The Sharp Zaurus:

Whether or not Sharp Electronics' latest offering can be called a true personal digital assistant (PDA), the Zaurus has proven immensely popular. A total of 200,000 of the Zaurus 3000s have been sold within Japan (and another 200,000 abroad) in the six months since its release. This is double the original sales estimates.

The question remains, however, whether the Zaurus is just fad in a land known for its love of slick gadgets, or whether it is truly useful enough to the foreign professional in Japan to justify paying the 65,000 yen list price jY45,000 street). E'or t hose who want easier data entry and can afford the price, there are the Zaurus 4000 (91,000 list, 65,000 street) and 4000FX (with fax-sending capability; Y106,000 list, 79,000 street).

Information management

The Zaurus is among the first of a new generation of pen-based personal infermation management (PIM) tools. Their evolution is represented not by radically new features, but by the successful integration of the interface and software. That the Zaurus i s a direct descendant of Japan' electronic orgnizers is evident in its suite of built-in software, including a calendar and scheduling module, telephone and business contact directory, to-do list, memo function, and limited word-processing capability. A Japanese-Eng lish-knnji dictionary is standard and, for those needing a particular function or piece of business software, chances are Sharp provides it as an optional RAM card.

The interface and software have been well integrated. Unlike the better known Newton, the Zaurus's handwriting recognition is very accurate Sharp has simplified the recognicion problem by limiting the user co entering characters into four boxes rather than anywhere on the screen (as Apple's Newton allows). The Zaurus's accurate recognition capability enables the user to forget the interface and quickly input data.

For users who insist on being able to enter data without being constrained to boxes, there is the Zaurus 4000 or 4000FX. The major difference between these and the Zaurus 3000 is an "ink" function, which lets the user write in large letters horizontal ly. When the user pauses, the word shrinks to fit onto the ruled page. The 4000FX has the ability to fax documents from its ink, report, freehand, and memo modes. Unfortunately, unlike the new MessagePad 110s, deferred recognition is not an option with th e Zaurus.

Connectivity and communication

A major weak point in most of today electronic organizers and PDAs is their lack of connectivity. When you are carrying around a pocket full of your most important data, being able to back up that data is an important consideration. Sharp has taken som e strong steps in the right direction, but it still falls somewhat short.

A useful feature of the Zaurus is that any two can transfer data using built-in infrared transmission. Ii your Zaurus-toting friend needs your map and information regarding a conference, just zap him the data. Transmission to a desktop computer is a bi t more involved, however, though Sharp does offer general connectivit)by supporting RS-232C transmission to any computer. In addition, any DOS-driven Windows user can get Sharp's Zaurus for Windows package to ease the process. Unfortunately, the package c osts as much as the original unit, making the decision to buy a bit harder to justify for individuals.

If you really want to splurge and jump onto the technogadget bandwagon, you can buy the top-of-the-line Zaurus 4000FX, which gives you the ability to fax while away from the office. While this might sound as if portable computing has finally come of a ge, faring by Zaurus leaves much to be desired. First of all, the Zaurus fax unit is only a facsimile, not a modem; it cannot send data, only bit map images. Also, faring with the Zaurus is not wireless - you have to hook up your Zaurus to the ISDN port o f a public telephone or to a modular lack, which means you have to carry a cable when you are out of the office. Moreover, the fax unit is not internal; it attaches to the outside of the Zaurus case, which limits portability. Though small, an attached fax unit prevents the Zaurus from fitting into a coat pocket. And, most limiting of all, fares can only be transmitted, not received. The price of the technology is fairly low (only Y15,000 more than the faxless Zaurus 4000), but its usefulness depends on th e type of communication a user needs

Worth the price For foreign professionals who understand some kanii, perhaps the most valuable feature of the Zaurus is its English-Japanese-kanii dictionary Not only can you keep track of your contact information in Japanese as well as in English, but you have an easily accessible kanii dictionary. Before the Zaurus, most electronic organizers contained only a JapaneseEnglish/English-Japanese dictionary or a Japanese-kanji dictionary, but not both. A full-featured dictionary was available only in specialized products, s uch as the Canon Wordtank.

The whole point of the evolution of portability is to give the user an all-in-one package that is not a pain to carry. So far, only the Zaurus comes close. If the price tag does not strain your budget, I recommend the Zaurus - if for no other reason t han that all your dictionaries and contact information can be wrapped up in a 250-gram pack.