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Cheap Linux PDAs
An anonymous reader says: "With all the talk of the dreamcast port I figured I'd post a link to This deal - a "developer" model Agenda Linux PDA for $179 -- a bit more expensive than the DC, but it'll fit in ya pocket ;)" Apparently a soon-to-be-released color version of this PDA was being shown at LWCE (I missed it). I finally got my hands on an iPaq, so hopefully I'll have time soon to try PocketLinux (which sadly lacks a calandering app), as well as
getting X11 on it. I still want to use an iPaq as a wireless X11 terminal. But first I must complete my MAME cabinet. One project at
a time ;)
But I'd like to get 8 PDAs and install linux on them.
Then I'd configure them in a wireless beowulf cluster.
It wouldn't be useful for anything, but can you imagine the bragging rights?
Most of my friends would look at me with newfound respect.
Which says more about my friends than it does about beowulf clusters of PDA's, but hey, what can you do?
This idea really appeals to me.
Maybe I should seek professional help.
--Shoeboy
VNC works much better over slower connections than X, and there are clients for most popular platforms (although I am not aware of one for the Palm pilot).
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here.
PocketPC version here.
There's a SourceForge project, http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/agtoys, that will provide an area for developers to post their stuff. You may want to pay attention to see what people are doing. (The site is new, so there's nothing there yet.)
Yeah, and used cars are cheaper than new ones.
Nonsense. I use my PDA for humanistic goals only. Look at my schedule for tomorrow:
8:30 - Fight The Man
9:45 - Throw wooden shoe in grinding gears of capitalism
11:00 - Sing "We Shall Overcome" on lawn at local IBM installation
12:00 - Lunch with Greenpeace
See? It wouldn't do to forget any of this stuff, so I put it in my Palm. Don't worry...I'll protect you from the big bad technology slavers.
(\sarcasm)
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
That's the way it works on PocketLinux. But loading an application takes a 2-10 seconds, when you run it for the first time since you booted. After an app has been initally loaded, it comes up faster, but it's still a painful experience at this point.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
The powerdrain has gotten MUCH better with
more recent versions of the system software.
Two AAA's now last about two weeks with the
machine in 'hibernation' mode - and 6 hours
or so if you leave it fully turned on.
For the usage most people have for PDA's, that's
not *too* bad.
Note that the version that's out now is for
developers - it is NOT the final consumer version.
This version has more memory and more flash than
the consumer unit will have/need - and that may
have an impact on the battery life too.
www.sjbaker.org
It's DEFINITELY not vaporware. I bought one
just after Xmas - and I have it in front of
me right now - I've been happily writing
programs for it for several weeks. It runs
Linux and Xfree - as advertised - for real.
You can run PPP on it - so you can telnet into it
or out of it, use NFS with your PC and it's little
flash memory 'disk drive', etc, etc.
Most PC/Linux programs can be compiled to run
on it - although the 160x240 monochrome screen
is going to be a bit limiting and most GUI-based
programs need some UI tweaking to make them
usable.
You can even run 'bash' on it's little screen.
**BUT** the software is still pretty raw...this
is good hardware - but the community needs to
help out with getting the software together.
The handwriting recognition really sucks - but
it has a 'soft keyboard' that's moderately usable.
www.sjbaker.org
I received my Agenda about three weeks ago and I must say that I couldn't be happier. I'm not really using it as a PDA, but as a Mobile Linux Box. For less than $200 I can use it to dial into a network, mount drives via NFS, run just about an X app locally or from a remote Xserver, send/receive e-mail, and many, many other things. The convenience factor of running Linux is amazing. Don't like to use rsync to back it up? Fine, NFS mount the Aganda's drive and tar it up! Don't like using the tiny keyboard for Agenda administration? Fine, telnet to it and do anything that you like. ftpd, httpd (Apache and smaller), fetchmail, and other daemons have already been ported.
The "YoPaq" is nice, I'm sure, but it's too expensive. We can deploy these little guys to our entire sales force without batting an eyelash.
Matthew
Orasoft.org
/. finds me to be 20% Troll, 80% Funny
There are so many things wrong with that posting, I'm not sure where to start.
First of all, PDA users are no more "beholden" to a time schedule than users of good old date books and pocket calendars. They serve the same exact function, with the PDAs offering advantages in ease of use.
Second, tracking devices have been around for quite a while now. UPS and FedEx track ground shipments via GPS and cell technology, as do many other private shipping companies. The technique is not at all exclusive to Europe. And as for tracking individuals, cops can already track people by cell triangulation. How would PDAs make a difference?
And what does this have to do with Linux on PDAs?
BTW, if you're gonna use big words, you might want to consult a dictionary first.
Oh crap, did I just feed the troll? Dammit.
-Gabe
Has anyone actually been able to buy one of these Agenda things? I've been hearing off and on about it since fall of '99, always it's "coming soon" or "prerelease" or "blah". Screw that, tell me about it when it's shipping. All the linux-running coolness doesn't count for Jack Shit if you can't actually, physically, right-now-not-next-quarter-or-"soon" buy the thing.
Side notes to some previous posters: why linux instead of (PalmOS/WinCE/other-commercial-OS): because we said so. ;-) Why linux instead of BSD? difference is epsilon small, so if you don't like linux, quitcherbitchin' and port. whining = less time to code! (the NetBSD port proliferation in particular seems a likely avenue for a BSD-on-PDA approach)
--
Fuck Censorship.
News for Geeks in Austin, TX
I just acquired an old US Robotics 1 meg "Pilot"(that's what it sez on the case) that doesn't even have the backlit display. Can I still use the latest palmOS apps on it without worry? I have no clue on how to upgrade the PalmOS, or even know if I can.
a simple pager system with pretty graphics, maybe a chart, and the ability to interact with the dialog window. not quite the same
One of these yet with a PCMCIA slot in it? It would be really cool to be able to connect to the net with one of these and surf. I had a buddy at SBC who had this, but it wasn't running Linux.
Fawking Trolls!
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." - Jed Babbin
Why not?
"If ignorance is bliss, may I never be happy.
-- Veni, vidi, dormivi
I bought one last year. It blows royal dick. The two AAA cells last about overnight even if you turn the device off. There is a major power drain on the board, period. In case you don't believe me, go to http://www.agendacomputing.com and check the discussion board. My personal verdict - this thing is a waste of money. I had my whole team ready to order and we had to opt out after the first one showed up. Maybe in five more years.
so hopefully I'll have time soon to try PocketLinux (which sadly lacks a calandering app)
Well... uh... I certainly hope that's in development.
Hmmm, I know that one of the most valuable parts of my Palm for me is the Datebook app... the point of a handheld at this point seems to be that it is an organizer. Now, I'm no fan of the PocketPC, but I'd rather use that than a handheld OS that lacks basic PDA functions.
I thnk that Palm may be the best handheld OS out there in terms of functioning as a basic PDA with a flexible platform. PocketPC is good for trying to squeeze a desktop into your pocket.
Now, I ask this question with total honesty and openness: Besides the "hey that was a cool accomplishment" factor, what is the point of having linux on a handheld?
-J
Karma: T-rexcellent.
However, what of the social implications? PDA's represent a sort of slavery, as the user of the PDA is beholden to a time schedule and can never have any excuses. The electronic brain he carrys around with him has become a millstone, as it keeps him on the straight and narrow. This is not such a concern now, as PDA's are still simple, but in the future when they are web annabled they could be used by businesses to keep an eyes on their employees at all times, much like long distance lorry drivers in Europe are watched constantly by satellite. Is the employee of the future, and indeed today, to have to privacy at all? It is surely the right of the employee that he be able to do as he wish when not at work, and even to have privacy and time to think while at work, but PDA's are an incipient threat to this state of affairs. The most insidious thing about PDA's is that everyone see's them as benevolent. I am not saying that they need be dangerous for sure, I am just saying that it could well become an important issue. If I were a betting man, I would say that PDA's are the next major civil liberties issue.
You know exactly what to do-
Your kiss, your fingers on my thigh-
You know exactly what to do-
Your kiss, your fingers on my thigh-
I think of little else but you.
Simple, cheap. I paid $140 and they cost less now. 8 MB, 2B flash, re-flashed with linux+kaffee. Specs here. Java is just wrong for this - it takes about 30 secs to start, and 15 secs to load an app. I want to put in Python instead and see if that makes it usable. I can think of a lot of things I'd do with this, with a decent software infrastructure. Java is a dead weight holding this thing down, I hope that Python will be more like wings.
--
Life's a bitch but somebody's gotta do it.
here's another one
It's at a similar stage to the agenda, but has the advantage of an MMC slot
stay frosty and alert
10PRINT"Hello, world!"
:^)
18 bytes. Runs under RISC OS perfectly.
Do I win a prize?
++ Say to Elrond "Hello.".
Elrond says "No.". Elrond gives you some lunch.
Where's the quality industrial design? It looks like one of those cheap iMac-inspired PCs: They use the colors from the iMac, but don't take even the smallest bit of the industrial design behind the iMac. At least the iMac looks sturdy.
:)
Drop your Agenda PDA and watch it shatter as it hits the ground... it looks like if you hold it with a bit to much zest you'll crush it and it's bubble-gum flavored insides will spill out. Steve Jobs would probably like it, because not only is it lickable, you probably could actually take a bite out of it.
There are many people who dislike the iMac, but most people have to agree that at least it has quality industrial design. So why is it, that when everyone decides to copy the iMac, that they leave out one of the most important parts of it's design?
And let's get away from the fruity colored PCs/accessories. They don't appeal to larger corporate buyers, for one. Especially in a PDA, where the buyer is probably going to be someone a bit computer savvy, they are highly unlikely to be attracted to it because of the color. In fact, they might very well not buy it (when the would have otherwise) because of the iMac-inspired colors. Then again, die hard computer guys and gals would just paint it themselves.
If only all my PCs were jet black like my ThinkPad 570... there's some quality industrial design, in a color that matches everything.
To put it bluntly, that's just stupid. This is a PDA we're talking about - it's not a freakin' political system!
Do you refuse to shop in any store that has a "proprietary" (oh no! not that!) point-of-sale system running on their cash registers?
Are you boycotting VCRs until you can get a Linux-based TIVO? (so, does anybody have the source code to the "application" that runs on the oh-so-Free TIVO? Are y'all forking out the monthly fee to the Man for the "proprietary" scheduling information?)
Are you refusing to drive until the auto manufacturers start using Embedded Linux to control all the CPUs scattered around the car?
I'm all in favor of Ideals. But you're not working with Ideals - you're just mindlessly bleating the latest KoolRad jingoism.
- Old Man of the Mountain ---- "I want to disturb my neighbor"
Cheap? If any number of 2nd hand Palm IIIe organizers are available on eBay for about $130, how is $179 "cheap"? Especially considering the software base, quality of developer tools and resale value? For slightly more money, go IIIx or a Handspring Visor.
Call it a fun opportunity to hack on a Linux-based PDA for not an exorbitant amount, but don't call it a cheap PDA.
Here's the site:
Agenda VR3.
I'm not trying to knock the unit, but I would hope that people who are serious about developing for the device would purchase it (hence the "developer edition"). It seems like a lot of people show up on the mailing list expecting a fully functional unit, when there is still a lot of work to be done.