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First Looks at Linux DA PDA

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the all-this-for-under-a-hundred-clams dept.

e1en0r writes "My Linux DA PDA finally arrived yesterday. It's a great PDA for under $100. I put up a review of it here. It's very similar to the Palm OS, with a few more interesting features. The most notable being the file manager. You can see where everything is and view all the files in text and hexadecimal mode. It also appears that you can overclock the 16 MHz DragonBall CPU up to 25 MHz. There are some screenshots on their site, which include the CPU Speed application. Unfortunately that application is lacking in documentation." The review is a little thin, but its still cool seeing these in the wild.

6 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. Linux at the wrong end! by ghostlibrary · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Alas, this PDA makes the same mistake as all the others. From the sales page:

    "DataSync Program Only Available in MS Windows Platform"

    It'd be nice to have a PDA running Linux, but if it can't talk to my other computers, it's pointless.

    Rats.

    --
    A.
  2. Linux DA or Agenda VR3? by harpotheclown · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Which would be a better buy? The Linux DA goes for $99 and you can get an Agenda VR3 for $119 at Tigerdirect. You have to wait 6-8 weeks for the DA though. The Agenda, right now, has more applications, a faster processor (66Mhz compared to 16-25 for the DA), and more memory but support could be dwindling. As far as pure hacking pleasure goes I'm still tempted to go with the Agenda VR3. Any opinions?

    --
    Thank you, drive through.
  3. "LinuxDA" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Isn't Linux a trademark by Linus Torvalds? Looks like he might have to file a lawsuit of his own there to prevent the Linux trademark from being "diluted".

  4. License? Trademark? Proprietary programs? by mj6798 · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The AgendaVR, Yopy, and Sharp PDAs are "Linux PDAs". This is a proprietary PDA that happens to use a Linux kernel. Other than that, you'll have an easier time writing applications using open source tools for the Palm than for this thing.

    What bugs me about this is not that some company is using the Linux kernel to build a proprietary PDA, but the fact that they so prominently use the Linux name. This is not a "Linux" PDA in any useful sense: it doesn't run Linux utilities, it thumbs its nose at the open source process, and even its kernel software development appears to take part outside the Linux community.

    I also wonder whether the company even still has the right to use the Linux kernel. They failed to make source code available for months (I requested it), even though they were distributing binaries. That was a violation of the GPL, and once you violate it, you lose the right to use the code. Also, the source code that they did finally distribute is a mess, and I have my doubts that it even corresponds to the kernel that they ship, which would constitute another GPL violation.

  5. Get real by FallLine · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The palm m505 is so hopelessly overpriced that these things have to potential to sell well. I've been a plam user from the start but I'm looking for an alternative. Let's just hope the usual open source tilt towards completely ignoring any kind of marketing doesn't haunt DA.
    Yes, the Palm m505 is expensive. However, you're comparing Apples and Oranges. You can buy a PalmIIIxe or Palm105 for less than 150 and these are very much equivelanet to what this Linux DA company is offering. What's more, these come with very well designed software products for both the Handheld, PC, and the Conduit (the layer that syncs). Not to mention a zillion 3rd party software applications and hardware addons.

    This is just the current state too. We know that Palm is doing all this in an economically viable way, whereas Linux DA may not be and probably is not. In other words, with Palm the continued support and development is pretty much a sure thing...Linux DA on the other hand.....will likely be forced to fold very shortly.
  6. Looks like a piece of junk.... by starslab · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I can't say i'm terribly impressed with this thing. Only syncs with Windows, no third-party apps (that'll be fixed in time), and even the Windows sync program is broken.

    Not to mention, Palm could probably sue them for ripping off their UI... Other than that the fonts are ugly as fuck and not positioned onscreen properly, it looks exactly like PalmOS.

    The one thing i'm curious about though : They claim "Hardware compatibility with Palm IIIxe". Does that mean I could buy one of these devices, get a ROM image of PalmOS 3.5 somewhere and throw it onto this $100 handheld? (Slightly illegal, I know, but I'm just wondering if it's possible)