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Thin Client Handhelds For Multiple OSs

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the strange-ideas-with-limited-value dept.

c0d3po3t writes "An article on CNet tells us that two Singapore programmers have developed a system to allow one handheld operating system to run any application - Windows or Linux. Sounds like a good idea, but will their idea of network emulation be solid?" I can't really see the use for this except environments where your handheld has network access (the system is network based) and you have multiple legacy systems to deal with. It just doesn't sit right beyond the gee-whiz factor for me.

5 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. not a new idea by cr@ckwhore · · Score: 5, Informative

    There has been a VNC client for PalmOS for a while now. I'm not sure about PocketPC, but intuition tells me there is probably a remote access solution like this also.

    http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cf m? prodID=7778

    Not a new idea!

    --
    Skiers and Riders -- http://www.snowjournal.com
    1. Re:not a new idea by pipacs · · Score: 2, Informative
      There has been a VNC client for PalmOS for a while now.
      I believe the main idea is to intercept filesystem calls, too, not just graphics. The data is always with you, even if the application isn't.

      Is there an SMB or NFS server for palmtops? One could achieve the same with a file server and a VNC client.

  2. Sun did this... by T.Monk · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sun did this years ago... They called the project "Corona" it was supposed to turn the network into the "bus" and they had drivers for NT, Solaris, Linux, etc... neat trick but at the end of the day, it's just VNC, isn't it?

  3. There is a difference about this idea, though by c0d3po3t · · Score: 4, Informative

    You seem to be thinking that this is a mere virtual machine idea like a VNC or pcAnywhere solution - but according to the article the application actually takes system calls for saves, etc. and redirects them over the network to the central server - and it says that a network connection is only required when a full save is required - it caches what the user is doing. VNC stays connected all the time and is subject to network speed and overload - something that this type of idea is not.

  4. Another company is already doing this... by markana · · Score: 2, Informative

    There's a Seattle-area software shop (http://www.sproqit.com/) already doing exactly this, including caching document changes. So this isn't exactly a revolutionary idea...