New Linux-based PDA due September

Bill Kendrick writes "LinuxDevices.com has a preview of a new Linux-based PDA due out next month. Some of you might recognize the form-factor; it's from Softfield, the folks who ended up with the rights to the first commercial Linux-based PDA, the black-and-white, MIPs-based Agenda VR3. Softfield's new model, the MX-7, sports a 200MHz CPU, full-color 240x320 display, 32MB Flash and 64MB RAM, an SD card slot, and Trolltech's Qtopia environment. All for $299 USD."

Comments

Not bad at $300

[mao che minh]

Not bad at $300, but it sorely needs an MP3 player (native) and some good games. Otherwise, a Palm powered PDA would be a hell of a lot more useful.

syncing

[net_bh]

Of all the Linux PDAs out there has anybody been successful with syncing them to Linux apps and Windows apps without any pain?

I own a Sharp Zaurus 5500, and I am not impressed with its syncing prowess. Luckily, I know enough to back up the whole PDA using 'scp', but that doesnt go for Joe and Jane.

I hope Multisync does on to become the defacto tool for synchronizing all kinds of handhelds, mobiles with email, calendar, address books, etc.

Re:Wondering

[Papa Legba]

but linux already has the perfect PDA game. I think Nethack would run beautifully on this device. The only problem is that I would get even less done. Nethack on this PDA with a nice tileset may very well be a must have killer app.

Please please please

[1010011010]

... sync with iSync, and sync with something on Linux.

I wonder if "Opie" will make an appearance in commercial hardware anytime soon... it started as a fork of the QTopia environment, and is coming along nicely. It would be really cool to have Opie become the standard palmtop environment.

Linux PDAs really needs GPS support

[jacken]

The only killer app I have seen so far on PDAs except the basic PIM stuff is GPS navigation. Is there any navigation software available for linux PDA? And Im not talking about raster map software, but vector based maps.

Qtopia doesn't cut it

[penguin7of9]

I have a Sharp Zaurus, and I think Qtopia just doesn't cut it.

Sure, it looks pretty nice and it has most of the functionality you might want in a PDA, but it is still significantly worse than either Palm or PPC. Some of the problems include badly thought out user interaction, wasteful use of the limited screen real estate (probably a result of being based on an adaptation of a desktop toolkit), and pretty excessive resource consumption by Qt/Embedded. And there is far less software available for Qtopia than for either Palm or PPC. If you want good PDA functionality, get a Palm.

On the other hand, as a Linux PDA for vertical apps, Qtopia-based PDAs also fall short: you are limited to the Qt toolkit and all the graphics and UI code from existing Linux apps require complete rewrites. You can't use any of the open source GUI tools you are likely used to (Tcl/Tk, Python/Gtk+, etc.). And if you want to write commercial apps, it's going to cost you (you can do commercial Palm development for free).

Linux PDAs will keep failing until their makers recognize that it is futile to compete with Palm and PPC head-on. Linux PDAs can thrive in the niche of providing portable little Linux machines, but that means not limiting the machines to running just a single GUI toolkit.

Re:Qtopia doesn't cut it

[toganet]

Remember, though, that the Zaurus _is not_ and PDA -- it is a PMT, or "Personal Mobile Tool".

Semantic distinction or SHARP marketing garbage? A little of both -- but indicative of SHARP's awareness of the problem you mentioned or taking on other PDA's in their own segment.

I use my Zaurus as a mini-workstation and network troubleshooting tool. And to play games, browse the web, take notes, SSH into servers....

For PDA stuff, I use a PDA

Actually

[phorm]

Linux is very nice for mobile devices in general, including/especially laptops. In desktops I think it tends to lag because of well, the games, and the whole mess around Wine, Hardware Acceleration, and proprietary/buggy 3d-accelerated hardware drivers. I *do* have it on my desktop at home, it just doesn't quite do everything my windows machine does (games, and the Nvidia driver craps out and locks if X gets shutdown in a way it doesn't like).

Now, on my laptop, I've got an iceWM XP-styled desktop with: MozillaFirebird, Evolution, SSH in my terminal, OpenOffice, gMerlin (VCD, Mpeg), and XMMS (mp3). Does everything I could want it to do. General computing is more lightweight than windows, though I do admit some things lag up a bit more too. I have a small windows partition to go online when I need dialup (particular lucent winmodem not supported yet), but otherwise it's always 'nix.

Now, on a PDA you may have games, but none of that 3d-accelerated high-end crap so you don't have to worry about weird drivers. A web-browser, organizer, and a bunch of open-source plugin software/games and I think it would do very nicely with linux.
Linux may not be ready for the multimedia/game desktop, but it could most definately be ready for PDA's and portables.

Perhaps

[PigeonGB]

But there is plenty available for Linux Game Development.

garagegames.com provides the Torque Engine for only $100 a programmer. A number of quality games already exist for free or (more likely) as shareware at their site.

There are different libraries like PLIB, which as I remember was used for Tux Kart and other games.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be active websites for the community of GNU/Linux game developers. Usually the mailing lists are more active though. The websites look defunct which may make people think that nothing is happening.

As for productivity, yes, it is possible that more Linux-based PDAs will make people want to work on GnuCash and other such projects that are needed for productivity. I think that it might be a catch-22 in that demand for such apps would fuel development but development requires demand...The difference here is that if the hardware developers would hire programmers to actually MAKE the software in the first place, it would solve the problem.

Maybe not the most direct answer, but it is my $.02

Linux PDA? I don't get it

[PCM2]

Call me naive, but is there really a purpose in having a multi-tasking, Unix-like kernel ... in a PDA?

Open source PDA operating system, OK I can see that. But why Linux? Seems to me somebody's just riding on buzzword cache without any regard to whether there's really any demand for a device like this.

Re:Linux PDA? I don't get it

[fliplap]

I love my Zaurus because developing for it is free and easy. Plus I use it as a laptop replacement, many of the simple tasks I do through the day can be accomplished with the Z in my pocket instead of having to boot my laptop all the time. Yes, my use is a _very_ limited market.

I'm very glad it exists but I do question the marketing dude's approval of such a device. Moreover I question the engineers since almost anyone that actually owns a zaurus will agree with the fact that it is not a consumer level device. Its very rough around the edges and lacks refinement in many aspects. But for the geek...hands down, we have a wiener.

Re:Linux PDA? I don't get it

[Dr. Manhattan]

Call me naive, but is there really a purpose in having a multi-tasking, Unix-like kernel ... in a PDA?

I was looking into making a networked game for Palms. The OS just isn't designed for servers, or background tasks, or anything like that. A few simple tweaks would go a long way to providing that, but even then "it just isn't possible to write a robust server app using PalmOS".

This doesn't just affect games. This kind of limitation means you can't write generic apps that let a Palm reliably serve any kind of information. (Imagine a PDA that could be queried for location on a building's WiFi net, or accept emails, or whatever.)

WindowsCE and such can do this stuff, but it's not terribly efficient, and the Windows API is, IMHO, aesthetically displeasing. Linux is (or can be) small, robust, royalty-free, etc.

Re:The agenda was nice but the Zaurus is useful

[RevAaron]

Heck, I got my SL-5500 for $180.

And sold it a month later for $170. The SL-5500 is pretty much crap compared to almost any other PDA. I'd rather have a mono Newton or Psion screen than the pitiful excuse for a color screen that is found on the SL-5500. Let's pray to any and all gods that the screen on this MX-7 isn't as bad...

I now have a Zaurus C760- it's a great platform for running Squeak Smalltalk and Dynapad, especially with its 640x480 screen, but as a PDA, the entire Zaurus line is exteremely lacking.

Anyone know how fast this particular CPU is compared to a 206 MHz StrongARM? If it's any slower than the 206 MHz StrongARM SA-1100 (or the 400 MHz PXA250 XScale, which is about the same speed), it'll suck to run Qtopia and its apps on it. Qtopia is *slow*, especially on PDAs with the 400 MHz PXA250 XScale (SL-5600, SL-C700) or 206 MHz StrongARM (SL-5000D, SL-5500), but it's still kind of sad on the fast 400 MHz XScale PXA255 CPUs in the SL-C750 and SL-C760. You'd think you were using OS X 10.1 on a 400 MHz G3 sometimes...

Hey, read the article- CF (as well as bluetooth and a camera) will be an option. Yeah, more money spent, but at least there is the potential.

Once bitten twice shy

[CountDown]

Idunno. I have a VR3d. My second one(broke the first one). A lot of software was developed for the VR3 and things were going great, but the hardware just wasn't up to snuff. Broken screens, buttons, lids, and the occasional projectile stylus were more than the developer community could stand.

This new one looks too much like the old one. A revamped power system, more memory, expandability, and the reduction of buttons are all improvements, but the biggest problem with the VR3 was the screen.I will not buy the newest linux-based PDA until I see improvements to the case. The days when I would buy a block of wood with a penguin on it have passed.

I also have an IPAQ 3150(running Familiar Linux) and a Zaurus SL5000d. The Zaurus is my favorite. Native Linux, expandability, and durability seem to be its strong points.

Re:Opie seems like a dead end

[treke]

The GPL licensing on the apps is probably going to stick around, but the plan is to replace the current libraries with LGPL replacements. You would still need to purchase a commercial license for QT if you are insterested in building a commercial PDA, but OPIE wont be preventing it.