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Review Of Yopy 3700 Linux PDA
SecondToughest writes "Gizmodo has a recent post referring to a review of the new Yopy 3700 Linux-based PDA. The reviewer seems to like it: 'Overall, this is beautiful hardware. The design is compact when not in use, but when opened the Yopy is quite user friendly. The really great thing about this PDA is the presence of both MC and CF card slots. To me, this is almost the perfect PDA design.'"
Isn't a PDA OS better suited to be a low-footprint gem like QNX?
Cretin - a powerful and flexible CD reencoder
From the review: "The really great thing about this PDA is the presence of both MC and CF card slots."
Considering how small my 8-in-1 reader is, I'm surprised they didn't just integrate in one of those and be able to read CompactFlash Type I (CF-I), CompactFlash Type II (CF-II), CompactFlash USB (CF-USB), CompactFlash Ultra (CF-Ultra), MultiMedia Card (MMC), Secure Digital Card (SD), Micro Drive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Switch, Magic Gate Memory Stick, and Magic Gate Memory Stick Duo memory cards.
Besides, this guy is easily impressed if all he cares about is being able to read data from a couple of different formats.
Why do I h8 apple?
This thing has been in development a looooong time, here's a mention of it in an April 2000 Slashdot article: (No release date announced indeed)
From hell's heart I fstab at /dev/hdc
Considering their size, and the fact that they have a 206MHz processor, you could maybe fit more in...that wouldn't be such a ridiculous idea... Of course, the 400MHz Zaurus would probably be a better choice. I always thought that a bunch of custom Linux-On-A-Chips connected together in a really tight form factor would make for the ultimate in Clustering...
Joe
I call funny, flamebait, and insightful on you. I was wondering this too. If people find that too offensive, what about other OS's? BSD? A different set of GNU/Linux tools? QNX? Heck, BeOS?
That said, at this price, I don't see myself rushing out to replace my iPAQ any time soon.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
I don't have too much trouble with IRDA. As in, it works fine for me -- admittedly I don't use it an excessive amount.
And no, USB likely wouldn't be a better choice, as to my knowledge there've only been two PDAs with the USB host controller built in -- meaning most PDAs can only act as a device on a pc, not a controller for cameras and the like.
Compactflash is robust, and getting faster. The only other format to offer the same range of features is the blossoming range of Secure Digital devices.
From the article, re: reasons linux on PDA's hasn't caught on.
"And probably the biggest drawback is the Lack of Software compared to Palm and Pocket PC"
What?!? What?!! How can they say this. My zaurus has so much software I don't know what to do with it. Since it's linux, stuff gets ports very quickly and there is a world of software at your fingertips. Just cause it's all free doesn't make it not there.
Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion and size preference, but the dimensions listed by the parent are actually *smaller* than my Palm III in the little leather case I tote it around in (because, well, gravity happens). About the only pocket I wouldn't be able to put this smaller form factor into would be my jean pockets, but then I'm not going to put a PDA in my jean pockets either (because sitting happens). If I'm slumming, the side pocket of some cargo pants fit the bill... if I'm business-y, then sport coat or shirt pocket would be just large enough. Just a contrasting opinion. YMMV.
I would love to have a true Linux PDA that allows me to run my current Linux software. Unfortunately, the Zaurus does not satisfy my needs, because the Zaurus isn't really a Linux platform.
The Zaurus is a Qtopia platform.
Qtopia is a GUI front-end that runs on top of Linux.
Software written for the Zaurus is written for Qtopia. It will not run on a non-Qtopia distribution of Linux.
Qtopia is proprietary. It is owned and maintained by Trolltech. It cannot be forked, at least, not if you hope to be able to run any non-GPLed software on your Zaurus.
To say that the Zaurus is a Linux platform, is like saying that the Macintosh is a BSD platform. In both cases, it is technically correct, yet wrong in practise. In both cases, your software requires an additional front-end (Qtopia or OS/X) in order to run. In both cases, you are locked in to one company's platform, because your software will not run on other versions of Linux or BSD.
Now I don't care if people want to buy the Qtopia-based Zaurus, anymore than I care if they want to buy the OS/X-based Macintosh.
But people should be aware of what they are getting.
I routinely use my Zaurus to remotely administer my home computer, check email, surf the web, type papers. Hell, my zaurus is more useful to me than my laptop.
:)
Oh, and running xeyes on it is very cool
- IrDA: hold down contacts button, point at target, *BAM* it's done.
- Bluetooth: select business card, inquire for devices in range (3-5 seconds), select target device, punch in PIN codes, finally send the data.
- WiFi: !?!?, curse, change batteries.
IrDA takes up hardly any space in the design (you can easily find transceivers less than 10x5x4mm), uses hardly any power, and can have about 500% faster effective throughput. What's not to love?TheYopy is based on an eye-pleasingclamshell design.With the screen down the Yopy is about thesame depthas a paperback book, making it about twice as thick as the normal PDA.
This is just too large. PDAs have been shrinking in size over the past five years or so, and this thing's just too big.Along with the lack of software, I see it as another linux hobbyist device.
Be careful with this PDA - the CPU is in it's EOL (End Of Life).
Intel Announced that the "206 MHz Intel Strong ARM 32 bits RISC Processor" is terminated. Actually it's DIGITAL SA1110.
This is not a new design. A new design should rely on Intel Xscale CPU 200 or 400Mhz.
I'm still waiting for a PDA with a hard drive. To me, storing contact information isn't enough. And 128MB doesn't store enough to do much of anything else. I could get a few songs on there, an ebook or two, and maybe a really tiny little video, and contact information.
Really, I don't see PDAs as a killer app until they can store large amounts of data without having to carry around a gazillion memory sticks. Then the usefulness becomes clear. Store and display every ebook I want to read. Store and play my music collection. Store and play a significant amount of video. Store whatever other data I want so that I can get at it wherever I happen to be. Oh, and store contact information.
Yeah, I know, much larger (1GB+) memory sticks are on the horizon. But I see a lot of problems with those, such as very high initial cost and tremendous incompatibility issues. Portable hard drives are here now, they work reliably, and they are relatively cheap. Just add one to a PDA. Change to a bigger rechargeable battery if necessary.
That, to me, would be worth shelling out some cash for. These PDAs with the bitty memory sticks? Toys.
// harborpirate
// Slashbots off the starboard bow!
16-17 hours of normal usage life out of the Yopi is pretty good,
If it is anything like any of the other high end PDA's on the market than the "16-17 hours of normal use" is most likely based on about 8 or 9 of these "normal hours" being used with the screen off....
Now if someone is saying that at the very least I could have a marathon solitaire session for 18 hours (backlight set to low) without the battery going dead....then I will be impressed. (I am jaded because I have dried 7 or 8 different color PDA's....and have yet to see any battery (extended) or otherwise even last 5 or 6 hours of real usage. (Checking an address at 8 AM, turning the device off and then checking a phone number at 2 PM 6 Hours of "normal usage".)
(+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.
Desktop linux syncing that works. Easily.
I actually use the Qtopia Desktop sync program with my Z-5500 on my RedHat 7.3 box. Took some serious mojo to get this together, I pulled info from about 4 different sites each of which was incomplete and improvised certain things based on error messages to get it working. Screws up if I change the kernel, but I know how to fix that.
Oh and USB host rather than gadget status if needed so you can plug keyboards, Zip drives whatever into it. (yes I know about interpocket, make it built in!)