Linux PDAs with osX

N

nmartin

Registered
Does anyone know if any of the linux PDAs will sync in mac osX?

I don't care for palmos that much, and I detest winCE, so the only other option for a PDA would be linux (and I like the idea of handheld unix!)

But the questions is... would any of them work with my iBook?


-Nathaniel
 
Hi!

I don't know of any that works with it at the moment, but soon Sharp will release MacOS X drivers for their Zaurus (www.myzaurus.com).

It's really a great one, just so sad that I have to sync it with Windows. Would rather do that with BeOS or MacOS X!


BeFrank
 
It's also worth noting that installing software onto the Zaurus doesn't require "syncing" in the traditional sense. In almost all cases, installing a program can be done directly from a CF card from a special .ipk file. You can just copy the file to a card with a USB CF reader, and install it. In other words, the Zaurus isn't nearly as dependent on a desktop as the Palm OS or Windows CE. After you load on a few basic packages (Terminal, File Manager,) it can pretty much run standalone if you've got a network connection for it.

It would be cool if the new iSync would support the Zaurus natively, but somehow I don't see that happening. But it is Linux, so we'll probably see Hotsync emulation software that makes the two communicate. Time will tell.
 
Yes, installing software from MacOS X to Zaurus is really easy, and no drivers are required to do that.

But I miss not being able to sync it with my PIM under MacOS X.


Regards,

BeFrank
 
Does the Zaurus sync with Palm desktop at all? Which PIMs does it sync with?

I went to the web site, but there was no information there.

Thanks!
 
This is promising. I am seriously interested in the Zaurus because of its Linux OS. The fact that I can use a terminal on it is too cool. :)

I called Sharp customer service and the guy, though he really didn't know much, said that he did hear talk of OS X support, so that's cool. Usually you get a straight quick NO.
 
From what I've seen in the documentation:

you can transfer data from your Palm by beaming!

You should be able to move all of your contacts, todo's, memos, calendar, etc.. through beaming!.

Not to mention with a SD or CF card and card reader (~$50 + $19.99) you can transfer files back and forthe between your Zaurus and Mac. No need for syncing and hoping you have the right conduits working in OSX(which not all do). I can transfer excell spreadsheet or word documents back and forth no problem. All app are installed through a packaging system. Just transfer the package onto the Zaurus and install. Not to mention, Embedix is a real OS not just a fancy database app like PalmOS.

Choice is yours. But since I dumped my Palm m505 for my Zaurus, I've already significantly expanded my computing ability.

Good Luck.

SA:)

$0.02
 
I think Linux for a PDA is - at the moment - the worst idea ever in the PDA business (maybe I don't know of all ideas in the PDA business, though). For one obvious reason:

1. PDA means: Personal Digital Assistant. It should be my assistant, not I (and Mac OS X) the PDA's assistant(s).

That's basically it. A PDA is an appliance that provides the following services (and in that order):

1. PIM functionality
2. Everything else

Point 2 varies between the users. Maybe you want games on it, maybe you want to read offline internet news, maybe you want *IT* to be online and get the news live, maybe you want to read E-Books - whatever.

But point 1 means that it's very, very important for a PDA to be good that the PIM functionality is all it could ever be for you. If there are things that a) don't work (period) or b) need you to adapt (far from the way you like to work) the PDA isn't good for you. It'll only consume time and energy instead of being what it's called: A personal, digital assistant. And what does an assistant do? He/She/It saves you time and energy - and yes it costs money. :p

Therefore, for me, there is simply only two solutions, although they again contain many:

1) Keep a 'real-world' organiser system. You can touch them, they're available cheap and they automagically work, because there's no software involved other than your brain. (And a PDA can't compensate lack of brain either.)

2) A Palm OS device with Action DateBook (formerly ActionNames) or another application of your liking (as the integrated PIM with Palm OS devices really sucks big time).

If you want or NEED a Terminal application on your PDA, there ARE some for ANY PDA, probably. At least there are for Palm, Nokia, PocketPC devices I know of.
 
If you want or NEED a Terminal application on your PDA, there ARE some for ANY PDA, probably. At least there are for Palm, Nokia, PocketPC devices I know of.
Click to expand...

No, there is a dial up terminal application for the palm. There is not however a Terminal.app type device that runs bash or some other shell. None that I could find anyways.(And I've searched and asked alot, and always received the same answer)

For your other points. You are correct about the PIM issue. Although, the Zaurus does have good PIM software and has the same syncing capabilities as a Palm on a PC, it does not yet sync with MacOSX, unless you use X.

But then again, the Zaurus is not billed as a PDA but as a PMT(personal mobility tool). And the one problem with your PIM argument, that is also begining to chip away at Palms hold on the market and eventually will kill Palm unless they get their act together, is that people are turning away from traditional PDA's and looking more for items that do more of #2 than #1(PIM). For example:
People like the idea of wireless, and, unless you buy a m705, you are going to spend up to $350 more to convert your palm into a wireless device.(Oh yeah, I guess you could buy an old PalmVII) But my m505 would have cost about $350 to turn into a wireless device. No thanks.

I like to be able to look at a problem, pull out my device(that sounded bad), and begin working on the solution without having to trudge back to my mac in my office or write everything down on a tablet and then transpose to my mac, etc...

So can I do without the "no brainer" syncing of my PIMs? Sure, for right now. Besides, if I wanted the data on my Computer, what do I need a PDA for? Easy access to phone numbers? Don't need a computer for that, got my Zaurus. Easy access to my appointments? Don't need a computer for that, got my Zaurus. Easy access to my software writing programs? Can't do it on my Palm, don't need my computer, got my Zaurus.

So like I said before. If you want a PDA that keeps track of Phone numbers and appointments, get a Palm, their cheap and very eeficient at this. If you want something a little more get a Zaurus.

Good Luck.
SA
 
Originally posted by buc99

So like I said before. If you want a PDA that keeps track of Phone numbers and appointments, get a Palm, their cheap and very eeficient at this. If you want something a little more get a Zaurus.
Click to expand...

As a computer science student, I think it would be awesome to have a UNIX based pocket computer. Does it have the full man help pages ? That by itself would be great. And to have access to shells, like Bourne, csh, tcsh, Bash, etc is cool too as you can experiment with scripts. As for wireless, I already spend too much on communications. Between RoadRunner, telephone, cable tv, and cell phone, I simply can't justify a wireless data connection. And as for a terminal on a PDA, I tried that with my Palm and since you have to leave it connected to the cradle, it lost its appeal very shortly, since the computer its hooked to could put up several terminal screens on a 19" monitor :p . BTW does it have PERL and AWK in that dimunitive OS?

I ended up copying the man pages from OS X onto Palm memo sheets and storing them in their own folder. I liked the Compaq PocketPC I got at first, but the day I needed a phone number and I pressed the contacts key the famous hour glass came up an spun for about 2 minutes left me with a bad feeling. The third time I left it in its charging cradle where it hasn't been touched.
 
The man pages aren't included, but it would be pretty easy to add them to a CF or SD card.

As for the other stuff you're wondering about, check out http://www.zauruszone.com. Keep in mind, this is a Linux machine, so damned near anything is possible.
 
Although the man pages are not included, you could easily translate your OSX man pages to text and transfer them that way. The Z has a neat text reader.

I could not find awk already installed and do not know if there is an awk app for installation.

There is however a Perl package as well as MySQL, Apache, and Python. And let's not forget, it has a Java environment. You could also write some C/C++ apps for the Z.

The list continues. Although the OS is a diminuitive Linux, it has alot of the apps you expect in a *NIX OS. And the ones not pre-installed, you can probably find a copy for the Z.

This is more than a PDA. It is almost a fully functional Unix box in the 'palm' of your hand(parden the pun;).

Good Luck.
SA
 
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