Zaurus Part 2: PIM and Internet
How-To Dave Ruske | April 22, 2002
Category: not categorized
As we've already seen with our first look at the Zaurus SL-5500, Sharp packed some impressive features into this tiny computer. In this second installment, we'll take a look at the PIM software bundled with the device as well as the internet connectivity.
[Click here to read our first look at the Zaurus.]
PIM Software
The personal information management (PIM) functions of a handheld act as an extension of your own memory. What's that phone number? What am I doing today? What should I be doing today? The Zaurus answers these questions with the Address Book, Calendar, and Todo List apps.
While these programs can get the job done, they do it with less finesse than the PIM software from Palm or Microsoft. Take the Calendar, for instance. It can notify you about an upcoming appointment, but only up to 3 hours in advance. Particularly annoying is the "all-day event" feature, which gobbles up the screen in day view mode. These programs work, but they need polish.
Fortunately, all three of these programs store their data in an XML text format, simplifying the development of replacement apps. Software to replace the default Address Book and Calendar may already be found on Handango, and more is sure to follow.
Internet Connectivity
The Palm OS meets most people's needs for PIM functionality, and the ingenuity of developers has taken the platform surprisingly far. Independent software vendors have produced over 13,000 applications for the Palm OS, and Sony has proven that the Palm OS and multimedia can be the best of buddies. Why look any further?
The Zaurus makes a rich platform for internet enabled applications. From a hardware standpoint, it features dual expansion slots. This lets you plug an ethernet card or modem into the Compact Flash slot while still using the Secure Digital slot for mass storage. From a software point of view, the OS on the Zaurus was built with the protocols of the internet in mind.
Sharp takes full advantage of this by including a version of the Opera web browser with the Zaurus. If you're thinking AvantGo or some web clipping application, think again. Opera lets you browse the web much like you do on your desktop. While things can get cramped on sites that make extensive use of frames, most sites I've accessed have been quite usable. The zoom feature does a great job of keeping things readable when zooming out to view the page layout. Secure HTTP is fully supported, so you can fill out online order forms without worry. You can store links in a favorites folder or turn cookie support on or off. Quick searches of Google, Amazon, and more is available just by entering the search term. Opera sings!
The Zaurus also features a simple POP3/IMAP4 Email client with support for attachments and multiple accounts. The email addresses of your contacts get stored in the Address Book, a small but important dash of integration.
IT staff and technical folks will appreciate the wealth of networking tools available for the Zaurus. Commands such as ping and telnet and ftp are built in, and OpenSSH and a graphical FTP client can be found on Handango. You can even run a VNC server on the Zaurus and remotely control it from a desktop computer, or run a VNC client and use the Zaurus as the remote. Need to check security on your company's LAN? Download a port scanner or a wireless packet sniffer.
There are a few wrinkles that need correction, but workarounds exist. For one thing, the FTP port used for synchronization is not secure; anyone who can connect to the port can get full (root) access to the file system. The current fix is messy, but worthwhile if security is paramount. Some users have also had trouble getting various wireless LAN cards to function --- the best advice here is to browse a forum such as that at ZaurusZone.com and find out which cards others have had success with. PocketAnywhere.com will be publishing reviews of several wireless LAN cards in the weeks ahead, and we'll let you know how well they work with the Zaurus.
Coming Up Next...
So far we've covered the Zaurus hardware, looked at the PIM software, and taken a quick stroll past the internet capabilities of the device. We've seen that while Sharp skimped on the PIM software, they've left the door wide open for third party developers. More importantly, they've given programmers an exciting and capable platform for the creation of internet enabled applications.
The third installment of our Zaurus series will look at the office applications, multimedia support, games, and accessories.
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