Sharp Mobilon 4000

I just got a New in box (sealed) Sharp 4000 (4mb). Even has the part that lets me put standard batteries into as Im sure the battery pack is no good. But I wanted to ask does anyone have experience rebuilding on of these packs ?

Im glad I was able to find this, its specs are like a Velo 500. Mips @ 75mhz, wide screen and CE 2.0.

-Walt B

I also bought two Casio A-10's and im hopefully trading a Dock for a parts A-11.
Still looking for Velo memory and CE 2.0 Rom upgrade for the Casio A-11 or Compaq C-140 models.

I didn't even know there was a Sharp 4000.

Jake

Oh, wait--yes, I do. I own one Oh, THAT Sharp Mobilon 4000. I wouldn't worry about the battery pack. Two AAs serve me nicely.

Wait again--are you sure it's not the 4100? B/c I don't know the 4000 and I don't own it

And wait a third time--I see the machine you're talking about. A stripped-down 4100. Hadn't known about it, still don't own it But AAs should hold you in good stead.

Edited by Jake 2021-11-09 8:37 PM

Yeah its a basically a 4mb version of the 4100. It does NOT have a CF slot on it tho, which saddens me as that means i need to buy something else (CF to PCMCIA adaptor) no biggie tho. Has same processor as the 4100, i really dont see much of a difference other than the ram size between the 4000 and 4100. The 4000 came out in sept of 98 i think. Im trying to remember when we started stocking these at Compusa. Think it was before Xmas in 98. Anywhoo. Excited !

I guess ill just use the standard batteries. But im looking at a 4600 and that has a bad battery pack too and doesnt come with the standard battery tray. Im not sure if the parts for the 4000 and 4600 are interchangeable. This would be my first color unit ive owned since like 99 when I had a NEC Mobilepro 780. Crazy.


-Walt B

Weird im seeing info that says it has 8mb of ram, but the box says 4mb. It does have a smaller ROM size than the 4100. So i guess theres more of a difference than I first saw. Im happy tho, ill just get that adaptor and im in business. I will prob sell my Velo now that I got this.

-Walt B



Edited by WallyB110 2021-11-09 9:54 PM

Yeah, the Mobilon, regardless of its RAM/model, runs circles around either Velo, IMO. If only b/c of difference in keyboards.

I think you're right, It does seem to have 8mb RAM, dunno what it's missing from the 4100 ROM.

I like my 4100--its only drag is that lack of extra cf slot. So you can't use wifi card and run TextMaker simultaneously.

You, as a Sharp Classic owner, will be amused to find ROM software that converts Sharp Classic PDA info to CE. I don't know how Sharp did that, and I never tried it.

Jake

Edit: if you're using wifi, you'll want the a/c adapter more than rebuilt battery pack. Any PCMCIA card, sans cf, is a real power suck.

Edited by Jake 2021-11-09 10:40 PM

So my ZR-3500X software can run on CE ? No freakin way ! Thats awesome.
I sold my ZR-5000, no backlight. Waiting to find a 5800 that has a good hinge.

Yeah no CF slot sucks, but hey it has a card slot I can find stuff for unlike the Velo.
I put my Velo 1 up for sale just now ;-)

Thanks for info

-Walt B

No, it can't run CE, the Mobilon can simply transfer Sharp Classic info into the Mobilon. Again, I never tried it, so I dunno the specifics. But the Synergy OS can't be changed, AFAIK.

To add to your eternal ROM/RAM searches, Sharp lost a class action lawsuit about CE 2.0. I can't remember the particulars, but I THINK they were forced to issue a 2.11 ROM upgrade to existing Mobilon 4xxx customers.

If c:amie, or other better-versed users, check into this thread, they'll know more, but I have never seen that upgrade for sale at any price.

Jake

No i knew ya cant run CE on the Sharp ZR-3500X i ment the software that runs on the ZR-3500X can run on CE with the Mobileon ? That would be cool. Gotta look into that.

Id love to be able to upgrade the 4000 to CE 2.11, but I already went through a long journey trying to find stuff for Velo to upgrade to 2.0 and that was a never ending journey im all done with.

Also with the 4000 only being 4mb, youd need to have a memory card at all times to run it. So that would really dampen the battery life. Im happy with 2.0. Anything but 1.0 lol.

-Walt B

I've never seen a European-spec Sharp HC-4xxx device (sans Mobilon branding) with a built-in modem before.

The CE 2.11 ROMs are uber-rare. I think a decade ago I saw an HC-4600 on eBay with the ROM preinstalled, but I didn't have the guts to bid for it at the time.

Edited by Paianni 2021-11-10 11:30 AM

This unit is from Canada. So that will explain any confusion.

-Walt B

Heres the 4000 and 4600 next to each other.

-Walt B

Here is the battery pack opened. I have two of these to rebuild. Batteries im still waiting on.

I did try the standard battery pack (AA batteries) from my 4000 in the 4600 but it doesnt power the 4600 on. Weird because the recharge packs are the same exact thing. I realized the color unit will only run on 2.4v, the two alkalines = 3.0v (1.5v per battery). So the unit must have a safety thing or something that stops the standard battery pack from functioning in the 4600.

Theres nothing too complicated here, except to resolder the ends you have to be very very careful of the ribbon wire.

-Walt B



Edited by WallyB110 2021-12-02 2:25 AM

If I'm remembering correctly, the battery life on the original battery pack wasn't great. It'll be interesting to see if these packs give more bang for the buck.

Jake

Yeah the old pack is suppose to get like 6.5 hours max in the HC-4600. The original pack was 2450mah. The batteries im replacing the old ones with are 3000mah each. So that means the pack will be 6000mah when im done rebuilding them. If thats any indicator, should be at least 12-15 hours ? Somewhere in that ball park. May actually get close to 20. We shall see.

-Walt B


Oh yeah this 4600 has Windows CE 2.11 (pretty sure it came stock with 2.0)


Edited by WallyB110 2021-12-02 2:43 AM

Also, luckily i discovered this before going mad.

The 4600 will not turn on without a battery installed, when running on AC. If i had figured this out the other way, id have thought the unit was bad. There has got to be a pack installed for it to run on AC. So now that I took the battery apart, i cant mess with it lol.

By the way the mail has been pretty bad with getting stuff on time here in CT and nothing I ordered came today. Although all the items said "out for delivery" etc. So no batteries for repairing the Sharps, or the Compaq/Casio docking station for the A-10/11/C120/C140, or the Casio A-10 im waiting for etc. Along with some 1960s baseball cards, the mail man is holding out on me I tell ya !!! lol.

-Walt B