aaus-list @ ukrainianstudies.org -- [aaus-list] Re: Cyrillic on a PDA - Sharp's Zaurus

[Max Pyziur <pyz@brama.com>]

Max Pyziur wrote:
> 
> Greetings,
> 

[...]
 
> Download the fonts and keyboard choices (Bulgarian, Macedonian, Ukrainian,
> Belorussian, and Russian) at
> http://www.eqlab.org/english/cyrz.html

As a self-followup, some more details.  The font encoding is UTF-8/Unicode. 
Once installed it can be used in all of the apps on the PDA - word-lookalike
processor, excel-lookalike spreadsheet, etc.  The Zaurus comes with a built-in
keyboard (using it is like playing a kalimba - African thumb pianos), which
other PDAs don't have (except for the corporate Blackberrys).  The Cyrillic
keyboard mapping offered for use with this thumb keyboard are each set for one
of the five modern Slavic languages which use Cyrillic and they map to the
Zaurus's in a peculiar transliterated way.  The pick-list input method uses
J'TsKEN layouts (typical Cyrillic keyboard). Other input methods are handwriting
(haven't tried this) and picking straight from the Unicode character list.

In the case of Ukrainian, three of the four unique letters are supported (I, Yi,
and Ye) with the 'G' missing. However, not to be dissuaded, the developer of
this input method is reachable and does make occasional enhancements to his
(free/open source) product.
 
> Install them and no more will you have betrayed Dukh Kyrylytsi.
> 
> Some more details on the Zaurus; it's display and functionality is comprabable
> to Compaq's Ipaq, but it easily costs $200 less.  It's operating system is
> Linux; most others are either PalmOS or MicrosoftCE/PocketPC for which I can't
> vouch.
> 
> --
> Max Pyziur                                     BRAMA - Gateway Ukraine
> pyz@brama.com                                  http://www.brama.com/
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