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LinuxWorld
mduell writes: "Saw these three on the Technology front page at MSNBC.com. First off, This story on how GNOME Foundation takes aim at Microsoft. Secondly, this story about what Michael Dell thinks of Linux. Lastly, this story about Linux on mobile devices." Some other links that have been submitted: a reader submits pictures from the Expo, a Linux PDA is announced, and Michael Dell tries to figure out why he's selling overpriced Linux systems.
ZDNet has an article about the VR3 as well.
Among the more interesting tidbits, you can hook up to the VR3's RS232 serial port and telnet or ftp right into the PDA.
The article also has full technical specs and a picture of the PDA in its cradle.
The Justice department investigated MS about five years ago because of this practice. They got MS to stop doing this, but accomplished little else to reign in the company.
Hi, I've been working for Transvirtual on the PocketLinux stuff.
PocketLinux is a PDA operating system that we've been developing, based around Kaffe and an XML-based application framework.
We're announcing it at LWCE, even though I already demoed a bit of it at OLS. Even at this early stage, it's probably the best PDA OS for Linux handhelds I've seen yet.
At the show, we've been running it on the VTech Helio, and the Compaq iPaq.
We're actually selling the Helio's for $149 at the show, but it's really for developers only at this stage.
We've got a really wicked demo built for the iPaq, with themes, handwriting recognition, a notepad, article viewer, MP3 player, and even video! We've got a few Java games running too.
Unfortunately, the demo really only came together at the last minute, so the web pages haven't been updated, and we haven't posted the sources and images yet.
I'm going to try to get on that...
USER INTERFACE
CONNECTIVITY
BUILT-IN SOFTWARE Linux VR operating system Contacts, To-Do, Schedule, Notes, Calculator, Quicksync for Linux and Windows PC, Mail, Network, Terminal, Games, Bootloader, Utilities Backlit display for clear viewing in low light conditions
...
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY The Agenda VR3 will be available in October 2000. Pricing for the Agenda VR3 is expected to begin as low as $149 MSRP. Product availability, pricing and product specifications are subject to change without notice.
People, Linux has got to stand on it's own. I think it's great to talk about taking over market share, and breaking the back of the oppressive monopoly that we've all been struggling under, but if we can't do anything more than mimmic the new features that Microsoft is coming out with, ours will be a short dynasty. We have to fight the temptation to think of ourselves as a "better Windows". People have to buy into Linux because it does what they need to do, quickly and reliably, with a user interface that makes sense to normal human beings.
Break out of the mold and do something truly creative.
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Your Servant, B. Baggins
From the developer's site:
Agenda isn't a "new OS". It is Linux. The real McCoy. And it is X. And bash. And whatever else you port.
Leverage open-source operating system and tools.
Source-available system utilities and productivity suite software.
Program in C or C++.
Use familiar tools and libraries like gcc and glibc.
Don't settle for less - the VR3 runs Linux 2.4 and XFree86.
Build user interfaces easily using the built-in FLTK library.
Access databases efficiently using built-in libdb support.
one of my friends told me about the PocketLinux handhelds he saw at linuxworld. has anyone had a chance to see one at the conference? how does it compare to the vr agenda?
including Michael Dell keynote and Linux Geek Bowl, hosted by Nick Petreley, with, among others, Jeremy Allison, Larry Augustin, Miguel de Icaza, Jon 'maddog' Hall, Bruce Perens, Eric Raymond and Bob Young, available here . Includes MP3 versions.
Then again you'd be helping Billy G to get richer quick instead of Mr Dell. It's a bit of a double-edged sword, save $$$ or save your soul.............:>
Or just buy a machine from someone else. I don't understand the big hoop-la over Dell machines, are they really that special? Can't one of the myriad of other makers produce similar quality systems?
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python -c "x='python -c %sx=%s; print x%%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))%s'; print x%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))"
My ghod. I know the people in those pictures. The guy on the laptop on the ghetto microphones runs nerp.net. Talk about a small world. I never thought the Slashdot community would have the pleasure of seeing them all. Heh
Scary.
My question is, "Will it display remote running X apps?"
/. on the stool. (Garbage in...)
That is, can I attach a wireless networking card and then display Netscrape that's running on a remote server. Remember, many of us still have the goal or reading
Buying a complete notebook for this purpose is just too expensive and too bulky. An oversized IPaq with wireless networking would be the perfect fit for my problem space.
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
Saw this in the second article mentioned:
"But the chairman studiously avoided bad-mouthing Redmond, Wash., even when asked by an attendee why Dell systems preconfigured with Linux continued to be more expensive than similarly configured Windows machines."
and thought I was about to get the official answer at last!
No luck. I've been wondering for ages why the dell linux boxes are so much more expensive than the windows boxes. I thought they might be dealing with amortization of costs from the learning curve, but Dell also mentions in that article that they, themselves, are relying on linux boxes for several segments of their production process. My theory goes right out the window on that statement.
Does anyone have a better idea? Or does anyone know what Dell actually responded to the question of why the linux boxes cost more?
Founder's Camp
Founder's Camp
News for non-Nerds. Stuff that matters.
Redherring has an interesting art icle saying that while Linuxworld is still a safe-haven for geeks, it has become a must-attend event for suits. My read of this is quite simple. They called us crazy, idealists, and starry-eyed optimists. They hoped we'd go away because we challenged the status quo. Now we can't be ignored. We've been right all along. Open source development works.
The net will not be what we demand, but what we make it. Build it well.
OLD: dating from the remote past; ANCIENT ("old traditions"); persisting from an earlier time ("an old ailment"), ("they brought up the same old argument"); of long standing ("an old friend")
LINUX a free implementation of the UNIX computer operating system developed under a distributed, "open source" model
Why don't you? Isn't the whole point of open source that it empowers you to develop whatever you want? If you've got a great idea, share it with the rest of us.
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Give me liberty or give me something of equal or lesser value from your glossy 32-page catalog.
I just want to publicly state what a complete idiot jesse berst is. I've never, EVER found a bit of worthwhile information in anything he's ever written. His opinions are nothing more than that, his opinions, and they are often wrong and backed by nothing more than his own ill-conceived speculation. We are all now dumber after reading any of the trash he writes.
Now, to mobile linux. Most of the embedded stuff here at (a href="http://www.linuxworldexpo.com">LinuxWorld is alright. There is one stellar exception that stands above the crowd--PocketLinux. These guys rock! First of all, unlike some of the other guys, they're not putting a desktop linux distro in my hand. Do I want to run X on a screen that's 2" x 3"? Hell no. They've built an incredibly fast system that will display full motion video (that's right) on the Compaq iPaq. It's completely open source, and the framework is standards based and it appears to be easy to write your own applications on. It scales as well. Everything from a handheld to a cellular phone to a set-top box is possible. This is where the future of mobile linux is going to be. These guys finally did it right. Anyone else considering an embedded solution would do themselves a favor to look over there. And one final note, this product is SHIPPING TODAY! Yesterday even. This is not vapor ware. Spend the $150 and start developing apps today!
My other computer is your Windows box
Linux: It's UNIX, only better.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
"The Gnome desktop will integrate embedded Mozilla into the (Eazel) Nautilus file manager"
Can somebody tell me why the Linux community openly criticizes Microsoft's silly ideas and then tries so hard to emulate them? It seems like Linux's inferiority complex is getting in the way of any real innovation on their part.
I'd guess that the linux systems cost more because of the R&D costs involved whenever Dell upgrades an internal component is are spread out over a smaller number of systems. PC Builders don't actually _do_ much except promise you that the pieces they assemble work well with eachother and the OS they're installing (which is why Packard Bell should be considered the king of empty promises). Whenever they switch from Brand X floppy drives to brand XX floppy drives they have to test that hardware with the other components for a long while. When they do that on an NT platform they spread that cost out over the N systems they sell. With Linux it's spread out over the N/1000 systems they sell. As Linux grows in size it'll cost less (unless they pull the same scam the music industries did with the Cassette -> CD switch (wherein they promised higher CD costs initally and lower CD costs in the future)).
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I disagree with your comment on how the base of Dell's business is the individual consumer. I spec for a college, and we shop dell. If we asked for 40 workstations with Linux on them, they'd hop alot quicker than one consumer asking for linux on a laptop. They have to offer the products where there's a demand for them, and the consumer market, like it or not, is still dominated by Windows PCs for game playing.
The VR3 looks moderately cool, but I'd like to take a look at the VR5.
http://www.agendacomputing.com/sup port/faq06.jsp