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Linux-Based Phone, Snatched From Inferno

Posted by timothy on from the also-washes-dishes dept.

elemur writes: "For your linux loving friends with everything, why not get a TuxScreen? This phone is based on the Compaq Linux distribution, normally used on the iPaq. When is the last time you needed to upgrade the packages or distribution on your phone?" A phone with a 640x480 touchscreen and a lot more smarts than "redial" would be an upgrade to most people anyhow -- being able to play games even more.

4 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Linux and Telephony by pgrote · · Score: 5, Informative

    Although some may snicker at the kicthen aspect of the phone, this really does provide a nice platform for Linux telephony.

    Strides are being made in the telephony arena using linux. Bayonne is making great progress:

    http://www.gnu.org/software/bayonne/news.html

    One of the interesting things that people forget is that while VOIP is cool, you can't forget about the phone/automated system interaction for transacation based systems. Lots of market there.

    1. Re:Linux and Telephony by fmaxwell · · Score: 5, Insightful

      this really does provide a nice platform for Linux telephony

      "Linux telephony"? Am I in a Dilbert cartoon about buzzword hell or what? It's a network appliance with a voice modem and a telephone handset. Big friggin' deal. I can just envision conversations like the one below:


      Son: Hi Mom. I'm calling you on a Linux-based telephone.

      Mom: A what?

      Son: A Linux-based telephone. It's a phone with Linux in it. I just started penguin-dial, clicked on your name, and it dialed the phone for me.

      Mom: Oh, like my speed dial buttons...

      Son: No, this has your name on the screen.

      Mom: But I write the names on the labels next to the speed dial buttons.

      Son: This is different. It's like a laptop computer and it was only $99.

      Mom: But we bought you a laptop computer before you went to college. What happened to that? If a $99 one was all you needed, why did your father and I spend $1500?

      Son: I still have the laptop. This one is really slow and has a small screen. Plus, it does not run on batteries so you have to keep it plugged in. So this can't replace the laptop.

      Mom: So if you already have a better computer and your phone worked fine, why did you need that new $100 thing you are using?

      Son: Because it runs Linux.

      Mom: You keep saying that. What's Linux?

      Son: It's like Windows only way better. It's free.

      Mom: So you spent $100 for a computer phone to run a free computer program that gives you speed dial?

      Son: You don't understand. It does much more than that.

      Mom: Like what?

      Son: It has a web browser and word processor and calculator and all kinds of other stuff.

      Mom: But that laptop has all of that, doesn't it.

      Son: Yeah, but it uses Windows and Windows sucks.

      Mom: Then why did you have us get you a computer with Windows?

      Son: Because all of the programs that I need to run for school are on Windows. But it sucks. It's not stable and crashes a lot.

      Mom: So this new "thing" doesn't crash?

      Son: It does, but that's because it has a beta version of Linux on it. Once I have a non-beta version of Linux, it should be more stable than my laptop.

      Mom: So now you will use this new thing and the laptop we spent all of that money on will gather dust?

      Son: No Mom. You just don't understand. Anyway, that's not what I called about. Could you and Dad send me another $100? I need it for books and clothes and stuff.

  2. Fun hack? by kableh · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I work for a company doing a lot of wireless VoIP stuff, and can imagine all sorts of cool stuff you could do with this. Just load up OpenH323 and you have a functioning VoIP phone for anywhere. A guy who works with me has written an open source H323 app for WinCE on the iPAQ, and I bet it would be simple to port to a device like this!

  3. Cool toy, but needs to be re-directed. by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    microwindows is cool, I use it in embedded places.
    but this phone screams for PicoGUI instead. It's much smaller, and is better suited for a multi-display device instead of a mini-X windows. I tried both in a home automation project, and picogui won because of size and speed and the lack of ability to have overlapping windows.

    I for one am getting 3 of these phones just for the hardware hacking potential.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.