Opera browser for Linux PDAs - outstanding product

Post #37,486 by dmarker2 5/4/02 11:42:48 AM Reply	Opera browser for Linux PDAs - outstanding product It truly makes MSIE for Win2002 appear the pathetic effort it is. Opera works as expected but is superior in every way to all the other browsers on PDAs tried. One great feature is the ability to re-size web pages to 5 different levels very small thru to large. By shrinking the pages one can quickly get the gist of content then if you want to read deatil, take it up a couple of sizes & pan scroll it. The admin featues of Opera (ver 5 for the Zaurus) are also very superior (to MSIE for Win2002). The Zaurus allows easy browsing via LAN thru the USB connection PPP dial-up thru IrDA or Bluetooth card or wireless modem The Zaurus network set up was a breeze comparted to the messy, confusing, convoluted Win2002 network configuration. I would rate Win2002 as by far the worst network env to work with - well behind PALM & Linuz (Zaurus) & Linux (YOPY) set ups. When it comes to screen layout etc: I prefer the Win2002 though although the Zaurus & PALMs (Sony & Handspring) are both excellent. More later. Doug Marker
Post #37,588 by Ashton 5/5/02 7:07:35 PM Reply	Hope the word gets around, then - If I understood your comments on handwriting entry - the iPAC could almost decipher continuous handwriting? If that is close, then a tough call: to put up with the rest of the Windoze crap and body odor, for superior ease of quick note entry. :( On the Z-5500 I didn't spend much time in the writing Trainer ap, but enough to see that it was plausible to get "96%" recognition with a little care, and on most letters. Whether a few days / weeks of use - could render this a fast enough entry means to be "something you'd do instinctively - in pref to writing a paper note" -- would be for me the $500 question. I would next be interested in the chances that a Tornado Notes, Info Select type ap might be forthcoming. For me, ability to jot a note with minimal fussing AND later to find That one easily, periodically order stuff into sub-groups etc. -- would be the largest attraction for the swinky Zaurus. ToDo just wouldn't Do - for that. But then, mine are not normal business needs either - so I wonder if such an ap is ever likely to appear. Still.. it's Linux so Anything is possible (just not for me to create). And yes, though I don't know what the competition features - there seemed no 'system manager' sort of thingie. I suppose that Linux lore would suggest a drop-in, to the informed. Nice that Opera blew away the Popular oleomargarine spread overall. Hope your notes get spread around! Cheers, Ashton
Post #37,601 by dmarker2 5/5/02 10:53:01 PM Reply	Re: Interesting Zaurus perspective from linuxdevice.com I just read this on www.linuxdevices.com & it is an excellent item (in fact they plan to use it in an editorial. The more I look at the Zaurus, the more I like it. If I can locate a working CF-Bluetooth card I will ditch my iPAQ 3780 in favour of the Zaurus. Every comment I read about the slidown keyboard says how quickly one gets used to it - this is proving true for me too. I like it but as one reviewer pointed out, it is difficult to access it when the PDA is in its cradle, but I just revert to the char entry but unlike the YOPY (which allows you to flick the char entry sub-window to top or bottom of screen) Zaurus doesn't & sometimes it is just a pain in the bum to enter data in a field under the entry window while Zaurus is in the cradle, in fact the cursor flips to the last char position in the hidden entry field so any mistakes means data entry from the start but not being able to see what you are entering. Despite that one bugaboo - the Zaurus is really nice - zactly same size as iPAQ3780 (acceptable). Cheers Doug ************ I have a Sharp Zaurus, and I can already see the advantages. Both Palm OS and Windows CE platforms started with a small core of programs. This did not prevent them from success in the marketplace. If the user base develops and the platform is accessible to developers, so will the programs. I am a software developer: mainframes to handhelds, including MVS, Unix, Linux, DOS/Windows and Palm OS. Although a well engineered Linux PDA appeals on a purely technical and personal reasosn, that is not sufficient for its success and it is not the main market to which Sharp appeals. Instead, Sharp appeared to very shrewdly enlist Sun's assistance and garner a product highlight at the recent Java One conference. Sharp knows that its success with the SL-5500 depends on a commitment by developers to develop the applications that Zaurus users want. Sharp chose platform components, such as Java, Linux and C/C++ that have development based in GNU and open source tools. This creates maximum accessiblility and reliability for application development. Sharp also chose a fast processor, an excellent display, high capacity memory and operating system components to make use of these components in the user interface. A close examination of the applications on the SL-5500 and the Sharp marketing literature show that Sharp's main target is the productivity user. Absent are applications that exclusively cater to programmers, developers and linux experts. The retail product (the SL-5500) has no installed access to the underlying operating system programs and file structure. Although Sharp includes terminal and file manager programs, they are on the CD containing the PC synchronization software and not installed. The documentation references them only in an appendix and labels them for expert users only. Sharp expects that its main user base will not be programmers and linux experts, but ordinary productivity users. The two programs are the minimum needed to start development on the retail product. The advantages Sharp exploits with this strategy are a reliable operating system, reliable, accessible sophisticated application development tools and positive exposure to an application development base. There are no special advantages about the core applications that a competing platform couldn't provide. What is special is the accessibility of development technology and the ease with which reliable, well engineered applications with sophisticated user interfaces may be developed. If Sharp's expectations are correct, this will lead to substantial well built applications driven by user demand that are less expensive and have shorter time-to-market than competing platform technologies.
Post #37,695 by dmarker2 5/6/02 9:30:08 PM 5/6/02 9:44:39 PM Reply	Re: Sharp Linux slashes Win2002 - is it curtains 4 win2002 ? The more time I spend with the Sharp Zaurus, the more convinced I am that it has what it takes to takeWin2002 on. The Sharp Zaurus has been designed so that the purchaser can't tell that it is Linux underneath, unless the user specifically adds some 'Expert' features such as TERM terminal support & browsing software for navigating the Linux filesys. Like REDHAT they have introduced an install packager/depackager that makes it so easy for non unix types to add apps etc: BUT the real proof of just how good the Linux appraoch is was yesterday when I went & purchased a LINKSYS CF Wi-Fi card. I went into the shop, the shop had 2 brands - SOCKET & LINKSYS, I knew that LINK-D worked but they didn't have, so I plugged the LINKSYS in & it instantly configured - the shop assistant who had never seen a Zaurus Linux, took it & instantly & intuitively (just from the screens & icons) configured the card to connect to his shop Wi-Fi lan & then went ahead accessing the web. The brilliant OPERA browser made it easy to read normal web pages with its sizing feature (5 page sizes) start small, then when u want detail select BIG & the page resizes then use V & H scroll bars (most PDA browsers will use v & h scroll). NEXT I tried installing the LINKSYS in the iPAQ (using a CF jacket add-on) but nothing. So I looked at the instructions and they require that you pre-configure the card then install the drivers. In the case of the SOCKET brand Wi-Fi card, it didn't work in the Zaurus & I am waiting for an email from them to learn if they will supply Linux drivers (their European sales mgr had publicly said they would but people who followed up his offer said they were not getting any replies. One other big nitpick with Win2002, many times when I want to install a bit of software (such as linksys) on the PDA, it first insists on installing a product on my PC, then on the PDA so my PC registry is rapidly filling up with entries & products that I want on the PDA. Zaurus doesn't do this - you just sync over or copy the software to a CF or CD card. Then start the installer & it tells you what it found & allows you to install that item with a click. Cheers Doug Marker EDIT#1 added last para EDIT#2 corrected a wrong statement Edited by dmarker2 May 6, 2002, 09:34:59 PM EDT Edited by dmarker2 May 6, 2002, 09:44:39 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #37,735 by Ashton 5/7/02 5:35:06 AM 5/7/02 5:48:00 AM Reply	Not many will have the opportunity to really compare - especially not, vet each of the functions in this way. So they will be at the gloss-over mercy of the Marketeers and a cursory play with one in a store :( Do you know of any website which has done ~ the sort of hands-on verifications you're doing? I mean.. in the US and for certain consumer goods, we have CU (Consumers Union), a private testing group which attempts to play Fairwitness. (They were among the first to report on the roll-over propensity of the SUVs (UAVs), and explore the effects upon other drivers of - these behemoths with too-high bumpers.) But that's the only place I can think of, who would do what you are up to. And while they surely have an IT department.. it might not be as familiar with business uses as you / your company. I think it's important too, that the same person evaluates all the models, even if more than one does so. I hope there will be a way for your data to get around. Meanwhile I'll try to drop in on eBay periodically.. think if I see a clean Z-5000 I can steal for <250 (now!) -- it might be hard to resist.. Maybe I can kidnap the sister of a prominent Linux coder.. and get my own Tornado Notes! [or "our motorcycle guys will shave your sister and tattoo a Windoze logo on her scalp"] :-\ufffd Ashton with delusions of Microslothian behavior.. Hell - Billy's a 'role model' - no? PS [edit] It always makes my day when M$ loses out technically in the occasional fair fight - One More Time. (Not that this much affects the retards amongst us.) This retard says... still tryin to keep W98/Mozilla patched together -- avoid the lengthy angst of converting all \\-lore into new /-lore :( Edited by Missing User 70 May 7, 2002, 05:48:00 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #38,436 by static 5/13/02 7:17:27 AM Reply	Slowly but surely, IE is getting left behind. I develop for IE (long story) in basically a captured market, but I still use Opera for general browsing. Many times have I gone to do an Opera thing and re-discovered that IE doesn't support that. Wade. "All around me are nothing but fakes Come with me on the biggest fake of all!"

Welcome to IWETHEY!