Reviewed for bargainPDA by Ian Giblin.
Thanks to offroadgeek from The Zaurus User Group for input and discussion.

Overview and Introduction

The new Zaurus SL-6000 from Sharp is a versatile, linux-based PDA incorporating an Intel XScale (PXA255) CPU at 400 MHz. In some respects it is a hybrid of the Zaurus SL-5600, which became available in the U.S. in April of 2003, and the SL-C750/760/860 which is only available as a special import and was reviewed here in September of 2003. The main enhancements to the SL-6000 are a better screen, some ruggedisation, built-in Wi-Fi and/or bluetooth, and a degree of expandability. There's also a USB host built into it using a Mini A connector on the bottom of the device. Oh, and a longer stylus.

The device I'm reviewing here is the SL-6000L, which has only Wi-Fi. We spoke to Sharp's representative about the other models - specifically the SL-6000N (Bluetooth only) and the SL-6000W, which was billed as the combo product with both 802.11b Wireless and Bluetooth. The representative told us that the only version which will be made available to the general consumer is the 6000L Wi-Fi variant.

If you put it into Google you can find the SL-6000W but you can't actually buy one yet (May 2004).

Contents

Introduction:

• The Sharp SL-6000 and You

Hardware:

• Packaging, Box Contents, First Impressions
• Features Summary and Overall Design
• The Display
• Portrait Mode and Button Pad
• The Stylus
• Memory
• The Keyboard
• Input options other than the keyboard
• Battery life
• USB Host Capability
• Speaker and Microphone

Software:

• The Operating System , Basic Navigation and Help System
• Personal Information Management (PIM) Tools
• Syncing and file transfer
• Office Tools (Hancom Office)
• Games
• Multimedia
• Networking
• The Email Client
• The Opera Web Browser
• Other Software
• Software Availability and Compatibility
• Linux comments
• Conclusion

(back to contents)

The Sharp Zaurus SL-6000 and You

You might wonder - what's the target market for this device? It is large, expensive and ruggedised. If you haven't already guessed, the answer is "Enterprise". Sharp collaborated with IBM on this project, but the only evidence on the consumer device is the link to IBM's page when you open the Opera web browser. A little nosing about on IBM's site yields some other interesting pages like this one on cross-developement. But I digress...

An ongoing aspect of the Enterprise factor is RailDocs, a system "designed to enable users to efficiently design, build, and maintain the fixed transportation infrastructure of a railroad". Not for the average user, obviously, but it speaks volumes for the stability and versatility of the Zaurus product.

Whether the Sharp Zaurus is right for you depends upon the type of role you see for it. The Zaurus is probably the best linux-based handheld computer available, and the software is almost the same across models. It may not be the best PDA, in fact most Zaurus users wouldn't even call it a PDA. Sharp themselves call the Zaurus a Personal Mobile Tool. If you decide to buy a Zaurus you can find one to fit your budget. The table below summarises the features of key members of the Sharp Zaurus range, plus a very rough indication of their current prices. Links will open the bargainPDA reviews where available.

The C760 and C860 differ only in that the 860 has a Japanese/English dictionary on it, and it has a silver case rather than the white one on the 760. The C750 is like the C760, but has a smaller battery and less memory; reading the SL-C750 review will give you a very good idea of those three Zaurus "clamshell" devices. Some of the software section of this review is just an updated and edited version of the C750 software review.

Anyone looking at the SL-6000 should consider the alternative of buying an imported SL-C860 or C760 plus an 802.11b wireless card. This would give you the same functionality as the SL-6000L model reviewed here (plus an extra 64MB of internal flash memory), but you may have to risk some major inconvenience if the C model Zaurus breaks down - even when you buy through high-end channels such as Dynamism where the C860 costs $849, or ShirtPocket where it is £565. As well as the currency conversion you're doing in your head right now, you may also need to convert the device to English yourself, although both vendors mentioned above will do it for you.

Just so you know where I stand, I fell in love with the clamshell design when I reviewed the C750, but I'd bought an SL-5600 only a few months before and I couldn't justify the price of the imported clamshell models to get one for myself. When my wife recently went to Japan on a business trip, she bought me the C860 for 58,000 Yen, approximately $540. Somehow this felt better than buying one on ebay although the risks are similar - if not worse - when someone just buys a device over the counter in Japan and brings it to you. I had to "flash the ROM" myself to convert it, but if that sounds at all scary, it isn't (here are the instructions I used). If you've read this far into the review (thanks!) I'll also mention that my default spelling is UK English; I apologise for any confusion this may cause.

This is not a review of the C860 but I'll be making some side-by-side comparisons here for the benefit of anyone trying to decide between the SL-6000 and the SL-C760/860.

(back to contents)

Packaging, Box Contents

The SL-6000 comes in a simple box. Just blue printing on otherwise plain cardboard, with no presentation window. All the writing is in English. Items inside the box are individually wrapped in plastic. The packaging is simple, light and easily recyclable. The "zeroth impression", before touching the box, is that it is one hundred percent industrial, designed for nothing more than easy stacking on warehouse shelves. Kind of cool actually.

Inside the box is the PDA securely positioned with cardboard spacers, USB connecting cable, plastic cradle, power supply, CD-ROM, Quick Start Guide, 104-page manual.

There's also a little thing called a "core", along with some instructions, telling you attach the core to a headphone cable to prevent "TV or radio interference". Sharp don't explain how it works, and I won't bore you with the details. In this case the setup will filter high frequency interference which you might hear as a hissing on the headphones, without (let's hope) filtering out the funky low-frequency beats you want to listen to.

Since this has never been a factor in previous Sharp PDAs, I assume that the reason this is needed here must be the 802.11b wireless networking. While we're on the subject, don't be surprised if your Wi-Fi signal quality drops when you're microwaving cold pizza. A standard pizza operates at 2.4 GHz, just like your 802.11b wireless network, and will cause interference.

OK, just kidding, it's not the pizza. It's the microwave oven which usually operates at 2.4 GHz. But we're getting off-topic here...

First Impressions

In my First Impressions I said that the design of the Sharp Zaurus SL-6000 is "a bit Harley-Davidson... All black and chrome."... That impression still holds after using it for a while. Admittedly, we're talking black plastic and silvery plastic, not exactly gun metal and polished steel, but the design feels nice and solid. This is a modest improvement over the SL-5500 and SL-5600 design, although once you slide the keyboard cover down I think you still may easily break the device. The corners of the SL-6000 are more rounded than the previous SL models', but there are no forced curves. Not really much of a functional difference but more of a design issue. It looks more industrial/corporate and less "space age". Here's a pitcure of three Zaurus devices for comparison: