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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 ;)

3 of 127 comments (clear)

  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.

  2. Since the posted link doesn't go anywhere... by PhatKat · · Score: 5

    Here's the site:
    Agenda VR3.

  3. 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.