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Sharp Zaurus SL-5600 PDA Review
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Manufacturer: Sharp
Model#: SL-56
Weight: 5.92lbs
Height: 5..4" | | Width: 2..9"
Length: "
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Average Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
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Features:- Linux/Java-powered handheld computer with 64 MB ROM, 32 MB of RAM, and 400 MHz Intel processor
- High-resolution color reflective TFT screen with support for over 65,000 colors
- Integrated QWERTY keyboard that slides out from bottom of handheld
- Listen to MP3 or watch MPEG video; includes stereo headphone jack
- What's in the box: Zaurus SL-5600, Handheld device, EA-70S AC adapter, Docking station (USB), Power cord, Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, Stylus, Display protection cover, CF slot-protection card
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User Submitted Sharp Zaurus SL-5600 PDA Reviews (cont...)
Date: 2004-03-17
Very nice PDA
Picked up my Zaurus last week. So far so good. I believe most of the 5600 have the PXA250 with the cache bug in it. The PXA255 fixes the issue and has been reported seen in some Zaurus 5600 but not all. The one I received is an older one based ont the information I found in the /proc/cpuinfo file on the device. B2 stepping which was available up until around March of 2003 - about the time these went out the door probably. While the speed is not intolerable, the idea that it can be faster makes you want it to scream along. There are patches that with good instructions available that can increase the speed should you take the time to research it. The main thing that I like with the Zaurus is the flexibility - Its linux - add what apps work for you, ditch the rest. Your not stuck with some inferior thing because its part of the system.As a side note, installing additional apps is quite easy - I used the provided ftp program and dropped on a new package...
Date: 2004-03-09
defect not disclosed
I was outraged when I recieved my zaurus sl-5600 that I bought NEW from amazon at $289 when I discovered there is a KNOWN BUG in the 250 chip it was shipped with that has even been discontinued. The defect causes the processor to run at a fraction of it's intended speed. When I called Sharp to ask about this bug I was asked what chip my Z had in it and I told them I was then put on hold for a long time and told "Sharp is currently unaware of the presence of and defect in your model". The saving factor is that there is a third party patch available you can apply to the kernel which will double the speed of the processor. Know that you are getting what you pay for!!!!! If you want a Z without a defective chip be sure to buy one with a 255 chip. I will never buy another product from Sharp or Amazon ever again. I find such a way of doing bussiness to be immoral and unethical. I sugest you do the same.
Date: 2004-02-18
Awesome -- Unix in your palm.
Let me preface this review by stating that I am a long time Unix user/developer and navigating Unix-based OS's is second nature to me. I finally caved-in and purchased the Zaurus 5600 after Amazon lowered the price. When I finally received the item, I was disappointed to find that unit had the PX250 processor (you can definitively determine your processor type by entering the following command from your terminal application: grep Processor /proc/cpuinfo). Nevertheless, I forged ahead and installed the WCF12 LAN card, rebooted the handheld and I was up and surfing the net and reading reviews for the 5600 on Amazon.com (I have a Netgear MR-814 wireless router)! I downloaded the Konsole application and I was exploring the filesystem using the default bash shell commands. Out of the box, the 5600 does not support X applications. No problem! I downloaded and installed Qtopia-X, Keypebble, IceWM, and XFree86. I started up QTopia-X (which is a VNCServer), started up the window-manager, set the display to the localhost on VNC server and fired up Xterm. Way too cool!! I am looking forward to installing gcc/g++ after I add a SD card to the unit. I am completely blown away that I have fully functioning Unix/X station on the little 5600. For the more Windows oriented users, I successfully used Hancom sheet to open an Excel spreadsheet, Hancom Word to open a MSWord document and was able to sync with Outlook with no problems. The keyboard is very usable (vi users, the cancel button is the ESC key and Unix users, pipe is shift-space) and the overall design of the PDA is fantastic and well thought out. There has been no noticable lapse in performance due to the PX250 processor. I am normally loathe to use a plethora of exclamation points in my writing, but the presence of them in this review is an indication of my affection for the "Little Unix Box(!!!!)."
Date: 2004-02-08
The best in class and best value to boot.
This is a really good PDA. The colour screen is bright and clear, and you have a choice of input mechanisms. You can use the built in micro key board, an on screen keyboard that tries to guess the word you are picking out with the stylus, a pick board, or handwriting recognition. It also has a bunch of really good apps that include:
MSWord compatible doc tool,
To List,
Excel comaptible Spreadsheet,
Calculator,
Media player (mp3 and movies),
Voice recorder,
Web browser,
Email,
Power point compatible tool called Presenter,
Adress book,
Calender,
Text Editor,
as well as some nice games; Asteroids, Go, Mastermind, Scrabble, Mines, 2 types of Patience and Snake, to while away the commute with.
I have found the PC sofware that comes with it great. This means that I can manage and deal with the data entry on a full size keyboard and simply transfer it from my Windows PC (I am sure that mac software it comes with is just as good). I have also transfered files to it from my Windows Laptop using the IR port (first time I had ever tried using an IR connection and it worked first time). I also bought the PocketTop portable wireless (IR) keyboard and and this worked first time.
It is really easy to install new software. You just have to transfer the program you want to install using the supplied software (when you plug your Zaurus into your PC the file tranfer software just makes it look like another folder browser) to the a directory called install_files, click on the "add/remove software" icon and follow the instructions. Really easy.
It has a good size battery which means that I have had no problems with one charge every day or so (the charger is small and light anyway). When you use as an MP3 player you can switch off the screen to extend the battery run time.
To top it all it's cheaper than any similarly spec'd PDA on the market. A great bargain!
Date: 2004-02-07
find a better vendor
Unless you get lucky, Amazon is shipping Sharp's pxa250 processors that they discontinued over a year ago. The processors are buggy and don't use a lot of software correctly. There are kernel work-arounds if you are linux savy which are quite stable, but paying for a product that has been discontinued over a year ago doesn't make much sense, especially when you have to jump through hoops and recompile a kernel just to get the unit working correctly.
For those that want an awesome pda and the challenge of building their own, this is a great unit. If you are looking for something fast and stable out of the box, get a vendor with the 400mz pxa 255 processor. The Z is an awesome pda, I have SQL, Python and java running from mine, I'd just suggest you look for the more recent version you don't have to fix out of the box.
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