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New Tablet PCs With A Linux Option
Oliver Wendell Jones writes "InfoWorld is running an article about a new kind of inexpensive (starting under $800) tablet PC that runs your choice of Windows 2000, Windows XP or the Lindows distro of Linux. The PC is called the DocuNote and features an 8.4" touch screen with digital camera and microphone. The PCs are being created by a company called StepUp, which is formed of a lot of people from the old eMachines organization. DocuNotes are scheduled to start shipping in mid-December."
They're shipping in time for Christmas!
"A microprocessor... is a terrible thing to waste." --
GeneralEmergency
I'm glad it runs linux but has a touch screen. That will prevent me from touching 'rm -rf
Seriously, linux w/ a touchscreen?? How useful is that?!
-- People who hate Windows use Linux. People who love UNIX use BSD.
A GROUP OF PC industry veterans Tuesday took the cloak off a new company called StepUp Computing, and revealed its first product -- a low-cost, pen-based tablet computer that can run Windows 2000, Windows XP, and coming soon, a version of the Linux operating system from Lindows.com.
The cofounder of budget PC maker eMachines and several former executives of that company are behind the new venture. It's goal is to offer affordable desktop and mobile computing products that serve small and mid-size business users in targeted specialty and vertical markets, it said.
StepUp Computing's first product to market will be a tablet computer called the DocuNote, which will cost as little as $799 depending on the software it ships with, the company said. While it is being released in concert with a host of tablet devices from vendors such as Acer and Hewlett-Packard, it does not run Microsoft's new Windows XP Professional Tablet PC operating system, and lacks some of the advanced features that are available with those devices, according to Microsoft.
It also doesn't share the same price tag. Tablet devices running Microsoft's new operating system cost as much as $2,500.
The DocuNote weighs 2.5 pounds with its battery pack, and measures about 10 inches by 8 inches by 1-inch thick. It features an 8.4-inch touch-screen display and a built-in color digital camera and microphone that are designed for video conferencing, the company said. It features a 667MHz Crusoe TM5600 processor from Transmeta Corp., 256MB of memory and a 20GB hard drive. It also has a slot for a wireless network card.
Unlike the new class of Tablet PCs, the device from StepUp Computing can be navigated by touching the display with any object, such as a stylus pen or your finger. It does, however, share capabilities, such as inking and handwriting recognition, with the more expensive machines.
Young Song, president and chief executive officer at StepUp Computing, was a co-founder of eMachines. Other executives at the Fullerton, Calif.-based start-up include the former director of finance and senior director of corporate communications at eMachines.
StepUp Computing is practicing a similar philosophy to that of eMachines with its strategy of keeping hardware costs at the low-end of the market. The devices are manufactured in Seoul by Garnet Systems, and will only be available through select VARs (value-added resellers) and systems integrators, who will be responsible for setting up and configuring the devices for customers.
StepUp Computing is now accepting orders for the DocuNote through the channel with plans to begin shipping units in mid-December. In early 2003, the company will begin selling DocuNote devices running LindowsOS 3.0, it said.
I suppose anything that supports linux or any non MS OS is a step in the right direction but, why lindows?
I wonder if Lindows handwriting recognition software will be GPL'ed. Even if it isn't, perhaps it would be usable on other flavors of Linux?
AFAIK there is no high-powered handwriting recognition software readily available for linux. Is that so?
Wah!
But how the FUCK are you gonna use the command line with this thing.
:-p
ssh into it? Or are you planning on carrying a keyboard around for your tablet PC?
All Your Memory Are Belong To Java
I hate to reveal my Mac OS affiliation here in Linux heaven -- but does anyone know of any Apple plans on this front? Tablets have interested me for a really long time, so what if laptops are probably better for most things? ;-)
This is a disadvantage of a single-source hardware platform. Or not: oddly enough Apple has been an innovator there many times over -- SCSI, USB, Firewire, flat-panel iMac, dropping-the-floppy, Newton (oops), Superdrive and so on (please don't bother to correct the ones I got wrong) -- not to say these were all earthshaking, but you'd expect the innovation to come from the huge Wintel market (or not I now have learned, given the slender margins, 3rd-party hardware headaches, and pressure for cloning over novelty).
At this stage Linux doesn't have anything even close to that. Of course it would be fun to hack a Tablet PC but not much productivity could be expected.
And here an article about Tablet PC software.
'It's basically a cheap imitation of Windows.' at which point the customer says:
'No thanks, I'll go with the genuine thing.' As I said, Lindows does nothing for Linux and in fact probably strengthens Microsoft's ability to sell its OS.
?-|||-----x<*))))><
Operating system aside, the form factor _is_ similar. I have my 2k here with me now. The Stepup's will be 8x10, 2.5 pounds. It's actually quite a good size- it'll be obvious if you're carrying it around, but should fit in the crook of the arm nicely. And the price is good, too - $800 is the price of a low-end laptop, and I think this could be more useful. Add a wifi card and VNC, and all of a sudden you have the web pad that MS goes on about, but take it on the road as a separate machine. Could work.
Ditto what others have said - what kind of HWR will this thing have that'll run on Linux?
"Sometimes a woman is a kind of religion, she can save your soul & set you free from all your sins" - Bad Examples
Marketing Dept - Fill the hardrive with Bonzi Buddy and other BundleCrap(TM).
Quality Control - Easy to strip screws included at no additional cost!
or Purchasing - "These Fujistu hard drives are a great deal!"
Ok, this may be slightly off-topic, and it may be a stupid question, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who is wondering -
What's with Lindows everywhere? First they get distribution with Wal-Mart PCs, and now these tablet PCs which look to me like they could be a serious competitor to the $2500 alternatives. Does anyone know anything about the company? Are they a "good" company as far as their open-source work? Are they looking to make any sort of corporate push? And on the technical side, I've never messed with Lindows myself. Is it similar to RedHat, or Debian, or what? Is it stable? Could anyone with experience with Lindows share their opinions and thoughts?
Thanks
Will these tablets be similar to eMachines in quality? In other words, none whatsoever?
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
Here's the site of the company that's making this thing:
http://www.stepupcomputing.com/
Wonder if they'll sell an OS-less version, so we don't have to pay the Windows tax?
---- I made the Kessel Run in under 11 parsecs.
I mean really - why does everyone just suddenly believe these things have a future? I don't mean they would not, but why now?
Is at http://www.docunote.com/.
It looks pretty nice, even has a d-pad/mouse, but alas no thumbboard.
Jon Acheson
All opinions expressed herein are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled.
And many functions of pen computers don't require handwriting recognition at all (ink notes, browsing, e-books, etc.)--just getting rid of that bulky keyboard alone when it's not needed would be worth the pen computer.
A few things of note:
1. You CAN run Linux on a MS Tablet PC. No one's stopping you. Woo hoo.
2. These have TOUCH SCREENS. MS Tablets have electomagnetic pens, kinda like a Wacom tablet. NOT pressure sensitive like a touch screen.
3. MS Tablets have XP Tablet Edition, with the handwriting recognition/Ink software. Linux doesn't, and seeing the state Linux fonts are currently in ("Linux fonts are fine!! Just copy the TrueType fonts from Windblo... um, nevermind"), I don't think handwriting recognition software is on its way anytime soon (and before anyone brings it up, SourceForge projects below stage 3 or 4 DON'T COUNT).
So what we have here is a glorified Palm running linux or WinXP. Glue a touchscreen LCD onto a brick PC and you're done. Wahoo. I can go back to sleep now, because this in no way offers competition to the MS-based tablets. HAND.
This cheap version doesn't have handwriting recognition, the supposed killer-app of tablet PCs.
FoundNews.com - get paid to blog.,
So its about the same as a laptop, but has less power, is way more expensive than a PDA but doesn't fit in your pocket.
How is this inexpensive ? What next "Inexpensive Ferrari" ?
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
A keyboardless computer, that is running Lindows, that is designed by the people who brought us the e-machine. There are so many problems with that idea I don't know where to start.
Give a hand, not a hand-out.
Tablet PC's: "If a PDA can't cut it, you have enough money for a laptop but can't stand keyboards -- this is the platform for you."
(+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.
The real question here is do you want an $800 tablet computer? Forget about the OS.
If enough hobbiests want them, then you know Linux (any flavor) will be available sooner or later.
There is plenty of Linux software designed to run with pen input--after all, Linux has been used on handhelds for a number of years.
Most mouse based applications work naturally with a pen anyway. Web browsing, e-book reading, marking up text, drawing, and things like that work like a charm with standard Linux applications on a Linux-based tablet. And even with no handwriting recognition, an on-screen keyboard makes entering text and data quite easy and quick and, again, requires no application changes (given the modular X11 architecture). And fully integrated handwriting and gesture recognition also already exists for X11.
Maybe it was a lot of work to integrate pen input into Windows, but Linux and X11 are modular and mature enough that this is not an issue.
It's just like a big touchpad:
(GOD_DAMN KICK-ASS LOOKING MORSE CODE REMOVED BY FUCKING LAMENESS FILTER! IT'S A LANGUAGE DAMMIT - ADD IT!)
- slide finger left to right :P
. tap
/ upper right to lower left
It can't be THAT hard to remember, the military uses it
"I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)
Did I just miss it in the article? I can't find any link to the company, nor any reference to the company or product anywhere else on the web. Does anybody know more? $800 really is a good deal on a pen-based computer, and this thing should have lots of applications, if not in the consumer area, then in vertical markets.
You just have to love this article. Describes a somewhat-interesting new tech (I'm actually interested in it primarily because of the price - I don't give two shits about "Tablet PC" gimmicks, but having a wireless web browser in this form is a great idea), but THEY DON'T GIVE A BLOODY URL.
The company is actually taking orders - you would guess they just _might_ have a web site, given who they're targetting this at. If they do, then these article writers should be SHOT for not including the URL. God damnit.
Barclay family motto:
Aut agere aut mori.
(Either action or death.)
Pictures and more information is there.
Most OS' that end up on tablet devices have support for Virtual Keyboards that usually can be invoked or dismissed pretty easily. My iPaq has one, although prefer to use their version of Graffitty.
It would be pretty easy to config the distribution to present a Virtual Keyboard whenever a shell was launched, and dismiss (or otherwise hide it) when the shell was no longer needed.
Pure GUI apps wouldn't need the keyboard as frequently, and prolly could be navigated purely by screen buttons except when text entry was required.
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I wonder if they'll release the handwriting recognition
under the GPL. That would certainly be cool, though
I doubt it'd happen.
I'd still buy one even if that portion of it is
proprietary.
- Preferences: Solaris 10 (servers), Ubuntu (desktops), Solaris 11 (personal servers) -
1. It'll run fine until you plug anything into it, then the power supply will burn out because it's spec'ed to the 1/2 watt of the average load on the tablet..
2. The insides will be all held together with bubble gum and twine...
3. It'll randomly turn itself on and off and when youc all tech support they'll tell you "That's a feature, ain't it cool!"
4. You'll be convinced they installed the "Gir" version of windows on the machine... "I like taco's"
Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
Here're a couple of links which may help with this sort of thing:
c ollaboration w/ PDAs)
t ural UI design)
t ch and ink-based toolkit)
o rmal tools for GUI and web design)
- http://www.linuxslate.org
(drivers &c. for Fujitsu and other pen slates, also XScribble (graffiti-like handwriting recogntion)
Various Berkeley Java based Pen / gestural UI things (w/ source):
starting at:
http://guir.cs.berkeley.edu/projects/
NotePals - http://guir.cs.berkeley.edu/projects/notepals/
(
Quill and GDT - http://guir.cs.berkeley.edu/projects/quill/
(ges
SATIN - http://guir.cs.berkeley.edu/projects/satin/
(ske
DENIM and SILK - http://guir.cs.berkeley.edu/projects/denim/
(inf
Someone else already mentioned Squeak, a SmallTalk implementation suitable for use w/ pens www.squeak.org, as well as www.handhelds.org, (which should be obvious)
www.mira2go.com had Linux pen systems pretty recently (and was even advertising here on Slashdot).
The critical issue to my mind is getting some sort of natural ink handling w/ nicely integrated gesture support as well as document annotation.
William
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
On a different note, I don't think the tablet pc idea is going to go very far. While I do think they will exist for quite some time, and will most likely pick up some initial steam, how useful are they long term compared to laptop computers? We can all think of a few uses where they would be better but overall, which one is going to be more useful? My laptop does everything I want it to do. I can think of a few situations where I would love to have a handheld, but not enough use to warrant actually purchasing one. A tablet pc is somewhere in the middle of the two. Two large to be as portable as I would like, and not as useful as the laptop I already have.
How many people that have laptops now are going to buy one of these? I don't think very many people will convert unless they were ready to buy a new one anyway. How many people are in the market for a laptop right now and will get one of these instead? I think most people that will buy one will get it because it's "cool". That's the main reason I bought a laptop. Sure it makes life easier and more convenient but I got by fine for years without one.
But if I did buy one.. and yo never know, I may get one eventually, I will deffinitely run Mandrake on it as I think Lindows is only good for people who can't decide which one they want, aren't ready to take the plunge, or want to ease into useing Linux.
How is it that one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
Here's their website: http://www.docunote.com/
Creationists are a lot like zombies. Slow, but powerful and numerous. And they all want to eat our brains.
Jaguar (OS X 10.2) has Inkwell handwriting technology built in (for tablets et. al.). So they have a good foundation.
Because keyboards are by-far the most efficient way to get information into a computer, so who would want a computer that doesn't have one?
This may seem simplistic, but often the smartest people can miss the simplest flaws.
My first two homes were built with bubble gum, twine and soft twigs. Until they sank into the swamp. My third home added moss and it's still here tod ... wait, it's sinking into the swamp. Lichens. That's what it needs!
Ricoh G1200-S Tablet. touch-sensitive 16-bit color LCD screen, Does Win98, Linux... Costs less than $100 on Ebay.
So whats the big deal?
Cheers,
Bowie J. Poag
Made from the former people of eMachines? If they are trying to scare me from buying a tablet PC they are doing a very good job. I have never had more problems with a single brand of PC and yet now they are going to start producing tablet PCs and expect them to work?
The typing issue is trivial. I'm nearly certain you can plug in a standard keyboard (it's basically still a laptop, after all), and for those occasions when you can't, a simple app could put a keyboard on the screen and you can type on that.
Also, there's a neat gadget ( http://www.time.com/time/2002/inventions/rob_keybo ard.html )
that could be incorporated pretty easily, although I'm sure it's not in the machine under discussion. (Sorry if the URL is broken in half -- I couldn't figure out how to fix it.)
That's just one reason I consider a passive touchscreen (anything which can depress it can activate it) to an active one (has a special pen that is the only thing that will activate it.)
Here's a few others:
* Losing your stylus doesn't require a $15-$20 (at least) replacement, and render your machine completely dysfunctional until you get it.
* It allows software to become much more intuitive. The original concept of a mouse was to simulate being able to touch the objects on the "desktop" and move them around. The objects will still be a simulation, but the touching will be reality.
This has one medium serious drawback, of course. It means Apple was right to stick with a one-button mouse all this time...
* It opens up a whole bunch of new interface interaction possibilities. For example, to address the one-button,two-button,three-button issue, you could tap with one, two, or three fingers. (Some of the stuff that's been done with right-clicking I actually like. I'd rather not give it up.)
Even more, it makes possible interactions that could not possibly be done with a mouse, such as moving a window around with one hand and resizing it with the other at the same time (or resizing with two fingers on the same hand); or moving two windows (maybe even three or four if you've got big hands and coordination) at once.
How'd you like to design a web page layout by literal "hands-on" design? Eye-hand coordination is built into the species. Remote control devices like mice, trackballs, graphics tablets, etc all make it more difficult to use your mind for the creative, aesthetic side of the work. (Geeks, who usually don't have any aesthetic sense worth speaking of, and who use mice and keyboards more often than any other object, will not get as big a boost in productivity. Sorry.)
Add to that any other activities that involve multiple fingers (musical keyboards, 10-key pads, phone number pads and so on), and I consider a passive touchscreen a much better option than One Pen to Rul... Sorry, started to get carried away.
I read about this early this morning.. Lindows sent this our this morning to all the Lindows Developers... Imagine an Etch-A-Sketch size computer on the front of your refrigerator or maybe on the coffee table in your living room. Anytime you want movie times, sport scores, news headlines, or need to check your email, you'll have a handy, battery-operated, wirelessly-networked computer ready for your use. This is what the tablet computer is all about. We've been working on a tablet computer running LindowsOS, which should be ready near the first part of the year. (See below for how you can signup to hear about their release first.) I wanted to share with you some of our thoughts to get your feedback on where we're headed in the tablet market. I think you'll see our thinking about these devices may be different from others. Coming soon - LindowsOS Tablet PC 1) Tablet computers will need to be close to $500 to be practical. The LindowsOS Tablet PC will be around this price! Newly announced tablet computers are debuting with big price tags in the $2,000 to $3,000 range. While there will always be some techno-elite who purchase the latest toys no matter what the price, most people can't justify such costs. To reach the masses, tablets need to be substantially below $1,000. Anything priced higher will simply be a novelty and something you won't want to risk spilling coffee on. 2) Tablet computers will not replace desktops or laptops (and no all-in-one type of computers). If you've ever used a laptop's tiny screen or keyboard or fumbled with their abbreviated pointing device, you'll appreciate the old adage that bigger sometimes is better. Cramming everything into a tiny form function (which tablets need in order to be useful) makes general computing more difficult. Furthermore, people like keyboards. In my book, they're essential. Even a poor typist can outpace a fast hand writer. A tablet computer's usefulness will be primarily used as an easily accessible informational display device. Tablets won't be used for any intensive computing work. Instead, it will be used to go places where desktops or expensive laptop can't, due to price or bulkiness. Tablets will supplement desktops and laptops, not replace them, and only that if they are at a low, attractive price. 3) Handwriting recognition won't work reliably enough to be practical. Have you ever gotten a letter from your grandmother? The cursive writing was probably impressively precise. Now, compare that with the last letter from a friend. If you're under 40 you probably can't remember getting one, because written letters have largely been preempted by Email messages. So, think back to the last greeting card. Chances are the writing was fairly poor. That's because there's a lot less emphasis on handwriting in school and in business as much of today's communication is keyboard driven. As a consequence, handwriting has gotten sloppier making even the most accurate software unusable. 4) Even if we could perfect handwriting recognition, people wouldn't use it. Just because a particular technology becomes possible doesn't mean people will flock to use it. Voice navigation is now quite good, but that doesn't mean that people are talking to their computers. In fact, I know of virtually no one who regularly uses voice navigation, despite the fact that many predicted widespread adoption years ago. Sometimes, it's not just because of technical challenges why people don't perform a task a certain way. Even if hand writing on screens performed flawlessly, it doesn't mean that's what people will want to do. People like keyboards. People need keyboards. They are efficient. My kids will always be more proficient typists than writers. Society has made a remarkable transition over the last 20 years as the computer has taken hold (and before that with the typewriter). Younger folks have keyboard mentalities. It's primarily 40-plus-year-olds, who grew up in handwriting eras, who believe that handwriting will play a major role in computing. Active cursive writers are the very same people who are least likely to own computers and will be the last people to plunk down $3,000 for a tablet PC. The LindowsOS tablet will be an affordable device priced close to $500 - which is where it needs to be to gain mass market acceptance. It will supplement the PC and laptop already in use by providing a handy way to get quick access to information in a wireless manner. By using the low-cost solution that LindowsOS provides, we'll be making these devices at a much more affordable price. If you're thinking about how you could use a tablet computer be sure and sign up for our tablet mailing list to be notified first when we ship the LindowsOS tablet. Sincerely, Michael Robertson
Slashdot taught me how to use the preview button!
* It'll run Lindows.
* Company founded by a co-founder of e-machines.
* Crusoe processor.
Geez, this thing is just FULL of quality, ain't it?
I honestly can't think of any use for a tablet PC, other than warehousing. I'm sure there are some, but I'd still prefer a normal ol' laptop.
I am using a tablet pc in compusa right now. cool wireless internet access not compelling enough to compensate for nightmareish pen input interface. Getting this text entered correctly has taken more than 5 minutes...finally had to swith to soft keyboard.which sux to.
novelty at best
Transmeta offers a specialized Linux OS based on Redhat 7.1 that is optimized for it's chips. Here is the link: http://midori.transmeta.com/
I would think this would be the optimal OS to run on this tablet. Not to mention its GPLed and is a Sourceforge project.
Unlike the new class of Tablet PCs, the device from StepUp Computing can be navigated by touching the display with any object, such as a stylus pen or your finger. [emphasis added]
One of the nice things about the new M$ tablets and their fancy wacom-style pen is that, since they only respond to the pen, you can rest your hand on the screen and write naturally. go ahead, try it. grab anything and write on it. notice how your whole hand is laying down? now try to write with nothing except the writing instrument's tip touching. not quite the same, eh? writing complicated shapes like a lowercase 'S' is pretty hard when your hand isn't fixed. start writing the letter S smaller and smaller with and without your hand touching and compare the results as the size decreases.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
I like the features, price, and look of this device. If it can use other flavors of Linux besides Lindows and dual boot Linux and XP this might be a real winner for me. It's larger than a PDA.. which are to small for my tastes but not as bulky or expensive as a laptop.
For everyone whining about it not being either a PDA or a laptop they are missing the point.. some of us want something that is neither a PDA or a laptop and tablet PC's fit that need well. For me at least though I don't want to pay a laptop price for a tablet. $500-$800 hits the sweet spot for me.
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
I was thinking most atm machines probably run some sort of proprietary RT OS, but boy was I wrong. According to the NY Times most ATM's run OS/2.
One plugs a keyboard in to the USB port.
Relax, Chicken Little. This may be an incredibly stupid idea, but it's not that stupid.
I write in my journal
I'm typing this on a computer with a 17" LCD monitor. My monitor is wider than my keyboard, meaning it would be possible to display a picture of a keyboard on my screen at full size. I'd love to be able to touch-type on such a keyboard. It would suck ergonomically, it it'd be a challenge to have a touch-response system that's fast enough to keep up without errors-- you'd also have to have one that could recognize and handle multiple distinct touch-events simultaneously, as in holding down the shift key to type a capital letter. But if there were a way to pull it off, it would be a fantastic feature for quick, short entry. It would make a tablet or slate computer practical for uses like sending short emails or instant messages.
I write in my journal
This article and many others convince me that Lindows is just what we need to bring GNU/Linux to the masses.
They're engaging in very aggressive, very smart business.
Firstly, naming it Lindows. Sounds like Windows, but doesn't violate the trademark, as a US Court found; partially because, to the dismay of the fuckwits at MS, they don't have rights over everything that sounds like Windows; partially because, as the court also found, Windows is a generic name. This move makes it more likely that Windows users will convert over.
Secondly, making their website look like Apple's Web site, and making their default desktop setup looking like a mix between WinXP and OSX. This helps to bring over Mac and Windows users.
Thirdly, aggressively pursuing OEMs and third parties to sell PC's with Lindows pre-installed. The partnership with Walmart is particularly brilliant. Millions of people shop at Walmart to get a value, and Lindows can capitalize on that by allowing people to get tons of software and a good OS on a $500 dollar PC with the monitor included. Most people already have printers, so it isn't necessary to include the cost of a printer.
Fourthly, by implying this relationship with AOL. Yes, its sneaky, but the only way a company can beat MS and Apple is to play by their game. It doesn't matter that they use sly tactics; what matters is that they're our natural allies.
Fifthly, by basing their distribution around Debian GNU/Linux. Couldn't have picked a more solid distro to base it off of. Also, being true to the GNU ideal will please the faithful.
Sixthly, for, while obeying the GPL, not offering the source code for download over the web free of charge, nor offering their binaries for download free of charge. The GNU GPL does not require that you give away the source for free, it only requires that you mail people the source if requested at no more than what it costs you to mail it to them. GNU GPL also doesn't require that you offer binaries for download over the web. Lindows is taking advantage of that, and employing a real business model. As dot.bomb taught us, its not a viable business model to plan your business around giving something away for free but hoping people will pay for it anyways.
Yes, Lindows is a serious business. Yes, they're aggressive. Yes, they're SOB's. But because their software is based off of the GPL'ed Debian, they're our SOB's. Lindows is a GNU/Linux distribution that will appeal to the masses by offering easy setup and configuration at a very cheap price. PC's sold with Lindows are definately much cheaper than the equivalent PC's sold with Windows. I see it gaining ground. I'd even suggest investing in Lindows as a stockholder.
social sciences can never use experience to verify their statemen
StepUp Computing
the device from StepUp Computing can be navigated by touching the display with any object
;)
This is going to revolutionalize porn..
(sorry, had to be said
Actually, LindowsOS is a very nice packaging layer built on top of Debian. It is most certainly Linux. It is not closed source, you can download everything after you've purchased it. And it runs installs and extremely well: around 7 minutes for a full format & install, perfect hardware detection, only two questions ('whole disk?' and 'password'), automatic network configuration, automatic OS update after restart.
Highly recommended to those who need a simple install for basic browsing/email workstations.
Bundling LindowsOS is a very smart move for prospective hardware manufacturers. It is not Windows. It is Linux, looking good.
Sig for sale or rent. One previous user. Inquire within.
hehe, I am still giggling.
Interestingly, I've found programs with interfaces modeled on the Star Trek: The Next Generation interface by Okuda, ``LCARS'' (Library Computer Access and Retrieval System) fairly useful on my Fujitsu pen slate. They're also called, ``Okudagrams'' (the gel-based mockups from the sets which occasionally become available for sale).
Fun too.
Unfortunately there isn't a real depth to them, and little in the way of productivity apps as-of-yet, but it does show potential, and it'd make an interesting alternative for Linux advocates to just cloning whatever MS is doing.
William
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
For a project I once took a device that'd read brain wave patterns (like $20 for the gizmo.. sometimes Radio Shack has them) and display them on screen and wrangled the input into a speech recognition library and was able to train the system to let me control a mouse. It really wasn't all that hard because the speech library took waveforms as input which weren't to unlike the data provided by the device I had.
:)
Am thinking of trying to find such a device again and write a Python program to play with the output. It could be fun to have the only Linux box able to read minds.
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
Is a ProGear able to play back DVD-quality video? I work for a company that makes custom DVD's (of home movies etc) and would like a tablet that can play mpeg and divx video on the server over the wireless network or from it's own harddrive. I am considering buying a ProGear but am not sure how well one of them would handle video.
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.