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I was playing around with it, and also did some research on the unit.. I was reading the user's manual, and I was able to come up with what is has "Under the hood":
MIPS 4100 CPU; 131 MHz
16MB RAM
16MB System ROM
640x480 (VGA)
16-bit color
VGA connector for external monitor up to 800x600 (SVGA)
Serial connection
IR port for remote connections
33.6 Kbps modem
CF & PCMCIA slots
Speaker (Sounds alright for being small and limitied. Not a multimedia destination)
Headphone and Microphone jacks
As for the the size, it is a pretty small unit.. Howver the keyboard is a 77 key-keyboard.. I was actually using it to take notes in class last night (My pen died, lol) and it was just as easy to type on as my 600x, with the exception being the tab and shift keys are smaller, and there is a Windows key on it..
Some limitiations it has are few, but as follows:
Small, unresponsive screen: It isn;t bad, but the DSTN screen is one thing IBM could have done without.. SOmetimes I lose the cursor in the screen because of this, howver once using it for a while, you get used to it.. Also, the size is a touch small for my tastes.. THe way I see it, I think it COULD be larger.. But again, you get used to this as you use it, and one thing i reminded myself of: THis isn't my 600x.. THis is designed for exactly what I am using it for.. Extreme portability, Insane battery life, and scheduling and light typing.. I know that if this was a touch screen interface, the DSTN screen would be a lot more difficult to adjust to and read..
Input on this thing is familiar to me; instead of a touch screen like so many PDAs of the era, or a touchpad a la HP Jornadas, and the NEC counterparts, the z50 has a TrackPoint.. The Track is ust as responsive as the one on my 600x, and the 2 mouse buttons are in the perfect position on the wrist rest..
Battery life on this was INCREDIBLE!! Holy hell, I was note taking in class last night (4 hr night class) for all of 3 hrs or so.. I didn;t even use 10% of the battery.. A lot of this attributed to the fact the unit uses flash RAM and ROM instead of a moving disk.. THere are no external drives, however it can handle one Compact Flash card, and any PCMCIA storage you may have.. (I have a 32MB CF card and a 4MB PCMCIA card for example installed) One thing to note, when using one or both the card slots, the cards are powered from the system's power, and that can alter battery life some, but it is nothing to write home about.. I think the fact that the unit uses a DSTN screen, the fact the screen is smaller, and has a wide spectrum of ability to control backlight timeouts, system shut off, etc are what really make this thing so great on battery life..
All in all, I am pretty satisfied with it.. It is a blast to use and carry.. Brightness and contrast are easy to adjust, typing is easy, and it has an external AC adapter to charge the battery and run without it.. I like the instant on part of it.. No waiting for Windows to boot.. Because it is in ROM, send it power, and it remembers where you were, and what you were doing.. I DO wish I could run Win XP embedded or Win CE embedded, but I am unsure if it is even possible.. Due to this fact, web surfing with the PocketIE application is a little more difficult.. Websites that support the Windows CE 2.xx platform are dwindling.. This makes web surfing a little more trying.. But I am keeping an eye on the MiniMo program, as well as exploring other OS options for this.. Alright, and here are some small pics of the z50.. The FULL (read: HUGE) sized Images are available by clicking on the link underneath the pic..
Note to Admin: If this is in the wrong forum, feel free to move
z50 and 600x
Here is the z50 resting on the keys of my 600x
The z50-TrackPoint
Wide view of the 77-key keyboard
Lid closed..
WorkPad
These small pics should be 56k friendly.. If not, PM me, or the mods can edit accordingly.. Enjoy.. If any more info is desired, OM me and I can get some for ya!
& cockatoos
