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AMD Demonstrates Linux-Based PDA at LinuxWorld

Posted by timothy on from the continuing-to-fail-to-fail dept.

Misha writes "AMD has demonstrated a new Linux-based handheld at LinuxWorld. The OpenPDA runs on low-power Alchemy chips, with support for USB, Ethernet, UARTS. Here is press release. Among the highlights are: A comprehensive Metrowerks suit as the basis of OpenPDA applications, Qt, Java, Opera browser."

7 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Articles by NETHED · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here are some articles of merit about this PDA.

    Here

    Here

    and here

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  2. PDA Power by Solokron · · Score: 3, Informative

    The combination of the OpenPDA suite and the Au1100 processor sounds like a fantastic combo for the PDA market in opening new doors and ideas. "The Au1100 processor is a MIPS32(TM) technology-based system on a chip (SOC) processor, and is available at speeds of 333MHz, and 400 MHz with power dissipations of less than 200 milliwatts and 250 milliwatts respectively."

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  3. SCO adds $32 to the price... by emacnabber · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, expect to pay a little more thanks to McBride and Thugs...

    According to http://www.sco.com/scosource/linuxlicensefaq.html "The promotional license fee for embedded devices is $32 per device."

    Yet another reason SCO needs to burn...

  4. Space heater? Hardly. by LionMage · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm assuming that you're not trolling or posting flamebait. (You might have been trying to get a funny moderation, but I don't find your post that funny, personally.)

    According to the press release, the Au1100 processor is based on the MIPS processor architecture, which is used in many embedded applications and devices. Most MIPS chips are very power miserly, and hence, don't generate a lot of heat. Bottom line, I doubt this device will function as a space heater, as you suggest.

  5. Re:Handheld? Or just a simulator? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Alchemy reference board is a huge honking 1'x1'6" piece of hardware with a tiny QVGA touchscreen and a blazing MIPS processor.

    If it weren't that it takes up so much desk space, I wouldn't have anything to complain about. It blows away every XScale-based RDK I've seen so far (even the latest 255 and 260-based boards).

    The Linux that is running on it, is just some stuff thrown together to run on the hardware. AMD is interested in selling Alchemy licenses, so they've already got WinCE and Linux running on the RDK. Next up, NetBSD or iTRON, I guess.

  6. Re:Handheld? Or just a simulator? by itzdandy · · Score: 2, Informative

    Software platform is the SOFTWARE, it still needs HARDWARE to run. The software platform is the OpenPDA, and the hardware is Alchemy

  7. Re:No devices, just a reference design and dev kit by FromWithin · · Score: 5, Informative

    The new Zaurii are OpenPDA.

    I've got a stunning Zaurus SL-C750 which uses OpenPDA (see the official spec and check out this quote from this article:

    "Sharp Electronics, the first OpenPDA licensee, had originally included Lineo's Embedix PDA software stack in the Zaurus. But when Embedix was subsequently acquired by Metrowerks last December, Sharp migrated to OpenPDA, which is similar in many respects to Embedix, especially in its inclusion of the Qtopia GUI framework and PDA app-suite, Opera web browser, and Jeode JVM. Additional OpenPDA licensees will be announced soon, Metrowerks said."