Palm/Windows CE Killer - not simply alternative
Written: Jul 16 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very powerful, Linux OS, lots of built-in features, usable by anyone.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Buy this PDA because it has all the features of other PDAs in its price range plus a whole lot more. It is also easy to use, but totally accessible.
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| ernstb's Full Review: Sharp Zaurus SL-5600 Handheld |
I was looking for a replacement PDA for my Dimaond Mako last year and I found this incredible PDA. I've used Palm PDAs before and was not impressed and was not interested in a Windows PDA. I really liked the keyboard on my Mako so the new PDA I wanted had to have this feature. After trying the keyboards on several different PDAs at CompUSA, I found the Zaurus to have the most comfortable and easiest to use keyboard. I also was excited about Linux as the OS (very stable loved by the tech crowd). The open source aspect of this OS means there are many useful programs freely available on the Internet. This carried over to the Zaurus. I found many great free and for-pay products for this PDA.
After I bought this product and several accessories, my excitement only grew many times over. First, this PDA is as accessible and easy to use as any Palm or Windows PDA out there. It comes with many great features like CF AND SD slots, built in headphone connector, plastic screen cover over a very bright and colorful screen and a thumb navigator button with several shortcut buttons on the front. It also has a nice pullout keyboard with buttons that are small but easy to use, a microphone, and an IR port.
The interface is simple and accessible on the surface, but there a programs to access the underlying Linux OS (included on the CD with the product) if you so incline. It comes with Office compatible apps, calendar, address book, drawing program, calculator, Opera browser, media player, voice recorder, and some games. The tabbed interface is nicely divided with an Applications tab, Games tab, Settings tab, and Files tab. This makes it easy to find the app you are looking for.
I've used a few accessories with this PDA. Like another reviewer, I use the SD slot for a memory card and the CF slot for devices. It's nice having both slots as you can have the extra space of the memory card and still change out different devices without losing this space. In the CF slot I have used both wired and wireless NIC cards successfully as well as the camera card designed to work with this PDA. The camera is easy to use and the software comes with the PDA. It's quality is about on par with cameras found in other PDAs and cell phones.
Battery life is good with this PDA. I usually go a week or two between recharges. And one of the best features is the non-volatile memory it uses. If you didn't use the PDA for a while and it ran out of battery life, you won't lose your data. Another great included feature is the alarm clock. I recently found myself without an alarm clock, but had my Zaurus with me. I took a chance on its alarm clock and was not disappointed. By setting the volume to the loudest, setting my alarm, and turning the PDA face down so the speaker was on top, I was awoken the next morning to a typical alarm sound.
In summary, this is a very powerful PDA for executives and tech-lovers alike. Linux users will love the terminal app which allows them access to the underlying OS, and business users and everyday folk will the find the PDA every bit as useful as other brands on the market and then some.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 400-500
Recommended for: Business Executives - Powerful and Professional
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Epinions.com ID:
ernstb
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
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