Korea gets a Zaurus: Sharp RD-CMP2000R
Last month when I took a look at the Sharp Zaurus SL-C3200, I really didn’t expect to see any activity from the company for a while. But the Sharp camp has apparently been busy . . . and restless, it seems.
After more than a decade of success in Japan, Sharp has set its sights on Korea with the new RD-CMP2000R electronic dictionary PDA. Unlike in the U.S., multitasking dictionary devices are all the rage in Asia, particularly those made by iRiver. Sharp has made e-dictionaries before, of course, but they were nothing like the RD-CMP2000R (rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it?).
The upcoming Linux-based device features the same clamshell design and swivel screen we’re already familiar with, although this time the housing is black (versus silver) with what looks like a nice brushed finish. Additional details can be found here (in Korean), but the short of it is that what most sets the RD-CMP2000R apart from its Zaurus relatives (other than the fact that it’s not really a Zaurus) is a 1.3-megapixel camera, FM radio, and $350 price tag. The lower cost speaks to the gadget’s limited functionality in comparison to the fuller-featured Zaurus series.
[Akihabara News]