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Sharp Readies SL-5000D
Anders writes "infoSync has a story and pictures of Sharps new Linux-device SL-5000D, which runs on Embedix Linux 2.4 with Jeode's PersonalJava, using Qt/Embedded and the Qt Palmtop Environment, and will be capable of running applications coded either in Linux or in Java."
I was under the impression that Linux was an OS, not a programming language ;-)
Java is an operating system, too...
/. :P
In either case, edit posts,
Want Linux games? HERE.
most people still think Linux is an Ugly, cobbled together OS that is difficult to install and use.
As a Linux user since 1995, I agree totally with this statement. No coherence of interface, a lot of work duplication, and no coherent configuration tool, and still people trumpet this as a good thing!
As far as User Interfaces are concerned, keep the appearance customisable, but make sure you've got a standard, well-defined interface. This is where Windows does a hell of a lot better than Linux.
Does anyone know if this device has flashable ROM? I own a CasioE100, I bought it the moment it became available (it was the feature leader BY FAR at its time, and the Casio Exx series still holds strong (including the hardware on my E100)).
The reason i ask is this, without a flashable ROM, will i be left behind AGAIN(!). You see, ive got this E100 that all the CE developers have 'moved on from' - if they burn JavaPersonalEdition into the Sharp unit, and i am incapable of removing it for a J2ME upgrade later? Will I be able to completely remove Opera5 for Opera5+x? I would hate to get stuck w/ QT Embedded VXX(?) and get screwed when everyone moves up to QTE VXX+Y.
Really, I am not just a little miffed about the 'applicance' like state of the PDA world - the PDA universe needs someone who will ship a PDA in a more generic sense, with WinCE as an 'option' and drivers for all the hardware for WinCE, QT Palmtop, QNX and Linux.
Instead of stearing PDAs like the handheld version of Apple hardware, Id like to see a little more of a "open IBM clone" style hardware... but i digress.
So, what is the chance that I might be able to consider this device, IE: only if I can re-flash it to be the 'latest' and 'greatest' software available in future... i cant stand to think ill end up with anther $600CDN PDA that I cannot shove software into because it was sold as a glorified calculator...with a permanent OS/APP/ROM image.
Lets face it, most people still think Linux is an Ugly, cobbled together OS that is difficult to install and use.
I agree with the other two replies; I've been using Linux for over three years now, and I think Linux is an ugly, cobbled together OS that is difficult to install and use.
An acquaintance of mine said it best... He said that Linux has the feeling of a big shareware project that never quite gets completed. I'm inclined to agree with that statement.
As far as I'm concerned, I don't think Linux will ever take off with your every day Joe. Linux was designed by geeks, for geeks, and I think things are going to stay that way. Could it be made user friendly? Certainly - look at Mac OS X... they took BSD and made it accessible to the masses. But that was their specific goal; Linux users seem more concerned with making the 10,000,000th window manager and creating yet another GUI, which is all good and fun for geeks, but probably more detrimental for end users than anything else; it simply adds confusion and layers of complexity. Your typical user doesn't want choice... he/she just wants a user-friendly, attractive, easy to use system.
I'm thinking the reason Sharp did this was to allow the SL-5000 to run a greater variety of programs than its competitors. Think about it - using an iPaq with WinCE, you're restricted to using programs created specifically for CE. Same with PalmOS. Now, since the SL-5000 is capable of running Java apps, so now you can basically grab any program that you think you would use, and be able to run it on both your handheld and desktop. (That's my theory, personally.)
It looks like the only issues about Java for the SL-5000 are language-specific issues - i.e. differences between v1.1.x and 1.2.2, etc. But it looks good.
There is no escape from The Muffin.