Sharp today issued an announcement of the full production version of the Linux/Java based Zaurus PDA, in conjunction with an all day press and developer symposium held in San Jose, CA. The Zaurus SL-5500 will be available in early 2002. Here is an excerpt from the announcement . . .

San Jose, CA — (press release excerpt) — Sharp Electronics Corp., a leading distributor of consumer electronics, today redefined the concept of the PDA with the introduction of the Zaurus SL-5500 Personal Mobile Tool, an innovative, handheld communications and multimedia solution for professional consumers and corporate users.

The Zaurus SL-5500 features Sharp's high resolution color reflective LCD screen technology, a cleverly designed integrated QWERTY keyboard with a sliding cover, dual expansion with a Compact Flash and Secure Digital card slot, a powerful Intel StrongARM 206MHz processor, 64MB of standard memory, and an MP3 and MPEG1 multimedia player offering professional consumers and corporate users a next-generation mobile device for all their business and personal needs, from mobile communications to mobile multimedia and entertainment.

Made for Mobile Communications and Data Management . . .

• Mobile Communications — For the mobile professional on the go, keeping in touch with e-mail and critical information is a vital part of their everyday business needs. The Zaurus SL-5500 is the perfect solution providing features geared for mobile communications with its integrated QWERTY keyboard and expansion capabilities. The integrated keyboard, located behind a sliding cover, allows for easy data entry. The sliding keyboard design ensures that the Zaurus SL-5500 remains compact when the keyboard is not in use. With handwriting recognition and an on-screen keyboard feature, users have more methods available for data entry than other similar devices on the market.

  The two integrated expansion slots for Secure Digital and a Compact Flash (CF) cards provide users with dual expansion capabilities and simultaneous use of accessories such as modems, memory, LAN cards and digital cameras. The Zaurus SL-5500 is compatible with a number of modem options for maximum flexibility in communication. For the home or office, users may choose from a wired or wireless modem or a 802.11b or Bluetooth modem. Enterprise customers can choose CDPD, as well as 1xRTT and GPRS (available in 2002).

  Through a sales and marketing agreement with Aether Systems, a leading provider of wireless and data products and services, Sharp's Zaurus SL-5500 features a full range of custom and standard wireless solutions for the enterprise. These wireless offerings help enterprise customers improve efficiency and profitability by extending applications like e-mail and sales force automation from the office to any wireless device.

• Data Management — For professionals who require instant access to large databases and dynamic information, such as sales representatives, service personnel, healthcare professionals and corporate executives, the Zaurus SL-5500 represents a fast, powerful and easy to use mobile tool. The Zaurus SL-5500's 64MB standard memory, 16MB Flash ROM, an Inte StrongARM 206MHz processor and an integrated QWERTY keyboard create a near in-office experience by making it quick and easy to access, input and manage data remotely. In addition, the Linux/Java platform allows for seamless integration with existing corporate applications.

Sharp's LCD Technology: A leader in LCD technology, Sharp designed the Zaurus SL-5500 with a high-definition 65,536 color reflective TFT screen with 240 x 320 resolution. The reflective TFT technology offers users crisp and clear vivid color, indoors and out, with or without the front light. With an Intel StrongARM 206MHz processor, the Zaurus SL-5500 provides users with powerful multimedia and multi-processing capabilities. In addition, MP3 and MPEG 1 capabilities allow users to listen to music or view video clips.

Powerful Hardware Combined with a Powerful Operating System

Steve Petix, Associate Vice President of Mobile Solutions and IT Group, said “By combining state-of-the-art Sharp hardware technology and a powerful operating system in one compact device, this new PDA is one of the most versatile and flexible mobile communications and multimedia solutions on the market.” Taking advantage of the millions of Linux/Java programmers, the Zaurus SL-5500 delivers business and professional consumers with one of the most powerful operating systems available today in a PDA. The new Zaurus SL-5500 is one of the first handheld devices that features an embedded Linux operating system and Personal Java application development environment already embedded into the device.

“We chose Linux because it is an extremely flexible and robust environment that allows users to run various applications, making it an ideal platform for the enterprise market,” said Steve Petix, Associate Vice President of Mobile Solutions and IT Group. “This powerful combination is a unique opportunity to attract professional consumers to an exciting future of wireless handheld devices.”

Sun Microsystems's Java is becoming a popular development language for PDAs in terms of capability, reliability and security. Already deployed in a number of products currently on the market, Java is extremely attractive for the enterprise customer as it offers a secure and platform-independent environment making it easy to port Java-based corporate apps to the handheld.

The Zaurus also comes equipped with an extensive software applications package. This includes Personal Information Management (PIM) software (with address book, calendar, calculator, text editor, to do list and clock with a built-in stopwatch) and a PC synchronization program for Microsoft Outlook. A POP3/IMAP4/SMTP-capable email client, Internet browser (displaying pages in HTML format) and an integrated Media player (MP3 or MPEG1 files) are included in the Zaurus SL-5500 performance package. To permit quick and easy data synchronization with PCs and trouble-free connection with peripherals, the device also comes complete with a docking station that features an integrated USB cable, A/C adaptor and serial port.

Sharp's new Zaurus SL-5500 will be available in early 2002.

 
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