Re:Does it matter? (Score 2, Informative)

first of all.. i think it's strange that a lot of the people posting on here seem to take mossberg at his word without ever having even seem a zaurus. i have been using a zaurus SL-5000D since November and have been very happy with it. Granted I am a so called "techie" but I wouldn't use Linux just for the sake of it, i'd actually want it to be functional. I've been using a wireless card with it and had it work out of the box. I've been a Palm user for many years and have been searching for an alternate PDA for about 2 years without much success until the Zaurus came along. To address some of Mossberg's gripes: 1. Doesn't sync with Outlook - Incorrect, it does sync with outlook provided any personal firewalls are configured to allow the traffic through (sync uses IP over the USB connection). 2. Cluttered/Complicated interface - the Qtopia interface is similar to Palms with the tabbed folders. Seems pretty well organized to me. I was seriously considering buying the Ipaq a few months back and that interface was not any less complicated. 3. Hefty dimensions and weight - once again, compared to the Ipaq, the zaurus has almost identical dimensions except for when the keyboard is pulled out. It may be the Shaquille O'Neal of PDAs when it's open but isn't it better than those ungainly external keyboards for the Palm? You can use the unit quite well with only the stylus by the way. Considering that the Zaurus comes with CF and SD slots in built, it is a lightweight compared to the Ipaq with it's expansion sleeve. 4. Clumsy keyboard - I find the keyboard quite similar to those on the RIM Blackberry devices. I don't think this can be a point of contention since no other PDA in this class has an integrated keyboard. 5. Battery life - Battery life could be better but not a show stopper IMHO. I've found battery life to be inadequate on most PDAs. However, Mossberg's test is unrealistic, how many times would you be listening to music and have the screen fully lit up? I guess it could happen but doesn't seem all that common. I've found battery life to be around 5-6 hrs of high volume usage. I believe the SL-5500 will have a better battery and charger unit. 6. Inadequate Documentation - This is one area he is correct on. Sharp really has to do a better job of providing adequate and accurate manuals and documentation if it wants the zaurus to be a commercial success. 7. No programs for Linux - wrong again, there are thousands of apps for linux but not that many yet adapted to run on the Zaurus. Since porting these apps is a matter of re-compiling, it will be a very short time before apps become plentiful. One of the advantages of Open Source that Mossberg doesn't seem to understand. Additionally, since the Zaurus ships with the Geode JVM which means that thousands of Java apps are already ready for the Zaurus. 8. Expensive - it is.. but similarly priced to the Ipaq which has the identical specs, 206Mhz StrongARM, 64MB, 3.5" color display. Having said all this, I do think that Sharp and Trolltech (Qtopia's developer) need to refine the sync applications and polish them to suit non-techie users more. --kish