Sharp's SL-C3100
By Ryan Block 
posted June 7th 2005 10:57AM
posted June 7th 2005 10:57AM
We were just starting to have nights of restful sleep not caught up dreaming of the lovely Sharp Zaurus
SL-C3000, when boom, they launch the SL-C3100 (in Japan, of
course). Why, Sharp, do you taunt us so with your 416MHz XScale, 128MB Flash, 64MB RAM, 4GB drive-equipped Linux PDAs,
when the best we've got to show up with is the
LifeDrive? Besides the Flash memory upgrade (up
from 16MB), it doesn't look much different though, still rockin' that dazzling 3.7-inch VGA touch screen and CF/SD
slot—still no built-in wireless. Perhaps the only salve for these refreshed wounds is the spaced-out price: about $750
US.
[Thanks, Aniki]
anyone know if these Sharp handtops offer USB host for a USB keyboard?
Apparently you can hook up a usb keyboard to the 3000, so I'd guess you could with the 3100.
Not a huge upgrade over the other clamshells, and I still have my SL-5500. I'll wait a bit more until they start including wi-fi and then some. Though the larger flash storage was a good idea.
Sharp sucks no wifi mrrrrrrrrrrrrr
would someone put a real keyboard on these silly things? flat style keyboards don't help if you have to thumb type. What ever happened to the psion5 keyboard? It was the same size and you could actually touch type on it.
still happy with my ux50 for the time being. just bought another one on ebay for a hundred bucks as backup
why not get an oqo and load linux on it? for the same size (and maybe even a little less chunky) you get a whole lot more computing power. me, personally i decided against a handheld and went for a sub compact notebook (fujitsu p7010d)...
"ux50...just bought another one on ebay for a hundred bucks as backup"
Uh...when ? I just checked the completed auctions and they are going for $200 and up (average is more like $280 - $300).
If you did though you got one KILLER deal...
I don't think using a fullsize keyboard with Zaurus outside your room looks cool.
But I tell you that SL-C3000 does have a USB On-The-Go compatible chip inside, so it can be a USB host. Just connect your usb keyboard to Zaurus, it detects. Do it with PSP and post its picture to engadget :P. You might have to buy mini-A USB cable or adaptor though... If you are looking for compact keyboard, Targus IrDA based foldable keyboard would be nice option.
Thanks for the tip, CuCullin and Hiros. The reason I need a USB keyboard is because I want to connect an AlphaSmart word processor. It connects as a USB keyboard, and then emulates keystrokes as it transfers text to the device. It gets 700 hours of battery life, so it can really extend the battery life of a handheld.
I'm a former Zaurus owner (c700, first of the clamshells) and a buddy of mine and I both got imports, lasted about 1 year each, mainboard dying out and had to send his back to SHARP Japan for a mainboard swapout to the c750 for $300+ (ie: more than the cost of a c700) The keyboard _IS_ very useable for touchtyping, I used to take notes on mine in classes in university. The screen is great, and it'd be a decent pmp in addition to other stuff, but the PSP screen blows the zaurus's away. They do have USB hosts on the newer ones, though the third party support for the english language ones seems to have died down quite a bit.
They are much more useable than the UX50 IMO for text entry, the thumb keyboard is very very nicely sized. I never liked the feal of the clie.
Not sure if the newer ones are more durable or not, but unless you're looking for something with dual language inputing very easily and linux natively, just skip it and save your money.
I would like to buy a non-working C3100 or C3000 or any flip-up model. Does anyone have one to sell me?
Non-working is fine, because I want it only for a model of the physical shape. My company is considering making an electronic device for another purpose, and I like the Zaurus form/function.
thanks,
bill_activist@yahoo.com