New PDA :The AT&T Tilt™

The AT&T Tilt™ is a 3G UMTS/HSDPA Windows Mobile device with a large touch screen and a spacious keyboard. The AT&T Tilt™ is the most comprehensive wireless device on the market today. This device keeps you connected with email, text and instant messaging, Internet access, personal organizer, video, satellite radio, and more all at broadband speeds. Wi-Fi, GPS navigation and Push-to-Talk round out the robust features on the newest device from AT&T making the Tilt your ultimate mobile companion.

Features & Benefits

• 2.8" tilting color touch screen and sliding QWERTY keyboard - input information quickly and easily
• Windows Mobile® 6 Professional - access your office apps (Word, Excel, & PowerPoint) from anywhere
• Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA; Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE - connect and work at broadband speeds
• Integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) support - gain increased coverage and speed with Wi-Fi hotspots
• Integrated GPS - Find your next destination with voice guided directions, and 3D color maps
• AT&T Mobile Music, Video, TV and games - take a break with the latest entertainment
• 3 mega-pixel camera with autofocus and 10x digital zoom - capture life's moments with exceptional detail
• Enhanced memory and micro SD expansion slot - store even more emails, documents, and music
• Push to Talk - enjoy instant voice communication
• Bluetooth™ v2.0 - increase productivity with hands-free communication

Buy It

Pentax PocketJet 200 Portable Thermal Printer for PDAs and PCs

Road warriors who use PDAs rather
than notebook computers on the road have found they can do
most everything they need with a PDA. One sore point is the
lack of portable printing solutions for PDAs. The Pentax PocketJet
200 portable printer comes to the rescue with good print quality,
compatibility and portability. And it works with Windows notebooks
too! The PocketJet 200 works with Pocket PCs, Palm OS PDAs,
the RIM Blackberry and Psion (EPOC32) PDAs.

What’s in the box?

You'll get the PocketJet 200 printer, a removeable
NiCAD rechargeable battery, charger/power supply, 100 sheets
of Pentax paper, printed manual, driver CD, a form-fitted
carry case for the printer and your choice of parallel, serial,
IR or USB cables. If you need additional cables, you can
purchase them separately for approximately $50 US. If you
wish to use Bluetooth, you can purchase Anycom's Bluetooth
Printer Adapter separately. The serial, USB and parallel
cables are primarily for PCs, and the IR and Bluetooth solutions
are for PDAs.

The Printer

The PocketJet 200 is a thermal printer, which
means that you don't have to worry about toner or ink cartridges.
You may be familiar with thermal printing since many fax
machines use this technology. Rest assured that the Pentax
print quality is superior to most thermal faxes, and Pentax
thermal paper feels and looks like normal paper rather than
the thin coated stuff used by some faxes.

The PocketJet 200 prints at 200 dpi, and text-based
output looks truly good. Depending on the printing software
you use, you'll be able to set print quality and specify
fonts. While not gorgeous, image are printed at usuable quality.
It prints text at a max speed of 3 pages per minute.

It measures 1.18" x 10.04" x 2.17" and
weights 1.12 lbs. with battery. The PocketJet can print on
letter, legal, A4 and roll paper. You must use thermal paper
with this printer.

The recharageable, removeable NiCAD battery
should last you 35 to 40 pages per charge, and that seems
accurate. You can also plug the printer into AC when printing,
and purchase additional batteries if you prefer to not bring
the charger/power supply unit with you on the road.













Installation

The driver CD contains demo versions of several different
printing applications for PDAs as well as drivers for Windows 95/98/ME,
NT 4, Windows 3.1 and 2000/XP. Since printing features and setup
vary widely depending on the printer app you're using on your PDA,
I won't go into details here. Instead I suggest you check out these
applications yourself to learn about what they can do in detail.

For Pocket PCs, you get the following:

A. PrintPocketCE -- This application allows you to
print PocketWord documents with Rich Text.

B. PocketClipPrint -- This application allows you to
print any TEXT or GRAPHIC data that you can copy to your clipboard.
This enables you to print PocketWord data, eMail, or any other data
that your PocketPC applications can copy to the clipboard. Note,
however, that Rich Text format is not maintained.

C. PocketShot -- This application allows you to print
a "screen shot". This enables you to print data from the
PocketPC that you cannot copy to the clipboard....such as Calendar
and Contacts.

D. PocketPixPrint -- This application allows you to
print Image files.

For general business use, I recommend PrintPocketCE
from Field software highly. It supports printing via just about any
connection method, including Bluetooth and IR. I tested printing
to the Pentax using PrintPocketCE and the iPAQ 2215's built-in Bluetooth:
it worked like a charm and was painless to setup.

Palm users get demo versions of the following:

1) InStep Print. This program supports Clipboard data,
for both text and graphic data. Todo list printing will order the
output based on the preferences selected in Todo applet. DateBook
printing allows Day or Month views, where Day view allows a range
of days, and Month view prints out a complete monthly calendar (in
calendar style). It supports a variety of fonts.

2) StevensCreek PalmPrint. It supports both Serial
and IR and supports Memo, Todo, and Clipboard, Mail, Address, Doc,
and Expense. This program supports multiple fonts and font quality.

3) ISComplete IrPrint. It adds hooks to the built-in
Palm applications. So, you can view and edit your memos, etc before
printing them. This program does NOT support clipboard printing.
It does support Documents to Go.

Unfortunately, Bachmann's PrintBoy
Premium which is a very full featured print driver for Palm
OS that supports Bluetooth, doesn't yet work with the PocketJet
200 (it does support the PocketJet II). Hence, it is not included.

RIM Blackberry and Psion

You'll get a demo of printing software for the Blackberry,
and a full driver for Psion PDAs runing EPOC32 version 5.

Conclusion

The Pentax PocketJet 200 is a
lightweight portable printer that can go just about anywhere. Since
it's thermal and requires no ink or toner cartidges, you won't
have to worry about carrying or finding replacements while on the
road. Of course, you will need to have thermal printer paper handy.
The paper path is very simple, and the unit never jammed on us. Print
quality for text-based documents is quite good for a portable thermal
unit. You can use the supplied AC adapter or buy extra batteries
if you need to do a lot of printing on the road. The variety of
connection methods should suit most anyone, and you can even get
several printer cables if needed. What are the drawbacks? Of course
it can't print as well as a top of the line laser printer. For
the price, I would like to have seen at least one full version
(rather than demo) of printer software for each PDA platform. You
will have to select your favorite printer app and purchase it separately.
source

SanDisk Connect Plus CF WiFi + 128MB Memory card for Pocket PC

Need WiFi 802.11b wireless Internet access and more
memory? Check out SanDisk's Connect Plus card, which gives you
both 128 megs of CF memory and WiFi in one small card.

The card looks identical to
SanDisk's Connect CF card, which offers WiFi but no additional
memory. It's amazingly compact considering that it has both a
wireless radio and memory, and the antenna cap that protrudes
3/4" from the Pocket PC.
It's a type I card and works in type I and type II slots. It comes
with a CF to PCMCIA adapter and Windows ME/2000/XP drivers, so
you can also use the card in a Windows notebook PC. SanDisk describes
the card as low power, and though the power consumption specs aren't
included in the manual, the card was reasonably power-friendly
(Socket being the best, and D-Link the
worst, SanDisk's card fell in the middle). The card has a single
green LED that blinks when your Pocket PC is in range of a signal
but not connected to an access point, and is solid when connected.

The Connect Plus supports Pocket PC 2002 and Pocket
PC 2003 devices. If you're looking for a card that supports older
operating systems such as Windows CE 3.0, the original Pocket PC
OS, Handheld PC 2000 as well as Pocket PC 2002, consider the SanDisk
Connect CF WiFi card, which comes with drivers for these older
operating systems and doesn't include memory. The Connect card
lists for $99, and we tested that card on older Pocket PCs and
it worked well, offering the same WiFi features as the PPC 2002
Connect Plus described below. This card also comes with a CF to
PCMCIA adapter and drivers for Windows 98/ME/NT/2000 and XP.

Installation and Drivers

The SanDisk card comes with Pocket PC 2002 and Windows
drivers, and Pocket PC 2003 drivers are available on their web
site (eventually the CD should also include 2003 drivers and instructions).
Insert the included CD into your PC and you'll see an html based
installer that allows you to pick your OS and install the driver.
The CD also contains documentation that covers using the card in
both Pocket PC and Windows operating systems and troubleshooting.
Once the driver is installed, soft reset your Pocket PC and you're
ready to insert your card and do any necessary configuration.

Configuration on Pocket PC 2002 PDAs is similar to
most other WiFi cards. You'll set DHCP and DNS info (if necessary)
in the Pocket PC's Connection Manager under the Settings group,
then use the SanDisk WiFi utility to set WEP encryption, SSID,
check link strength and etcetera. The SanDisk installer puts a
connection status icon in the taskbar that tells you if you're
in range of a WiFi network access point, and shows you a graphical
representation of signal strength. You can save multiple network
profiles, and use the access point browser (commonly referred to
as site survey) which lists all access points within range. The
AP browser tells you the name, channel, encryption status and signal
strength of each access point. Since this functionality is built
into the Pocket PC 2003 OS in a basic form, it is not included
on the Pocket PC 2003 version.

On Pocket PC 2003 models you'll use the new Connection
Manager to configure your connection to WiFi networks after installing
the driver. When the card is inserted in the Pocket PC's CF slot,
you'll see the two arrows at the top of the screen with an X under
them, change to just the two arrows. If you're in range of an open
WiFi network, the X will disappear and you should see a dialog
box pop up from the arrows asking you if you wish to join the network(s)
the device has found. If the network uses WEP encryption, the PDA
will ask you to enter the WEP key to join the network. For more
detailed info on how to use WiFi networking on the Pocket PC 2003
OS, check out the manual that came with your PDA.

You've Got Memory

Under both operating systems, your Pocket PC will
show that you have a 128 meg CF storage card in the slot. You can
use this as you would any memory card, installing programs, storing
files and all that good stuff. Of course, it's particularly handy
if you wish to download files from the Net directly to the storage
cards. However, if you plan to use this as your only storage card,
remember that the card will stick out from your PDA a bit, while
regular memory cards don't protrude, and the wireless radio in
the SanDisk card will drain your Pocket PC's battery more quickly
than a memory card.

Compatibility

This card does not work correctly with Dell
Axim X5 Pocket PCs running Pocket PC 2002 OS. It does work
fine with Dells running Pocket PC 2003 (aka Windows Mobile 2003)
OS. We also tried it with several iPAQs, including the 2215 and
it worked well.

Conclusion

If you're looking to add both WiFi and some memory
to your Pocket PC, then this card is a good choice, and the price
at retailers such as Amazon is cheaper than you'd pay for other
low power CF WiFi cards plus a 128 meg memory card. Power consumption
is reasonable, wireless is reliable and the 128 megs of memory
is handy, especially if you like to download MP3s, images or other
sizeable files when online. However, if you own a Dell Axim X5
running Pocket PC 2002 OS, and don't plan to upgrade it to Pocket
PC 2003, then this card is not for you.
source

PalmOne SD Wi-Fi Card for the Tungsten T5, T3, E2 and Zire 72

Here's the card many Palm owners have been waiting
for: the first SD WiFi card for the palmOne Tungsten
T5, Tungsten
T3, Tungsten E2 and Zire
72. PalmOne's card was released at the
beginning of September 2004 and is compatible only with
the Tungsten T3, T5, E2 and Zire 72. The card is the same
size and shape as other SD WiFi cards and protrudes about 3/4" from
the top of the Palm. It has a single LED that indicates when the
card is turned on and active. The manual states that you will need
to turn Bluetooth off before using the WiFi card.

Inside the package you'll find the card itself,
a quick start guide and a CD with drivers and a very detailed and
user-friendly PDF manual. Installing the software is a breeze and
it uses ~ 1 meg of storage space on the PDA. The software includes
the driver, Wi-Fi Setup application and a VPN Setup application.
It also adds "WiFi"
to the list of items under Prefs and a connection strength
meter to the taskbar that appears when you use the command stroke
(draw a diagonal line bottom left to upper right in the Graffiti
area).

Setup and Features Once you've installed the software using HotSync and soft reset your PDA, you're ready to connect to WiFi access points. The software supports infrastructure (access points) and ad hoc peer-to-peer networks (a WiFi connection served from your computer rather than an access point). It works with both 40 bit and 104 bit WEP encryption, more commonly referred to as 64 bit and 128 bit encryption. We tested it with a Linksys 802.11b access point using 64 bit encryption among other networks and it worked flawlessly. To connect, you'll run the Wi-Fi Setup application on your Palm, and first select an access point or ad hoc network from the network browser screen. If you don't see your network, you'll need to hit the Previous button and try again since the network browser screen doesn't refresh in real time. The browser shows all available networks in range and indicates signal strength and whether they're standard or ad hoc networks. Select the network to which you wish to connect, enter a WEP encryption key if needed in hex, ascii or as a passphrase and you're done. Once you've established a WiFi connection, the Palm saves it so you won't need to re-enter the info again. If you launch an Internet application such as Web Pro, the PDA will automatically connect to your default access point if in range. The card supports DHCP (default) or you can enter your own IP and DNS info using the menu in WiFi under Prefs. If you prefer to manually select a channel, you can select from channels 1 through 11. You can also turn off the Conserve Power feature which is on by default. If you turn it off, the card will use more power and actively search for stronger network signals. You can set it to search for new networks when your current network's signal is very weak, weak or moderate (not sure why one would want to switch from a moderately strong network). VPN VPN's are becoming common at workplaces and campuses, and thankfully palmOne has included a VPN client. It's Mergic's VPN client and uses the PPTP protocol supported by Cisco, Nortel and Windows servers among others.

Above: the access point browser. Below, the VPN screen.

HotSyncing over WiFi

Want to HotSync over WiFi? You can do it
with the palmOne card. You'll need to sync once via cable,
IR or Bluetooth with the PDA to establish the syncing relationship,
and then you can sync over the network. Remember to turn on
network syncing under your computer's hotsync prefs, then go
to the Palm's HotSync prefs menu to configure your connection.
You'll set modem sync preferences to network sync via WiFi, then
enter your PC's info under the Primary PC Setup menu screen.
You will need to know the IP address of your PC and if your PC
uses DHCP and its IP address changes, you will need to keep the
IP address updated on the Palm. Syncing over WiFi is quite fast
and works for syncing data as well as installing software on
the Palm.

Battery Life

WiFi shortens battery life on all portable computers
such as notebooks and PDAs. The palmOne Wi-Fi Card is no exception,
and it will reduce runtimes by about 50%. We were able to surf
the web with our T3 for over one hour with power conservation turned
on and the timeout set to the default of three minutes (you can
set it to turn the card off after 3, 5, 10 or 15 minutes of network
inactivity). When not using WiFi, palmOne recommends that you remove
the card from the SD slot since it will draw a small amount of
current in sleep mode.

Conclusion

No, you don't have another choice right now if
you want an SD WiFi card for your Tungsten T5, T3, E2 or Zire 72.
Even if the card had competition, it would be a recommended buy
thanks to its reliable connections, good signal strength, configurability
and included VPN client. If you have one of those models and want
to use WiFi, go for it!

web site: www.palmone.com,
price $99

source

WiFi (802.11b/g) Networking for your PDA and Smartphone

Local area wireless networking,
generally in the form of WiFi (also known as 802.11b and 802.11g)
is a hot topic. Companies, universities and home users
are setting up wireless access points and running notebook computers
without network wires. Even Starbucks, other coffee houses, airports,
hotels and some small towns are installing WiFi for
visitors. 80211hotspots.com has
a listing of many sites around the US where you can access public
wireless networks. So why not go wireless with your PDA? It makes
perfect sense to free the most portable of all computers from
wires. All you need is a fast Internet connection (DSL, cable model
or wired Ethernet) and a WiFi access point to get started. Many
PDAs and notebooks come with built-in WiFi, and if not, you can
always buy an add-on card.

What
is WiFi?

WiFi is the "friendly" term
for the 802.11b (as well as 802.11a and 802.11g) Ethernet standard. It's the cousin to standard
802.11 wired networking and runs at a maximum of 11 megabits/second.
That's plenty fast enough for most computer users, and more than
fast enough for PDA users. It runs in the 2.4 gigahertz spectrum
and shares that spectrum with microwave ovens, Bluetooth, some
satellites and 2.4 gigahertz cordless phones. WiFi has a range
of approximately 150 feet. Plenty enough range for the household
(even good if you want to take a stroll in the back yard) and it
can even penetrate walls. In corporate and university settings,
several base stations and antenna amplifiers are installed to cover
the large spaces and even courtyards of the average large business.

It won't cost you an Arm and
a Leg

Base stations are now very affordable,
with reliable brands such as D-Link, Apple and Linksys selling
for around $100 or less. Wireless 802.11b SD network cards for Pocket
PCs run around $60 to $100 and notebook PC cards cost even less. MostWindows Mobile
Pocket PCs,Pocket PC phones, some MS Smartphones and several Palm models such
as the LifeDrive and Tungsten
T|X have
built-in WiFi, while other Palms such as the Zire
72, Tungsten E2 and Tungsten
T5 can use
Palm's SD WiFi card which
is sold separately. If you're interested in a Windows Mobile Pocket
PC with WiFi, check out our comparison
tables which list models
with built-in WiFi.

Security

There
have been articles published discussing security flaws
in 802.11a/b/g. That doesn't mean it's a totally insecure medium.
Transmitted data is scrambled. And if you choose to use encryption,
the data is even harder to read. Encryption is available in two
strengths: 64 bit (which really runs at 40 bit) and 128 bit encryption
being the strongest available. You can tell your base station
who's allowed to connect and who isn't. If a hacker is using
a wireless network device to listen in on your traffic and she's
good at hacking, she might be able to intercept and read your
data as it's transmitted over the air. However, she'd had to
be within range of your network, yet manage to not be noticed
by others. Not all that easy, after all. However, if you're setting
up a WiFi network in a corporate environment, take care that
additional security measures (use WPA or VPN) are used whenever sensitive data
is being transmitted over the airwaves!

What
about 802.11a and 802.11g?

802.11a
access points and cards are still on the market now, though they've
become less common because they run at on a different
radio band and are not backward compatible with 802.11b networking
products so you'll have to upgrade everything if you're an existing
802.11b user. For now, the 802.11a network cards are 32 bit cardbus,
which modern notebooks can use, but not PDAs because their expansion
card bus is 16 bit. So don't hold out for the faster 802.11a if
you're a PDA user!

802.11g,
which is now prevalent, does
run on the same band as 802.11b and is available
in 16 bit card format. It took a few years, but 802.11g
cards and integrated 802.11g are available for Windows Mobile PDAs and phones and Nokia
S60 smartphones and handhelds. Keep in mind that PDAs don't transfer
network data all that fast through their expansion card slots, so
running at 802.11g's 54 megs vs. 802.11b's 11 megs won't make much of a
difference to you. You will see a few hundred k increase in data
transfer, and more importantly, your WiFi access point won't have to
slow down to "b" speeds thereby slowing down your entire wireless
network. You see, WiFi access points are both b and g compatible, but
the access point will drop down to the slower b mode if even one
802.11b client (device) connects. So it's better to keep things at g if
you can. That said, if you're running a 10baseT, DSL or cable modem
network, you're limited to less than 11 megs, even in your wired
network. The real advantage is sharing files between computers on the
same network, say in your home or office, where data can move at 54
megs between these "local" machines, even though the outside connection
speed to the Internet is limited by your DSL, cable modem or 10baseT
network.

source

Opera 7.30 with multimodal extensions

Opera 7.30 with multimodal extensions,
browser by Opera but
multimodal by IBM and offered by IBM
SL5xxx series machines come with an older version
of Opera and the C7xx series machines come with the excellent
NetFront web browser. But everyone loves an upgrade and having
more choices, so I've included Opera 7.30 in our listings. Opera
is not offering this version of their Zaurus browser for download,
so don't bother searching their web site. IBM, that Linux loving
company, is offering a customized version of the browser for
the Zaurus. It's a part of their pervasive computing initiative
which focuses on "smart devices" and embedded systems.
When you download thier WebSphere Everyplace Multimodal package,
you'll get not only Opera 7.30 but IBM's multimodal extensions
which enable Opera to say a few words to you and allows you to
input voice commands. The software is listed as trial software,
but it doesn't seem to expire. The Cacko ROM includes Opera 7
too.

Opera 7 is very fast on my C860 and is definitely
worth the 5 megs + of space if you're into web browsing with
your Z. It supports multiple windows (you can supress pop-up
windows if you wish), resizeable text, grab and move for scrolling
along with traditional scrolling, cookies, SSL v2 and 3, javascript,
certificates, and voice commands.

Ease of Use: Install the package and tap on the
Opera icon in the programs group. If Opera launches then closes
very quickly, and you see it complaining that it can't find/load
some .ini files when you're trying to run it from the command
line, you'll need to create a symbolic link from the shell as
root. Enter the following to accomplish this:

cd /usr/share (then hit the enter key)

ln -s /opt/QtPalmtop/opera opera (then hit the enter key)

You shouldn't see any error messages. If you do, then you either forgot
to login as root by typing su at the terminal prompt first, or you made
a typo.

Price: Free. Commercial license.
source

PDA software :Dr. Z Video Player

Dr. Z Video Player by PalmPalm
Technology Inc.
While you won't see mention of Dr. Z Video player
on PalmPalm's web site, their player is one of the more popular
downloads on Handango and many users claim it's a speed champ.

This player comes in two (really three) flavors:
one for ARM processor-based SL-5500s and another for Zaurii with
XScale processors (SL-5600, c7xx models). If you install the
XScale version on a C7xx series device, you'll get two apps:
Dr. Z Video Player and Dr. Z Video Player VGA. Movies that are
less than 640 x 480 will not be stretched to full screen on the
C7xx series when using the VGA version of the player.

Dr. Z can play MPEG1, MPEG4 and AVI file formats,
and uses the ffmpeg's libavcodec library from ffmpeg.sourceforge.net as
does tkcVideo. It supports regular and full screen playback,
and has the usual controls for playing, pausing, stoping, fast
forwarding, rewinding movies. In addition it has controls that
let you jump to the previous and next movies in the current directory.

Performance on my C860 was good with no perceived
dropped frames or loss of audio/video sync even when playing
files from a Kingston high speed SD card. While Dr. Z Video doesn't
support as many file formats as tkcVideo, it does support several
popular formats and will do the job for most.

Ease of use: No-brainer. Install the package and
tap on the Dr. Z Video Player icon to play your movies.
source

PDA Software:Movie Players

tkcVideo by theKompany.com

This is the most versatile commercial video
player available for the Zaurus, supporting most of the popular
formats. It supports MPEG 1, MPEG 2, MPEG 4, MSMPEG4 V3,
H263(+) (aka RealVideo 1.0), Raw video, AVI and MJPEG video
formats and MPEG1/2/3 audio encoding. It uses ffmpeg library
found at ffmpeg.sf.net.
There are separate versions for the C7xx and SL-5xxx series.

Besides supporting many formats, tkcVideo performed
very well on our C860 when we threw MPEG1, AVI and MPEG4
files at it which were encoded at an average of 300k bitrate
with stereo audio. Movies played smoothly, audio stayed in
sync and frame rates looked good to our picky eyeballs. This
was true even when playing full screen (movies will scale
nicely to fill the screen) on the C860 from a high speed
Kingston 256 meg SD card.

The player offers the usual controls for fast
foward, rewind, pause, stop, play and so on. On the SL-5xxx
series it supports preview mode, which means that video will
play in a window as shown in the screen shot. You can also
play full screen, of course! On the C7xx series, preview
mode isn't supported, so you'll get full screen playback
only and the player will close once it's done playing the
video. The folks at theKompany are working on remedying these
shortcomings.

Ease of Use: theKompany is likely the largest
commercial software developer for the Zaurus, and their many
apps are easy to install and get running. Totally Newbie
Friendly.
source

Micro Power Adapter for Zaurus from Brando

Our Zaurus C7xx machines come with a compact
charger meant for Japan. Since we use the same prongs in
the US, and have very similar voltage (100V for Japan at
50-60 Hz and 110V for the US at 60 Hz), the included charger
works fine in the US. Charging circuitry can deal with a
10% variance in voltage levels, so we're still looking good.
However, some folks worry about voltage mismatch, or more
importantly need to use their Zaurii in Europe and other
countries. The Micro Power Adapter from Brando Workshop is
the answer. If you thought the Sharp EA-72 charger included
with the C760 and C860 was compact, the Micro will surprise
you because it's even smaller! This charger runs at the required
5V, 1 amp rating and supports input voltages from 100 to
240V at 50-60 Hz. In other words, it's incredibly small and
works just about anywhere in the world. It supports the Zaurus
SL- C860/C760/C750/C700/A300/B500 models.

The Micro Power Adapter is available from
Brando for US $38: shop.brando.com.hk/micropoweradapter_zaurus.php

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tips/Zaurus_C760_C860_accessories.htm

iPDA Retractable SyncCharger Cable from Brando

If you'd like to charge and sync your Z on
the go via USB, the iPDA retractable cable offered by Brando
Workshop will do the trick. The ribbon cables retract completely
into the compact plastic housing for storage, with only the
connectors extending from the housing. Fully extended the
cable is almost 3 feet long. The Z syncs perfectly with this
cable and is charged via USB. Since the Zaurus has a slow
1 amp charger and a large capacity battery, it isn't known
for its quick charge times. The USB charger is decently quick
to charge in comparison, not taking terribly long to bring
the battery level up.

The iPDA cable is available from Brando for
US $15: shop.brando.com.hk/ipdaretractablecable.php
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tips/Zaurus_C760_C860_accessories.htm

Xigma Case EXB-0606-03

Xigma, located in Japan, makes lovely leather
cases for a variety of PDAs and they ship to the US. From
their striking metallic leather case
for the Sony Clie NZ90, TG50 and iPAQ 5000 series to
their pastel cases and more staid designs, Xigma offers it
all. Their case for the Zaurus C760 & C860 comes in all
black, black and tan (which we received), brown, red white
and even in pastel colors.

The case is finished
in fine-grained cowhide leather with white contrasting
stitching. The inner surfaces are cream colored tightly
grained cowhide leather. The bottom of the case is very
rigid yet thin, and the top is somewhat less rigid yet
strong enough to offer great protection. The edges of the
case extend about 1/4" beyond the Zaurus
for added protection. There's a cut out for easy access to
the CF slot and a smaller cutout for the jog dial.

A magnetic snap closure holds the case shut
and a band of leather joins the top and bottom case planes.
As with the Extreme Limit case, under the top cover you'll
find 2 SD cards slots, 2 credit/business/CF card slots and
a large slot where you can store cash or other papers. As
with the PDair case, the Zaurus is held firmly in place by
plastic hooks that latch into holes on the bottom of the
unit. You will need to remove one plastic clip that holds
the extended battery cover in place. Don't lose this small
clip! If you intend to use the Zaurus both in and out of
the case, you may be annoyed by the small amount of play
in the battery cover when the clip isn't in place.

The Xigma case is the thinnest case in our
roundup, adding little bulk to the PDA. Though it's thin,
the rigid top and bottom covers and slight overhang should
offer good protection for your Z. The case is attractive
and sharp looking (no pun intended).

Xigma's English site is at www.xigma.com/en Price
~ US $55, 5980 Japanese Yen

This case is on their Japanese site (they'll
have a translated page for English shoppers soon). xigma.jp/02/z_slc700/smartclip/index.html

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tips/Zaurus_C760_C860_accessories.htm

PDair Leather Case

PDair makes affordable quality leather cases
for a variety of PDAs. You can read reviews of several PDair
cases for other PDAs here.
The case is made of medium grain leather and comes in black
with white overstitching. Despite the low $29 price tag,
the case looks like a high quality product and will add a
touch of class to your Z.

It's a tad thicker than the Xigma case reviewed
below thanks to the thin layer of padding inside both the
top and bottom covers. The padding provides added shock protection,
feels nice in the hand and adds relatively little bulk. The
bottom cover is extremely rigid and the inner surface that
touches the bottom of the Z is soft suede. The top cover
is a bit less rigid but nonetheless stiff and well padded
enough to protect the Zaurus even with the screen flipped
open to portrait/tablet mode. A wide band of finished black
leather joins the top and bottom covers, and the case has
a belt and loop closure.

Inside the top cover you'll find 2 SD card
slots, 3 credit/business/CF card slots and a large slot that
is suitable for cash or other papers. The mid-grain finish
is soft and smooth and won't scratch your Zaurus when closed
in clamshell mode. All ports are easily accessible on the
Z, but this is the only case in our roundup that doesn't
have cutouts on the bottom cover for the CF slot and jog
dial. Despite the lack of cutouts, it isn't terribly hard
to use the CF slot or jog dial, but it would be nicer to
have them.

The Zaurus is held firmly in place by plastic
hooks that latch into holes on the bottom of the unit. You
will need to remove one plastic clip that holds the extended
battery cover in place. Don't lose this small clip! If you
intend to use the Zaurus both in and out of the case, you
may be annoyed by the small amount of play in the battery
cover when the clip isn't in place.

PDair's Zaurus case is absolutely wonderful
for the money. It looks like a much more expensive case,
is made of well-finished leather and is quite protective.
Its rigid padded covers should keep your Z safe in style.
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/tips/Zaurus_C760_C860_accessories.htm

Extreme Limit Body Suit for Zaurus C760 & C860

It's not often I go gaga over a case, but the
Extreme Limit Body Suit is a very neat case. No wonder they
can't keep it in stock! The looks are stunning, and let's
face it, while most cases adequately protect our PDAs, the
other reason we buy a case is for its good looks. We received
the revised version of the Zaurus Body Suit, which replaces
the older version that may still be pictured on Extreme Limit's
site.

The case is made of black Italian leather and
has a trendy, geek chic design that speaks of serious protection.
The top and bottom covers are extremely rigid, and the outer
faces have embossed ridges that add to the look of the case
and provide grip holds. The case is overstitched in red and
the top cover has a white Zaurus logo identical to that used
by Sharp. All edges have a reinforced leather overwrap and
there are cutouts to make it easy to access the CF slot and
jog dial.

While most cases for
clamshells open from the front, the Zaurus sits "backwards" in
the Body Suit, which means you'll wrap the top cover under
the unit to use the PDA. I'm not terribly fond of this,
though it is easy enough to wrap the top cover under. While
the other two Zaurus cases in our review require that you
remove one of the snap-on plastic extended battery cover
retainers, the Extreme Limit case does not. Removing that
piece is easy enough, but when it's not in place the battery
cover is a bit loose which is annoying if you also use
the Z out of the case. Good going, Extreme Limit!

Inside the flip cover you'll find 2 slots for
SD cards, and two slots for business cards, credit cards
or CF cards. There's also a large pocket where you can stow
cash or papers. There's a spare stylus holder in the spine
area and all inner surfaces other than the card holder area
are covered with a soft fabric. The case has a large tongue
and loop closure.

Your Zaurus is held in place by raised metal
reinforced surrounds that firmly cover the edges of the bottom
clamshell. You can bend these to adjust the snugness of the
case. All ports and slots are unblocked for easy access.

While this case is a bit bulkier than the other
two in this review, it does offer great protection, excellent
rigidity and a lot of style.

Apple iPhone Premium Leather Flip Carrying Case

Buy It
By iPhone guy "iPhone guy" (Louisville, KY)
Please note that you WILL have to cut out the leather strip above the ear piece. In the current configuration this case blocks the proximity sensor to let the phone know if it is against your face. The phone will not answer or hang up correctly.

There is a small trapezoid opening where you would place your ear to hear the call. Take scissors and cut the thin strip of leather above the trapezoid completely off the case. Now the case is usable.

Pretty nice case with good leather and full protection for $15. Most correct factory usable cases are $40.

For the english majors and geometry specialist please feel free to correct my use of trapezoid. The iPhone is wonderful.


By Elizabeth N. Coopersmith "Event planner" (Los Angeles, CA)
When the phone rings, I just flip open the case and push the phone up so the sensor is no longer blocked, and it works perfectly. I LOVE this case - it gives complete protection for my iphone, which is what I wanted most - I couldn't care less about showing it off - and it's not too heavy, easy to manage with the magnetic closure. Having to push up the phone to take and make calls is the only problem, and totally not a big deal.
Buy It

Apple iPhone Aircraft Aluminum Metal Case

Bui It
By Sami Paskin (Miami, Florida United States)
I change phones all the time. always buy 2 or 3 different cases for different uses: a light silicon, a leather luxury and a big but more protective hard (aluminium) case.
So, you can say I'm a specialist. And I can state that, having this one you don't need other cases.
Best I ever got! it's hard but it's light AND small.
It has all the needed apertures (sound, ear sensor, voice, on and off, charge, etc) and is so beautifull.
Best of all: the protective screen that comes with it is so cool: it's SO THIN (to be sensitive, it's really needed) that it has when arrives, TWO protective screens to the screen itself (like a sandwuich) and you take off one when you will install and the other one after you install... it's SO PERFECT!
Last but nos least, the clip is very thin (thinner I'v ever seen) and it has that "brake" to avoid someone -or ouselves- to take the clip off the belt by mistake...
Thanks Amazon for offering this product.

By Ali
I bought this for my husband about six weeks ago. He is a habitual phone-dropper and I wanted to get something for him that would look good at work on his belt (the swivel is great!) and keep that insanely expensive phone from becoming a broken pile of parts.

So far he's dropped the phone plenty of times in parking lots and on other hard surfaces - the phone and the case are still in great shape! His boss liked how it looked quite a bit so we even got him one for his birthday.

If this thing ever breaks, I'll be buying a duplicate to replace it, though I think it'll hold up for awhile yet.

By David L. Myers
I bought TWO of these covers because I have a desire to protect my "investment". I thought that being made of aluminum would offer that. HOWEVER......the phone will cut out in a call and the phone heats up....most likely shorting against the case or somesuch. I didn't spend $500 to turn my iPhone into garbage. I am VERY upset and maybe you'll read this before you make the same mistake I did.
Bui It