Sharp Zaurus facts for kids
The Sharp Zaurus was a series of small, handheld computers called personal digital assistants (PDAs). They were made by a company called Sharp Corporation. In the 1990s, the Zaurus was very popular in Japan.
The first Zaurus models used a special operating system made by Sharp. Later, some Zaurus models started using the Linux operating system. The first Linux Zaurus was the SL-5000D. Experts often call the Zaurus series "true Linux PDAs" because they came with Linux already installed. The name "Zaurus" sounds like the end of words for dinosaurs, like "tyrannosaurus."
Contents
History of Zaurus
In September 1993, Sharp launched the PI-3000. This was the first Zaurus PDA. It followed Sharp's older Wizard PDAs. The PI-3000 had a black and white screen. It could understand handwriting and talk to other devices using light. This Zaurus quickly became a bestseller for Sharp.
New Features and Color Screens
In 1994, the PI-4000 came out. It added a built-in modem and could send faxes. The PI-5000 followed in 1995. This model could handle e-mail and connect to mobile phones. It could also link up with a computer. The Zaurus K-PDA was the first to have a small keyboard. Other models like the PI-6000 and PI-7000 brought more improvements.
In 1996, Sharp released the Sharp Zaurus ZR-5800. It had a similar design to older models. This version came with 2 MB of memory and a screen that lit up. The screen size was 320x240 pixels.
Sharp was also making big steps in color screen technology. In May 1996, the first color Zaurus appeared. These were the MI-10 and MI-10DC. They had a five-inch color screen. These models could connect to the internet. They also had a camera and could record sound. Later that year, the MI-10/10DC Zaurus was named the best product of the year in the United States.
Linux Zaurus Models
Sharp kept improving its screens. The Zaurus gained more multimedia features, like playing videos. This happened with the MI-E1 in November 2000. The MI-E1 was also the first Zaurus to use both Secure Digital and Compact Flash memory cards. This feature became standard on future models.
The MI series sold well in Japan. However, it was never released in the USA or Europe. The Japanese menus were never translated. The Zaurus machines sold outside Japan were the Linux-based SL series. The first was the SL-5000D, a "developer edition." The SL-5500 followed soon after. Both used a special version of Linux called 'Embedix' and a program environment called Qtopia.
Sharp kept making SL series models in Japan. These included the SL-C700, C750, C760, and C860. They all had a high-resolution screen (640x480 pixels). They used faster 400 MHz Intel XScale processors. All four SL-C models were like small laptops. They could open and close, and their screen could even rotate. This allowed them to be used like a tiny laptop or a regular PDA.
In early 2004, Sharp introduced the SL-6000. This was different from the clamshell models. The SL-6000L was sold in North America. It was the last Zaurus officially sold outside Japan since the 5xxx series. It had a sliding design like the 5xxx models but with a better screen.
In October 2004, Sharp announced the SL-C3000. This was the first PDA in the world with a built-in hard drive. It had a 4 GB hard drive inside. In March 2005, the SL-C1000 was released. It had more flash memory but no hard drive.
In June 2005, Sharp released the SL-C3100. This model had both the large flash memory and the hard drive. It became very popular. The 1000, 3000, and 3100 models could be made to run faster. This helped them play videos more smoothly.
The last model, the SL-C3200, came out in March 2006. It was similar to the SL-C3100. It had a larger 6 GB hard drive. It also came with new software, like text-to-speech and an improved dictionary.
Most SL series Zaurus devices were only sold in Japan. Some companies exported them worldwide. However, Sharp did not offer warranty or repair services outside Japan. This meant buyers had to rely on their reseller for repairs.
In January 2007, it was reported that Sharp would stop making the Zaurus line. Later, Sharp made some more units, but their plans were unclear. Their very last units, the WS003SH and WS004SH, added wireless and phone features. However, these ran Windows Mobile instead of Linux.
Models
- Personal Information (PI) series
- PI-3000: The very first model, launched in Japan in October 1993.
- PI-4000/FX: Second generation, could write with a stylus and send faxes. Sold in Japan in June 1994.
- PI-5000/FX/DA: First model that could sync data with a computer. Sold in November 1994.
- PI-4500: Introduced in January 1995.
- PI-6000/FX: Featured new handwriting recognition software. Sold in Japan in August 1995.
- PI-6000DA: Added a way to connect to cellular phones. Introduced in December 1995.
- PI-7000: Called AccessZaurus, it had a built-in modem. Introduced in February 1996.
- Note: Sharp also made a "PI-7000 ExpertPad." This was a different device based on Apple's Newton, not a Zaurus.
- PI-6500: Introduced in Japan in November 1996. It had a 239x168 screen and 715 KB of memory.
- PI-8000: Sold in January 1997. It had a 319x168 screen and 711KB of memory.
- PI-6600: The last AccessZaurus model. Sold in Japan in September 1997.
- K-PDA (ZR) series
- ZR-3000: Had a 320x240 touch screen and 1 MB of memory.
- ZR-3500: Similar to the ZR-3000, with a new internal modem.
- ZR-5000/FX: A clamshell model (opened like a book). Only sold outside Japan, starting January 1995.
- ZR-5700
- ZR-5800: Had a touch screen and 2 MB of memory.
- MI series
- MI-10DC/10: Nicknamed ColorZaurus, these were the first models with a color screen. The DC model had a digital camera. Both sold in June 1996.
- MI-506DC/506/504: Called PowerZaurus.
- MI-110M/106M/106: Called ZaurusPocket.
- MI-610/610DC: Another PowerZaurus model.
- MI-310: Called ZaurusColorPocket.
- MI-EX1: Called Zaurus iCRUISE. This was the first PDA with a high-resolution 640x480 screen.
- MI-C1-A/S: Another PowerZaurus.
- MI-P1-W/A/LA: Called Zaurus iGeti.
- MI-P2-B: Zaurus iGeti with more internal software and flash memory.
- MI-P10-S: Zaurus iGeti with more RAM and flash memory than P1/P2.
- MI-J1: An Internet Dictionary Zaurus.
- MI-E1: The first model with a vertical screen and a mini keyboard.
- MI-L1: A simpler E1 model that lacked a screen backlight.
- MI-E21: An improved E1 with double the RAM and ROM size.
- MI-E25DC: An MI-E21 with a built-in 640 x 480 digital camera.
- Other MI Series related devices
- BI-L10: Business Zaurus with a black and white screen and network adapter.
- MT-200: Communications pal with keyboard input.
- MT-300: Communications pal with 4 MB flash memory and a new design.
- MT-300C: A Communications pal version for CDMAone networks.
- Browser Board: An MT-300 with special software for NTT DoCoMo.
- Linux based SL series
- SL-5000D: A special version for developers with 32 MB of RAM. (2001)
- SL-5500 (Collie): The first new Zaurus sold outside Japan. It had a 206 MHz processor, 64 MB RAM, a keyboard, and slots for memory cards. (2002)
- SL-A300 (Discovery): A very light PDA without a keyboard. Sold only in Japan. (2003)
- SL-5600 (Poodle): The next model after the SL-5500. It had a faster 400 MHz processor, more RAM, and a speaker and microphone. (2002)
- SL-B500: The name for the SL-5600 in Japan.
- SL-C700 (Corgi): A clamshell model and the first to use Sharp's "System LCD" screen. Sold only in Japan. (2003)
- SL-C750 (Shepherd): An improved SL-C700 with longer battery life and faster processor. Sold only in Japan. (2003)
- SL-C760 (Husky): An improved SL-C700 with double the internal memory and a bigger battery. Sold only in Japan. (2004)
- SL-C860 (Boxer): Similar to SL-C760. It could connect as a USB storage device and had English-Japanese translation software. Sold only in Japan. (2004)
- SL-6000 (Tosa): The next model after the SL-5600. (2005)
- SL-6000N: Had a 4-inch screen, 400 MHz processor, and memory card slots.
- SL-6000L: Same as SL-6000N, but also had built-in Wi-Fi.
- SL-6000W: Same as SL-6000N, with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- SL-C3000 (Spitz): Similar to SL-C860. It had a USB port to connect devices like keyboards. It was the first PDA with a 4 GB hard drive. Sold only in Japan.
- SL-C1000 (Akita): Similar to SL-C3000, but with 128 MB of flash memory instead of a hard drive.
- SL-C3100 (Borzoi): Similar to SL-C3000. Flash memory was increased to 128 MB, and it still had the 4 GB hard drive.
- SL-C3200 (Terrier): The latest clamshell model, released in March 2006. Similar to SL-C3100, but with a larger 6 GB hard drive. It came with an updated dictionary and text-to-speech software.
- Business use (for specific customers)
- PI-B304/B308: Used an older MS-DOS operating system. Had a black and white screen and memory card slots.
Operating Systems
The Zaurus's operating system (OS) is usually stored in its built-in memory. People often call these OS versions "ROMs." Zaurus devices also have a special "rescue" mode. This helps fix the OS if it gets damaged.
- OpenZaurus: This OS was made for advanced users. It didn't include some of Sharp's special software. OpenZaurus development has now stopped. Its developers now work on Ångström.
- Ångström distribution: This is the replacement for OpenZaurus. It supports more devices, not just Zaurus.
- pdaXrom: Another OS that uses a different graphical look.
- Cacko: This was an alternative to Sharp's original OS. It kept many of the original features and allowed Sharp's apps to run.
- Gentoo Linux: A version of Linux that started being adapted for Zaurus in 2007.
- Zubuntu: Based on Ubuntu Linux. It was started in 2008 for the clamshell Zaurus models.
- Arch Linux ARM: Another version of Linux adapted for the C3x00 models in 2015.
Sometimes, users could install special parts of the Linux OS, called "kernels." These could make the Zaurus run better or work with unusual hardware. It was possible to change just the kernel. This could improve performance while keeping the original software.
There was also a version of OpenBSD for some Zaurus models. This didn't completely replace the original OS. Instead, it used the existing Linux to start up. A NetBSD version was also being developed. However, in September 2016, the OpenBSD Project stopped supporting the Zaurus.
Software
When the Zaurus switched to the Linux operating system, it could run many different programs. These included both paid and free programs. You could even run web servers, FTP servers, and databases on them. Many developers created new Linux versions for the Zaurus.
Sharp provided basic PDA programs. These included a datebook, address book, and to-do list. These were simple. So, many people made better alternatives. One popular free option was KDE PIM/PI. This included programs like KOrganizer/Platform-independent (for your calendar) and KAddressbook/Platform-independent (for contacts). It also had a password manager with strong security.
Besides standard PDA apps, many programs usually found on desktop computers were available. These included office programs, web browsers, and media players. Even though Zaurus was mainly for business, some games were made for it. Companies like Sonic Powered made games. There were also open-source video games and video game emulators.
See also
In Spanish: Sharp Zaurus para niños
