cope with the harshest conditions that can be thrown at them,
as they are using their electronic device.

The OtterBox site lists the features of the Armor 1900 as:

To begin, the Armor 1900 has a very rugged appearance. Available in either
Midnight Black and Fluorescent Yellow and accented with gray, this case has an
abundance of latches, sealed ports and usable features.

Lets take a look and see if the 1900 lives up to its predecessor…

Universal fit for smaller form factor PDAs:

The Armor 1900 measures 6.57" (16.7cm) tall x 4.64" (11.8cm) wide x 2.2"
(5.6cm) thick at it’s largest points. Its interior is shaped so that it can hold
a device measuring no more than 5.6" (14.1cm) tall x 3.5" (9cm) wide x 0.9"
(2.4cm) deep.

Instead of using a series of removable pads to push the PDA to the front of
the case, the Armor 1900 uses a clever Velcro strap suspension system which
keeps the PDA tightly held next to the replaceable write-through membrane and
it’s plastic border.

Flexible, fully sealed
interactive screen membrane:

The membrane is a thin sheet of clear flexible
plastic. You can write on it directly with a PDA stylus. As long as you don’t
write so heavily that you gouge holes into the membrane, it will remain
waterproof. Over time, this membrane will probably show wear, and when that
happens replacements can be
ordered.

The interior of the case is composed of unlined plastic, but since the PDA
should not really touch anything but the screen membrane, its plastic border and
the Velcro suspension system, it is unlikely that the PDA will become scratched
while in the case.

As you might have guessed by the case’s name, the
HP iPAQ 1900
series perfectly fits…

A flip-up cover protects the touch screen when it is not being written upon.

Flip-up hard screen cover:

As mentioned, the screen of the PDA is protected by a
clear plastic flip-lid. This cover will swing approximately 180º,
either in the down and fully closed position, or standing straight up. I was
pleasantly surprised to find that the lid would more or less stay up on its own
when flipped to the upward position, but I suspect that over time it will not
keep the same tension. Missing is the more secure closure system that the Armor
3600 utilized. By this, I mean that the flip lid is not held securely shut when
it is in the down position, it can be easily raised..

Waterproof, crushproof,
drop-proof ergonomic design:

Here you can see it in our hot tub. So yes, I would
call it waterproof and the Armor 1900 also floats.

According to the OtterBox website, "All OtterBox cases
- from the original OtterBox case to the innovative Armor 3600 for PDA
protection — feature a closed-cell neoprene o-ring that seals out water – no
matter how harsh the conditions. Independent tests show OtterBox cases keep
valuables dry to depths of 110 feet – even in chilly Alaskan waters."

The case is crushproof in the sense that heavy items
will not cause it to collapse upon the PDA. I tested this by once again
convincing Steve to balance his 200 pounds on the screen cover of the case.
However, the Armor 1900 is so much smaller than the 3600 previously tested that
he wasn’t able to put both feet on it…

I didn’t care to drive over the case or put it under what might be
considered a truly destructive crushing weight, but for those of you that
want to know if the Armor 1900 can take that kind of abuse, there is a picture
of an Otterbox under a Jeep’s wheel on their website…

photo courtesy of OtterBox

Drop proof? Yes, and for two reasons…

Adjustable neoprene hand strap:

First, because if you are using the strap attached to
the back of the case there is virtually no chance that you will drop the
enclosed PDA. The hand strap is made of thick stretchy neoprene with adjustable
Velcro ends that fold back upon themselves for a perfect fit. When using the
strap, the case is securely held in the user’s hand, with virtually no chance of
being dropped.

Of course, if the user needs a more hands-free way to
carry the case, there is also an optional neck lanyard kit.

photo courtesy of OtterBox

The second reason that the case is drop-proof is
because if the user happens to be a total klutz (like me), the case will survive
a long fall onto concrete without the PDA inside getting damaged. Yes, I did try
that test out multiple times (on purpose) from about a height of 4′ onto
a wooden floor. The PDA and case survived in fine shape, though on about the
fifth drop the flip lid did pop off..

Quick access to CF and SD slots
through the top of the case:

The entire clear top of the Armor 1900 can be opened
to allow direct access to the SD or CF card slots at the top of the PDA.

There are even different sized PODs available that can
accept taller GPS cards or scanning modules that may need to be added to the
PDA.

 
 

From left to right: large POD, medium POD, and the Scanner POD
with a hardened scratch-resistant lens, photos courtesy of OtterBox

The only area where you might find that there is limited to non-existent
accessibility is in regard to the voice record button and the Infrared port. On
the iPAQ 1945, these are both located on the left side, which is of course
covered by the hard case. The record button can be re-mapped if you need it, but
there is no way around the placement of the Infrared port – you’ll just have to
do without using it when the PDA is in the Armor 1900. I hardly ever even use my
IR port, so it’s not that big of a deal to me.

Headphone/headset access:

There is a rubber plug on the left side that a headset
cord can be threaded through. Once the cord is through and the plug has been
replaced, the PDA is once again safe from water, dust and dirt.

Note the rubber gaskets that are present on all of the removable pieces of
the case. These are a major line of defense against dust, dirt and water. They
should always be kept clean and periodically inspected for deterioration.

Quick access to PDA connection
through the bottom of the case:

Unlike other ruggedized cases that require the removal
of the PDA for syncing or charging, the Armor 1900 has a large rubber plug that
pops off the bottom to allow direct access to the port.

There is even a serial port connection that can be
added to the bottom of newer model iPAQs that share the standard 22 pin bottom
connector.

photo courtesy of OtterBox

External stylus holder:

The left side of the case has a molded rubber stylus
holder, which will keep the use from having to keep one stowed in their pocket.
This also allows the user to use a slightly thicker stylus than the one that
fits in their PDA’s silo.

Price: $99.95
Available in black or yellow

Pros:
Rugged, waterproof/dustproof/crushproof  protection for your PDA
Many accessories to make case work for your unique needs
Easy access to most ports on the PDA

Cons:
No access to Infrared port
It’s big and expensive – but if you need it, that won’t stop you

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Case, PDA, Plastic, Pocket PC

OtterBox Armor 1900 PDA Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 8, 2005 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Various PDAs
 

I’m already on my second
Sony TG50.

I think that most of my problems with PDA damage (or at least a good 40%)
stem from the fact that I carry them around in my breast pocket. Everything is
fine with this method, unless (of course) my torso does not remain perfectly
vertical over the course of the day. However, a belt-solution is not much
better. Items have an even lower life expectancy on my waist (whether scraping
along cubicle walls or hopping into the seat of my Miata) than elsewhere.

As the company’s tongue-in-cheek name would suggest,
Tuff-As-Nuts line of Nutshell cases
certainly appear to be sturdy – but are they really up to the Mikey torture
test??? Read on, if you dare…

Okay, I’m assuming that you have not hit the [Back] button…

When I first received this case (Model 206, Belt-loop) I was first hit with
the smell of some very nice leather, we’re not talkin’ the garbage that they
sell at the mall, but the real New Zealand variety (at least, that’s where
Tuff-As-Nuts is located). After getting over the rich odor, I saw that the
pictures on their site really do not do this product justice. I chose the base
brown leather (eight other coverings are offered, but some at additional cost)
and all I can say is that Indiana Jones would have no qualms wearing this thing
on his belt.

The interior of the case is lined with felt that is a little lighter in color
than the exterior, and seals your PDA in soft, fuzzy protection. It may look as
though the case is rigid, but is actually quite supple, making causing some
initial worries about it living up to the company’s name – how can something so
soft stand up to Mikey the Terrible? (Answers below).

The belt loop model can be worn vertically or horizontally on the belt (the
horizontal position being more ideal if you have as much hanging over said belt
as I do…) and is stitched very well – no fraying in my time with it.

So the thing looks great, smells great – how did it work?!? After slipping it
into my belt (horizontally), I first loaded my TG50 Clié into the holster – I
was astonished. It felt, initially, like I was not wearing a PDA on my hip at
all – what magic is going on Down Under (okay, is NZ really considered "down
under," or is that just Australia?).

Actually, it is not really magic at all; the perceived super-slimness of the
Nutshell really comes down to the Ultra Clip. Yes, that little device that has
all but dominated the PDA/cell phone case industry. They are a great way to
attach and store a play-through case, to be sure, but that extra room for the
clip, belt holder, and case (which is invariably bulky) can make an item stick
out twice as much as necessary. Granted, this is most-certainly not a
play-through case – but I am seriously re-thinking the whole Ultra Clip thing
(after breaking three of them in the two weeks I tested the Nutshell).

The first and only real problem occurred when I pulled my TG out of the case
- and hit the voice recorder button. Testing with the NR showed that the camera
button might prove to be an issue. I resolved the situation by grabbing the
middle of the PDA, as opposed to the sides (yes, I even tried putting it in
screen-first, but removal was awkward. And, yes, I understand that my situation
is a PDA specific issue, and does not really speak to the case (but if someone
wants to send me a copy of McPhling, you go right ahead…)

As you may recall, I had questioned the protective capacities of this case a
few scant paragraphs above, and the answer came after using the case. The
relative toughness of the Nutshell was not really a factor; the form of the case
kept it out of harms way – even when hopping into my car Bo and Luke style.

My PDA still has no scratches, dings, or other abrasions.

The more than I used the case, the more that it molded to be – both literally
and figuratively. The belt loop has become somewhat distorted after two weeks,
but it perfectly matches the curve of my waist. Also, the PDA is sliding in and
out a lot easier (especially with my middle removal technique) now that it has
been officially "broken in…" In all, I really cannot say enough good things
about the Nutshell. It is a simple, elegant solution that I didn’t know how much
I needed until I had it. I think that my cell phone and iPod just might be
getting some new homes in the not-too-distant future…
 

Price: $39.95 (base price + shipping +/- options)

Pros: 

Excellent Quality Leather
Slim Form Factor
Many Customization Options

Cons: 
Limited Shock Protection
Inadvertent button pressing on removal (PDA-specific)
Not play-through

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Generic PDA related, Leather, PDA

Tuff-as-Nuts Nutshell PDA Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 19, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Designed for the classic iPAQ
3600/3700/3800/3900/500 series PDA, but can be used with any PDA with the
majority of it’s buttons on the front panel,  that needs the ultimate
water-resistant/crush-proof/dust-proof case ever.

When I am sitting at my desk, about to begin working on another review and sipping yet
another Starbucks latte, it is easy to forget that there are those who do their
work in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. There are those that work
where it is always wet or always dusty; places where the threat of dropping
their PDA or having it crushed is more than a distinct possibility. Obviously,
the typical "Corporate Joe" does not fit into this category and just as
obviously, this case was not meant for that type of user. This case was meant
for surveyors, military men in the field, geologists, ship’s captains, rock
climbers, construction workers, factory supervisors, geo-cachers, archeologists,
dog-sledders in Alaska, river-rafters, dock workers, livestock feedlot workers,
modern day explorers, cross country truckers,
oil & gas company field workers, etc., etc…you get the idea.

For some of those that work in the occupations I listed, a product like the

OtterBox Heavy Armor 2000 Dry Box PDA
Case might suffice. But there are those that need even more
protection, and those whose PDA is so customized that it won’t even fit
into the Armor 2000. It is for these select few consumers that the OtterBox Armor
3600 was created. Simply put, this is the

humvee of
PDA protection.

Measuring a whopping 8.75" tall x 5.2" wide (at the widest spot) x
2.4" thick and weighing in at 1.06 pounds for the basic (unaccessorized) case,
and being able to hold up to a 1.125" thick PDA  – the Armor
3600 is quite substantial. Considering the type of abuse that this case is made
to withstand, this is most definitely a good thing.

The exterior of the case is composed of thick bright yellow plastic (it’s
also available in black) overlaid with grey rubberized gripping material, which
is mainly concentrated throughout the middle section.

There are four hinged locking snap tabs that clamp the case shot at each
corner. For added security, there is a hex wrench and screws to keep the locking
tabs down.

There is a hinged clear plastic protector on the front of the case. When
opened, it reveals the recessed area which has an additional gasketed protector
that allows direct access to the PDA’s screen and front buttons.

The PDA’s front panel will be the only area accessible when in the case,
so I recommend using only a PDA that has the majority of it’s
buttons in this area. Here you can see the
HP iPAQ 5455, which works better than
most PDAs might in the Armor 3600.

The top of the case has a removable clear plastic portal, perfect for
Infrared beaming – as long as your IR port is on the PDA’s top…

…and the bottom of the case has the same portal, though it can be replaced
with a couple of useful connectivity accessories.

Due to the airtight design of the case, there are quite a few steps involved
in installing or removing a PDA. It  isn’t exactly feasible to do a quick
PDA insertion or removal, but then the people that need this type of case will
value its protection over mere convenience.

What exactly does the Armor 3600 offer? According to the website:

1. PDA is easy to use through recessed, clear plastic screen
2. It has portals for Printer, GPS, or other cable connections
3. It is waterproof, dustproof, and airtight
4. It is crushproof
5. It includes a secure stylus holder on the outside of the case
6. It includes an adjustable Velcro hand strap which is easy to use with
   gloves

So without further ado, let’s install my iPAQ and conduct a series of
unscientific tests to see if the Armor 3600 lives up to all of its claims!

Installation:

Installation takes a couple of steps, but it isn’t difficult at all. First,
you unlatch the front of the case from the rear, laying the front half before
you.

You  next unlatch the Velcro suspenders, and after checking that the
clear plastic screen protector is firmly gasketed in place, you position your
PDA so that all of the screen and the buttons will show…

You may have to slide it around a little bit until it is centered exactly
where you want it.

Next, you remove the compressed foam backing from its clear plastic
wrapper…and watch it expand!

Then you position the expanded foam over your PDA to keep it in place. I must
say that I am impressed with the addition of the suspenders and foam. One of the
problems I had with the

OtterBox Heavy Armor 2000 was that I
had to resort to using cotton balls to perfectly position my PDA, so this is a
much more finished product in my opinion.

Next, you
place the back half of the case on top of the front, and latch it all down.

After
completing these steps,  may find that you have a slight bulge under the
screen saver from excess air being trapped in the case. This can also happen if
you have a temperature or pressure change. When this occurs, all you have to do
is "burp" the case by releasing a latch on the case and allowing the air to
escape. Then re-latch the case and you are good to go.

Your PDA is
now snug as a bug in a rug. ☺

So what about all of the claims that Armor 3600
makes? Let’s take a look at them one by one…

PDA is easy to use through recessed, clear plastic screen:

This is absolutely true as long as you are using a PDA with all of the major
buttons on the front – such as the iPAQ that I show here. You can easily write
on your screen, tap on buttons, and access your joy-pad for easy scrolling
through data.

Eventually, the gasketed screen cover will become grooved and worn,
especially if you are doing a lot of data entry with a stylus. When this
happens, you can
replace it.

On the iPAQ, you will not be able to access the voice recorder/volume button
when the PDA is in the Armor case. Depending on which PDA you use, your mileage
may vary.

It has portals for Printer, GPS, or other cable
connections:

Both the top and bottom clear plastic windows are removable…

…which allows you to add a
Through the Box
Connectivity Kit – which enables different cables for items such as power,
syncing, GPS, etc., to pass through the box to your PDA.

There is also a
Through the Box
POD Kit – which allows you to customize your own connections. This will be
pretty handy if you never want to remove your PDA, not even for syncing
or charging. There is also a
Serial POD Kit which
will be available in October 2003 for allowing 9-pin style accessories to be
used with your PDA.

I received the Through the Box Connectivity Kit, which you can see here.

A hex wrench is included so that you can open it and add or subtract cords as
needed. Rubber plugs block the unused ports.

The Connectivity Kit adds about 1.25" to case’s length when installed – not
counting the length of any trailing cords, of course..

It is waterproof, dustproof and airtight:

The entire Armor 3600 case is gasketed and sealed. While it is not designed
for underwater use, it is certainly extremely water resistant. Here you can see
me taking crazy chances with my $700 iPAQ. Once again, I am trusting an Armor
case under running tap water, and once again, you can see that my trust is not
misplaced.

It is important to always keep your gray gaskets clean and free from debris.
If they get dirty or corroded, obviously the water-resistant properties of the
case will suffer.

Due to the same properties that make this case waterproof, it is also
dustproof and airtight. By the way, the Armor 3600 also floats…

Here is the Armor 3600 floating in our hot tub

It is crushproof:

Here you can see Steve standing on top of the Armor 3600 with my iPAQ inside.
He weighed 205 this morning.

I would drive his Bronco on top of the case, but even though it would
be fun, that might be a bit of over-kill.

As you can see, this case can withstand a significant amount of pressure.

It includes a secure stylus holder on the outside of the
case:

The grey rubber stylus holder does indeed tightly grasp various sized
styli…

It includes an adjustable Velcro hand strap which is easy
to use with gloves:

It is easy to affix the hand strap – you just use the included hex screws and
wrench to attach the plastic holders to the female receivers on the back of the
case. Here you can see the Velcro hand strap and then my hands wearing gloves
inside it. The strap is adjustable for whatever size hands will be using it, and
yes – it is very easy to use with gloves.

As a matter of convenience, if you need your PDA to be
accessible at all times, I would highly recommend getting the
neck lanyard kit. This
kit comes with a plastic piece that attaches to either of the female receivers
on the back of the Armor 3600 with a hex screw.

I recommend that you attach it to the bottom of the PDA case, so that when
worn around your neck you can pick your PDA up for easy viewing.

The adjustable neck strap is very padded and has two quick releases on either
side for those times when you are wearing a snowsuit or some other extremely bulky
article of clothing which prohibits easily slipping it over your neck.

With this accessory, your PDA is right where you need it at all times. Very
convenient!

Well as you can see, the Armor lived up to all of its claims…but
what if you happen to be using a larger PDA, such as an iPAQ with a PCMCIA
sleeve which won’t fit inside the regular Armor 3600?

This is when you need the
Deep Box Kit…

When you add this bad boy, the Armor 3600 becomes
8.75" tall x 5.7" (because of the side hand strap holder brackets) wide x 2.9"
thick and weighs 1.4 pounds – but you can use your PDA with just about any thick
sleeve. The interior dimensions with the Deep Box Kit are listed as 1.65", so if
your PDA with sleeve is about that size, then you should be all right.

Here are some quick thickness measurements of the
iPAQ with various (unmodified) sleeves, so that you can get an idea of whether
you would get away with just the regular or if you will need the Deep Box Kit.

Naked  iPAQ:
0.63"
iPAQ with CF sleeve: 1.05"
iPAQ with PCMCIA sleeve: 1.33"
iPAQ with Dual PCMCIA sleeve: 1.8"
According to the Armor site, their Deep Box Kit will fit
Dual Expansion
Sleeves, unfortunately I no longer have mine to test it with.

The Deep Box Kit has a slightly different method of
securing the hand strap. Instead of it just being on the back, it comes to the
side off of two plastic brackets. Because there is no "right side up" when
attaching the Deep Box Kit, either a righty or a lefty can comfortably use this
strap. I show it attached here for a right-hander, but it would be just as easy
to turn the back "upside-down", which would make it perfect for a lefty.

Well, there you have it. This is the PDA case I would want if I was going to
spend a month in the wilderness, or if my daily routine made a jungle look tame.
No, this case isn’t for everyone – but for those that need it (and you know who
you are), this is the one you have been waiting for!

You can buy the Armor 3600 directly from
OtterBox, or from other retailers.

Price: $99 for case,
accessories are extra.

Available in midnight black and fluorescent yellow
Detailed Instructions for
installing PDA in case are here
Unconditional
Lifetime Guarantee

Pros:
Rugged, waterproof/dustproof/crushproof  protection for your PDA
Many accessories to make case work for your unique needs

Cons:
It’s big and expensive – but if you need it, that won’t stop you

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Case, Generic PDA related, PDA, Plastic, Pocket PC

Armor 3600 by Otter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Sharp Official Support: Windows PC 98, 2000, ME, XP
or later
Unofficial Support: Mac OSX file transfers thru free 3rd party OSX
USB Driver or storage cards, possible sync support in future thru 3rd party
 

OVERVIEW
The recently released in Japan Sharp Zaurus SL-C760 is the current top of the
line in the Zaurus line. Sharp also released a Zaurus SL-C750 that is the same
basic design with less memory, smaller battery, and black color casing around
the display (instead of white as on the C760).

The SL-C760 has several things going for it that make this the best PDA I’ve
ever had and I’ve had lots! This includes several Newtons, some WinCE HPC’s,
several PPC’s, Palms, Handsprings, and in the past 2 years, several Sony Clies.

The SL-C760 has much more going for it than yet another PDA hitting the already
crowded PDA market. Rather, you should think of it as more of a mini-computer
than a regular PDA. It has the usual PDA functions; calendar, contacts, ToDo
List, text editor, and calculator apps. So, if all you want is to use it as a
PDA, you can do that and be fairly happy with it. Although, if all you want is a
device to store calendar and contact info, you’re probably better off buying a
PDA made for the USA market.

If you just use the C760 for basic PDA stuff, you’ll be missing out on some of
the more advanced, powerful, and unique features of the SL-C760.

What makes the SL-C760 (and its siblings the SL-C750, SL-C700, SL-5600 and
SL-5500) unique from other PDA’s on
the market is the use of Linux, the open source based OS, called Linux OpenPDA.
This is basically the same Linux that is used to run desktop and laptop
computers with some modifications to allow for the smaller display and memory
sizes.

You can access or use Linux commands on the C760 by running the Terminal app.
Running Terminal you can type in Linux commands at a command line prompt. This
allows you to run your C760 from the Terminal, modify or install new custom
ROM’s, or other geeky stuff like Telneting into another computer, and even write
software code and compile it on the C760!

Also, the use of Linux means that the Zaurus has become an attractive platform
for the Linux development community. So I soon became aware there is a lot of
third party software out there for the Zaurus. Since the C7xx series is
relatively new there isn’t as much software that is specifically written with it
in mind. However, I’ve found that most of the 5500/5600 series software will run
on the C7xx series.

One of the largest third party Zaurus software developers,
theKompany.com has already released C7xx
versions of most of their apps.

Unlike previous models (5500/5600) you need to install the Terminal program from
the supplied CD. This is a must if you’re going to convert the C760 to English
yourself. See the section titled ‘Warning!’ later on in this review for more
about that….

Hardware Specifications

OS Linux OpenPDA
CPU Intel Xscale PXA255, 400 Mhz
Memory 128 MB flash memory (64 MB on C750)
±65 MB available due to included Japanese Dictionary*
64 MB SDRAM (work area)
Display VGA 640 x 480 pixels, 3.75 inch, 65536 colors, transmissive LCD with
backlight and touchscreen
Connectors I/O port
Stereo headphone jack (3.5 mm)
IrDA, 115 kbps
AC power adapter jack
Card Slots (1) SD slot (memory card only) (1) CF Type II slot (memory cards and
IO cards)
Input Keyboard (individual keys), handwriting recognition, on-screen keyboard,
Japanese character input
Battery Removable, Lithium-ion rechargeable 3.7 V DC, 1700 mA (950 mA on C750)
AC Power 100V, 50/60 Hz, plug w/folding prongs for travel
Size Approx. 4.7” x 3.3” x 0.9” (C750 is 0.7” thick due to smaller battery)
Weight Approx. 8.8 oz. (C750 approx. 7.9 oz.)

*Should be able to reclaim that memory by modifying ROM file to delete the
Japanese Dictionary

What’s In The Box

Sharp Zaurus SL-C760 Personal Mobile Tool
AC Power Cord (no power brick!) with folding prongs
USB Sync Cable
Plastic Stylus
Manual (Japanese)
Sharp Zaurus CD
Small Battery Cover

Zaurus SL-C760 & USB Cable not shown in photo



Portrait (PDA) Mode Landscape (Laptop) Mode

FORM & DESIGN
The form and design of the C760 is unique and has obviously inspired the
recently announced Sony Clie UX40/50 line. However, in my opinion, the C760
takes better advantage of its form than the new Sony’s. The C760 has a clamshell
design with a flip and twist design similar to some of the recent Tablet PC’s.
This allows you the flexibility to use the C760 in several ways.

First, you can open it up and use it like a little laptop with landscape display
and keyboard. Or you can use it like a typical Palm or Pocket PC by opening up
the C760 and doing the ‘flip and twist’ motion and then folding it back against
the keyboard half. The C760 automatically senses the change and shows a portrait
display. In this mode, the silk-screened buttons (Calendar app, Contacts app,
Email app, Home window) at the bottom of the display are useful for tapping on
with your stylus.

If you twist and flip the screen back to ‘laptop mode’ the C760 senses the
change and automatically rotates the display back to landscape mode.

In portrait mode, you can input text either using handwriting mode or by tapping
on letters on an on-screen keyboard. There’s a jog wheel and a chrome rocker
switch next to it that you can use for one-handed operation. For example, use
the jog wheel to scroll through text in an ebook or items in a list and then
click on the rocker switch to open the selected item. You can also use the
rocker switch to exit an open file or exit an app.

SL-C760 Closed and Backside view with large battery cover, battery cover
release switch, CF card slot at top

In comparison, from what I’ve read online, the new Clie UX40/50 you can flip the
screen back to use a table style PDA but unlike the C760 the screen stays in
landscape mode.

One of the nice things with this type of design is that when the C760 is closed
the display and keyboard are protected.

The size, shape, and weight is very good and the C760 feels just right in my
hands (not real big). Also, it fits in most of my shirt pockets if you want to
carry it without a case.

The C760 has a simple elegant look about it due the use of the crisp white color
with silver hinge and band around the keyboard.

Left Side, Right Side

The right side of the C760 has the stylus slot, the CF card slot (with
plastic removable plug), and the headphone/mic jack. The left side has the
connector slot with plastic removable plug) for the USB cable.

Backside

The back side (where the hinge is) has the chrome On/Off button, the black
plastic jog wheel, the OK/Cancel rocker switch above the jog wheel, Irda port,
SD card slot, and the AC power jack.

The stylus that comes with the C760 is a typical plastic stylus. Nothing to
write home about.

So instead I’m using a metal barrelled Pilot Pentopia collapsing stylus with
ballpoint pen hidden under the top cap. It fits perfectly in the stylus slot.
Much better!

One of the great features of the C760 is that it has both CF and SD card slots.
This allows you the flexibility to use either CF or SD storage cards or a CF
WiFi card and a SD storage card at the same time.

One interesting aspect to the C760 design is that since its form is like a
laptop that sits on your desk there is no need for a cradle. The USB cable just
plugs into the C760 and the other end into your computer. So one less thing to
take or lose on a trip!

SL-C760 with Sync cable-WiFi Card – CF Card Slot Plug – Optional CF Card
Camera

Some other good things about the design is that the AC power cord has no bulky
‘power brick’ on it and the end that plugs into the power outlet has folding
metal prongs. Both of these design features make the C760 that much better in
traveling.

Another plus is the use of a removable battery. The C760 comes with a fairly
beefy (power-wise) 1700 mA battery while the C50 comes with a slightly smaller
950 mA battery. Either battery may be used on each of the C760/750.

If you use the smaller battery on the C760 then you remove the white plastic
bottom cover and just use the included smaller battery cover. This reduces the
thickness of the C760 a bit.

While I haven’t done any specific tests on the battery, I can say that the large
battery feels like it has adequate power to last through a day or two of fairly
heavy use before needing recharging.

Recharging goes pretty quickly, maybe an hour or two to top off the battery.

The C760 comes with plenty of memory, 128 MB flash memory, with about 65 MB
available due to Japanese dictionary, and another 64MB of user accessible RAM.
On top of all this you can have more memory with CF and SD cards, You can even
run apps from the cards if you format the cards properly.

The 400 Mhz Xscale processor is quite peppy in normal use. It takes about a
second or two for apps to open up after tapping on their icon.

One great feature is the ability to have multiple programs open at the same
time. This can be a real productivity booster.

DISPLAY
One of the most pleasing things about the C760 is the wonderful, bright, clear,
sharp, and colorful display. The resolution is extremely good and looking at
photos on the C760 is a real joy.

The only downside to the display is that is dim if you are out in the sun. Other
than this, it is about the best PDA display I’ve had.

The touchscreen works very well and easy to write on. The display is smooth like
clear glass. You do feel the screen depress just a tiny bit when you tap on it.

KEYBOARD
The keyboard is surprisingly good for such a little device. The individual
keys are nicely spaced apart and have a good tactile feel to them with a little
click sound when pressed.

There is a row along the top for number keys and a backspace key. In the
lower right area there is an inverted ‘T’ grouping of arrow keys. In the lower
left area there 4 keys; one for the Calendar, Address, Mail apps, and the Home
window. In the middle under the spacebar key are ‘Cancel’ and ‘OK’ keys.

Since the keyboard is small there is a function ‘Fn’ key that when pressed in
combination with other keys gives you other symbols, characters, and functions
like ‘cut’, ‘copy’, and ‘paste’.

The keyboard is too small for real touch-typing unless you really have tiny
fingers, I’ve found that you can either do the old ‘hunt & peck’ approach with
your 2 index fingers or if you hold the C760 in your hands you can use the
keyboard as a thumb-board, typing with your 2 thumbs.

As the C760 was designed for the Japanese market there are a few keys that have
Japanese characters on them. But all in all, it looks like a English keyboard.

SHELL
The exterior of the C760 is nicely finished and looks and feels like a quality
unit. The casing around the display half appears to be a painted metal (white)
and the other half with the keyboard/battery/slots appears to be a combination
of silver (painted?) plastic with a white plastic on the bottom that covers the
battery. The white plastic cover has a sliding lock/unlock switch on the bottom
that allows you remove the cover to get to the battery or used as part of the
soft or hard reset process if needed.

The display half of the unit feels very sturdy and I’ve not noticed any creaking
noises in opening or doing the ‘flip & twist’ motion.

The screen hinge is very good, smooth acting and feels very solid. Unlike most
full-size laptops that latch shut, the C760 has a spring-loaded hinge and closes
securely that way.

There are 2 LED indicator lights near one end of the hinge. One LED lights when
the AC power cord is plugged in to show that the battery is charging. Not 100%
sure about the other light, but it has an envelope icon next to it, so it might
relate to email?

WiFi
One very pleasant surprise compared to some other PDA platforms I’ve had is the
ease of setting up for WiFi use. According to some of the Zaurus websites that
are tracking compatibility of WiFi and storage cards, a lot of the commonly
available WiFi cards will work out of the box with the C760.

I found that the D-Link Air DCF-660W CF WiFi card was automatically recognized
by my C760. I did not need to install any software drivers!

In the Network app there is a network connection ‘setup wizard’ button, but
unfortunately, that opened up a window in Japanese. So, instead I used the setup
a ‘New’ connection button and filled in the needed info and soon I was connected
to my Apple AirPort wireless network and surfing away!

Well, enough about hardware, onto software…..

Software Included In ROM
The included software is organized into several groupings using tabs. I think
most of you PDA users reading this will be able to figure out what most of the
apps listed below do. So I’ll only add some notes to those you might not know.

One interesting thing is that when I’ve added new programs they put themselves
in the right tab automatically.

In the Applications tab there are the following apps:
Calendar
Contacts
ToDo List
Text Editor
EMail
NetFront v3.0 (web browser)
Music Player
Video Player
HancomSheet (spreadsheet/MS Excel )
HancomWord (word processing/MS Word)
Presentation (MS PowerPoint files)
ImagePad (photo viewer)
Voice
Calculator
CityTime
Clock
Help Browser
Camera

In the Settings tab there are the following apps:
Light & Power
Sound Settings
Tab Setting
Appearance
Network
Add/Remove Software
Security
Recalibrate
Applications Key
Date/Time
UserDic
Backup Restore
System Info
Migration
Receive Data
PC Link
Beam Receive

3rd Party AddressBook by theKompany.com replaces Contacts program

The photo above shows the Contacts replacement app by theKompany.com. Since it
replaces the Contacts app I can’t show you a photo of that app.

Likewise, I use the theKompany.com’s Calendar program so the photo below is of
that instead of Sharp’s Calendar app.

Week view shown – Other views available

Another way to access programs is similar to the Start pop-up menu in Windows

Hancom MobileSheet – Excel compatible spreadsheet program included

Terminal app for the Linux geeks out there

Optional Programs Installed by User from CD
Terminal
Qtopia Desktop (Windows PC sync app – Japanese – sync w/ Outlook or Palm
Desktop)
BackupRestore (Windows PC backup & restore app- English version available*)
FileManager (Windows Pc file transfer app – English version available*)

*English version available by downloading apps for US market Zaurus models
SL5500-5600 from Sharp.

WARNING!
This is not your typical PDA!

The SL-C760 (& C750) are NOT manufactured for sale outside of Japan. This a
JAPANESE MARKET unit! Therefore, one needs to understand and accept what this
means if you’re going to be a happy camper with the C760.

Since this is a JAPANESE MARKET model, it operates out of the box in JAPANESE!
So unless you want a Japanese language PDA, you need to either convert it to run
in English or buy one already converted for you.

Fortunately, it is possible to buy a SL-C760 already converted to English
through Dynamism.com.

The other non-recommended option for most users is to buy it directly from Japan
(Conics.net is where I got mine) and convert it your self. However, unless you
have advanced computer skills, preferably knowledge of Unix/Linux, config files,
and using a terminal app, I’d strongly recommend that you pay the extra dollars
and buy it already converted from Dynamism.

While it is tempting to try and save some money, I can tell you from personal
experience it isn’t worth the hassle or potential of creating a very expensive
doorstop if you screw it up badly!

Also, you if you buy one from overseas, you need to verify the warranty
situation. For example, if I need warranty service, I’ll need to send my C760
back to Conics.net in Japan. While with Dynamism, they will try to service at
their US facility first, if needed they will ship to Japan for you and send it
back to you.

CONCLUSION
All in all, this is great PDA or mini computer depending on how you want to look
at it or use it!

The C760 does pretty much everything you’d want to do with a PDA. There is also
a surprising amount of good 3rd party apps if you want more features than what
comes with the Zaurus. Although as noted, it comes with a pretty extensive set
of apps.

Also, there is a fairly large Zaurus user community out there (due to the US
market models SL5500/5600), once you start looking around for it. While they’re
different designs, there’s still a lot of similarity so I’ve gotten a lot of
good input from various Zaurus users. Check out zaurususergroup.com if you are
interested for starters.

For me the ability to use it like a little laptop or a traditional ‘palm-like’
PDA is great and I’ve really enjoyed using my C760 for the past month and a
half. Like any PDA there’s a few issues with it but nothing that critical for
me.

There has been talk that Sharp may release models like this in the US but
nothing definite has ever been announced. One can only hope that Sharp will
realize that there is a market in the US for a powerful device like this and
release an English version soon!

In the meantime, if you want a powerful little mini-computer that will fit in
most shirt pockets this is the one!
 

Price:
$799.00 C760 (Dynamism, converted to English)
$699.00 C750 (Dynamism, converted to English)
$599.00 C700 (Dynamism, converted to English)

Pros: 

Very good performance
Lots of internal memory
SD and CF slots
Great vivid color screen indoors
Usable keyboard
Lots of included programs
User replaceable battery
Linux based, so can be used like laptop computer
Multiple apps can be open at one time

Cons: 
Japanese Market Model
Screen dim outdoors
Cheap Stylus
No official Mac support

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Linux Based PDA related, PDA

Sharp Zaurus c760 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 18, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Any PDA smaller than The Newton

Anyone out there remember my review of the PDA Plus case??? (If so, you get a Master’s
Degree in Gadgeteer Third-String reviewer
trivia; I used to be Second String but let’s not talk about the Axim).

Anyhoo, as I was reviewing said leather flip-out case, I kept thinking that if the item
were more rigid (say…made out of a solid material…like plastic…any idea where
this is going??) that it would be a better option for a wearable computing solution (okay,
that’s it for the buzz words – stop me before I write "value-added").

Be careful what you wish for, because Adapture just might do it with the PreZent.

When I first saw pictures on their site, I was floored! This case was just the thing
for those folks who need to use their PDA and have another hand free. The uber-geek inside
of me was drooling at the prospect of this item.

When it arrived at my house, I was struck with one thought: I have a Clié, not a
Newton!!!

This guy is big; I mean really big – I managed to park my Miata inside of the case
during a sudden storm (okay, that may be a bit much). Were I still an Axim owner (no more
flames, please…) I think it would have been just fine – as would any of the
previous generation PocketPCs.

Okay, deep breath…this case is industrial, no doubt about that. A Palm-based PDA
with a bar-code attachment would go just fine in here – but my old Clié T615 just
looked silly, but I doubt that there will be many 615 owners who would buy this item.

Okay, enough with the size of the case…

It is made of plastic with metal hinge pins. There are two plastic belt clips on the
back of the unit for waist wearing. These clips seem ultra-cheap upon first inspection,
but after using the unit for a week, they were still in pristine condition (which says a
lot about the durability of the PreZent if you folks know me at all…)

The PDA is attached via Velcro…enough said.

Something else was bothering be about this case, and it took me a few days of use to
really ferret out my displeasure…the finish of the case is not up to current consumer
standards. Looking at the item, you can see plastic stock sheet has been used extensively
throughout the case, and many of the seams, while functional, are somewhat on the ugly
side.

Once again, however, this is not a case will replace a Piel Frama or Vaja carried by a
middle manager – this is tough item for tough jobs.

Operation of the device is simple. Push out on the tab at the top of the unit and your
PDA appears magically at the approximate level of the top belt clip. The action is smooth
and actually pretty cool (there is a link to a video of the
operation from the Adapture Site). Once in place, the weight of the PDA (which is
supported by four beefy plastic arms) is placed at the bottom of the case and supported by
the wearer’s thigh. The PDA is provided some protection by the sides of the case. The
screen is exposed but an impact from the sides/front/bottom will be absorbed by the case.

The arrangement of the case makes it next to impossible to remove or replace anything
from the stock stylus silo, but a stylus has been included that fits in silo near the top.
Frankly, this stylus is about the worst I have ever seen, making any of the stock styli
with any PDA seem excellent in comparison. I believe that the stylus is a move
on the manufacturer’s part that any industrial user would be using a pen-based stylus, not a
toothpick.

Will I keep using this case? No. Would I recommend it to my friend who likes to play
games over his lunch hour? No. Someone in a warehouse logistics capacity? Sure. Field data
gathering? You Betcha.

At fifty bucks, it really comes down to your needs as to the value (oops, there goes
another buzz-word) of this case.

Price: $49.95

Pros:
Adequate Protection
True Wearable Solution (that adds value)

Cons:
Industrial Finish
Adds serious bulk
Velcro Attachment
Stylus an afterthought

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Belt Clip, Case, Generic PDA related, PDA, Plastic

Adapture PreZent PDA Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 15, 2003 at 12:00 am.

It is highly likely that most of our readers have had to buy several
different cases over the years as they upgraded to different PDAs. Depending on
your tastes, this might be quite an expensive prospect. One of the more obvious
ways to avoid this dilemma is to use a pouch that can adapt from PDA to PDA. The
latest case in this genre is the Pygmy Pouch
Roadfisher Limited Series, which is
billed as the "Everywhere Performance Pouch."

At first glance, you might not be too impressed with the simple styling of
this 6.25" x 4.25" black microfiber case. But looks can be deceiving. Simply
handling the pouch will quickly reveal that the exterior is tough and should
easily withstand just about any type of daily abuse that regular use will
provide. It is also almost immediately evident that the pouch is very nicely
padded without taking away much interior room.

Sized so that it can hold just about any of the popular PDA models as well as
many MP3 players, the Pygmy Pouch has several touches that set it ahead of some
of the other available pouches.

There is an open pocket on the front that is just perfect for holding earbuds or other small yet bulky items. While the website states that this pocket can also hold memory cards, I would not use it for that. There is no means to secure the cards, so it would be at your own risk.

The interior of the pouch has a long elastic strap that can hold your PDA in place. The only problem I have with this is that if you do secure your PDA in this manner, you need to make sure that you never insert your PDA backwards. Why? Because the backside of the ABS plastic clip is left exposed in the wall of the pouch and it takes no stretch of the imagination to see if cracking a screen if the correct amount of pressure was applied in the correct place. If you put your PDA in front of the elastic strap, you can almost use the elastic strap as a separate pocket, in which case it is actually pretty handy.

The interior of the Pygmy is quite roomy. My longest PDA, the CLIÉ NR70V,
easily fits with a bit of length to spare. There is also enough width left
inside the case that if there was another thin item you wanted to carry, you
could.

The pocket clip design of the Pygmy is such that you do not have to be wearing a
belt for it to work. You just have to have a thin, flat surface that you can
attach the clip to. The clip is tight and seems quite sturdy, I don’t think it
would be easy to break or knock off, so I feel it is quite secure.

The Pygmy Pouch is a good idea for those that don’t want to keep replacing
their case, who like pouch-style cases, or those who need to carry more than
just their PDA or MP3 player. As long as you are careful about which way you
insert your PDA, this should be a protective and multi-functional case.

Price: $19.95

Pros:
Inexpensive
Vegan friendly
ABS plastic belt-clip that grips securely
Offers maximum padding in minimum space
Will work with virtually any PDA or MP3 player and can hold extra accessories

Cons:
The exposed plastic clip anchor on the inside back wall of the pouch

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Belt Clip, Case, Palm OS related, PDA, Plastic

Pygmy Pouch Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 26, 2003 at 12:00 am.

As a longtime user of the HP200 and its predecessors the
HP100 and HP95 (since the late ‘80s), I have been looking for a replacement for
these seriously obsolete machines. A PDA which would keep the advantages of a
useable keyboard, a real operating system (like the HP’s DOS) with wide software
choices, while giving me some of the new PDA plusses of a color backlit screen,
smaller size, faster chips, and better link to my desktop PC. 

The HP had an active user community up to about the
mid-‘90s, and my machine was double-clocked, had a 32MB internal memory upgrade,
and a 160MB PCMCIA card. But not much is being written for DOS these days and
software to connect to newer Windows PCs was slow.  So when I saw the report
from Judie and Julie late last year of their sighting of the Linux-based Sharp
Zaurus C700 at Comdex, I called
Dynamism and got on the list for their English
language port of this maybe Japan-only machine.  Mine came about a week and a
half ago, and despite some limitations and remaining Japanese language issues I
am delighted with it. 

First of all, it looks like a laptop designed as an
accessory for a Barbie doll.  It’s SMALL, but the keyboard is useable. The keys
are actually bigger than the HP200’s, although closer together.  The device
works like the Transformer toys my son had in the ‘80s, which converted from a
truck to a robot. The C700 goes from a micro-mini laptop with keyboard to a PDA
-  with a twist of the screen

I am sorry I don’t have a PDA to compare it to (it is a bit
bigger and heavier than the smallest of these), but here it is with my old
HP200:

It is about 4 5/8” x 3 1/8” x ¾”, weighs 8 oz with battery
and SD card (I will also get a compact flash card).  So you can have 1.5 Gig
storage using a 1 Gig compact flash and 512 Meg SD (I am using a 256 meg SD
now).  Available internal storage is 32 Meg (my machine now shows about 9 Meg of
this used by my software, some of which will run from the SD card, and the Sharp
and Dynamism stuff); operating memory is 30 Meg, about half of which is occupied
by the Japanese system rolling out of ROM.  I can run many programs
simultaneously without any obvious problems, and have not yet hit the wall on
this. 

The battery life is only estimated to be 3 ½ hours, but I
have not had any problem with this.  The charger is as Lilliputian as the C700,
about the size of a pack of tic-tacs, the plug folds into it, and it weighs 2
3/8 oz.  I bought an extra battery and external charger, but have not yet used
it.

The major problem I have had is the lack of an English
manual (one is promised by Dynamism, once the English porting is finalized). 
The CD-ROM of PC software it came with is in Japanese, the instructions from
Dynamism’s Tech support were not exactly accurate and the install on my desktop
computer is clearly a kludge: if the C700 is turned off or disconnected from the
USB port, it will not be found again without rebooting the desktop, and if I
don’t shut down the Zaurus Shot and Zaurus Manager buttons on now appear on my
PC’s menu bar the PC will not shut down and has to be unplugged!  Sometimes the
drop-and-drag of files from the PC to the C700 fails (the explanation is in
gibberish, an ASCII port of the Kanji text).  It has been easier to load files
onto an SD card directly from my USB port (using a Sandisk Cruizer) and plug the
card into the C700. 

The software that comes with the English C700 is okay.  The
Hancom Sheet program handles Excel files pretty well (though not Lotus 123 files
from my HP200, those had to be converted to Excel on my desktop to run on the
C700).  Hancom Word seems to handle Word documents, NetFront browser reads html,
though not bigger text files (cuts off after a few hundred k).  The date book
works fine.  I replaced the contacts program, which kept trying to write
Japanese unless manually forced back into English characters at each entry, and
did not alphabetize properly, for a contacts program from tkc, which only
orients in the PDA view (it was written for the Zaurus 5500) and locks up if I
try to edit entries too fast.  I also got a video viewer program from tkc, since
the included media viewer could not handle DiVX, mpeg4 or other files.  I was
very pleased to find that this tkc video program can play movies filmed on my
Archos Jukebox Multimedia Recorder, as well as movies I have downloaded from the
net.  You need a headset or external speakers for sound (other than beeps or
alarms), and the action is a bit jerky (this seems a problem on the Zaurus 5500
too, judging from the tkc forum groups-  the tech people there are amazed it
runs on the C700 at all, as they haven’t tried it yet). 

The media player software that comes with the C700 does play mp3 files, and
they sound very good over headphones or external speakers (as I mentioned above,
the internal speaker is limited to system sounds). There is also a voice
recorder program, but so far as I can tell without an English manual it needs a
microphone plugged into the headphone socket to function. There is note taker
and txt file editing software that comes with it as well, I have not used these
yet. Also unused yet are the various communication programs (email, Terminal,
and "Embedded Konsole") which await the English manual and some instructions
from a net guru on how to use wi-fi, LAN, etc. with this machine.

I sort-of replaced my DOS symbolic math program with three
very nice 5500 programs which run on the C700: Formulae1 for algebra and
calculus, Calculon for graphing, and a very nice programmable scientific
calculator RDCalc which comes with an internal library (e.g. for prime
factoring, etc.). 

A free astronomy program Solun’ for the Zaurus 5500 runs on
the C700, as do English and German-English dictionaries from Beiks and a free
text reader called JustReader.  Only the last of these works in landscape mode,
the others show in PDA portrait mode only so far as I can see.  Software
availability would be more of an issue if the 5500 were not around; I am hoping
that things explicitly for the C700 will emerge soon, or that I get as
comfortable porting Linux stuff to this machine as I was with DOS for the HP200,
though it is clearly a much more complex effort.

I am pretty far along in switching to the Zaurus C700 as my main PDA, leaving
the HP200 on my desk for emergency use only. I miss only the reverse-Polish
input on the HP200 calculator (yet another commercial math program could give me
this as well, but I have so far resisted). It is a bit slower in switching apps
than the HP, as well (why???). The C700 goes with me everywhere in my jacket or
shirt pocket. Pulling it out and running that hour-long John Wayne movie (see
picture above), jerky as the video sometimes is, gets me lots of geek points
from colleagues.

Price: $700 from Dynamism for English version)

Pros:
Super-cool look and feel; perfect laptop for your favorite stuffed
animal
Useable keyboard
Bright clear screen (amazing, actually)
Fits easily in shirt or jacket pocket

Cons:
Expensive ($700 from Dynamism for English version)
Limited software availability
Shortish battery life
No manual yet, PC setup a mystic adventure

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Linux Based PDA related, PDA

Sharp C700 Zaurus Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 7, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Sony CLIÉ NX Series PDA

Though I have never heard of Digital Express, I have gotten my hands on a
case of theirs for the NX70v CLIÉ from Sony. The case is a good thing to look
at, with a nice black tone and a soft yet strong feel in the hands. When you
first get this case, it comes in a plain box (mine was black) and that’s about
it. When you first put it in your hands, it feels rather flimsy and honestly at
first I thought “this is going to protect my CLIÉ?” Come to find out, that it
does a fine job at doing so, and I’m rather pleased with it.

It has a magnetic clip for a secure closure, which seems to hold pretty well
under normal conditions. I have not tested on how much pressure you can apply to
it without it snapping apart, but trust me, it will hold just fine. The flip
cover part of the case seems nice, and has a protective padding which makes it
stiff and a good cover for the front of the CLIÉ. The “hinge” area which
contains the camera slit is pretty flimsy, but probably so it can be opened and
closed with ease. The top case doesn’t connect to the CLIÉ in any way; so
personally, I think the camera opening is pretty pointless considering you have
to have it open to use the camera. There is no open WiFi slot area though, which
is probably a good thing considering you would have to take the card out, remove
the case, and reinsert the WiFi card. This can be kind of disappointing, but it
makes perfect design sense. On the back you will find nothing but the speaker
cut out holes, and the other half of the magnetic clip

When you open up the case, it’s straight black like the front, but has pockets
and the company logo on the top part. You will have room for your cash and
credit cards, however, I would not recommend sticking your extra memory sticks
in there because I did that mistake, and it took me 5 minutes just to figure out
how to pull it out without ripping the case. They are rather deep pockets, so
you will have trouble if your memory stick happens to slip all the way down. On
the opposite side, you have the pocket for the CLIÉ itself, which slips right in
there nice and tightly. It of course has that nice little opening for “CLIE” to
stick out of, but nonetheless it does its job well. You cannot sit the CLIÉ in
its cradle with this case on, however you can use the included travel charger
adapter and strictly charge your device.

When the CLIÉ is in the case, it looks good and doesn’t seem to gain any more
size with the case on it. Sometimes I feel like its smaller, which we all know
is the advantage of black cases (and clothing ). All the buttons on the left
side of the CLIÉ are accessible with ease, and the lanyard eyelet on the right
site holds out nicely so there is no interference between the lanyard and the
top of the case.

Overall this case holds your CLIÉ just right, along with your credit cards and
money. It can stand up to a good beating before it passes it down to the CLIÉ,
and you certainly get your moneys worth with this great, easy and simple case
from Digital Express.

Price: $29.00 (available at Brando)

Pros:
Good Style
Full Access to controls
Money and Credit Card holder
Nice and secure
Can charge while in case

Cons:
Not complete coverage of CLIÉ
Camera cut-out is not needed
No WiFi Card cut-out
Cannot sync while in case

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Leather, Palm OS related, PDA

Digital Express Sony CLIÉ NX Series Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 29, 2003 at 12:00 am.

I recently reviewed
a Sharp Zaurus specific metal and leather case from
Extreme Limit. Now they have made a
new metal and leather case available. This one is called the Gadget Case. It
looks very similar to the original case, but is marketed as more of a gear case
then an actual PDA case. It can however hold the Zaurus or any other similarly
sized PDA though. Its overall dimensions are: 7 x 4 x 2in.

Made of the same quality materials and construction methods, this case is
available in the following color combinations: Black Italian Leather with Silver
Metal, Black Italian Leather with Black Metal, Black Italian Leather with
Burgundy Metal, or Black Italian Leather with Gold(dark yellow) Metal. I was
sent the Black Italian Leather with Silver Metal version.

I’ve been using this case as a mini gear bag for awhile now, and have found
it to be excellent as far as protection and storage. It is a great organizer for
small PDA related items that you may need to tote around with you during a
typical day. The available storage features are:

Detachable zipper mesh pouch
2 large pockets
2 sub pockets
4 business card /credit card pockets
2 SD card pockets
1 CF card pocket
earphone holder

The zippered pouch is made of a black mesh with black leather ends sewn into
it. It is held in the case with a long strip of Velcro attached to the bottom of
the pouch. This pouch can hold small items such as styli, adapters, etc. If you
remove it, a PDA can fit in this side of the case.

The SD and CF slots have cutouts at the bottom that allow you to easily
remove the cards from their slots.

The other pockets can hold business cards, credit cards etc.

The case is held securely closed with a dual zipper that has leather pull
tabs.

A leather handle is located on the spine of the case. It can pull up for use
and then lay flat when not in use.

I really like this case! The metal panels keep the case stiff and protect the
contents from crushing while giving it a very classy look. I would love to see
an even larger gear bag made in this same great style.

The only down side to the case is the fact that it is a little pricey. All I
can say is that this isn’t an ordinary case. It is a unique Extreme Limit
offering that reflects the price tag.
 

Price: 9250 JPY / $75.87

Pros:
Stylish
Protective
Lots of storage

Cons:
Expensive
Bulky

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Leather, Linux Based PDA related, PDA

Extreme Limit Metal & Leather Zaurus Gadget Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 25, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Any item (smaller than 7" x 10" that is not water
resistant)

I like to read e-books in my hot tub.

Sure, there is always some nervousness as I hold my PDA above the water level,
my hands getting sweaty, my arm starting to relax…

Am I making any other Gadgeteers out there a little nervous? Good, as water is
about the worst enemy we have…none of our tools (they are not ‘toys’ remember?)
are friends of old H20…until now.

After sliding my Clié into a River Otter Bag, I can drop that guy right into
the water.

Sportgear.ca offers the River Otter Bag in four different sizes;

ROP1 (3/34” x 6 1/4” x 1)
ROP2 (3 3/4” x 7 1/2” x 1)
ROP3 (7” x 10” x 1)
ROP4 (10” x 14 1/2” x 1)

I was sent the first three versions of this bag for evaluation – the ROP4
appears to be for documents and maps…though I would love to see of my Dual USB
iBook fit in there…

All of the River Otter Bags seal in the same manner: they have a series of three
zip-lock closures, followed by a Velcro flap. A cord (headphone, power, or
otherwise) can be fed through this system so that you can listen to Vivaldi at
the bottom of the Atlantic, or charge your IPAQ while tackling Colorado white
water…ok that might be a bit much – but you can listen to mp3’s in the rain
without fear of frying your device.

The bags also include an integrated lanyard to hang your items from your neck
or tie them down.

Okay, enough of the background…did they work?

I popped my cell phone into the ROP1, my Clié NR into the ROP2 and a
leather-bound journal (it was the only thing I had in that size-range) into the
ROP3, held my breath, and dropped them all into my hot tub…

Everything was functional within the bag, buttons could be pressed, icons tapped,
but graffiti was pretty useless and I thought that prolonged writing would wear
through the bag and let the water in…

After some tub-time, I removed all of the bags and inspected the contents…my
book had some beads of water on the cover, but the phone and PDA were fine.
After some investigation, I saw that the case had not been adequately sealed by
yours truly…if you have one of these bags, take the time to securely fasten the
zip-lock seals individually, as rushing through it can have some negative
consequences.

So, do the Otter River Bags do what they say? I have to say yes…and given the
price point, they might be seen as an invaluable addition to the “case drawer”
of any serious Gadgeteer. The real problem I saw with these bags was that I had
virtually no use for them…I don’t encounter too much water on the drive to
work, or the drive from, or mowing the lawn…
 

Price: $5.95 (ROP1 and ROP2) or $7.95 (ROP3)

Pros:
Keeps whatever you put in it dry
Inexpensive
Limited usability while in case

Cons:
Limited usability while in case
Hard to tell if seal is secure

Filed in categories: Gear

Tagged: Case, PDA, Plastic

River Otter Bags Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 26, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
IBM-Compatible 486 PC or higher
Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT 4.0 or XP
CD-ROM Drive

Julie’s comments are in Black,
Judie’s are in Blue

Pocket PCs can fit in your pocket and Palm OS PDAs can fit in your palm. But,
what do you do if you want a Palm or Pocket PC that can fit on your wrist?
There’s always the Peel it case… but ummmm, can
you say Carpel Tunnel Syndrome?

Like many of you, Julie and I remember very well the
wrist communicator that Dick Tracy used. As children, we both wanted one. Heck,
I still want one! While it may be unrealistic to expect anything in the
next five years to even begin to come close to imitating the functions Dick’s
watch had, it  does look like companies are at least trying to get there.

If they can only get the size down!

The idea of being able to carry a PDA on my wrist –
even with somewhat reduced functionality – is just totally cool. So of course my
gadget lust acts up when I occasionally hear of different wrist computer-type
products that companies will come out with, such as last year’s REPUTER /
On Hand. Unfortunately, in their present incarnations, these products weren’t
what I would consider for everyday use.

The On Hand was impressive with all its little features, but data input was
too tedious to be useful. And of course, it was way too large.

Julie’s and my trip to
CES this year provided our first glimpse at what Fossil is billing as "The
Ultimate Companion For Your Palm OS (or Pocket PC OS) Handheld." Well, who
wouldn’t want that? Of course we were intrigued.

While we didn’t get a chance to really play with the
Fossil at the time, we were allowed to try it on. My initial thoughts were that
my regular watch didn’t have anything to worry about. This wrist PDA was so big
that we couldn’t imagine wearing it on our person full-time, or truth be told,
even much of part-time. But since we weren’t exactly sure of what the Fossil
would be capable, we tried to reserve final judgment until we could actually put
one through its paces.

When Fossil
contacted us with information about their Wrist PDAs, we were interested and
welcomed the chance to do a review.

Hardware Specs:

Processor: 8-bit EPSON CPU
Memory: 190 Kbytes RAM, 48 Kbytes ROM
Display: 102×64 pixel LCD
Power: (2) CR2302 lithium coin cells
Battery Life: 1.5-3 months depending on typical usage
Size: 44 mm x 50 mm x 15 mm
Weight: 75g
Water resistant: 3 ATM (30 meters)
Communications via Infrared: 10 cm recommended communication distance, 57 Kbps
communication speed

Palm OS handhelds:
• Palm IIIe, IIIc, V, Vx, VII, M100, M105, M505
• Handspring Visor,and Edge
• Sony CLIÉ models

Pocket PC handhelds:
• Compaq iPAQ
• Cassiopeia
• HP Jornada

Available in both Pocket PC and Palm OS compatible models, Judie grabbed the
Palm version and I took the Pocket PC version to review. My first thoughts upon
seeing the watch was that it was huge, heavy and manly. I really can’t envision
a woman wanting to wear this watch.

Well, maybe a huge, heavy and manly woman. ;0)

And after putting the watch on my wrist, I knew I wouldn’t be adding this
gadget to my every day gear line up. It felt really uncomfortable to wear…
probably because I have small wrists. Truth be told, it reminded me of some kind
of house arrest cuff!

Right! You can almost hear the judge sentencing you to
wear this thing!

The watches have a nice large display, 2 buttons and a joypad.

The joypad also pushes in, which in effect makes it
another button.

The display is
easy to read and similar to mono Palm device screens. It even has a backlight
that is activated by pressing and holding the left button. Speaking of the
buttons, I found them to be
horribly stiff and hard to press. My thumb was sore after playing with this
watch for only 5 mins or so! I didn’t find the joypad to be any easier to
manipulate.

I completely agree: just the process of setting the
time and date on the Fossil was an exercise in patience – but I did finally get
it done.

Before you can begin using the watch, you have to install 2 CR2032 lithium
coin cell batteries. This is a simple operation that requires a standard screw
driver to remove the back of the watch. The two coin cells slip easily into the
battery compartment. Each watch comes with 6 extra batteries, so you’ll not have to
buy replacements for quite awhile.

Fossil’s website says that you can expect 1.5 to 3
month’s power from a pair of batteries, depending on your usage of the watch.

A low battery indicator on display lets you know when the batteries are low.
The watch will keep running 2-3 days after the indicator first appears. Data is
stored in Flash memory, so even if your batteries die before you can replace
them, you will not lose your records.

According to the Fossil website, this watch is water
resistant to 3 ATM (30 meters). I may be overly pessimistic, but I wouldn’t
chance it! Although the Wrist PDA is well made (for what it is), it really
doesn’t install that kind of confidence in me. I suppose it might be water
resistant enough for those times when you accidentally jump in the shower with
your watch on, or when you are washing your hands. Otherwise, I would be safe
and take it off.

Included with the Pocket PC version of the watch is a CD with the PDA software, a
manual and a black plastic holder thingy that they call a cradle to use for beaming.

My Palm version didn’t come with a CD, I had to go to
the Fossil

website to find the .prc file to install on my CLIÉ. This was after
mistakenly thinking that because it didn’t come with a disc, that my watch
didn’t need additional software and thinking that just because the Wrist PDA
said it was receiving beamed information from my PDA that it actually was.

I was surprised that there
wasn’t some sort of serial or USB cable to allow you to sync with your PC… But
then it finally sunk in that these wrist PDAs ONLY sync with the PDA
associated with them. And, all syncing is accomplished by IR beaming only. No cables are
used.

Believe it or not, this lack of "stand-alone" power for
the Wrist PDA was a major downer for me. I mean, let’s just say that you can
get past the fact that this thing is so massive on your arm. Maybe you are even
going through a phase where bigger is better, and humongous is just fine…but
to know that you can’t just sync the watch to your desktop just really bothers
me. Otherwise, this could have been a perfect solution for those who didn’t want
to own both a PDA and a Wrist PDA.

Right! As it is, you CAN’T use this watch without also owning either a
Pocket PC or a Palm PDA. I think this is a major problem with this
product.

The difference
between the Palm and Pocket PC versions is really only in the software that comes with it to install on the
PDA associated with it. The Pocket PC version comes with PeaceMaker Pro (396K)
and the Palm OS version needs a .prc file (40K).

Once you install the software on the PDA, you must beam all your information
to the Wrist PDA. Beaming is your only option for getting input into the watch.

The watch comes with this dorky looking plastic dock that is supposed to
help you line
up the IR ports on both the PDA and the watch for beaming. Personally, I found
it to be more trouble than it was worth.

The applications on the watch match the main applications on your PDA:

• Address (stores up to 1100 contacts)
• Date Book (stores up to 800 calendar appointments)
• To Do List (stores up to 5000 tasks)
• Memo Pad (stores up to 350 notes (400 characters each)
• Today (Pocket PC watch version)

Since the watch is limited to 190K, all of the data on your PDA may not
transfer over. The PDA software allows you to adjust what you send to the
Wrist PDA. As you can
see from the images below, Peacemaker gives you the ability to choose which
categories to beam for your ToDos, Contacts, and Notes. You have a few extra
choices for Calendar data.

You can also change the watch face style using Peacemaker.

Using Peacemaker was very painful. Every time I started the program on my
3800 iPAQ, I would have to stare at the hourglass for 30 seconds while it
initialized the data! Yes, I timed it! And every time you change an option, you
are subjected to another 10-15 wait. It’s very frustrating. Once you’re ready,
you line up the IR ports on both devices, press the send data button on
the Pocket PC and navigate to the receive data option on the Wrist PDA. It
would be nice if the watch would automatically detect data being beamed to it
like Palm devices do.

I agree!!! I was hoping that the watch might
automatically detect beamed information from my CLIÉ, but boy was I wrong! Then,
to make matters worse, after going through the painful process of getting it
ready to accept beamed information, the address I sent didn’t even show up
properly. At this point, I was definitely beginning to think that while this
started off as a good idea, somewhere along the way it just got out of control
and stopped being "fun." It sounds like Julie at least had better luck sending
info to her watch…

Maybe you were trying to beam a business card…You are supposed to be able to receive beamed "business cards" from other
PDAs. So, if you have the Palm version, you can accept a business card
beamed from a Pocket PC version and visa versa. The only problem is that after you receive a
beamed card, you can’t actually view it on your Wrist PDA until AFTER you
beam it back to your PDA. How screwed up is that?

So, after sending all the info to our watches, we started playing around with the
applications…

The Address book …This is pretty cool. Not only will
the watch display several phone numbers, addresses and e-mail addresses for each
contact, it will also show any information that you have in the "notes" field of
your contact. One very cool feature is that if you have to look away from your
contact because you are doing something and then when you look back the regular
watch screen is showing (because it "defaulted" back), you won’t have to go
scrolling through all of your contacts again. All you have to do is push the
button on the right, which will take you back to the last screen viewed. While I
am on this subject…if you have a huge amount of contacts, scrolling through
your contact list is horribly tedious. I only have 300 contacts, and it still
seemed like a total chore. The good news is that if you keep your contacts in
categories, you can hit the right button and scroll through a menu of
categories. This helps…somewhat.

The Date book…Typical date book style application that allows you to
display your appointments in one day, one week, or one month views. Switching
views and days is quite slow, taking up to 10 seconds or more. And guess what?
If you think the Fossil will get your attention when it’s time for a meeting,
think again. The alarm sound is horrible. It’s barely audible. What is even
worse is the fact that you can’t set an alarm on the watch itself. All you can do is
adjust the time and date for the watch.

The To Do List…OK. So here is a definite area where I
feel the ball was dropped. Yes, the Fossil will show you your To Dos, but if you
have a note attached, you won’t see that. I am a massive note attacher, so this
is a more than a minor irritant for me. Otherwise, it is nice to be able to
view your to do’s this easily. Of course, you can’t exactly check them off
as you do them, though…

The Memo Pad…This is just a simple text viewing application, just like the
Notes function on your Pocket PC. All the notes are stored alphabetical in a
list that you can scroll thru. Pressing the joypad in on an entry allows you to
view that entry.

The Today screen (Pocket PC version only)
Similar to the Today screen on a Pocket PC. It is just a scrolling list of
appointments and To Dos for the day.  You can select an entry in the list
to see the info about it.

The Wrist PDA applications are all pretty easy to use. The problems that I
have with them are that you have NO ability to create, edit, or delete data on
the watch. Everything is view only. Since the screen small, it just feels
painful to navigate and read information using the Wrist PDA. Names, memo
titles, and appointment info scrolls of the right side of the display.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, the Fossil
Wrist PDA is not going to become a permanent fixture on my wrist. I have high
hopes that in the future however, a smaller, more functional, and more
fashionable version will appear.

I’m the same way. There’s no way I’d use this watch as it is now. If they can
make it smaller, faster, have a better alarm, and some way to enter data
manually on the device itself, I’ll be interested in taking a second look.

Price: $145.00 (with 1 year manufacturer’s
warranty)

Pros:
Palm and Pocket PC versions available
8 batteries included

Cons:
Big and heavy
Buttons hard to press
Can not modify or add data on the watch. Data is read only
Slow
Have to have a Palm or Pocket PC… can’t use as a standalone device

Filed in categories: Gear, Watches and Clocks

Tagged: PDA, Watch

Fossil Palm and Pocket PC Wrist PDAs Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 5, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Any PDA with dimensions of 5.5" tall x 3.5" wide x
0.75" thick
 

One of the things that I have often wished for when reviewing PDA cases was
that a manufacturer, any manufacturer, would take their product to the next
level. Instead of offering just an alligator or ostrich embossed case, I
wanted to see a case that actually used the real exotic skin.

Granted, I knew that such a case would have a hefty price tag, but as with
everything else in life, I knew that there are those that would be willing to
pay for a case that special.

One of the downsides to creating such a case might be that since people tend
to swap out PDAs rather often (at least the people I am close to do, anyways),
they would have reservations about plinking down over $100 for a case that would
only work with one particular PDA. Of course, there was one definite way to get
around that limitation: by making the case as a universal pouch, or sleeve.

But, no one seemed interested in making such a product.

Until now.

Back in March, Axel Vorbauer contacted me about an idea that he had to make
cases out of just such materials. I almost did a happy-dance! His new company,
Avoglio, would offer one case style in the
beginning – a slip case that was specifically made to fit the Compaq iPAQ, but
of course similarly sized PDAs would also fit inside.

I wrote him back expressing my interest, and a couple months went by…

Recently, Axel wrote back and said that his case was ready and that the
web-site was live. I waited anxiously to see if the samples he was sending to
Julie and I would be all that I had thought they might. Well guess what? They
are.

Axel sent me the brown
alligator sleeve, and sent Julie the blue
ostrich. The only marks on either case is the embossed Avoglio name on the
bottom front. I would like to see an embossed "Alligator Skin" or "Ostrich Skin"
on the bottom rear or inside lip of the sleeve, just so that there will never be
any question in people’s minds.

Not only are these cases made out of some of the most scrumptious smelling
leathers, the colors are simply gorgeous! You can chose from salmon, chimney
red, yellow, dark brown, black, beige, salmon, violet and silver metal. It feels
as if there is a protective plastic insert in the side that covers your PDA’s
screen, so I believe that the Avoglio should protect your PDA from most bumps
and knocks.

I was surprised to see that the alligator cases were made of Louisiana skins,
and the ostrich skins were from South Africa. The cases are handmade in France,
and Avoglio itself is a German company…talk about supporting the world
economy!

Modeled after the slip-cover that used to come with Compaq’s iPAQs,  the
Avoglio sleeves are simple, elegant and classic in design. They can also hold
quite a few more PDAs than just the iPAQ. I have in my possession the following:

Sony Clie NR70V,
Toshiba e-570,
Casio E-200,
Casio EM-500,
iPAQ 3835,
iPAQ 3635,

Times2 Tech Upgraded Compaq iPAQ 3670,
HP 565,
Sony Clie N710c,
Palm m505,
Palm m100 and the
Sharp Zaurus
SL-5000D. Of these, only the two Casio models would not fit in the
Avoglio!

I believe that in the future Avoglio will be offering other models,
particularly for those of us with iPAQs that usually keep them in a sleeve, but
for now only this "slim" version is available to accept "naked" iPAQs.

Here you can see both a Compaq iPAQ 3835 and a Sonly Clie NR70V in the Avoglio sleeve. A perfect fit for both PDAs in the same case!

The only thing that I might like to see offered that isn’t, would be the
option to get the "ridge-back" alligator skin. My alligator case is made from
what I believe to be a "belly" skin, so it does not have quite as much texture
as I would like, if I could design my "perfect" sleeve. This is totally a
personal preference though, as I realize that the majority of people will want
the smoother skin so they can easily tuck the case in a suit pocket.

Of course you won’t be able to sync or charge your PDA while it’s in the
Avoglio and when you remove your PDA it will basically be "nekkid," so if these
are issues for you, then this case may not be a good idea. Otherwise, I like how
I can just slip my Clie inside and then use it unencumbered when I am actually
entering data.

If you happen to work for (or own) a company that is looking for the ultimate
employee or customer gift – check this out: Avoglio also does

corporate sales, and will even emboss your company’s name as well as allow
your choice of custom color when you order 10 or more.

Overall, I think that the Avoglio is a winner. These cases appear to be made
well enough that they should last forever with normal use…which is a good
thing considering that you will almost always be able to keep putting your new
PDA in this same case as you upgrade. Price-wise, I think these sleeves are
reasonable for what they are made of, and I think they are a good value for your
money. Look at it as the last case you will ever need to buy.

Price:  Alligator €179/$175, Ostrich €159/$155
, with free shipping until July 20, 2002
Available in salmon, chimney red, yellow, dark brown, black, beige, salmon,
violet and silver metal

Pros:

Elegant and classy sleeve in real exotic skins
Beautiful colors and textures
Excellent craftsmanship
Can be used with a variety of PDAs and possible future PDA purchases you may
make

Cons:

Must remove PDA to sync/charge
PDA is essentially "nekkid" when outside of the sleeve – if you are klutzy, this
may be a very bad thing…

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Generic PDA related, Leather, PDA

Avoglio PDA Pouch Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 3, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Most Palm / Pocket PCs

So, I’m sitting in the movie theater watching Resident Evil and one of
the elite security personnel (the techie geek) whips open a little
Libretto-looking jobber strapped to his left forearm with maps and information
about the secret lab complex.

No, this is not a movie review – bear with me…

My initial thought was: That would be soooo cool! Just having your PDA on
you and access it while doing other things – like filling your coffee cup…or
blasting zombies. Ironically enough, not long after seeing the movie I got
my hands on the PDA Plus, by PDA Skins.

This little jobber does not attach to your arm (a good thing, considering the
way I smack my wristwatch against every door jamb I pass through…) but can be
“mounted” about your person in a variety of different ways – more on that later.

The niche that PDA Skins has found for themselves is in the hinged case. Once
the PDA portion of this case is unzipped, Velcro-adjustable hinges hold the case
(and your PDA) open at any angle that you desire – ensuring that you can view and
use your PDA without it being in your hands. I tested all of the devices in the
house (CLIÉ 615C, Palm Vx, and Visor Deluxe) and all fit just fine.

Attachment to the hinged portion is accomplished with (perish the thought)
Velcro. However, for an extra $14.95 you can purchase a matching leather
Internal Sleeve to house your PDA in and out of the Plus. This is a nice
alternative to those anti-Velcro folk out there (I only like it on my
shoes…remember those?).

The case is made of black leather of medium-high quality. The very front of
the case has a small pocket for small, often-used items. All of the stitching
seemed solid and there was no fraying of the seams during my trials. The forward
pocket that contains the PDA hinge also contains several credit/business card
slots opposite the PDA and a stash pocket behind.

The PDA Plus features not only the PDA hinged section, but an additional
storage pocket behind with storage for pens, batteries, Springboards (for you
Visor folk) – I even managed to fit my cell phone in there.

There are several ways to “mount” the PDA Plus on your person. First, there
is a belt clip/loop combo that can allow for temporary, easy-removal access
(clip to the belt) or more permanent, secure (belt through the loop)
waist-wearing.

Don’t wanna be a super hero? Okay then, the PDA Plus also comes complete with
an adjustable strap that can be worn over the shoulder or around the neck.

Due to the immense amount of room that this case had to offer, I decided to
throw caution to the wind and go sans wallet for my test drive of the case. All
of my credit and ID cards fit just fine in the forward pocket, and my cash was
folded over once and inserted in the pocket behind the cards.

Well, how was it???

Honestly, I was a little disappointed with the operation of the case. The
arrangement of the Velcro hinges made it very difficult to access the graffiti
area of my PDA – I found myself ripping it off of the Velcro mounts more often
than using it in the case.

I do have to note, however, that my main active use of my PDA is that of a
note-taking device in meeting and tours. Were I to use it for more of a
reference purpose, I think that the case would have been much more usable for
me. Many moons ago, I was a Floor Manager for a small retail store. For checking
stock and performing inventory, I think that this case would have been perfect.

Another downside of the case is the size – this sucker is big! It was
constantly getting caught on my clothing and the arms of my chair, and it
completely blocked the seat belt latch in my car. Luckily, I was just using the
belt clip and removed the case quickly (glad I didn’t have the thing looped
on…might look strange undoing my belt in the parking lot…).

When my time with this case was over, I was actually a little relieved to get
back to my Ishibumi case and wallet. While my time with the PDA Plus was not
completely positive, I really can not fault the case – it is well made and has a
lot of storage, but just isn’t for me.
 

Price: $40

Pros:
True hands free access to PDA
Lots of storage space

Cons:
Velcro (unless internal sleeve is purchased)
Graffiti area hard to access
Adds considerable bulk

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Belt Clip, Case, Generic PDA related, Leather, PDA, Zippered

PDA Plus Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 30, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Win95, 98, NT, 2000, XP

This is a review of a mini PDA that is more of a novelty item than a real
productivity tool. The
P@L-mate is a touch screen PDA (I use that term loosely) that looks like an
itty bitty Palm m100.

Made of plastic, the P@L-mate is available in red, blue and grey.

On the front of the device are 4 application buttons and separate up/down scroll
buttons which are made of soft rubber and have a dimple in the middle which
makes them easy to press with a stylus.

Speaking of styli, being a touch screen device, the P@L-mate has a stylus silo
and comes with 2 spares. Be warned, the styli are VERY tiny, thin and hard to
use if you have big hands.

The mono display on the P@L-mate is small and similar to that of the Palm m100.
The display is separated into three sections. The top section has 28 x 14 large
pixels, the middle section has smaller pixels and the bottom area is a silk
screened touch input panel. Sorry, no graffiti here folks ;o) Using the small
stylus, you can tap letters and numbers to enter phone book entries. It works
pretty well all things considered.

Pressing any button will turn the P@L-mate on. It will turn itself off after
2mins of inactivity. Or, you can press the Time button several times.

Powered by two AG13 coin cell batteries, this little guy comes with a mind
blowing 3KB of user memory that can store over 100 names, numbers and e-mail
addresses.

Built-in applications include:

Phone book
Clock and alarm
Schedule reminder
Calculator
Fortune Teller
Slots game
Car racing game

The Phone Book app is VERY limited. It lists all the entries in one long list
that you must scroll thru to find the entry you need. Luckily, you can tap a
letter key on the input pad to jump to the first entry that starts with that
letter.

The fields that you can enter for each phone book listing are:

Name: 12 character limit
Phone Number: 12 character limit
E-mail Address: 36 character limit

When an entry is displayed, the Name with the phone number under it will be
listed. Only the first 7 characters of the phone number are displayed… So, the
best way to enter them is without a ‘-’. Otherwise the last number in a 7 digit
local number will be cut off.

Tapping the screen with the stylus or pressing the up/down scroll button will
then scroll the corresponding email address underneath the name. Crude, but it
works…

The clock / alarm application is just a simple digital time and date display
with 1 alarm time that you can set. A song will play when the alarm goes off. I
have no idea what the song is, but it reminds of me of something from the movie
Titanic… The volume is loud and the song is annoying. It will continue to play
until you press one of the buttons on the PDA.

The Schedule reminder application allows you to set date / time alarms with an
attached memo of up to 65 characters. The memo will scroll and a melody will
play when the reminder time is reached. After the reminder has passed, you have
to go in and manually delete the entry.

The Calculator application is a simple easy to use program that  includes a
% key and 1 memory.

The P@L-mate also has 3 games included. Hey, it’s not a PDA if it doesn’t have
some games! A simple fortune teller / biorhythm app that uses your birthdate to
tell you your current health, luck, and love life points, a simple slots game
with animation and a little race car game. The games are pretty crude and would
probably only appeal to kids. I liked the slots game the best.

Amazingly, you are actually supposed to be able to ‘sync’ the P@L-mate to your
PC using two LEDs on the back of the PDA. They can read flashes of light from a
monitor or NUM Lock LED on a keyboard. Unfortunately, I tried this several times
but was never successful.

If you have a friend that also owns a P@L-mate, you can beam a Phone Book entry,
a reminder, an animation and compare compatibility with the other person’s
fortune telling settings. I wasn’t able to test any of these functions due to
the fact that I didn’t have a 2nd unit.

Basically the P@L-mate is a toy PDA mainly suited for teens. It is too limited
for real use. Also, at $33, I think it’s a little too expensive for what it can
actually do. I don’t think I’d spend more than $5-10 on one…

Price: $33

Pros:
Very small
Supposedly syncs with a PC

Cons:
Expensive for what it does
Very limited

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Other PDA related, PDA

P@L-mate Mini PDA Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 29, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
PC or Mac with CD-ROM Drive
LocalTalk or RS-232-compatible serial connection

A new crop of PDAs have just been released, and yet another are being groomed for a fall launch – but is the latest and greatest gizmo always the best?

As I have already made my PDA purchase for the near future (the T615), and that device has already been reviewed here, I decided to take a step back and look at a long-forgotten PDA that still has a place is my heart – the Apple eMate 300.

The year was 1997.

US Robotics released the Palm Pilot 1000 and 5000; the real PDA revolution was on the way up – and Newton was on the way down…something had to be done.

A new branch off the Newton tree was the eMate300. The goal was to place an affordable, durable laptop on the desk of every classroom in the country –dubbed the Distributed Learning Environment by Apple.

We all have high hopes at some point – I was going to be the next Steven Spielberg…

And so the eMate was launched in March of 97, and discontinued less than a year later with the entire Newton line. In that time, the eMate made a brief cameo in Batman & Robin (sporting a CD ROM and full-color screen, neither of which were part of the package) and barely made a blip on the tech radar.

I purchased one of these items in 1998, after the unit had been disco’d, as a replacement for both my Powerbook 190 and Palm 5000 – just one unit instead of two. It was my “main brain” until I fell in love with the original iBook in late 1999 and it was placed on the “inactive” list.

So, why am I waxing nostalgic about an obsolete piece of green plastic? First, let’s get the specs out of the way – some might even seem a little impressive, others might not:

Hardware Specs

Processor: ARM710a 25mhz
Operating System:  Newton OS 2.1
Memory: 1MB (DRAM),2MB (Flash) 8MB (ROM)
Display: 480 X320 16-level Grayscale with backlight
Interface: Newton Interconnect Port (Serial or Parallel), Infrared
Dimensions and Weight: 2.1 (H) x 11.4 (W) x 12.0 (D) inches, 4.0 lbs. (including
stylus)
Power: AC Power Adapter (supplied)
Battery: 4AA/NiMH rechargeable battery (internal)

Given what else was available at that period in time, the specs could be a lot worse… and the old-school AA batteries would go all day long (with intermittent backlight) without recharging (Apple rated the battery life at 28 hours…not too sure about that, but 10-12 was just fine).

[eMate on top, Dual USB iBook, in middle, original iBook on bottom]

Looking at the case, many of the design elements of the eMate were used in the iBook: the clamshell screen flip, integrated carry handle, placement of all ports to the left and right (as opposed to the rear). The green plastic is semi-translucent, allowing some light to pass through the device.

As you can see from the pics, the dimensions of the eMate put it pretty squarely between the original iBook (the blue one) and the more-recent Dual-USB model (in white), but the eMate is significantly lighter than the other laptops I mentioned. The rating of four pounds just does not do this item justice– I have often almost thrown the thing into the air, expecting more resistance as I lifted.

Powering the unit on, I was truly amazed at the speed…it was a lot slower than I remembered. 25 MHz is fast when compared to my old Vx, but the Newton OS seems to hog a lot more resources than Palm variety. Pressing the EXTRAS button (Newt-speak for APPLICATIONS) brought up the icon screen in about two seconds. This delay might not be a problem for the student or casual user, but power-users (like me) would find it unacceptable.

The eMate is compatible with all Newton OS 2.0applications, but there were few programs written specifically for the eMate, so almost none of them take advantage of the size and orientation of the eMate screen, but work just fine.

The keyboard is pretty small, smaller than the Stowaway keyboards I have played with at Comp USA. I have long been accused of having small hands and after a few minutes working with the eMate, I was typing with much better accuracy than my iBook. I even thought (very briefly) of maybe going back to the eMate, then opened the EXTRAS folder and thought better of it.

The stylus that shipped with the eMate is actually very nice, good weight, a shape like a non-spongy Sensa Pen. When the unit is closed, it rests in a cradle under the  screen making it very difficult to lose (and try to find a new one now – I dare you). On either side of the keyboard are rubber-lined holes to keep the stylus upright, out of the way, yet ready for use. Having two holders is a really nice touch for you Southpaws out there who are regularly passed over in the PDA functionality department (Julie, I’m looking in your direction…).

As nice as it is, the set-up just doesn’t work for me. Transitioning between typing and stylus is distracting and awkward. Using the keyboard exclusively is time-consuming and frustrating, and the device was just not designed for prolonged stylus writing –remembers “Eat Up Martha” from The Simpsons?

Yeah, still works as good as ever…

The IR port was designed to sync with other eMates in a classroom or to an equipped PC or Mac. Evidently, they have changed the IR parameters over the past few years, as trying to beam to or from the eMate with my T615 resulted in an instant connection error.

Ironically, in the past three years, I have gotten rid of everything that could sync this device – there was no USB in 1997, so I could not install any additional applications onto the unit, but the eMate was created to run a primary program – NewtWorks.

Many out there are seeking the perfect word processor for the Palm, and I have to say that Newton had it five years ago. Granted NewtWorks does not have all the bells and whistles of the latest and greatest version of Word, but it is a simple and capable word processor/spreadsheet/drawing application that is ideal for a student taking notes in class (I write this from personal experience as an adult learner). It is possible to print directly from the eMate, or export the documents in a variety of (now defunct) applications.

In addition to the standard calendar, note and contacts applications, the eMate also shipped with many utilities for teachers in the planned Distributed Learning Environment. I have tried to get my wife (who is an educator) to try it with her classes, and she laughs at “the little green toy I just had to have…”

Maybe Apple was a little ahead of their time, or maybe it was just a MiniDisc/Sterling/XFL kind of an idea.

So, why was this interesting little…(what do I call it? It really is too big to be a PDA, too big for a palm-top, not really a laptop – any suggestions?)…thing dropped from the face of the world?

First, the price. It originally sold for $800 (the same price I paid for my Powerbook 190 two years earlier). Even though discounts were available for schools (it was actually released to the educational market first) the cost was just too high for even a wealthy school to justify.

The unit was sold alongside the MP2000/2100, yet lacked the faster (162 MHz) processor of the last of the Message Pads. Though it was less expensive (by$150-$200) and featured the integrated keyboard, many buyers wanted for the more impressive specs.

Also, 1998 featured the return of Mr. Jobs to Apple, where he promptly scrapped the Newton as a cost-cutting measure, cutting short some of the possibility of the device – but (at least) they are still around…

While rumors abound about a new Apple PDA, I can look on the shelf of PDA that once were and smile about that good little trooper, the eMate.

Bottom Line: A unique piece of PDA history that still retains some usefulness for some, but not for most.

Price: $800 (New, in 1997)

Pros:
Large Screen (for a PDA)
Integrated Keyboard
Excellent Battery Life
Light Weight

Cons:
Slower than molasses on a January morn’ (by today’s standards)
Keyboard might be too small for larger hands
No USB compatibility built-in
Both the platform and OS are discontinued

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Other PDA related, PDA

Apple eMate 300 (Blast From The Past) Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 22, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
PDAs of dimensions 5 1/4 x 3 1/4"

When I was at Fall Comdex 2001 I saw a new
RhinoSkin case that practically had me salivating. A nice front flip up case
that used elastic plastic rings to hold III-style devices in place, the Molded
EVA Foam Sportcase was calling my name.

Unfortunately it didn’t come home with me. Luckily I was able to get one
later to review. Unfortunately it was a disappointment.

At 5.6 x 3.5 x 1.35 inches and weighing 3.2 ounces with the belt clip, this
case is not small or particularly light. It adds a good inch to the length of a
III-style device and almost exactly doubles its thickness. If you like thin and
trim this case isn’t for you.

Made of lightweight EVA foam covered in a light woven black stretched lycra,
the case has a clamshell style. A small strap with a snap slides around the
bottom of the case to the back to hold the case closed. The front has some
sculpting to give the case a more interesting look, and there is a large plastic
button with the RhinoSkin logo on it. It’s fairly nice looking, in a sporty way.

The inside of the case resembles a dugout canoe, in that it has two deep
caverns. The bottom one holds the device and has a thin plastic protective sheet
that gives the case most of its stiffness. It’s the type of sheet most cases
would have under the fabric on the screen side of the case to give added protection,
not on the opposite side. I’m not sure why RhinoSkin decided on this placement
- I find it odd.

While we’re on the subject of protection, the case has quite a lot of give.
As far as I can tell this plastic sheet is the only stiffening used in the case,
so it’s pretty easy to twist or otherwise bend out of shape. I don’t think this
is a real problem, but if you like stiff cases that don’t have any give this
isn’t the case for you.

Palms can be fastened to the case in two ways – using Velcro or using
slightly elastic plastic rings. I won’t use Velcro on a Palm, so I can’t comment
on how well the Velcro holds, but the case has one of the largest pieces of
Velcro I’ve seen. The hook piece is sewn into the case, inside a square cutout
area of the plastic protective sheet. The case also comes with two large
rectangular pieces of adhesive loop Velcro that cover the entire hook piece and
then some. There is just enough room to attach one of these pieces to a HandEra
330 above the battery door without covering the reset hole, but you will have to
cover the label with serial number.

I like the plastic ring system also provided. Consisting of two somewhat
elastic plastic rings that fit around the device – one on the bottom and one on
the top, they stretch enough to make it fairly easy to get the device into the
case but are snug enough to hold it securely once it’s been positioned. I am
comfortable holding the open case upside down using this system.

The rings do require a little adjustment to ensure that they don’t block any
of the buttons, and with the HandEra 330 the top ring seems to naturally hook
into the small crevice for the LED. If you want to see the LED while the device
is in the case, you’ll have to be very careful to always re-adjust this ring.

Regardless of the attachment style, given the dugout style of the case, you
won’t have access to any of the sides, the top, or the bottom of your device.
You won’t be able to adjust the contrast on devices with contrast wheels, use
the jogdial on a HandEra 330, hotsync, access SD or CF cards, remove the stylus,
or use IR while the device is secured. If you use the ring system, you can use
IR by sliding off the top ring and lifting the top of the unit. You can also
access the jog wheel and expansion slots this way. It is possible but difficult
to access contrast wheels by lifting the top.

The top section that becomes the lid of the case has two stylus holders – one
on each side. Grooved channels that run most of the length of the case, these
holders should fit any stylus that fits in a III silo (I tried the default Palm
III stylus, a pro-techniq stylus, and a Landware floating*point stylus).
However, you need to perfectly position the stylus or it won’t hold. Two ribbons
are provided, one for each side, to help you remove the stylus. Simply place the
ribbon over the channel, hold the end up, then put the stylus in. When you want
to remove the stylus, lift the ribbon and it pops out. If you don’t use the
ribbons, the stylus is slightly but not significantly easier to get in the case
and much more difficult to remove. I suggest using the ribbons.

The case also has a removable belt clip. The back of the case has a
protruding hard plastic hook that slides onto the clip only when the clip is
turned sideways. Once on, the clip can only be removed by pressing in the end of
the clip when it’s in the sideways position. It’s very secure – the case will
tear before the clip will give. I am, in general, not fond of belt clips because
it’s too easy to have an accident. I am comfortable that with this belt clip my
case isn’t going to fall off.

One thing of interest with the clip is that unlike most belt clips, it
doesn’t hang downward when in use. By this I mean in order to have the hinge
facing upward so you can use the clip, the bulk of the clip must be positioned
about the connection point. In this configuration the clip actually protrudes
above the case. Most clips connect at their hinge point and hang downward. This
caused me no end of confusion, as I kept trying to use the clip when it was
upside down and got very frustrated when it wouldn’t open.

RhinoSkin is known for quality products. Their cases generally use the best
materials, incorporate excellent designs, and are created with the best
workmanship. I expect a lot from RhinoSkin and they usually deliver.

However, in this case, they did not. The edges of the case are already
beginning to fray after less than a month of use and there are spots where the
nylon has thinned considerably to the point where you can almost see the white
foam. The stitching on the back of the case – used to hold in the plastic
protective plate that goes behind the device and to hold in the Velcro – has
loose threads sticking up and generally doesn’t blend in well with the case and
there are one or two stray dots of glue on the inside cover. The metal snap that
holds the case closed is starting to tarnish. The entire case is a dust magnet –
there are specks of this and that everywhere. In short, the case had some issues
to begin with and does not hold up well over time.

Price: $29.95

Pros:
Very secure belt clip
Plastic ring system securing the Palm
Ribbons make removing stylus much easier

Cons:
Must fully or partially remove Palm to access IR, hotsync expansion slots

Adds a lot of bulk to the device
Shoddy workmanship and materials

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Canvas, Case, Generic PDA related, Neoprene, PDA

Rhinoskin Molded EVA Foam Sportcase Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 22, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Any PDA smaller than 5.3" (13.5cm) tall x 3.4"
(8.7cm) x .7" (1.7cm)

Updated 02/05/02 to reflect the addition of the
new m500 series case. All new comments appear in RED.

Are you looking for a case that really protects your PDA, but doesn’t look
like an industrial by-product? Have you been looking for a case that is as
individual as you are, but that doesn’t cost an arm or a leg? If so, then you might want to check out the line of
PDA cases from
SmarterCase.

These cases are very simple, yet extremely functional. Underneath a fabric or
leather covering, lies a steel clamshell case that should be strong enough to
protect your PDA from just about anything short of intentional crushing. A
sturdy piano hinge holds the two halves of the clamshell  together, and
allows the case to open flat when you need to access your PDA. The case is held
shut with a faux leather tab that snaps securely from the rear of the case to
the front.

I was presented with three different universal SmarterCase styles for this review: the
fuzzy Bobcat, the Dark Green Leather, and the Woods Camouflage.
When ordering, these are referred to as the 146 series
cases.

I have also just received a smaller version of the SmarterCase made specifically for the Palm V and m500 series PDAs. These cases are referred to as the 126 series when ordering. This case is shorter, thinner, and weighs a bit less than the universal case, which is in keeping with the smaller size of that particular PDA series. This case is also available with various covers, for this review I was presented with the black leather.

Each case is lined in black velour, and includes a small white pad of paper
on the side opposite where you would mount your PDA. It should be easy to find a
replacement pad when this one runs out, as it appears that the slot will hold a
variety of sizes.

In the 146 series cases, your PDA is held in place by two very small patches of Velcro. As you all know by now, Velcro is high on my hit list, but I have to give the SmarterCase folks kudos for keeping the Velcro pieces that actually attach to the PDA to a minimum. There is a small elastic loop to hold an extra stylus located on the far left side of the notepad,

The 126 series features four SD/MMC slots on the left side. These cards are no where near your PDA’s screen when the case is closed, so there is no fear that they will wither scratch your screen or accidentally turn your Palm on. In the center of the slots is an elastic look to hold your stylus, which is good because your PDA silo is inaccessible while in this case. This is my Palm m505 in the 126 series. There is no Velcro holding it in place, simply friction between the Palm and the cases lining. While I certainly don’t suggest that you walk around shaking your Palm upside down to see if the case will hold it, I will tell you that I feel confident that it probably would. The fit is snug, and it is not easy to pull the Palm from its resting place, at least for the first week or two that you use the SmarterCase.

There are so many different choices in available cover fabrics, that you
might be tempted to get a couple different styles to match your ever changing 
moods. Some of the other available styles included even more animal prints,
denim, various patriotic prints, and several other pleasing fabrics. I have to
say that the SmarterCases are some of the most reasonably priced I have seen for
this level of protection.

I certainly don’t recommend trying this with your own PDA inside, but I
actually stood on top of one of my 146 samples, and bounced for a second or
two. I weigh 143 pounds, and the SmarterCase didn’t crush a bit. While I doubt
that you could drive a car over this case without seriously damaging it and your
PDA; you can still be confident that when using this case, should someone
accidentally sit on it you wouldn’t need to replace an expensive PDA screen – if
you were lucky and that was all that was damaged.

While this case appears to be virtually crushproof, I don’t feel that it is
insulated quite enough to save your PDA should it fall from a great distance. I
would imagine that a couple feet might be okay – such as if you were to knock it
from your desk, for example.

This case will add a bit of bulk to your PDA. I will feature the dimensions
of the fuzzier case, as it weighs just a couple more tenths of an ounce than the
smooth fabric and leather cases. With this information, you can decide if your
PDA will still be "pocketable" enough for you:

I tried the 146 series case with the HP 565, Palm IIIc, Sony Clie N710c, a naked iPAQ 3850, a Handspring Visor Deluxe, and the Casio EM-500. Every single PDA fit perfectly. Here is the new iPAQ 3850 in the SmarterCase.

These cases are simple, protective, and fun. They don’t feature any logos or
other designer marks, so if you prefer to not be a company’s billboard the
SmarterCase should be right up your ally.

Price:  $19.99 for the 146 series, and $18.99
for the 126 series

Pros:

Inexpensive
Offer excellent protection from everyday shocks
Various covers allow you to pick a more personalized style
The 126 series for the Palm does not use Velcro

Cons:

The 146 series use Velcro – although they manage to keep it to a minimum
Must remove PDA from case to sync
Adds a bit of bulk – will seem worse for smaller PDAs

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Case, Generic PDA related, Metal, PDA

SmarterCases PDA Cases Review Updated originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 5, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:

Desktop:
Windows 98, or 2000, USB Port

PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) have sure come a long way since the
chicklet keyed Sharp Wizard clamshell devices. Way back in 1988, when the Wizard
was first introduced, these devices weren’t even called PDAs. Instead, they were
called Electronic Organizers.  At that time, the Wizard was king, and a PalmPilot
was still just an idea yet to be thought of by Jeff Hawkins.

In 1994, the Sharp Wizard evolved into the Zaurus, another
clamshell organizer. Then eventually the Zaurus grew into a color handheld device that was only available in
Japan (why do they always get the cool stuff?). Now, Sharp has once again
updated the Zaurus, this time into a small form factor Linux / Java PDA.

Review disclaimer: This is a review of the SL-5000D.
This is the developers version of the SL-5500, which will go on sale early next
year. As of this writing, the main differences between the developers version
and the consumer version of this device will be the amount of included RAM and
different operating system changes
/ tweaks /additions. The SL-5500 will have 64mb of RAM, while the
developers version has 32mb of RAM. The rest of the hardware will be
identical between the two devices.

The big difference though will be in the software (operating system). The
SL-5000D that I was given still has some rough edges as far as I’m concerned, and I
didn’t think it would be fair to write a full review on a product that will
most likely change quite a bit before it is sold to the general public. So, I
have decided to write a strictly hardware review of this device since the
hardware features will remain unchanged. Once the consumer version is available,
I will update this review to finish it up.

With that out of the way, let’s dig into this interesting PDA and check out
the hardware specs.

Hardware Specifications:

Processor: StrongARM (206 MHz 32-bit SA-1110)
Operating System: Linux 2.4 (Embedix)
Memory: 32 MB SDRAM, 16 MB Flash ROM,
Display: 3.5in 240 x 320 pixel, Color Reflective TFT LCD, 16 bits (65,536
colors)
Power: Removable, rechargeable 3.7V Lithium-Ion battery pack, Built-in 3.0V
back-up battery, 5.0V AC adapter
Communications: USB Docking Station, IrDA infrared port
Expansion slot: One CompactFlash Type I / Type II slot, One Secure Digital slot
Audio: Stereo headphone jack
Size: 2.90 x 5.40 x 0.80in. (74 x 138 x 21mm)
Weight: 7.3 oz (206g)

The Zaurus is a very sexy looking device in my opinion. The casing is made of
silver frosted plastic that is very similar in color, appearance, and feel to the Casio
E-100, 105, 115, and 125 Pocket PCs. The body is very solid and does not creak,
crack or flex when squeezed or handled. Size-wise, the Zaurus is bigger and
heavier than the iPAQ, but is pretty close to the HP 565 in both overall size
and weight. It feels good in my hand and is remarkably small and light
considering all of the features that have been packed into it.

(Top to
bottom: iPAQ, HP 565, Zaurus)

The Zaurus display is protected by a flip-up translucent frosted lid that is
reminiscent of the
Palm III series and Jornada 565 style screen covers. The lid opens to a maximum of ~ 135 degrees and can be
removed if desired. The Zaurus logo is printed in the middle of the lid.

The display is a 3.5in (diagonal) 240 x 320 pixel, color reflective TFT
LCD capable of displaying 65,536 colors. The physical screen size is 2.32 x
2.90in (59 x 74mm) which is the same width as an iPAQ but the same length as a HP 565.
However, the screen has a black border around the edges so that the actual viewable
/ useable area is only 2.1 x 2.7in (53.3 x 69mm). That sounds small, but in
everyday use, the screen ‘feels’ big enough to me.

I compared the Zaurus screen to the HP 565 and the iPAQ 3670 screens. Viewing the
same JPG image on all three devices, the Zaurus seems to have the richest
colors. It also is similar to the HP display in that it has a ‘warm up’ period.
When you first turn the PDA on, the display is not as bright as it is will be
after being on for several seconds. I don’t notice this on iPAQ displays. Other
than that, the display looks good indoors and outdoors in full sunlight. It also
has a slick texture so that it is easy to tap and write on with a stylus.

(Left to
right: HP 565, Zaurus, 3670 iPAQ)

You might be wondering if the Zaurus is another PDA with the dreaded dust
affliction. I’m sorry to say that it might be. The first unit that was given to
Judie had several large specks that were clearly visible. At the moment, mine
appears to be clear.

Below the display are two LED indicators. The leftmost LED is for email
notification and the right LED is for battery charging status. The email LED
glows green during email operations. I was unable to test email operations for
this review. The battery status LED glows amber while charging and attached to
the AC adapter. This LED will turn off once the battery is fully charged.

Next we have the application button area. Wow, the Zaurus has more buttons on
the front than any other PDA that I can think of. The top row of buttons launch
the Calendar, Address Book, Home, Menu / front light toggle, and E-Mail
applications. Below the
top row of buttons is the On/Off button which doubles as a Cancel button, the
Cursor pad, Select button, and the Ok button. The small round buttons are
slightly concave and sit a little higher than the casing around them. The other
buttons are more convex. They all have great tactile feedback so you don’t have
to guess when you’ve pressed them. The Cursor / Select button is just plain
great. It is a two piece button with the outside being the cursor control and
the inside being the select button. The outside collar can be pressed in 4
directions. The inside button is used as a Select. This cursor / select combo
button is my favorite style of all the Pocket PCs that I’ve used to date. It is a good
size and is easy to manipulate with one hand.

There is one thing that I hope they ‘fix’ with the consumer version. When you
press the On/Off button, there is a slight pause and then the Zaurus will power on with the front light turned
off. After 1 or 2 seconds, the front light will then come on. This only takes 2-3
seconds total, but it just doesn’t feel right after using Pocket PCs and Palm devices that
have no lag in powering on and off.  Same goes for turning the unit off.
You have to actually hold down the On/Off button for a couple seconds. Then the
unit will click, the front light will turn off and then the unit will power off.

Of course, you’re wondering about the built-in keyboard right? Well, hidden
under the application and cursor pad buttons, is where you will find the yummy
candy center. To get to it, you can grip the ridges on the sides with one hand
and pull down, or you can use the tips of your thumbs to pull down the sliding
cover. The cover slides down and clicks securely in place revealing a nifty
thumbtype-style keyboard underneath.

This keyboard has 37 hard white and purple plastic keys that are arranged in
the typical QWERTY format and give really good tactile feedback when pressed.
The easiest way to use this keyboard is to cradle the Zaurus between your two
your hands and use your thumbs to press the keys. This works remarkably well and
allows for pretty quick and reasonably comfortable typing. I think this keyboard
feels a little easier to use than the RIM
Blackberry 950; I would always seem to get cramps in in my hands while using
it. I didn’t have this problem with the Zaurus. Probably because there is more
to hold on to.

While you are using the keyboard, the application buttons and cursor pad are
still active. I actually found out that you can use the cursor pad in
conjunction with the SHIFT keys to select blocks of text. You can then use the
FN C and FN V key combinations to copy and paste text. Another interesting
feature that I came across is the fact that the Select button (middle of the
cursor pad) can function the same as the Space key.

There are a couple little things that I don’t like about the keyboard though.
One is that the keys are hard and slick. I think rubber keys might have been a
better choice. I tend to use my thumbnails to press the keys and sometimes I
slide off. I also don’t like the location of the "?" key. It is on the left
side of the bottom row. For touch typists like myself, this is the opposite of
where I’m used to it being located. Other than those two little personal
annoyances, I find the addition of the keyboard to be terrific! It gives people
yet another method of inputting data, and I’m all about options.

The bottom of the Zaurus has the AC adapter port, lanyard hitch and serial
connector. The AC adapter can be plugged directly into the bottom of the PDA for
charging, or it can be plugged into the cradle so that when the Zaurus is in the
cradle, it will charge thru it.

The lanyard hitch location is actually one of two. There’s another one at the top of the unit.
Lanyards, which are more popular in Japan than the US allow you to attach a hand
strap to the PDA so that you can wear it around your neck (not comfortable!) or
as a hand grip. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lanyard included with the Zaurus.

The serial connector has a plastic door covering it that can be opened and
slid into the bottom of the PDA. You have to uncover the connector when you want
to charge or sync in the included cradle. The cradle is a light weight blob of
plastic. It really doesn’t differ from most USB PDA cradles. There is a sync
button on the front and an AC adapter connector on the back. There is also an
I/O port on the back which I’m not exactly sure of its function. I’ll assume
that it could be used for an optional serial cable for those people that don’t
want to use USB.

The left side of the Zaurus is the location of the IR port and Secure Digital
(SD) / MultiMedia (MMC) card slot. I’m not too thrilled with the IR port
location, I much prefer it to be at the top of the unit. Having it on the side
makes it harder to beam data to people and to use it for such things as a TV
remote control. At the time of this review, I was unable to test the IR strength
due to the fact that none of the built in apps actually support it yet.

The SD / MMC slot is one of two expansion slots on the Zaurus. It’s great that
it has been included because it allows you to use this slot for memory expansion
while using the CF slot for other things such as CF wireless cards, modems, etc.
The slot itself is spring loaded. You just press the card into the slot and it
locks in place. Press it again and it ejects.

The other expansion slot is the Compact Flash slot which is on the top of the
unit. This is a Type I/II slot, so you can use the
thicker MicroDrives. I tested several of my CF cards, including a 256mb Mr. Flash
card, and they all worked just fine with the Zaurus.

Also at the top of the PDA is the stylus silo, a lanyard hitch and the earphone
jack. The stylus silo is the typical friction insert type. The stylus is also
your run of the mill plastic toothpick. This one is somewhat shorter and fatter
than average though.

The earphone jack is a standard 3.5mm sized jack that actually does dual duty.
Besides being a stereo earphone jack, it is also a mono microphone jack. You
will need to buy a combination earphone / mic device to take advantage of this
feature though. Unfortunately, I was unable to test the recording quality
because the software does not support it at the moment.

Unlike the current crop of Pocket PCs, the Zaurus can not play MP3′s or other
‘real’ audio thru the internal speaker. You must listen thru headphones. The
internal speaker is a piezo buzzer which means that it will really only play
beeps, boops and clicks. To me this is very disappointing because I want to be
able to be able to set alarm sounds that are more interesting then the lame
phone ringer one that is included. I also want to play games that have great sound
without having to wear earphones.  That said, the stereo output thru
headphones sounds great! I think the Zaurus has the best sound quality for
playing MP3′s of any PDA that I’ve tested so far. The volume level is also quite
good. Compared to my HP 565 and iPAQ 3670, it is about 10% louder than the HP
and about 20% quieter than the iPAQ. I never listen to MP3′s on the highest
volume setting anyway, so I find the levels to be perfect.

The back of the Zaurus is plain except for the removable lithium-ion
rechargeable battery pack and the battery replacement switch. The switch is a
lock for the battery cover and also functions as a soft reset switch. If you
take off the cover, you then will see the battery and a full reset switch.
Pressing the full reset switch will erase any information that you have saved
directly on the PDA.

There is also a built-in rechargeable back-up battery inside the Zaurus. It
isn’t something that can be replaced though like a coin cell. It prevents the
memory contents from being erased when you replace the main battery. It is
charged along with the main battery when in PDA is in the cradle and attached to
AC power.

So far, I’ve noticed that battery life is close to that of my 3670 iPAQ. It
really depends on what you use the PDA for as to how much life you should expect
per charge. Just playing MP3′s yielded me approximately 3hrs of use. By using
the MENU button, you can turn off the display’s front light, but there isn’t a
feature to turn the display totally off like you can on a Pocket PC.

Overall system speed seems to be on par with other StrongArm devices such as
the iPAQ and HP 565. I took a few minutes to sit and open apps one after another on
my iPAQ and HP and then did the same with the Zaurus. I didn’t notice any real
differences in launch speed between all of the devices.

As far as the hardware goes, Sharp has a real winner in the Zaurus SL-5000D.
It is a solid PDA packed with great features, while not being overly bulky.
Including both CF and SD/MMC slots is a big plus, and the built-in keyboard gives
this device a real gee whiz flare. If I had to change anything regarding the
hardware, it would be to give the Zaurus a real internal speaker on par with the
Pocket PC, move the IR port to the top of the unit and take away the lag with
powering the unit on and off. Other than that, I
could honestly say that I would love for this device to be my main PDA. But,
there’s that little matter of the operating system….

The OS as it is on this developers unit is still rough. It doesn’t feel as
polished as the Pocket PC or Palm. The main PIM apps just aren’t ready for the
masses as far as I’m concerned. They seem flat and sorely lacking in advanced
features. However, I do like the style of the interface. For Linux users, it has
that KDE look to it and is called Qtopia from
Trolltech. Qtopia is the GUI and a core
set of applications which include: an Address book, To-Do List, Appointment
Calendar, E-Mail client, Opera Web Browser, a multimedia player capable of
playing MPEG1, MPEG2, and MP3 format files, image viewer, Command Line Terminal
and File Manager, Text Editor, Calculator, City Time app, and several games,
including Asteroids, Go, Mindbreaker, Mine Hunt, Patience, Snake, Tux and Word
Game (Judie and I both loved this Scrabble clone!).

Below are some screenshots that I lifted from Trolltech’s website. Visit it
to see more.

It’s always fun to play with a new PDA, and this one was no different in that
respect. But after playing with it for several hours, I realized that it
couldn’t be my main PDA until the software becomes a little more robust. Sure, if this
device takes off, there is going to be a large community of developers that will
rally behind it and create better applications. Right now, it has a big appeal for hackers and Unix geeks which
is great, but it doesn’t feel like a consumer device for the average person. If this device were running Pocket PC 2002, I would say that Sharp might
have created the next golden child of the PDA world. But since they decided to
go with Linux and Java, it makes me wonder if they will be able to succeed. The
Pocket PC is only just now gaining on Palm in the battle of the PDA OS’s after
being on the frontline for several years now. Bringing yet another OS into the
fray seems like a mistake to me. But I will withhold my judgment until I see the
actual consumer version. I will be anxiously waiting to get my hands on one to
review.

Price: $399

Pros:
Built-in keyboard
SD/MMC and CF slots
Great stereo output thru headphones

Cons:
Internal speaker inferior. Needs earphones to listen to MP3′s etc.
Operating system needs work
Pause in powering up and powering down
Core apps need more polish and features
 

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Linux Based PDA related, PDA

Sharp Zaurus SL-5000D Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 11, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Almost any Pocketable PDA

Scribble, longtime makers of hard cases and accessories for the Psion line of
PDAs, has created a slightly different than usual case that uses neoprene and
comes in bright cheerful colors. If you are still looking for an
inexpensive Christmas gift for a PDA lover, you might want to consider this soft
case.

I was presented with the festive red (with black trim) version, which makes the Scribble perfect for
inclusion in this holiday recommendation. You can also purchase this same style case
in purple, blue
and charcoal gray, each trimmed in black.

The Scribble has a clean and simple design, uncluttered by anything other
than a metal logo plate on the front, and not one, but two rather large
matte silver zipper pulls. I thought the zipper’s size as a whole was a little excessive, but otherwise I am
pleased with the form and function of this case

As you can see, this is a book-style case. Your PDA will attach with a
huge
strip of Velcro (my only major objection) to the inside right of the cover, while the
left side is available for keeping your ID and up to four business or credit cards
handy. A long slash pocket behind the ID area is perfect for stowing away
receipts or bills. There are also two elastic loops in the case’s spine, perfect
for storing two batteries if your PDA requires them.

The left side, which also forms your PDA’s screen protection when the case is
zipped shut, is reinforced with a plastic insert. While this does not make the
Scribble crush-proof by any stretch of the imagination, it does offer
suitable protection from ordinary knocks and dings that might occur. I would
have to advise against dropping your PDA while in the Scribble, although it
should be adequate for short drops (like from a foot or two) at the most.

The Scribble does not add much weight to your PDA at all – only 4 ounces (113g).
It will add a little bit of bulk if you are carrying a smaller PDA, such as the
Palm m500 series, but on the more standard sized PDAs, you shouldn’t be too bothered
by the size.

I tried putting several PDAs in the Scribble, including the iPAQ 3600
and 3800 series, the Sharp Zaurus, the Hewlett-Packard Jornada 565, the Palm
IIIc, the Sony Clie 710c, and the Palm m505. I found that they all fit quite well, although it was
not possible to include a sleeve with the iPAQ while in this case.

Here are some pictures of the new Zaurus SL-5000 in the Scribble case. Of course, when
you have the keyboard extended, the case is no longer quite long enough! ;0)

The Scribble Neoprene PDA Case is a good gift idea for someone that likes a splash of color
and doesn’t mind adding a chunk of Velcro to the back of their PDA.

Price: $23.95 (depending on price fluctuations of
US Dollar to British Pound)
Available in red, purple, blue
and charcoal gray, each trimmed in black

Pros:

Fun, bright colors that help take the monotony out of carrying a protective
case
Adequate screen protection from dings and dents
Fair price

Cons:

Uses Velcro to attach case to PDA
Double
Zippers seem excessively large

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Canvas, Case, Generic PDA related, Neoprene, PDA

Scribble Neoprene PDA Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 10, 2001 at 12:00 am.