Opie GUI/PIM Project Reaches 1.0

An anonymous reader writes "The Open Palmtop Integrated Environment (Opie) project has announced its first 1.0 release. Having been forked from TrollTech's Qtopia environment, Opie has evolved into the most sophisticated free and open graphical user interface for Linux based embedded devices and PDAs. Opie features a sophisticated personal information (PIM) framework as well as several other productivity apps, extended multimedia capabilities and document model, networking and communication tools as well as multi language support for more than a dozen languages. Based on common industry standards like XML, Obex, IrDa et. al. Opie is capable of interacting with lots of devices ranging from cell phones to server backends. Opie is highly optimzed for mobile devices and tries to support the user with shortcuts and ease of use."

Comments

Whey hey ANOTHER OS...

[MosesJones]

So this means we have Linux on the Zaurus, PalmOS, WindowsCE, PocketPC, Smartphone, Symbian and now yet another to be added to the list of interesting ideas that will not challenge the market.

Sorry to be cynical, and it does look nice BUT, are PDAs really going to survive more than another year or so ? Already PDA sales are outstripped by about 10 to 1 by Smartphones, and that ratio will only increase in favour of the Smartphone.

So if there was a real desire to create a new OS, why not pick a new platform and aim to create the smallest, most portable and most function rich environment for smartphone development, now that would actually be aiming at a future market that could exist. Of course this is more complex as you'd need to understand the GSM/GPRS/3G stacks and lots of other nasty telecoms elements. BUT at least there is a chance of a large company taking it on.... because in a Hardware driven market the only way to get acceptance is if it is installed on a device upfront.

Its nice to play with this stuff, but wouldn't it be better to go for the future than install it on kit that is obsolete ?

Re:Whey hey ANOTHER OS...

[Goth Biker Babe]

Sorry to be cynical, and it does look nice BUT, are PDAs really going to survive more than another year or so ? Already PDA sales are outstripped by about 10 to 1 by Smartphones, and that ratio will only increase in favour of the Smartphone.

I have a Sharp Zaurus running OpenZaurus and a SonyEricsson T68i.

The T68i is a smart(ish) phone containing the functionality I require when wandering around the office and out shopping and the like. It's small enough to be unobtrusive without being too small to be useful.

But often I require more functionality than that and don't want to have to have my laptop with me. The Sharp is ideal. It's keyboard means I can type with my thumbs, write e-mails, browse web sites even use it as media player.

I know some phones, like the SonyEricsson P800, have much of the same functionality but they lack one useful feature. They don't have a keyboard. Also they have to be large enough to be useful but small enough not to be a brick and that's a compromise.

I agree that many people who would have bought PDAs will now buy smart phones but there will always be a market for PDAs, if reduced.

Re:I know I am going to get a troll or offtopic...

[jericho4.0]

Hmmm, let's see, my Ipaq has Apache, ssh, Grass5, and python on it. I wrote some code (in Python) to interface it with a gps. I can use it to admin unix servers, and even use its X display to interface with a servers GUI. All of this works at a decent enough speed.

I really like the fact that I can do this. I can't do any of this on some propietary system.

Re:Bring on the Gasoline!!!

[shepd]

>X? On a palmtop?

The PalmPilot Pro had more CPU and memory than the NCD X terminal the local University threw out.

If a 12 Mhz 68000 can run X, then anything (even those $50 cheapies) manufactured today can run X.