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Lycoris Announces Desktop/LX Tablet Edition
penguinrenegade writes "Lycoris has announced the release of a new Tablet Edition of their popular Desktop/LX Operating System. There are several screenshots in the tour, and it looks like a really polished system, including some of the things that you'd really need in a Tablet, like the virtual keyboard, actually working. It appears according to one page that there are already Tablets in production by some manufacturer, too. So much for Bill Gates and his vision of only Microsoft on a Tablet, eh?"
Just because Microsoft created the TabletPC does not mean that it needs Linux as the competition. The TabletPC will fail without Linux's help because there is a very small niche for the product.
I've managed to uncover the manufacturer - their web site is here
Rumor has it that there are stylus limitations, however.
The Tablet PC market has been out there for a while now, it just hasn't really gotten a lot of consumers yet. I was thinking about getting one, but that would probably bind me to using windows. Another option is always nice.
like the virtual keyboard, actually working
or you could just flip the screen around and use the real keyboard, actually working
h-t-t-p-colon-slash-slash-slash-dot-dot-org
Don't you know /. ers require immediate gratification!?!
... of Windows XP Tablet Edition.
Anyone remember that? 2000, I think.
A few months later, the company that won Best of Show for their BeOS-based webpad switched to Windows CE...
BeDoper
Perhaps they should stop copying Windows XP, eh?
Hard to tell but it sounds like they are supporting only a resistive technology for the touch screen. RF (such as in Wacom tablets) is much better for an interface. You get hover, pressure sensitivity and MUCH higher resolution.
Plus a side switch and eraser.
There was an article a while back about linux on an Acer Tablet PC so I know it can be done.
I don't understand why the 'evolution' of Linux means that it become more and more like Windows. If Windows is the bad (not that I'm saying it is) why do all Linux apps try to emulate it. From OpenOffice.org to Licoris, why are we stuck using Windows Graphic Design and Interfaces. I mean if you really want to copy a GUI why not look to Mac OS X?
Strater
strater.ca
No kidding. For those who care to compare:
- Windows XP Control Panel
- Lycoris Desktop/LX Control Panel
Can you see a difference?Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
Being so darn profitable? Having so many of it's products being used? Phooey on Microsoft!
a) because they cost more than that to make
b) because companies exist to make profit, not practically give stuff away
c) because people will pay more than $400
To display the abilities of applications written specifically for Desktop/LX Tablet Edition, Lycoris has created Tablet XGalaga, a customized version of the arcade-inspired open source program. Now you can experience the power at your fingertips!
In related news, Microsoft commented on the perceived threat to their tablet PC platform:
"Even though this is a pretty slick move on their part, our developers are working right now on a new and improved version of TabletMinesweeper. Not only will it feature much bigger buttons, we will also include improved 16-color graphics and at least two different sound effects. That oughtta show them who's boss."
But seriously, if you want to show off the power of your high-tech bleeding edge computing platform, don't use GALAGA, for god's sake!
I asked for a refund - and got my monkey back.
I, for one, am looking forward to the day when I can recline on my couch and surf the web or read an ebook with the same ease I now read a paperback. Yeah, you can do that with a laptop, but it's awkward. You don't always need a keyboard.
Linux on a tablet --- there goes the only reason I decided not to get a tablet PC.
Please tell me Lycoris' Tablet supports WACOM pads...
I have been wanting a Tablet PC and I really really dont have a desire to give any money to Microsoft for similar reasons on why I don't buy CDs. But thats for a whole different issue.
Im more interested in this distro. Is there a demo version out there somewhere. I will probably spend more time looking deeply into this but is this the distro with the built in winex stuff that runs win32 apps easily?
The ultimate network admin tool needs HELP!
I think a lot of people complain about the way in which many distributions copy Windows XP for their default UI's, but I think it is a great step towards helping the user become accustomed to using Linux.
Besides, there isn't a law that dictates you have to use Lycoris...If you really want a Linux tablet PC I'm sure there are other projects out there, or that it would be pretty easy to customize a distribution to run on a Tablet PC.
This isn't a troll, I'm asking an honest question here...
As near as I can tell, Lycoris is the artist formerly known as Lindows. They took freely available open source software, slapped a Windows-lookalike skin on the desktop, then started charging for the priviledge of using their specialized click-and-run installer.
Something about them just rubs me the wrong way... Did they really do a lot of work to make open source an easier pill to swallow for the masses, or are they just prettying up the same stuff you can download yourself and slapped a price tag on it?
From their blatent copying of Microsoft's GUI (and no I am not defending Microsoft, just stating the obvious), to taking free open source software and selling it as if it was their own, they seem like a company bent on profiting from the hard work of others. I don't think that's in the true spirit of free software.
---
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
A via eden system for $150 + external hard drive or flash card would fit perfectly.
Upgrade every other year for whatever system is about $150.
A tablet pc is to computing what Nsync is to Rock & Roll.
You aren't free to do anything, until you've lost everything.
That's interesting
I wonder what kernel they're using. Linux 2.4.x does not support ACPI S3 sleep, and it seems surprising that they would ship a 2.5.x kernel. I can't wait to take a look at the sources they release.
???
Will pressure sensitivity work right out of the box? Or not at all?
Can it output to a seperate monitor? The viewscreen's a bit small for art purposes - sure you can zoom in for details but an artist also needs to see how the full image is going to look at its print dimensions.
I'd love to be free from wacom/adobe/microsoft, I don't know if the Lycoris tablet will do the trick but it's an exciting step in the right direction.
Is that a bad thing?
No, it's good to make it as familiar to people as possible. Many people are familiar with Windows XP (or other Win variations) and this will allow them to get up to speed quickly. What's interesting is if Microsoft copied some innovating UI from Linux (take your pick). All hell would break loose and people would decry Microsoft's blatant ripoffs. But because it's copying from Microsoft, it seems to be okay. After all, it's just a matter of making it comfortable for users, right?
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
No mention of handwriting recognition. The on screen keyboard is nice and all, but to make a table really useful, it going to have to recognize handwriting.
We went through all this crap back when Lycoris released build 43 and finally got attention as a viable contender for the Linux desktop market. Half the damn posts where "3ww, 100k$ 1|k3 Wind0z3! T3h sUx0r!" Get a grip, its just KDE2 with a similar picture as the default background. The most it comes to copying windows is by arranging its "control panel" to look similar to Windows XPs.
What? Do you pricks think everyone should only have a term? Maybe run a tablet with 1 key so you can input commands in oh so 133t binary? If you want to bang your head against the wall and jerk off to your command prompt, use the approprate distro and let the people that like to actually use a GUI have one that works for them.
Any sufficiently advanced influence is indistinguishable from control.
From what I can see, it doesn't do handwritten input...so what's the point? Without decent handwriting recognition or some accessible form of easy on the move input these sort of devices are going to fall flat on their faces.
What's the point of lugging around something so big, then having to resort to typing using the on-screen keyboard with one finger (tiny on-screen keyboard+the hand your holding it in)? You may as well have some form of PDA or even...just a good old pad and paper. At least Microsoft is making an *effort* with the handwriting thing. *evil grin*
IMO, there's no market for these as a general web-browsing consumer type device where the touch-screen idea would work. I like the idea in principle but see it more as something I'd drag around with me the office with me taking notes in meetings etc. For that an on screen keyboard/touchscreen isn't gonna cut it.
Why should they copy anyone? Why not come up with something workable and original?
Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
It looks like the OS can be downloaded from http://www.lycoris.org. Has anyone here tried it? They've pretty much taken KDE, reskinned it, added a network browser and packaged it "For the whole family".
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
This is not meant as a flame, but take it as you will.
/.ers feel the need to have the herd mentality about products and politics especially? Are that many people coming here to have their opinions spoon-fed to them that they have to have a stamp of approval on products WE think are good (or reject those that WE feel are bad)?
Why do
Whatever happened to reading sources and forming a coherent opinion all your own?
Or am I expecting too much?
"Life is tough but we're tougher. You only get what you give, so give all that you've got." --Tony LaRussa
Free software is not about what you think it is about. It's about freedom for the software itself.
Free software is not about giving away software for free. If you can take free software, and bundle it in such a way that you have an edge, and can make money off it... that's great. Go for it.
Yes, Lindows did do a lot of work to make linux get out there into people's homes. They have a deal with a MAJOR outlet to sell lindows preloaded on pcs. That sounds good to me.
It's not the job of everyone who works with open source to "promote open source". Not everyone is a holy crusader.
Lindows has caused a lot of people to use linux who otherwise wouldn't, becuase of how their products are sold. They abide by the licenses of the software they are given, and found a way to profit from it. That's not something to complain about.. and frankly, all the complaining every time someone makes money off open source while still complying with licenses is what gives open source a bad name.
Do I think lindows is technically a great feat? Hell no, but I don't see anything wrong with what they are doing. If you release something under GPL, you should not be upset when someone takes it, packages it, and sells it. Your license, after all, permitted it.
If the authors did not want people to sell or use their products in this manner, the licenses would refect that fact.
I've been working with the Compaq TC1000 TabletPC for a while. We got in several for the office and I got one for me to look at. At first it just seems to be a small notebook...but once you use it for its intended purpose you'll see it has advantages. The longer battery life is nice. The Compaq screen can detach from the keyboard to make it smaller and lighter. I normally carry it like a legal pad. The handwriting recognition is EXCELLENT and I can't write worth a damn. It's much better than any PDA I've used, and this is without even using any special type of writing. It's also comfy to sit back on the couch and read your favorite sites with a small device.
Give me a good 16 hours of battery life and I'll be real happy. The only real downside I've found is the screen. Since it is a touch screen it is not as clear as a normal LCD monitor. But, at least on the Compaq, it never gets fingerprints on it like most PDAs.
Because all I've been waiting for is a crappy on-screen keyboard that takes up 60% of my 10 inches of screen real-estate. Long gone will be the days of handwriting recognition that is unthinkably accurate (after a week of training).... Now I can switch to Linux and peck at 2mm buttons with a stylus that is accurate to half of that at best. Way to go!
Seriously, I'm afraid that this falls into the category of products that make "Joe User" think that Linux (+GNU) is a cheap knock-off of Windows. I mean, the functionality is truely useful but it really doesn't warrant the creation of a separate product. To do so only puts its shortcomings in the spotlight.
Herd Mentality on /.?? Surely not. Sure I expect a Hurd Mentality but I think you'll find that there are enough "discussions" on here that could quite possibly be classified as holy wars to disprove the "Herd Mentality" idea.
"Confederate swastika"? Is that like when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
b) because companies exist to make profit, not practically give stuff away
c) because people will pay more than $400
My response:
a) Bullshit. The average laptop is only worth about $250 in parts bought in bulk. Tablets are only slightly more expensive due to the touchscreen. But the form factor reduces the cost.
b) Companies exisiting for profit is the worst approach. They should exist for the customer. We should be their masters, not the other way around.
c) Because people have no choice but to pay more than $400. If a company got wise and decided to make a laptop for $300, they'd make a killing because everybody and his brother would buy one. Even if the quality wasn't as high. Smart people are more concerned with cost than anything else. The sheep who pay too much for a status symbol are just idiots. Sounds like you just might be an idiot.
Un-news
There seems to be no mention of it on there website, so I'm pretty sure it wont. Agreed, pretty useless without this feature. (Well maybe not useless, but seriously flawed anyway)
The reason why the tablet PC will never take off is that it's as expensive if not more so than the average laptop. What's the point in that? The tablet, as far as the end-user goes, appears to be an oversized PDA. But there is an order of magnitude in pricepoints between even a high end PDA and a low end tablet PC. As long as Microsoft thinks they are only going to sell these to the corporate market, that's fine, but what we really need is a new niche market for low-priced wireless computing devices that are more powerful than PDAs but not necessarily as state of the art as the most recent laptops, but have all the modern peripherals and wireless features (unlike a used laptop).
>>a) Bullshit. The average laptop is only worth about $250 in parts bought in bulk. Tablets are only slightly more expensive due to the touchscreen. But the form factor reduces the cost.
You can barely even get an LCD monitor for $250 retail (lowest LCD price on pricewatch is $196 for a 14"), let alone the motherboard, processor, hard drive, battery, CD/DVD drive, keyboard, trackpad, case, power adaptor, and RAM. I know things are a lot cheaper in bulk, but I don't see them becoming cheap enough to justify your $250.
>>b) Companies exisiting for profit is the worst approach. They should exist for the customer. We should be their masters, not the other way around.
Then move into a commune.
>>c) Because people have no choice but to pay more than $400. If a company got wise and decided to make a laptop for $300, they'd make a killing because everybody and his brother would buy one. Even if the quality wasn't as high. Smart people are more concerned with cost than anything else. The sheep who pay too much for a status symbol are just idiots. Sounds like you just might be an idiot.
IF such a company would make a killing, I'm sure that you could start it. We'll see how you do. You sell $250 worth of stuff at $300 and we'll see if you sell enough to make it worth your time and the risk.
Yes. Yes I can. The Lycoris one actually works. :P
Seriously, the only reason that Lycoris exists is to give "Joe User" an alternative to Windows. What good is an alternative if the look and feel isn't very similar? The two screenshots you linked aren't identical. They have a sameness, but no more so than the trash can on the Windows 9x desktop had to the Mac OS Trash icon. Nothing to see here folks... move along.
Un-news
b) Companies exisiting for profit is the worst approach. They should exist for the customer. We should be their masters, not the other way around.
/.
um, you're in college, right? maybe you want to get a job and work for a company that doesn't make a profit? companies that serv e the customer best (except in cases of monopolies) are the most profitable. but hey, we're all idealists here at
My problem? I was perfectly gruntled, until some numbnuts came by and dissed me.
I checked the site, and I couldn't find any mention of handwriting recognition. Does anyone have any idea what the quality of the Lycoris' (or another Linux distro for tablet PCs) handwriting recognition quality is?
Also, where could I buy this, and what would it cost?
Sigs are like bumper stickers.
Um, wrong. I'm a 33 year old guy who works in IT doing a LOT of really cool stuff.
maybe you want to get a job and work for a company that doesn't make a profit?
You're right on that count. I work for a non-profit organization because I believe it's the right thing to do. The organization I work for provides a lot of really cool stuff to people who need it, at no cost. And I still manage to live well. Even through the dot-bomb bubble that the neocons brought on themselves.
companies that serve the customer best (except in cases of monopolies) are the most profitable. but hey, we're all idealists here at
That's the way it should be. Companies should serve the customer first, the company second and the shareholders last.
Profit motive is just a poor excuse for greed.
Un-news
The ability to play with the UI using just a pen does not equal a Tablet PC.
Since it uses KDE, you should be able to configure just about everything about the interface if you have an internet conneciton. A great site to get new styles for the interface is here
Take a careful look at the corporation name. This is "Redmond Linux Corp.". What does THAT name suggest that they may be emulating? Eh?
My Systems
i strongly recommend you read milton friedman. the greatest thing a company can do is maximize profit. if they do otherwise, then one, they misallocate resources, which hurts not only their workers who cannot receive the fullest compensation, they also hurt the economy because they waste scarce resources that could be used elsewhere. also, if they do not maximizr profit, they must make it up accordingly with higher prices, which does not "serve" the customer.
/., let's face it, the best economic system is capitalism. that's undeniable.
now, you choose, in a free market to work for a non-profit. but would youy like to live in a country that says you can only make X, and no more. for all the idealism that runs wild here at
My problem? I was perfectly gruntled, until some numbnuts came by and dissed me.
After using mine for a short time I noticed that I prefer the tablet for screen navigation far and above the track pad or nub. I think once the prices come down and more people discover this, they will show up even in larger, more traditional laptop type Tablet PCs.
I configure my fujitsu using drivers from http://www.linuxslate.org/
This site has some great resouces for slate users.
I have one of SonicBlue ProGear Tablets. It is the 1050 HX version (Linux). These have been out a few years, and the prices have gone from $2500 to $400-$500 on EBay. There has been some work done towards porting a full version of Linux to the ProGear. Check out the following group for more info: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/progear/
They are not pulling a Robertson and keeping their tools closed-source. Aside from Iris, their easy-install software gallery, they have released source on everything that makes Lycoris Lycoris. I would rather give an absolute beginner Lycoris than, say, Mandrake. You can get lost in Mandrake if you are a newbie.
I worry about the future of Lycoris because of this hideous, screwed-up SCO mess. I worry because what Joseph and his buddies have put together is really, really good, and they had the "it just works" thing down even before Mandrake got the hang of it. Yeah, Lycoris is designed to be Windows-refugee friendly. It doesn't mean what they are doing doesn't have value.
If you want to see the real face of Lycoris, stop in at http://www.lycoris.org/ and check out the community behind it. There's some good people there. And nobody will tell you to "man man" there.
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
You thought M$ and Fisher-Price had a joint venture? Hope you can change that theme.
Companies exisiting for profit is the worst approach. They should exist for the customer. We should be their masters, not the other way around.
The customer IS the master, the problem is, they aren't the ONLY master of a business. A company needs money, and lots of it, to get started and keep going. This means investors and creditors, and unfortunately they expect something in return for the hassle of giving their money to someone else. You would too. Have a 401k? If they are going to give their hard-earned money to someone to piss away without profit, it usually goes to finding a cure for AIDS or something more useful than providing cheap laptops to middle-class schmucks.
MS has a very nice feature in Office XP that allows you to directly draw diagrams into e-mails and Word documents using the pen. This feature was developed specifically for use with the Tablet PC (though I think it would be useful for any PC with a pen and tablet). I would like to see this feature incorperated into non-MS software (such as Thunderbird for instance). Maybe with more features like this the Linux Tabler PC would be more attractive.
Wow, now I know where Windows XP copied it's interface from, blah, blah, bash, bash, more law suits. If most of you geeks say that everything Microsoft does is rubbish, doesn't it make this interfeace shiit by default?
Saw the story announcement and followed the link. Demo certainly looks interesting. Went to the Lycoris store, and no listing showing the product available. Started scanning through the site, and no evidence that it could be DL'd anywhere.
Shouldn't a product actually be available before being promoted so heavily?
I checked the site, and I couldn't find any mention of handwriting recognition.
There are handwriting recognition programs available for Linux, including several under the GPL, but you are correct that the Lycoris website, which does have a "keyboard free" section, only seems to mention a software keyboard (xvkdb perhaps?) and not handwriting recognition as such. I too would be interested in a clarification of this, although I suspect the virtual software keyboard is the only form on 'keyboard free' input available at the moment (it is what we use on our GNU/Linux tablets as well).
A more important question for me, as an administrator who works for a firm that deploys several dozen GNU/Linux tablets (Fujitsu Stylistic 3400s and LPT-600s at present) is, do they have a list of supported tablets and are the latest Fujitsus on that list? Such a list would be invaluable when it comes to evaluating new hardware, and if their distro is as good and seemless as they make it sound, we would certainly buy a copy for consideration.
Alas, their website seems to be very lacking in that information as well. Hopefully someone from Lycoris is reading this thread and can comment and/or update the information on their web page.
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
While this is a really nice sentiment this doesn't happen much if at all unless:
-They are going to get a tax break
-It's going to increase their opportunities for more revenue (Think Microsoft "giving" PCs to public schools and libraries)
-There is basically something that they stand to gain from their "charity"
Giving something to a good cause should have not strings attached to it. Again... we get back to the basic problem of control. These companies want more influence over our lives than they rightfully should have.
Un-news
I saw a TC1000 in a store, and totally fell in love with the physical design: it's a tablet and a laptop with an oversized swivel screen. But I was put off by the Crusoe processor. I had a Sony sub-laptop that used it, and there was a nasty delay starting new apps. Didn't seem very economical of power either, though maybe you can blame that on Sony featuritis.
It was me who modbombed you, because you disabled comments in your journal entry! No go back and enable them before I rape your comments further!
(and befriend me, too. I have no friends and it depresses me so much)