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Telepongs Linux Handheld in June

Danny writes: "infoSync has got a interesting story about a mobile terminal running on Linux, which is supposed to be available in June 2002. From the pictures to tell, it's really cool -- and it supports GSM/GPRS, has a 65K color display and comes with a camera interface and a joystick for playing games." Now mind you such cool devices will take years to get to the U.S., but wow, that's a crazy looking device. Me Like-ee.

5 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Question about filesystems... by Sonicboom · · Score: 2, Interesting

    What kind of filesystems do these things use?

    I'm curious.

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  2. Userinterface? by AdmiralMustapha · · Score: 3, Interesting

    What all these devices lack IMO are really easy-to-handle userinterfaces; operating on a small screen, using even smaller buttons and keys is not my ideal idea of easy of use.
    Heck, i even prefer my good old diary to my palm 5!

    I guess we will have to wait for some years, until we can command those gadgets with our very voices or thinking.

  3. Strek Trek Tech by rhekman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is it just me, or are these newer gen handhelds looking more and more like Star Trek Communicators? This one looks a lot like the Mularian communicators from the Enterprise: Civilization episode last night. I guess it's fitting that it runs Linux.

    Trip and Archer with equipment

    Regards,
    Reid

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  4. handhelds. by garcia · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Honestly, I have had a handheld device for almost a year now... I haven't had much use for it other than as a glorified gameboy and an oversided MP3 player.

    Sure it is invaluable as a note taking device in research libraries that don't allow pens and since I don't have a laptop here w/me it is nice (especially that I don't have to lug around 10 lbs)

    Honestly though I don't understand the need for a handheld other than that. It takes me more time to take down quick notes than it would on a piece of paper (in an appt book).

    I love using it for what I use it for but I don't see the need for a $500 piece of paper/gameboy.

    That's just my worthless .02 as a user of one of these devices.

  5. Re:wierd.. by O2n · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You're right.

    Basically they try to create a market for the GPRS and 3G wich will be at least hard, because they have to make the users change their habits.

    For almost 100 years the telephone was primarily a means of oral communication; only within the last 10 years there's been a sensible change to this trend, maybe significant, but definitely not a change of focus.

    What happened is that at the height of the dot.com bubble, a lot of (cell)phone and other co.s in Europe paid enormous price tags for 3G licenses.
    After the bubble burst, they found themselves in huge debts, with deadlines to meet and networks to build (as 3G needs it's own infrastructure).

    Enter GPRS, which was supposed to be just a transition phase to 3G, but due to the circumstances was seen as the corporate ass saviour, being cheaper to deploy than the 3G; the net result seems to be that instead of beeing an intermediate step, it's a goal itself, which is less likely to work due to the global economic slowdown, and has good chances of killing 3G also in the process.

    It's hard to predict how this will evolve, but as it seems, their winning business plan for now is "10s of bilions to pay for the G3 licenses, no network and no market".