Re: Another Boring Technology Thread

From: Charles Eicher (ceicher_at_inav.net)
Date: 07/05/04 

Date: 5 Jul 2004 14:50:44 -0700

In article <2ktpc0F6affkU1@uni-berlin.de>, Curt Fischer says...
>
>Group:
>
>I want to buy a new PDA that is Japanese-capable, has handwriting
>recognition, will allow me to install my own dictionaries, and hopefully has
>programs available for kanji drilling. Are the Linux-running zauruses a
>good way to go?
>
>http://ezaurus.com/lineup/sl/compare_spec.html
>
>Is the SL-A300 my best bet? It's light, has good handwriting recognition
>and low power consumption, but would require an accessory to be able to add
>memory via a Compact Flash Card. How much power does this accessory
>(CE-JC1) suck up? I have no experience using Linux and only minimal
>experience using anyting Unix flavored. Will that be a problem?

The A300 is probably too low-end for what you want. Looking at the
specs, it says the A300 dictionary is sold separately. The lowest end
model with the built-in dict is SL760. So the A300 seems cheaper but
you still have to buy the accessory dictionaries you want. Or you could
use Jim's EJDICT which will require compilation and installation of linux
software modules. I've never tried that, I don't think you'll get away
totally free with EJDICT either, I think it requires a big memory card.
The Zaurus models are very easy to use, as long as you don't have a
problem with all-Japanese menus. I never tried to compile software
on the Zaurus (my older model doesn't run Linux) but there are some
web pages I've seen that will walk you through the process. It could
be a bit difficult for Unix novices, but it's not impossibly difficult.

>Are there Linux-compatible drilling programs out there that people
>recommend? I looked at the sample pages for "Kanji Nirvana" and it seemed
>to be rudimentary in its quizzing/drilling capabilities.

Don't know, but consider that these Zaurus models run Java too. And
they can surf the web, even wirelessly if you have a WiFi card and a
local access point. There are plenty of resources available, depending
on how much you want to spend. These little gadgets are pretty pricey
and it all adds up quickly. But I never regretted spending way too much
on Zaurus toys, even in their earlier, more primitive versions.

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