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Old 10-26-2002, 02:15 AM   #1
boomshak
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Registered: Oct 2002
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Question zaurus sl5500 and flash memory usb storage devices


I am contemplating purchasing a zaurus sl5500 pda and would like to know whether the usb flash memory devices can be used with the pda.

I am new to linux although I have been tempted to take the dip for some time now. I purchased red hat linux 6.2 but have not installed it .

When I read about the zaurus I decided that this would be my incentive to get off my butt and begin to learn the basics of linux. However I know little or nothing about how the system actually works and would be most grateful for any assistance in resolving my lack of knowledge.

Many kind thanks in advance for the kind assistance of good samaritans to this hopelessly lost child of the internet universe.javascript:smilie('')
Penguin
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Old 10-27-2002, 06:41 AM   #2
finegan
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I've read about this thing a lot since it came out. I don't have one, partially because of the pricetag, but also because I dislike PDAs and cell phones. This thread sorta peaked my interest so I looked it up and read this review.

Which you've probably run accross too, heck it was 2nd on google... It seems that the thing uses the IBM microdrive, the pseudo-proprietary equivalent of Compact Flash cards. It seems like it would be interesting to fiddle with, the article mentions a lot of projects on SF to occupy time, but as for an introduction to Linux? I dunno, its a custom made GUI ontop of a linux core. It just sounds like a really nifty PDA, never mind the OS.

If you really want to give Linux a try, dust off that old P1/P2 in the closet and drop a distro on it, although RedHat 6.2 is now... er, 2.5 years old and there have been uhm... 5 versions of RH since then. Things move berserk fast in the Open Source world, and for the most part have gotten a lot prettier.

Cheers,

Finegan
 
Old 11-23-2002, 02:57 PM   #3
mlp68
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Registered: Jun 2002
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I have a Z and for me it's a Real Useful Tool. It works, you have a shell, a web browser, lots of great utililties, a great display, and the keyboard is nice. I have a wireless card that works, and it uses Compact Flash disks and Secure Digital Memory (SD) cards. I got one SD card that's in there almost permanently where I have some software installed, and where I direct backups to, and I have a bunch of CF cards where I store whatever I need (music, for example, the Z is one of the best PDA-sized mp3/ogg players I've seen).

I'm not quite sure what you mean by USB flash memory device - the Zaurus in the cradle is an USB device in its on right but doesn't actually have an USB slot where you plug in other external USB devices. CF cards, no problem, I bought a pack of 256MB SanDisk cards and they work nicely. You can also take the CF cards from a digital camera ( I have a Canon Powershot) and plug it in and view the pictures; if you connect to the network through the cradle or the IRDA port (the CF slot is taken by the card then, can't d put in the wireless card at the same time), you can transfer the images to your computer this way without diddling around with the camera cable.

I'm not quite sure if it's the right device to *learn* Linux with. It does what you'd expect from a PDA, but you'll appreciate the great additional features best if you know your way around Linux some. Get a Linux installation (no reason to start at 6.2, take 8.0) on your old PC and play around.

BTW, the Zaurus 5600 just came out.

mlp
 
  


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