Digital Trends

Sharp Zaurus SL-C3000

May 25th, 2005 | by Victor Chen

Setup and Use

If you're accustomed to traditional PDAs then using the Zaurus SL-C3000 shouldn't be too difficult. Dynamism has a done a very good job converting most of the applications and system utilities to English. There are a few applications that aren't translated but chances are you'll be able to find an equivalent type of application to install that's localized to English. Many of the mini applications pre-loaded on the unit are equivalent of the typical applications you would expect. You have a word processor, spreadsheet, video player, music player, image viewing application, mail application, and web browser among the more common pre-loaded applications. I found that most of these applications were compatible with the more common Windows file types such as doc, xls, mpg, avi, and MP3. On a few occasions, some video files refused to play but I suspect that had something to do with codec issues.

Installation and un-installation of applications is a pretty straightforward experience with the convenient application installer. I was able to install the Opera web browser on the SL-C3000 with ease. You won't be able to simply install and run all Linux applications on the device though.

The user interface is decent but definitely not as polished as Palm or Windows Mobile platforms but it's more or less self explanatory. Icons are pretty detailed and the text descriptions are crisp and easy to read. It should take a person only a few minutes to get used to it.

The QWERTY keyboard is extremely easy to use and the buttons have a pretty decent tactile response. I found that the large size of the device made it very easy to finger type pretty quickly. The navigation pad also feels good and makes getting around easy. There are the usual quick buttons to get to your most commonly used applications. Also, as a nice touch, when you flip the device into tablet mode, there's a convenient jog dial and OK and CANCEL buttons on the left side of the device. Although it was designed for right-handed writers, I still found it possible to use the jog dial when writing with my left hand.

The stylus included is relatively short but it's also thick which makes holding it and using it pretty comfortable.

To test out e-mail and web browsing abilities of the system, I installed an Ambicom CF Wi-Fi adapter in the Zaurus SL-C3000 and it simply worked. I recommend this adapter since it seems to be compatible with a wide range of devices and is relatively affordable. You still need to manually configure the device to connect to your wireless network but the included wizard makes it a few easy steps. I was able to connect to my home network and a Starbucks T-Mobile Hot Spot network without any complications.

I installed a Hitachi 4GB CF MicroDrive into the CF slot for additional storage and it was recognized just fine. One thing to note is that if you install any type of CF device into the slot that's flush with the system, you may find it extremely difficult to get the card back out since there's no eject mechanism.

The SL-C3000 can be setup as a USB hard drive and it's almost as easy as simply plugging it into your computer. However, you must set the mode on the device before you plug it in otherwise you'll get an annoying set of error messages that don't tell you what the problem is. Once setup, it shows up as a drive in your Windows Explorer and you can simply drag and drop files over.

Although the device is designed to synchronize with Outlook's mail and calendaring system, I did have some difficulty in getting it setup.

The included AC Adapter is tiny but unfortunately not exactly travel friendly. Unfortunately, it's only 100V 50/60Hz which means it's essentially restricted for Japanese power outlets (and US ones since it's within the tolerance). You'll need to find a converter if you plan to travel to countries that use 220-230V systems.