Sharp remains dedicated to the Linux operating system with the SL-C700, its latest personal digital assistant (PDA). Currently available only in Japan, Sharp plans to bring the C700 to North American shores in the second half of 2003. On tonight's "Tech Live," see it in action and decide whether it's worth waiting for.

In appearance the C700 resembles a miniature notebook with a rotating display to convert into a more traditional PDA form. But design aside, the C700 offers features that make it truly stand out in the crowd.

Great hardware features

By far the most impressive feature of the C700 is the high-resolution 640x480, 16-bit display (65,536 colors). That gives Sharp the honor of producing the highest-resolution display we've seen in a PDA. Even with the preproduction unit, we found the display to be amazingly crisp and bright.

To enter text you use either the character recognition engine on the touch screen display or the large, thumb-style QWERTY keyboard. We found the keyboard to be comfortable and well spaced for a variety of hand sizes.

The preproduction unit we reviewed was powered by an Intel xScale 400-MHz processor. You'll also find 64MB of ROM and 32MB of RAM. Unlike most PDAs, the C700 uses the ROM to store user data and applications so your information remains safe even if the battery completely drains. There's 30MB available to the user, while the remaining memory is reserved for the Linux operating system and core applications.

For additional storage the SL-C700 supports Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), and Type II CompactFlash (CF).

Impressive software package

A PDA isn't much without a comprehensive software suite, and that's where Sharp truly pulls ahead of other PDAs. Like the other products in the Zaurus line, the C700 uses Linux as the operating system. And like any PDA, the C700 includes all the basic applications, including calendar, address book, email, media player, and more.

The difference, however, lies in HancomMobileOffice, which makes Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint compatible. In preliminary tests we were impressed with the compatibility of HancomMobileWord and HancomMobileSheet with Microsoft's desktop counterparts. Indeed, we found compatibility to be superior to the equivalent applications found in Pocket PC 2002.

For desktop synchronization, expect the C700 to be compatible with Qtopia, Sharp's own personal information manager. We expect that synchronization capability with Microsoft Outlook will also be included in the package.

Bottom line: It's impressive

The Zaurus SL-C700 is an impressive PDA that departs from more traditional designs. The stellar display, mated with a comprehensive software suite, definitely impressed us and we look forward to production-level units of the C700. Pricing is estimated between $600 and $700, though that may change at the time of release.

Company: Sharp
Available: Q3 or Q4 2003
Price: $600-$700
Specs: Weight: 7.4 ounces; dimensions: 4.7 inches x 3.3 inches x 0.7 inches; processor: Intel xScale 400 MHz; memory: 64MB ROM (30MB available); 32MB RAM; expansion: SD, CF; display resolution: 640x480, 16-bit (65,536 colors); display size: 3.7 inches.