I haven't gotten my hands on one of these yet (or the previous model), but
this seems like a fairly ideal platform to me- I think I may have to get
one. Here's why:
1) size- it's pocketable in a way that the 2x00 isn't. This is more than a
minor convenience if you want an assistant- you need to be able to forget
that you're carrying it.
2) many of the benefits of other handheld platforms- instant on, instant
access to PIM functions, non-volatile memory.
3) mostly open software- whether you agree idealogically with Free software,
the open nature of the OS, tools, and hardware design (Sharp supplies a way
to load your own image) precludes the possibility of ending up like we are
with the Newon- unsupported and SOL as far as OS bugs are concerned. Just
think how nice it would be to be able to pick up someone else's TCP
implementation about now :)
4) standard, familiar system- existing software can be ported easily.
Support for new hardware is much easier to add. Additionally, my /feeling/
on this is that any professional developer who's able to write good software
on another platform would be able to do it on this one without much learning
time. Which is not true of the Newton. I could be wrong though..
Finally, I think that the argument against a "hand-held computer" can be
dismissed- the PDA, the *assistant* we want can run as an /application/ on
this computer! I think this design resolves the dichotomy we're struggling
with now- we want our PDA to be excellent at handling our personal
information and doing so in a way designed from the ground up to be totally
usable, but we also want to be able to handle tasks like web browsing and
real business functions (word processing, spreadsheet, VNC, SSH, graphics
editing). More and more the assistant must be able to interface with the
desktop computer, to which the Newton's underlying storage system is ill
suited. With the PDA running as an app on the computer, with the PDA's
storage virtualized on top of the file system, I think we have all of those.
I admit I don't know how close this Zaurus is to my ideal ;) BUT - the
nature of the platform lends itself to the development of such a system.
My two cents anyway-
/Sam
David Orriss Jr wrote:
> http://rss.com.com/2100-1040-965551.html?type=pt&part=rss&tag=
> feed&subj=news
>
> What's interesting is that Sharp has sold 99,000 in the first
> year - not bad
> considering the competition.
>
> Will I get one? Not likely - they still don't "get it". We
> don't want a
> hand-held computer (much as I love linux) we want something
> that really is an
> assistant.. Maybe they'll get closer to it over time...
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