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List:       jaxlug-list
Subject:    Kyocera QCP-6035 "Smartphone" Phone+PDA ...
From:       "Bryan J. Smith" <b.j.smith () ieee ! org>
Date:       2001-07-28 2:52:16
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This thing _totally_rocks_!!!
http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/kysmart/kysmart_series.htm

You get a Phone with a built-in Palm, instead of a Palm with
built-in (or added) Phone.  It is definately a little wider than a
phone, but narrower than a Palm -- a couple ounces heavier than a
regular phone, but not much beyond a Palm.  Still has the full
160x160 Palm screen with a Stylus.  8MB of RAM.  Although the
craddle itself is proprietary, the software is 100% Palm compatible
-- right down to the fact that I can sync contacts/calendaring and
other things via conduits in Linux/Gnome Pilot -- WOO HOO!!!  This
may mean, in the absence of client-side software for most Linux
PDAs, this device may be the _best_ device for Linux users (at least
until Nokia starts releasing its Linux-powered Phones/PDAs).

[ Supposedly another vendor (Sharp?) has a color Palm-based phone
coming out soon that is a tad smaller and lighter.  Motorola also
has some designs on the board for release in 2002. ]

Seems that only Verizon has service plans for it right now, but
QWEST (west coast) and Sprint PCS are either coming or now out.  The
Verizon plan wasn't bad at all, and you get all kinds of stuff
_standard_ on this device.  Even my SmithConcepts.COM web pages come
out nice -- and it's pre-configured to use 300KB for cache (so I
don't have to dial to see the last few pages I hit).

Now I have a bigger problem.  No serial nor IrDA on my Toshiba
notebook (it's got _everything_else_, FireWire/iLink, SmartMedia,
etc...).  Dooh!  As far as I can tell, I have a few options to fix
this:

1.  Get a QCP-6035 USB sync cable

Problem A:  Haven't seen them yet
Problem B:  WTF knows if it will work with Linux (unless it is
"Handspring-like" -- which _is_ supported by Linux's Pilot Link)

2.  Get a USB-to-serial dongle

Problem A:  Various issues with various RS-232 "status bits" and
signaling (which could be an issue if I want to use this device as a
wireless modem)
Problem B:  Linux drivers still maturing (dongle support varies)
Problem C:  Not exactly "cheap" ($50-80)

3.  Get a USB port replicator

Problem A:  Probably 0 support in Linux (proprietary ASIC on-board?)
Problem B:  Not exactly "cheap" ($99 for Targus, >>$200 for others)

[ Side note:  there were some "PCMCIA universal port replicators"
from CNF and a few others.  CNF's can be found for as low as $69. 
Not sure if it will work with modern notebooks -- I know vendors
were trying to break their compatibility. ]

4.  Get a USB-to-IrDA dongle

Problem A:  Still being developed (kernel hacks required?)
Problem B:  Not sure I can sync (supposedly the sync _can_ work over
IrDA using Pilot Link in Linux, but not for certain -- not sure
about using it as a wireless modem though)
Problem C:  Not exactly "cheap" ($80-100)

5.  Get a PCMCIA serial card

Problem A:  Expensive!!!  ($130-200!)
[ But works perfectly, as PCMCIA is a _full_standard_ that wraps
into the PCI/ISA busses.  Several cards are listed in the
Hardware-HOWTO: 
http://www.linuxhq.com/ldp/howto/Hardware-HOWTO/appendix-b.html#AEN4398
]

Any suggestions and/or recommendations welcome.

-- TheBS

P.S.  Thanx goes to David Gahring for recommending this fantasic,
Palm/Linux-compatible little device.  Gotta hook up with him so I
can give him his $20 referral "service credit."

-- 
Bryan "TheBS" Smith  mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org  chat:thebs413
Absolute Value Systems, Inc.        http://www.linux-wlan.org
SmithConcepts, Inc.              http://www.SmithConcepts.com

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