Two questions regarding Sigmarion 3

So the Sig3 is an cool machine, but from various pictures I find the keyboard a bit too small and perhaps also the screen is on the small side if you have to use it for longer periods.

So my two questions are:

1. Can you plug an external (usb) keyboard in the Sig3? And will it work (drivers available etc.).

2. Is the use of an external monitor advisable? How do you point and click when using the external monitor? Will an external mouse (usb) work?

Yes for both USB keyboard and mouse you can use the Deje driver, which comes with a mouse cursor. Note that Sig3 requires a standard but hard to find connector for USB hosting.

I don't think sig3 has built-in external monitor support. Not sure if 3rd party solutions work with it though?

Edited by takwu 2006-09-02 2:37 PM

the keyboard is a little larger than on the jornada. screen is much larger than any pocketpc's. there are cf vga cards for the sig3. usb mouse will work fine. the docomo usb drivers are better than the deje iirc.

1. I have platic and washable usb keyboard and works fine.

2. Regarding the external monitor there two choices:

vga cf card. I think that the better one is the colorgraphic one but working with nyditot should be better. 100 to 175 USD$.

USB to VGA adaptor, made by Kairen and contains a SiS 315E graphics chip and there is a custom driver for it ported to the Zaurus (as it uses an ARM processor maybe it would work on a sig3. But maybe there is an aditional requirement which is a powered usb hub, I do not know). I have seen the cable in japanese web pages for something like 80-100 USD.

ARM cpu is not enough, it has to be written/compiled for CE as well

So what you are saying is that the USB connection on the Sig3 is not standard?

Using the Sig3 as an USB host - is it not possible to plug in various USB devices withouth having a special - hard to find - adapter?

the adapter is not hard to find

well the word "hard" is relative The adapter IS standard, but not very common. Yes you need it to connect any USB client devices to the Sig3. I found mine in a pack of universal USB adapters at The Source - formerly Radio Shack in Canada

It's the same as the Zaurus, which is the same as the iRiver USB host cable. If you're in the UK figlabs sell them for about a tenner.

Ok, I found a place where I can buy the usb cable. But to the next question - will I be able to find drivers for the usb equipment running either CE4.1 or 4.2? I am thinking about - an usb flash drive, an external keyboard and especially a driver for a cable modem (i.e. Motorola surfboard)?

yeah ntt docomo has an update for usb drivers. the first two will probably work, the latter won't

So the cable required is a mini-USB A male to USB female right?

Yes and no... For some reason there are two kinds of "mini-USB A". One is 4-pin, and the other is 5-pin, which is the one you need.

It looks very much like the mini-USB B, which is 5-pin only (AFAIK ).

takwu - thank you for this reply - but just to be 100% sure - I shall go and look for a mini-usb A 5 pin to usb B cable right?

Another thing, how do I use the IrDA port with a cell phone (SE K500i) to access the internet with GPRS? Is there a beginners guide somewhere? I have tried *99***1#, but it seems it is not enough?

Last thing - can you use the FOMA port in Europe?

Me again *S*

Please disregard above question regarding GPRS - now solved (I had to change the APN from wap to internet in the settings provided by my phone company).