Related link: http://developer.sharpsec.com/
Sharp recently announced a new PDA, currently just called the “Sharp PDA,” to be released sometime around September/October. The device, pictured at the developer Web site <http://developer.sharpsec.com/>, has a killer feature listing:
- An operating system based on Linux and Java;
- A 240×320 color screen;
- Both CompactFlash and SecureDigital exapnsion slots (just like the HandEra 330);
- A USB connector at the base;
- An IR port;
- Lithium ion rechargable battery power;
- 32MB built-in memory;
- A built-in “thumb” keyboard, similar to that on the RIM BlackBerry, but with a retracting slide cover; and
- A built-in headset jack.
Sharp indeed!
More details on the device, culled from various news reports, can be found at LinuxDevices.com. The pictures make it look a little hefty, but weighed against the feature list, it is surprisingly compact.
The first thousand people to register at Sharp’s developer program site will get the device for $399. It appears you can download a Java SDK and begin developing applications for the device now.
As I recently wrote elsewhere on oreillynet.com, the PDA market needs some fresh ideas. I am very skeptical about Java’s ability to perform on a handheld, given the extremely slow performance and limited featureset of Sun’s J2ME on PalmOS. Java has many virtues, but I don’t think it is necessarily right for today’s PDA processors. Nonetheless, I’m very encouraged by the hardware/OS profile Sharp has targeted. With the other Linux PDAs hitting the market, it looks like Linux may join PalmOS and PocketPC as a serious contender for the hearts and hands of geeks everywhere.
