Review: Sharp Zaurus SL-C760

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last winter, Sharp showed off a new, lither successor to the Zaurus -- one that looked like a tiny PC. Since then, sadly, the company decided to only release the Zaurus SL-C760 in Japan, not the U.S.

But these days, country borders mean little. You can now get the new Zaurus in the U.S., through Dynamism, a Web company that localizes cool technology from other parts of the globe. We were so impressed with the early version we saw at CES, we decided to get one in to test. Not even the $800 price tag – about 25% higher than in Japan – put us off.

Resource Library:

In my last PDA column, I waxed enthusiastic about the iPAQ 2215. At the time, I decided there werent any Linux PDAs worth adopting. But after the Zaurus SL-C760, Ive changed my tune. A worthy contender for the handheld crown, this new model is like a notebook computer that fits right in your pocket.

The C760 runs on the OpenPDA version of Linux and is built around a 400MHZ Intel XScale CPU. Weighing in at just over a half-pound, with a 640x480 3.7" display, this baby is svelte and powerful. Check out the hardware specs:

OS	Linux OpenPDA
CPU	Intel XScale (PXA255; 400 MHz)
Memory	128 MB Flash
Display	x 480 dots, 3.7-inch, 65;536-color Transmissive System LCD
Card Slots	SD Card slot, Compact Flash Card slot (type II)
Input	QWERTY keyboard; handwriting recognition; stylus
Power	3.7 V DC; lithium-ion rechargeable battery (good for roughly 8 hours of continuous operation)
External Dimensions	Approx. 120 x 83 x 23.2 mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 0.9")
Weight	Approx. 8.8 oz (including pen stylus; protective card I/O port cover and rechargeable battery)
Audio	3.5mm audio out

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