What is wrong with the Zaurus?

The Sharp Zaurus has arguably been unequalled by any other handheld pocket computer save the HTC Universal in terms of flexibility and ergonomics. However, it's begun to show its age as the rest of the world has moved on adding memory, updating system software, add wireless, bluetooth and wimax. In fact, not only did Sharp cease developing it some time in 2006 (with only minor updates that year), they announced end of manufacture January 2007 despite continuing to make them.

There have been two saviours of the Zaurus, one is the CF slot which allowed use of GSM/GPRS, ethernet, bluetooth and wifi adaptors, the other has been an active community creating entire linux distros targeted specifically at the Zaurus.

How To Improve The Zaurus

To bring the Zaurus up to date, at the bare minimum, it would need more RAM (256MB), a bit more ROM (512MB), built in wifi (at least 802.11g, preferably 802.11n) and bluetooth, and to have SDHC support in the standard kernel. Whilst GPS would be a nice-to-have, it wouldn't be essential as bluetooth allows use of a cheap external GPS receiver. Some people would like GSM or 3G, but that causes problems with governmental regulation, whereas bluetooth would probably skirt that somewhat and the use of a regionalised phone with GSM/2.5G/3G would be fine.

To really improve the Zaurus by a big margin, it should gain a faster CPU, full Arm11, with faster SD and CF bus interface, accelerated video, a wider higher resolution display, but all still fit in the same form factor.

If I Ran Sharp or Nokia...

• Case: clamshell case (not too worried about tablet mode) from the Zaurus
• Keyboard: from the Zaurus
• Display: 800x480 display from the Nokia N810
• USB: usb host from the Zaurus, with a little bit more power
• WiFi: wifi, or even 802.11n, from the Nokia N810
• Bluetooth: bluetooth from the Nokia (preferable with A2DP)
• SDHC: at least one full-sized slot, but with full-speed bus as both are a bit wimpy
• Video: proper accelerated video with basic VGA or TV out
• WiMax: wimax would be nice but not essential
• CF: Although CF is slowly dying, the ability to use I/O and memory device heled make the Zaurus a cult classic

If I made peripherals

The next option for me would be to enhance the Zaurus or Nokia in some way to overcome its shortcomings whilst avoiding difficult and expensive customisations that would render it incompatible with any other, instead, the aim is to integrate commonly used peripherals into a compact add-on.