LinuxDevices.com received a tip by email that Sharp will introduce the next model in its Linux-based Zaurus PDA family to the Japanese market on Nov. 27, 2003. The SL-C860 appears to be a more powerful and feature-rich version of the much-reviewed SL-C760.

The device boasts a 400MHz Intel PXA255 processor equipped with 128MB of Flash memory (65MB available for user programs) along with 64MB of SDRAM memory. It has a 640×480 resolution full-color, full-VGA display, and runs an embedded Linux operating system based on Metrowerks's OpenPDA handheld device software stack.

Sharp's new SL-C860 resembles the earlier SL-C760

A Japanese language announcement on Sharp's website suggests that the device will feature English-to-Japanese and Japanese-to-English translation software along with a long list of other software. Among other cool features, the device is equipped to show MPEG-4 movies encoded and downloaded from the Galileo, Sharp's embedded Linux based personal video recorder and networking solution. It can also play MP3s and games downloaded from various Zaurus user sites, according to Sharp.

As with the earlier SL-C700, Sharp has also included a number of unique PC connectivity and communication functions in the SL-C860. The “Zaurus Shot” function lets users take snapshots (by 'printing' an image) of a connected PC screen. Another cool feature is the “Zaurus Drive” function, which turns the Zaurus into an external hard drive for transferring data to/from a PC via USB cable; the user simply drags and drops data files to/from the Zaurus icon on the PC. Additionally, Sharp is offering a previously announced GPS-based navigation option for the SL-C860, based on adding a GPS card.

Basic features and specs, as listed by Sharp, include:

• Operating system — Embedded Linux, based on Metrowerks OpenPDA
• Processor — 400MHz Intel XScale PXA255
• Memory —
  • 128MB Flash memory (user area approx. 65MB)
  • 64MB SDRAM (work area)
• Display — 640×480 pixel, 3.7 inch full-color back-lit LCD with touch input
• Interfaces —
  • USB device port
  • IrDA — 115kbps
  • Stereo headphone jack
• Dual card slots —
  • SD card
  • CompactFlash Type II
• Power —
  • 3.7VDC lithium ion battery (1700mA)
  • 8 hour 30 minutes battery life
  • Power consumption 2.7W
• Operating temperature range — 0 – 40 deg. C
• Size — 4.7 x 3.3 x .9 in. (120 x 83 x 23 mm)
• Weight — Approx. 8.8 oz. (250g) (includes touch stylus, protective CF slot insert, I/O port cover, and battery)

Sharp lists the following included software:

• Private information management (PIM)
• Address register, calendar and ToDo
• Picture/text
• Image note (picture viewer/handwritten memo)
• Memo pad (text file viewer/editor)
• English Japan & Japanese-English translation
• Dictionaries included —
  • Dictionary — approximately 199,000 words
  • Technical terms dictionary: approximately 60,000 words
  • Basic dictionary for the Japanese-English translation — approximately 118,000 words
  • The Gakken personal English-Japanese dictionary: approximately 80,000 items
  • The Gakken personal Kazuhide dictionary: approximately 92,000 items
  • The Gakken personal katakana language dictionary: approximately 28,000 languages
  • The Gakken supervision Chinese character dictionary: approximately 6,355 letters
• Trust Mail and NetFront v3.0 (Web browser)
• HancomMobile office package —
  • Word processor — HancomMobileWord
  • Chart calculation — HancomMobileSheet
• Multimedia software —
  • Image music playback — Movie Player (MPEG-4), Music Player (MP3)
  • Image output — Presentation
  • Audio sound recording: Voice recorder
• File manager
• Utilities — clock, calculator, worldwide clock, help and system information, network setting (Internet connected setting assist is included)
• Data movement — MI Zaurus data movement and SL Zaurus data movement
• Effective sound — Sound setting
• Java — Java execution environment (J2ME CDC/Personal Profile conformity)

The new Zaurus will be bundled with a number of PC software packages for synchronization and file sharing, according to Sharp.

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.