Sharp kills US Zaurus

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Oct. 19, 2004

InfoSync is reporting that Sharp will no longer sell Linux-based PDAs in the US, and has end-of-lifed a US model introduced here less than a year ago. If true, the decision will affect mainly corporate users developing solutions around the SL-6000.

Sharp shipped its newest US Zaurus, the SL-6000, less than a year ago. Corporate development projects based on the device are likely in the final stages of development, and could be hurt by Sharp's reported plan (according to InfoSync) to "sell through" remaining SL-6000 inventories.

Sharp has focused its Zaurus line mainly on Japan, where it expects to ship its hard-drive equipped SL-C3000 on November 10th. Likewise, the clamshell C-860 and C-760 are only officially available in Japan, although some companies do sell internationalized versions in the US market and elsewhere.

The SL-6000 received largely favorable reviews from O'Reilly, PDA Buyer's Guide, BargainPDA, and others. The SL-6000 supports wireless networking to both LANs and mobile phone networks, a feature that, in combination with IBM middleware, aimed to give mobile workers access to corporate data from most anywhere.

Market research has long suggested that unconnected PDAs are in decline, while smartphones -- devices combining PDA and mobile phone features -- are slated for rapid growth. Additionally, market analyst Gartner reported that Linux PDA shipments had fallen off in the first quarter of 2004, compared to the first quarter of 2003.

On the other hand, embedded Linux is increasingly the OS of choice in high-end mobile phones, as indicated by recent announcements from Motorola, E28, and Wildseed, with several set to arrive in the US within the next six months.

US embedded Linux enthusiasts will likely continue to find ways to purchase the latest Sharp Zaurus PDAs. The Zaurus and its Qtopia-based Linux environment launched a cottage industry of commercial and free third-party applications.

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