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VTech Linux PDA To Benefit Open-Source Projects
Bocaj writes: "LinuxOrbit.com has news from VTech on their plans to upgrade the Helio PDA to Linux. But thats not the interesting part: Quote:
Programs chosen by VTech/Helio for special attention will receive incentives that include special
donations to the Linux Open Source Foundation in the name of the developer of
choice, or a cash grant for further development of Linux programs for the Helio OS
or other Linux systems, open to the developer's choice."
Is a wireless PDA that I can run ssh on. This one looks like it might actually be able to run ssh. Now, if it only had a wireless option... Did I meantion I need a static IP address?
Hehe, is administering my servers via a PDA too much to ask for.
Is that true? I thought Linux was up on the Palm already. At least it is according to the guys at uClinux. They must mean first to run Linux on standard hardware.
GoodPint
I don't have a PDA yet and haven't looked for a while. This Helio sounds most promising since it runs on a form of Linux.
ZDNet Family PC Review Says it's okay
Cnet says it sucks (cool colors but little support)
It's still pricy for me, and who cares about lack of Outlook support (which I'm sure has been fixed by now anyways).
~afniv
"Man könnte froh sein, wenn die Luft so rein wäre wie das Bier"
~afniv
"Man könnte froh sein, wenn die Luft so rein wäre wie das Bier"
Richard von Weizs
Even the article in question points out that they may be making a play to be the PDA of choice for Linux users. Okay, I can respect that. But that alone is not a large enough market to sustain them I suspect. They are up against Palm, and WinCE PDAs. Palms are good, and they can allegedly be synced with Linux. WinCE is drawing the I-absolutely-must-be-able-to-interface-with-my-fav orite-windows-apps-and-don't-know-how-
unless-spoon-fed crowd, but seem to be getting beaten on price by Palm. VTech has a tough fight ahead.
The net will not be what we demand, but what we make it. Build it well.
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
Very synchronious, this showing up right now, because just yesterday the VTech people got in touch with me about porting their Windows "syncing software something like Palm Desktop" to the Mac. Not only am I really too busy to take it on, this sounds like they're having Linux problems too:
Hi Alex,
Thanks for your quick response. Seems any techie guy, not just Macintosh is really busy. We're looking for Linux people and it's been just as diffficult it seems...
Anyways, can you give the PDA manager "Wendy Siu" a call to discuss more about possible sub-contract work? The phone number is XXX-XXXX, ext. XXX.
If you're a good Linux and/or Mac programmer who wants to help them out, email me and I'll pass the number along if you sound competent.
Wasn't the yopi (linux based strongarm pda) due
out in June?
Geez, am I the *ONLY* one who actually *READS* the moderator guidelines? This is clearly not a troll. Offtopic, maybe. Redundant, seeing as how it shows up in every hardware related /. article sure. But it is most certainly NOT a troll. Watch yourselves, moderators...
Tell a man that there are 400 Billion stars and he'll believe you
You know, my 2 year old daughter has a lot of VTech toys - the kind that you push the little button-icons and a happy, happy voice says, "Mommy! Ball! Grandma!" I wonder if I can upgrade those to Linux. Imagine a Beowulf cluster of toys screaming "Daddy!"
I wonder how this compares to the samsung/G.mate yopy that runs linux, has colors, and is expandable? Is it out yet? Anyone have one? Would there be cross-platform apps between helio and yopy?
Then there is the issue of exactly what you can do with a 2-4 meg machine and linux. What will be the interface? Will it have a command prompt? Will it have a KDE-like interface? Gnome? X? How may programs could it hold, and how many could it run? Could you run sendmail off of it and have yourself a little mail server OTG (on-tha-go)?
The possibilities are endless.
But, so are the drawbacks.
First, you have to have everyone learn how to write the letters and numbers properly. Then you have to come up with a nice, fast efficient interface that a novice wouldn't be able to immediately screw up. Then you have to leave enough space and customizability to be able to erase and re-do anything you want. The chance for screwup here is huge.
However, the chance for the most amazing PDA to surface is even larger.
What is truly unfortunate is that someone will have to code a Windoze -> Helio interface so the user can view their address book (or whatever) in Word or Outlook or something. Of course, you could try a new viewer all together, something small, efficient, not platform specific....
Did somebody say "java"?
....I'm actually working on something like this for the Palm right now. No specific name for it right now ("Tricorder" would undoubtedly ruffle some corporate feathers at Paramount) but the goal is to be able to do common sysadmin status checks(top,du,uptime, ps, etc.) from your Palm. The POC implementation is via IRDA but there's no reason it couldn't be over radio,Palm.net, etc.
Why:Because I want to be able to point my Palm at a machine(w/ appropriate IR or other connectivity) and see the perfmeter stats crawling across the Palm's screen just like in Star Trek. I want a real tricorder.
I want to be able to get a page at a conference or dinner or something and be able to do some simple first-step diags before I make a mad dash for the terminal room or the office for something that could be taken care of by just tapping a couple buttons to kick an errant daemon in the butt.
I'm about half done. I'd be interested in hearing from others out there if they think this would be something they could really use or just a cool, geeky toy.
RK
There once was a company VTech
Their Helio OS a reject
Then a new paradigm
"We'll go Linux this time...
Shhhhh... Nobody tell Palm the secret!"
Well, I can't speak to VTech's later computer systems or new handhelds, but on my desk right now I have a Laser (VTech) Turbo XT from 1987. It has survived years of use from me--after being a floor display model at Sears.
While many other computer systems come and gone, the VTech XT is still going strong; the only part that has failed is the clock battery. The original system, floppy and hard drives, monitor, and keyboard all still function as good as new.
Currently, the computer runs MS-DOS 5.0, 4DOS 4.0, and Geos to act as a terminal to a 10Base-T hub and a Linux box I fully expect it to outlast. And there's just something wonderful about hearing a late eighties, RLL harddrive spin up, not to mention speedisk.
"Be Happy or Die." -- AoN
Thank you, Bruce! I thought I was losing my memory.
.nu, .se, etc.), but though the contest links all seemed to be 'down' or inaccessible from the US). I did find this little snippet in the archives of the Anglian Linux User Group:
I was immediately annoyed by the terms of the initiative: 'a donation in your name or a grant for future work for Helios, at your choice' -- if they make a donation in your name, it implies you're being rewarded for work already done (and should be allowed to pick your own charity, dammit) but if you need the cash for yourself, 'you owe them' some future work. Contradictory!
At first, I wrote it off as a lame PR stunt ("We were going to make a modest donation to an open source charity for publicity purposes, but if we can rope in a developer commitment instead, that's good too"), and I couldn't find any indication of the Foundation they mentioned on the Helios web site, but figured it was in the 'members only' developer section. Annoyingly: "For all the info you need to develop applications for the VTech-OS, click here." leads to nothing but a registration form and click-on license with terms that guarantee your work will not be GPL! (the complete license is listed at the end of this post)
Further research located a Linux/Open Source Foundation sponsoring 'groundbreaking' student competitions in Europe with 1Venture, 4linuxjobs (.co.uk,
"The Linux/Open Source Foundation (LOSF) is a trust with the sole purpose of supporting the development of Linux/Open Source by arranging contests and sponsoring events."
This Linux/Open Source Foundation also"placed 50,000 ord shares [in 1venture.co.uk] with institutional & other clients of JM Finn & Co @ 50p" -- whatever that implies.
So basically the Helios contest will "donate" cash to a company that sponsors contests. Is that enough to call it a scam? Not really. However, i remembered the Helio's click-on license (which you needed to accept for any developer info) and its disturbing conditions, and I wondered if their 'contests' might not be a scam to lock up innovative but undeveloped ideas from hungry students and budding developers.
"The submissions must be used through a browser or something similar - again freely available via the Internet."
What? No e-mail submissions? How very odd. But then they'd have to supply an e-mail address, and there might be an audit trail. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but if you review the materials linked, you'll find that I left out a lot of stuff that raised questions in my mind.
I'll close with the license text I promised:
----------------------------------------------
THE HELIOS CLICK-ON LICENSE FOR DEVELOPER INFO
----------------------------------------------
Public User License Agreement
PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY.
The Helio Software Development Kit contains the copyrighted and proprietary property of VTech Informations Ltd. This License Agreement is a legal contract between you and VTech Informations Ltd. that grants you certain limited rights to modify, reproduce, and use the information and software contained within the Helio Software Development Kit, in exchange for your expressly agreeing to the terms, conditions, restrictions, and waivers of warranty detailed below.
Unless you have a written license agreement signed by VTech Informations Ltd. that expressly supersedes this Agreement, your downloading of the Helio Software Development Kit indicates your acceptance of the terms of this License Agreement.
1. The Licensed Development Kit
This License Agreement applies to all technical information and software that is included in or distributed with the Helio Software Development Kit ("the Licensed Development Kit.") The Licensed Development Kit may include source code and/or object code forms of the VT-OS operating system, the Application Programmer Interface, drivers, sample applications, and additional code and information.
2. Copyright Statement
The Development Kit and any included software and information is owned by VTech Informations Ltd. or its suppliers and is protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions.
3. Your Rights Under This Agreement
By agreeing to this License Agreement, you are granted the right to use the Licensed Development Kit solely to create software application programs for VTech's Helio line of products, or other VTech products that use the VT-OS, and to distribute, market, license and sell such application programs. You may modify or adapt the software and may incorporate the software, or part thereof, into your own programs, thereby creating a Derivative Work. YOUR USE OF THE LICENSED DEVELOPMENT KIT AND THE CREATION AND USE OF DERIVATIVE WORKS IS STRICTLY SUBJECT TO THE LIMITATIONS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED BELOW IN SECTIONS 4 THROUGH 7.
4. Your Obligations Under This Agreement
All copies of the Licensed Development Kit software and other materials from the Licensed Development Kit must include the VTech copyright notice and any Derivative Work you create, including software that modifies, adapts, incorporates, or excerpts the Licensed Development Kit, in whole or in part, must include a conspicuous statement near the beginning indicating that your software is adapted/modified/copied from the VT-OS operating system. For example, a statement satisfying your obligation under this section for a version of the VTech Operating System which you have modified would read, "This operating system software has been adapted and modified from VT-OS version _____."
Any Derivative Work you create that interacts with a user must display to the user the conspicuous statement described in this section above. For example, the above-described statement should appear briefly upon startup of the Derivative Work, or it should be displayed upon selection of a pull down menu item or button labeled "About This Software..."
5. Restrictions To Your Rights Under This Agreement
YOU AGREE NOT TO DISCLOSE, DISTRIBUTE, PUBLISH, SUBLICENSE, SELL OR USE THE LICENSED DEVELOPMENT KIT OR ANY DERIVATIVE WORK, REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF CODE THAT YOU MAY HAVE ADDED OR MODIFIED, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PERMITTED HEREIN. If you would like to distribute, disclose, publish, sublicense, sell or use any portion of the Development Kit for any purpose not expressly permitted herein, you must obtain from VTech a written Private License Agreement that expressly supersedes this agreement and grants you additional rights, signed by an authorized representative of VTech Informations Ltd.
In order to request a Private License Agreement that grants you rights differing from those contained herein, you may either (1) send email to productinfo@vtech.com, or (2) you can write to:
VTech Informations Lt., 560 Division Street, Campbell, CA 95008
In your request, please include your contact information, and a description of the type of license in which you are interested.
You understand that the sale or distribution of the Licensed Development Kit or any Derivative Work, for charge or otherwise, in violation of this Agreement constitutes a violation of United States Federal Law.
6. Disclaimer of Warranty and Liability
THE DEVELOPMENT KIT AND ANY INCLUDED SOFTWARE AND INFORMATION ARE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF PERFORMANCE OR MERCHANTABILITY. DUE IN PART TO THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH THE LICENSED DEVELOPMENT KIT MAY BE USED, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS PROVIDED, EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF SUCH PURPOSE.
THE DEVELOPMENT KIT, INCLUDING SOFTWARE AND INFORMATION, IS ALSO PROVIDED TO YOU WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY AGAINST INFRINGEMENT OF PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, OR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OWNED BY ENTITIES OTHER THAN VTECH INFORMATIONS LTD.
NEITHER VTECH INFORMATIONS LTD. NOR ANY AFFILIATED ENTITY WILL BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR THE USE OF THE LICENSED DEVELOPMENT KIT. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE LICENSED DEVELOPMENT KIT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU FREE OF CHARGE, AND YOU AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THE LICENSED DEVELOPMENT KIT WILL BE ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
IN NO EVENT SHALL VTECH OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, WARRANTY OR OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE GROUNDS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS VTECH PRODUCT, EVEN IF VTECH HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME JUISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
7. U.S. Government Restricted Rights
If you are acquiring the Development Kit on behalf of any unit or agency of the United States Government, the following provision applies - It is acknowledged that the software therein and the documentation were developed of private expense and that no part is in the public domain and that the software and documentation are provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of The Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraph (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software--Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable. Contractor/manufacturer is VTech Informations Ltd., 560 Division Street Campbell, CA 95008
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of California.
Copyright VTech Informations Ltd. 1999
If you can go to bed, knowing you did a valuable thing today, you're very lucky. If you can't... it's not bedtime
The Linux Open Source Foundation seems to be real, then, but I'd certainly rather see money going to FSF or Software in the Public Interest.
Maybe these folks need a free software community advisory board to give them a sense of how to work with us.
Thanks
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
Is that how Linux business model works ?
Donations ?
I think it specifically refers to the VT-OS... not the Linux OS.
If I were wrong, well I better be wrong....
Pan
I said no... but I missed and it came out yes.
VTech has always made notoriously shotty electronic products. Their phones, which are everywhere, seem like they were assembled by Corky The Retard. Parts constantly short out when they are within ten miles of any liquid. VTech makes trash. Associating Linux with VTech is NOT good for Linux's reputation.
The correct URL for Microwindows should be http://microwindows.censoft.com/. I hit the submit button by mistake.
the good ground has been paved over by suicidal maniacs
I wonder if they're looking for a small GUI for these handhelds?
-- 2 + 2 = 5, for very large values of 2
If your so big on inivation, why don't you come up with something better? Because as far as i can see it. A pen interface is the best for this type of device. And don't forget, these are PIMs, not word processors.
Well, I'm dumping my Sharp organizer because it has a proprietary development kit and there's about five pieces of software -- none of which I want. Now I have another Linux PDA to consider.
Far be it from me to criticize Slashdot's poet laureate, but stick to haiku, man. Your rhyme scheme here is ABCCD, not AABBA. "Tech", "reject", and "secret" do not rhyme. It's like trying to rhyme "kiss" with "desk". Close only counts in horseshoes and rock lyrics.
---
Zardoz has spoken!
Oper on the Nightstar
There may be a place for low quality foo's,
but I've never been very impressed with VTech
toys or phones.
I had one of their cordless phones; worst I've ever had. I must admit that I saw one of their toys hold the attention of a 5 year old for some
time -- it was this robot thing that had functions
based on punch cards. But, aside from the speech synthesizer, it was nothing innovative (I had toys
based on the same principle in the late 1960's).
I'm not bitching about vtech, but I do sincerely hope that the PDA follows a different design from the toy laptops and has much higher quality than the phones.
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
My first 386 in 1992 was a VTech Laser.And--GEOS. Wow what a great GUI. Codied in machine language. Alas,dead and forgotten.
1000 SlashDot sigs
- Processor: 32-bit RISC processor operating at 75MHz (most likely a Phillips R39xx 32-bit-only MIPS compatible)
- 8MB SDRAM (however all reviews mention 4MB)
- Memory Expansion: Separate memory board allows memory upgrades
- Display: 160 x 160 pixels (59 x 59 mm), 16-level gray scale
- Power Supply: 2 AAA alkaline batteries power 30 days of normal use or 15 hours of continuous operation
Even with 8MB it's a bit on the weak side. I wonder how useful this is going to be. However, the long undergoing efforts to port Linux to WinCE devices (LinuxCE) have been hinder mostly by the difficulty of getting the hardware specs, something that shouldn't be a problem in this case. At least this ought to be much cheaper than the Yopy.Wow, Gwalla, you've brought him down a rung.
Has his poetic license expired?
Still, his haiku exploits are unsung;
I say he should not yet be retired.
Rhyming is a tricky thing to do
Not to mention counting syllables
When you get it wrong (I often do),
Each verse comes out sounding terrible. *cough*
I expect, by now, my name is mud.
Anonymous Cowards everywhere
Will, most likely, holler for my blood.
This post is off-topic; I don't care!
I'll shut up now, at least for a while.
Hopefully, this sonnet made you smile. =)
No boom today. Boom tomorrow. Always boom tomorrow. BOOM!
http://cvs.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/linu x/arch/mips/config.in?cvsroot=linu x-vr
So all this stuff works, and is available now publicly. I see that VTech seems quite impressed with it too. ;-)
Cheers,
- Jim
Would you believe that the Open Source Initiative and Free Software Foundation merged to form the Open Source Foundation? We can't announce any policy initiatives yet, as the principals are still under sedation. They're recovering nicely, however, and will go back at it after sufficient physical therapy.
-russ
If the Acer really has a monochrome LCD as you say then it could be useful as a mobile support platform since it'll have usable battery life. In contrast, the Yopy's colour screen is going to make it mobile only as long as you take along the mains charger, ie. no more mobile than a laptop.
"The question of whether machines can think is no more interesting than [] whether submarines can swim" - Dijkstra