Thanks for the suggestion!

Sorry for the terse message, I was on the go with the thumb keyboard :-)

I wanted to add that, for the usage you describe, you don't need a late-model Zaurus either (they have very little to offer over the previous ones). A used 860 or even 760 (basically the same hardware) will run ssh in xterm over a compact flash ethernet card just fine, so this could even come out cheaper than a new 770, with added bonus of a functional keyboard.

I love my tablet but I still use my Z760 too :-)

If your co. can afford one - get the Samsung Q1

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1142295730831

Its got what you need......

Hmm. Size. Weight. Autonomy. OS. Price. No keyboard. All that for climbing towers to ssh into a router ? I don't think so :-)

It should be quite possible, with some tinkering, to get a usb-mini to RS232 cable going and to use that via Xterm. You could even use a bluetooth keyboard like a Thinkoutside foldable to make text entry quick and painless.

As far as I know every serious router and switch ever made can be controlled via a serial port console, and getting the 770 to talk over usb/serial should be doable.

Well it should not be that hard to connect a usb ethernet adapter to the 770. There are support for several usb ethernet adapters in the kernel sources already... it's just a matter of building/compiling a new kernel/module that supports the device you want to use. I haven't done it on my 770 (haven't found the need for it) but it's not that hard to do it on a regular workstation or a laptop, I've done it many times over the years i've been using Linux on my computers. So i guess it's not that much harder to do it for the 770.