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Cheap Linux PDAs

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the stuff-to-hack-on dept.

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 ;)

12 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. I'm not proud of this, by Shoeboy · · Score: 4

    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

  2. VNC for Palm by Qube · · Score: 3

    here.

    PocketPC version here.

  3. My Review by Kristopher+Johnson · · Score: 4
    I've had mine for a little over a week. Here are my impressions:
    • The size is nice. You can't tell from the web site photos, but it's about the size of the Palm m100, but with a larger screen. The screen provides 160x240 pixels.
    • The kernel (2.4.0), device drivers, and basic utilities are still under development. But it's good enough to use as a development platform--very stable in my experience.
    • It's "real" Linux, with an X server, TCP/IP stack, etc. It's not a dumbed-down "embedded Linux".
    • It's slow. Part of this is due to lack of FPU. The developers are working on this.
    • FLTK is the primary API for doing GUIs. There is an FLPDA library that provides common look-and-feel across apps.
    • The handwriting recognition is not usable. You'll have to use the on-screen keyboard (or telnet in from a desktop machine).

    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.)

  4. Couldn't Be Happier by mchappee · · Score: 3

    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
  5. Re:Is there... by flynt · · Score: 3

    Ipaq's need adapters to plug stuff in like this. But there is both a PCMCIA one and a Compact flash one. There are ethernet adapters for CF slots too. There are tons of Internet apps already, besides browsers. There are IRC clients, icq clients, telnet clients, even ssh clients. It is cool to go to the library and plug in and be on IRC :)

  6. It's an organizer? by Ravagin · · Score: 3

    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.

    1. Re:It's an organizer? by MustardMan · · Score: 5

      So you can use it to run X applications wirelessly, and easily display anything from a monitor for your seti@home progress, to a instant message session, to the GIMP, to anything else that needs more processor power than a PDA has, but can still be used in a pinch on a small screen.

      In my personal experience, one thing that I plan to use something like this as is a portable monitor for the simulations I have running on a remote supercomputer, doing nonlinear dynamics calculations for my senior research. I can easily use X to display a progress monitor/dialog/error popup box on something I can take with me, so I can monitor my simulation at lunch, or while in a class, or on the bus.

  7. I have a helio now... by SurfsUp · · Score: 4

    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.
  8. Don't drop it by doorbot.com · · Score: 3

    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.

  9. Re:Be Aware of the powerdrain !!! by tolldog · · Score: 3

    I see... so your *developer* eddition didn't work out for you. You mean that it looks like some work could be done on it?
    I too have been a little frustrated with mine, but I understand that the system isn't final. People are still working on it, writing apps for it, tweaking the kernel for it.
    Is it a finsished product, no. But if you read the developers information, it will not be a big supprise or dissapointment.

    --
    -I just work here... how am I supposed to know?
  10. Since the posted link doesn't go anywhere... by PhatKat · · Score: 5

    Here's the site:
    Agenda VR3.

  11. Agenda VR3d by Rambo · · Score: 5
    I got one of these units back in December, and it is a nifty little gadget... However, anyone who buys these should go into it with their eyes open. At this point, I don't consider it ready for the masses by any stretch of the imagination, so please don't buy it to replace your Visor/Palm/etc with the thought that it will be ready "out of the box". Current units (with the help of the community) are now able to auto-sleep, although there is still no way to meter the battery voltage or have it shut itself automatically when the batteries get low. Speed is still an issue, as is handwriting recognition, etc.

    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.