martin@netcom.COM (Martin Hall) (03/23/91)
I would like to get either a Casion BOSS or Sharp Wizard? Which one is better....Ability to pass info between a Mac or PC is a plus. What do I need to look out for? ----Martin---- -- ----Martin---- Martin L.W. Hall USENET: martin@sunworld.com OR martin@netcom.com MCI: mlwhall MC Systems Consulting Quality and Organizational Consulting 1420 Phelps Ave., San Jose, CA 95117 (408) 379-2728 Technology Editor (415) 363-5213 SunWorld 2421 Broadway, Suite 200, Redwood City, CA 94063
john@killer.uucp (John Schettino x4156) (03/23/91)
My spouse and I both own Sharp personal organizers (ZQ5000) and love them. Plusses include: qwerty keyboards with usable key size, layout, and feedback; very readable screen, and nice software. The Sharps have connection cables and software for MACs and PCs, as well as to each other. The ZQ7000 series has double-width screens (same size as the CASIO BOSS) and larger sizes, the 5000 series has a nice small size and good screen, the 2000 series is too small to use. The Sharp prices are generally lower for the same *size* machine, as compared to the Casio. Prices: ZQ2000: ~$80 5000: ~$150-200 7000: ~$250-350 Try them out! See if you can get one with a "no questions asked" money back offer, and *USE* it for a coupla weeks. You'll either love it and keep it for years or you'll find you never use it. Good Luck! John Schettino john@ctc.contel.com
jew@charon.sunquest.com (James E. Ward) (03/23/91)
I have a BOSS. My friend has a Wizard. I occasionally pass data to a PC. He doesn't. Mine has a qwerty keyboard, his doesn't (but I understand they have qwerty models). The thing is, I find my CASIO data bank watch more usable and handy. I carry the BOOS, but rely most heavily on the watch. For my purposes, an expanded data bank watch would be more desireable.
andy@disk.uucp (andy) (03/24/91)
I use a Casio SF-7500 B.O.S.S. (64K; membrane keyboard). Works fine for casual applications; the models with chiklet keys allow faster typing, but are bulkier than I wanted. Both B.O.S.S. and Wizard organizers can connect to a Mac or PC with the appropriate interface kit.
anthony@convex.csd.uwm.edu (Anthony J Stieber) (03/24/91)
In article <1991Mar22.172721.4545@netcom.COM> martin@netcom.COM (Martin Hall) writes: >I would like to get either a Casion BOSS or Sharp Wizard? Which one is >better....Ability to pass info between a Mac or PC is a plus. What do I >need to look out for? Have you considered any other machines? The Psion Organiser II series of machines are quite nice. Current models have 20x4 line displays and come with software comparable to the Casio and Sharp machines. In addition they have two sockets for EPROM and RAM expansion from 16K to 256K+ and an expansion port for serial adaptors (both MS-DOS and Mac software), modems, printers, bar code readers and other devices. These machines also have a full programming language built in, making it easy to write your own software or to get additional software. There are megabytes of free software available, or you can buy commercial software which includes a Lotus 123 compatible spreadsheet, word processors, and sophisticated database managers (the Organiser comes with a built in free form database manager). I own one of these machines myself, and run a mailing list for them. There are also several BBSs around the world that support them as well. If you would like more information feel free to ask. Another machine to consider is the HP-48sx with the Sparcom Information Manager. I'm less familiar with this machine. You could try posting to Comp.sys.handhelds for more information on this and other handheld machines. You can get more information on all kinds of handheld machines from this list of vendors. Ask for their catalogs and talk to their technical support. Company: Personal Computing Tools Work: 408-395-6600 Fax: 408-354-4260 Postal: 17419 Farley Road, Los Goatos CA 95030 Notes: Psion dealer, scientific, data coltection,CAD, serial ports, IBM hardware, software, tech support 800-767-6728 Company: EduCALC Work: 800-633-2252 x356 (orders),800-677-7001(customer service) Fax: 714-582-1445 Postal: 27953 Cabot Road, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 Notes: Psion, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Cambridge Z88, Casio, Sharp Company: TPC Work: 800-444-3199 Notes: Atari Portfolio $379, Casio, Sharp Company: Elek-Tek Work: 800-395-1000 Notes: 708-677-76600 technical assistance Notes: HP calculators,MS-DOS, Macintosh, IBM, Sharp Wizard, Casio BOSS -- <-:(= Anthony Stieber anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu uwm!uwmcsd4!anthony
dug@kd4nc.UUCP (Doug Drye KD4NC) (03/24/91)
jew@charon.sunquest.com (James E. Ward) writes: I have a Wizard.. here's my experience >I have a BOSS. My friend has a Wizard. I occasionally pass data to a PC. >He doesn't. I do fairly regular backups and use the Wizard as an Ascii terminal sometimes when on the road.. I upload and download to the workstation at my office and to other systems.. >Mine has a qwerty keyboard, his doesn't (but I understand >they have qwerty models). Sure they do.. Your friend must have a Sharp 7X00, it's obsolete (still useful, but superceeded by the Wizard 8X00 which is 40x8 display and QWERTY The Casio display and keyboard was better in my opinion, than the Sharp 7X00 but not as fine as the Sharp 8X00. >The thing is, I find my CASIO data bank watch >more usable and handy. I carry the BOSS, but rely most heavily on the >watch. For my purposes, an expanded data bank watch would be more >desireable. I'm not touching that one.. I find my Wizard more useful..:-> Sorry, James :-> I really like being able to search for strings in names/addresses/phone numbers/ schedule items.., That would be a basic requirement in any organizer that I would fine useful. The QWERTY Casio was out before the QWERTY Wizard, I really tried to use the Casio SF9000, but was turned off by the way the firmware handles daily schedules, I think the Wizard firmware is more usable. I also have a Seiko Databank watch.. can't stand the way you have to enter data.. so now it's just an alarm watch with alphanumeric reminders. I suggest buying the Wizard OZ-8200 (unfortunately it costs $400, full retail at Sharper Image, they have a monopoly for now), if you don't think you need 128K of storage for schedules, address/phone numbers and memos, the OZ-8000 (64K) is just fine (J&R Music World for $299). I am at 90% of 128K after cleaning up just the other day.. it's amazing how much information one can collect with a handheld. If you don't care about the application/expansion cards and larger display, buy the 5200 (64K) (About $179 , I think). -- Doug Drye KD4NC
blk@mitre.org (Brian L. Kahn) (03/25/91)
>I suggest buying the Wizard OZ-8200 (unfortunately it costs >$400, full retail at Sharper Image, they have a monopoly for now), >if you don't think you need 128K of storage for schedules, >address/phone numbers and memos, the OZ-8000 (64K) is just fine >(J&R Music World for $299). How is the Casio BOSS and/or Wizard OZ-8x00 better than an atari portfolio? Same price range, similar displays and keyboards, right? Is it just a preference of firmware calendar/phonebooks vs. MSDOS? The display on the Portfolio seems thoroughly readable. I guess the atari is bigger, yes? Would the size difference (whatever it is) make much difference in how often you carry it? -- B< Brian Kahn blk@security.mitre.org "may the farce be with you"
hardarso@weiss.cs.unc.edu (Kari Hardarson) (03/26/91)
I haven't seen the Sharp Wiz, but you don't want the Casio BOSS - sorriest piece of hardware I ever saw. I spent my christmas vacation in California trying to decipher the manual for my father-in-law who had just bought one. Ergonomics from hell, that's my five-cents worth. The BOSS has several applications built in, like Calendar,Notepad,Calculator, etc, a kind of Sidekick for the shirt pocket. A very good idea; as soon as someone comes out with a workable one I'll buy it. However the BOSS has the following disadvantages: 1) Inconsistent key operations. Sometimes you use the Enter key to confirm your menu choices, sometimes you use a special Confirm key. 2) A lot of the features are not displayed on the menus, you have to have the (thick and japanese-speak written) manual to know about them. 3) User configurability is minimal, I want access to foreign characters that aren't there. 4) Just about all texts on the display appear in uppercase, I don't think the designers have ever used English on a regular basis. Thanks for asking, I always needed to blow of some steam about that machine. Kari -- Kari Hardarson | Twas brillig and the slithy toves 217 Jackson Circle | did gyre and gimble in the wabe... Chapel Hill, NC 27514 | (Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll)
ric@netcom.COM (Richard Bretscheider) (03/26/91)
dug@kd4nc.UUCP (Doug Drye KD4NC) writes: >The Casio display and keyboard was better in my opinion, than the >Sharp 7X00 but not as fine as the Sharp 8X00. Fine? Do you mean resolution? I couldn't see significant differences. One of my peeves (and I am considering switching from C to W) about the Wiz is the way it handles (or doesn't) capital letters. Comments? >I really like being able to search for strings in names/addresses/phone numbers/ >schedule items.., That would be a basic requirement in any organizer >that I would fine useful. The Boss does all of those, but doesn't allow you to do it case independent or with wildcards. Sharp? >I really tried to use the Casio SF9000, but was turned off by the way >the firmware >handles daily schedules, I think the Wizard firmware is more usable. This is of great interest to me. I love the Casio scheduler, except for the innability to set up a repeating appointment, especially "first Saturday of the month" type stuff. Except for that, it's great. What was your complaint re Casio, or the superior function of the Wizard? >I also have a Seiko Databank watch.. can't stand the way you have >to enter data.. so now it's just an alarm watch with alphanumeric reminders. If you're a Mac user, you could use a very nice HyperCard stack to do this for you, from Deus Ex Machina. If you're not, oh well. I have one of these too, and it's almost completely phone numbers I update weekly. Genuinely interested in your comments, Ric Bretschneider -- "If you're not going to kill me, I've got things to do." Ric Bretschneider apple!netcom!ric BWAH-Ha-ha!
marmen@bwdla31.bnr.ca (Rob Marmen 1532773) (03/26/91)
I use a Sharp zq-5300m. It has 64kb memory, qwerty keyboard and a port to backup the data onto my PC. It has the basic wizard applications at a cheaper cost, but cannot use application cards. I find it extremely usefull. Since I am sometimes oncall, I have all the relevant information on it to handle a trouble call. Since organizers are very much a personal choice, I don't really recommend a particular brand to anyone. I feel that the sharp/casio/atari are all roughly comparable, and it will be the small differences which will make one model more preferable over another. rob... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- | Robert Marmen marmen@bnr.ca OR | | Bell Northern Research marmen%bnr.ca@cunyvm.cuny.edu | | (613) 763-8244 My opinions are my own, not BNRs |
mckay@ecn.purdue.edu (Dwight D. McKay) (03/27/91)
In article <BLK.91Mar25132339@vanity.mitre.org>, blk@mitre.org (Brian L. Kahn) writes: |> How is the Casio BOSS and/or Wizard OZ-8x00 better than an atari |> portfolio? Same price range, similar displays and keyboards, right? |> Is it just a preference of firmware calendar/phonebooks vs. MSDOS? |> The display on the Portfolio seems thoroughly readable. I guess the |> atari is bigger, yes? Would the size difference (whatever it is) make |> much difference in how often you carry it? I have a Wizard OZ-8200 (128K). I've seen a Portfolio and I think the biggest difference is in the software. The Wizard software is pretty consistant from "application" to "application" (ie. schedule, memo pad, outliner). The keys do the same things, etc. It also has a global string search which is wonderful for finding things! The scheduler on the Wizard has single item, day at a time, week at a time and two month views. The day at a time view includes a "time bar" graphically showing your appointments. I suppose you could do the same with a careful choice of software for the portfolio, but I have yet to see such software. Mostly waht I've seen on the portfolio is PC stuff which is not as well suited to the smaller screen and keyboard. Carrying the Wizard can be a bit of a pain. It will fit in a inside pocket of a jacket, but I find I often carry it in a case I got from Sharper Image. The case looks like one of those leather "DayTimer" cases and helps protect the Wizard from being dropped, etc. --Dwight D. McKay, Purdue University, Engineering Computer Network --Office: MSEE 104f, Phone: (317) 494-3561 --mckay@ecn.purdue.edu --or-- ...rutgers!pur-ee!mckay
silvert@cs.dal.ca (Bill Silvert) (03/29/91)
In article <2576@borg.cs.unc.edu> hardarso@weiss.cs.unc.edu (Kari Hardarson) writes: >I haven't seen the Sharp Wiz, but you don't want the Casio BOSS - >sorriest piece of hardware I ever saw. I found this weird. My BOSS 7000 is simple and straightforward to use. Some features are a bit sticky, like having to look up in the manual the foreign character equvalences, but the calendar, scheduler, phone book and memo pad are nice to have. It is very small and light. The original posting asked about the BOSS vs. the Portfolio, which I also have. The Pofo is nice, but a lot bigger and heavier. I like the built-in spreadsheet, which is very useful. Anyway, check the machine and see if it meets your needs. The flames in the referenced posting are not a universal opinion. -- William Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division, Bedford Inst. of Oceanography P. O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CANADA B2Y 4A2. Tel. (902)426-1577 UUCP=..!{uunet|watmath}!dalcs!biomel!bill BITNET=bill%biomel%dalcs@dalac InterNet=bill%biomel@cs.dal.ca