NEC Develops Linux Tablet/PDA Hybrid

zmcnulty writes "I've translated today's PC Watch article (Japanese) about a new tablet/PDA device from NEC - it has an 8.4" (640x480) touchscreen LCD, and a CD-ROM drive. It's also suprisingly affordable; about $645 USD. However, don't expect to be able to buy one soon, as production is limited to only 4,000 units for the first year. Still, this is an interesting prospect, and it's good to see major Japanese corporations interested in Linux."

Comments

Handheld Linux

[brolewis]

Being an avid handheld user (T3) I think that Linux on the handheld is a largely untapped medium. I think that the power and flexibility of Linux on something as small and effecient as a handheld is an excellent combinaiton. I also think that the open nature of Linux would work to the handheld's advantage. There are numerous times I wish I could tweak settings or applicaions on my handheld but I am not able to do so. I hope this is the beginning of a long-term shift in the handheld market.

Re:Handheld Linux

[gl4ss]

heheh. yeah especially when 'it runs linux' is not really the answer to everything on handheld systems with environment as limited as the manufacturer has chosen.. the question is: "will the programs of my choosing be able to run on it?" not "does it run linux underneath somewhere where I can't see?"

I dont really care that much about if it runs linux/windowsCe/symbian/palmos as much I care about the ability to compile stuff that will run on it. just because 'it runs linux' doesn't mean it. a machine running linux can be quite effectively(as effectively as it matters) locked up from (unsigned or just from anything at all) 3rd party applications. Something people who are raving about 'it runs linux' phones & etc seem to be often forgetting.

only 640x480?

[ejaw5]

Sure 8.4" diag isn't large, but at least 800x600 would have been nicer. What they have is fine for your command prompt, but I'm sure it's gonna get pretty cramped once you start running Gnome/KDE and GUI apps..even with virtual desktops. Hopefully the included GUI software will have slimed-down/iconified buttons and such.

$645 Affordable?

[puto]

Pardon me Antoine but you need to lay the crack pipe down and get a grip.

I have had top of the line Palms and PPCs with all the fixings and nowhere near paid that much. And these devices have *Loads* of software free and purchased on the market.

I use a Dell Axim supplied by work and am pretty happy with it.

I am daily linux user, have been for years. But 645? There goes the TCO argument.

I can get a laptop for 645. A 4 day trip to mexico.

Puto

Re:$645 Affordable?

[egomaniac]

I have had top of the line Palms and PPCs with all the fixings and nowhere near paid that much. And these devices have *Loads* of software free and purchased on the market.

My top-of-the-line Sony Clie UX50 + 1GB memory stick cost nearly $1,000.

Not sure what definition you are using for "top-of-the-line", since a top-of-the-line Palm is definitely in this price range. $645 for a cool electronic gadget may not be "affordable" to everybody, but there is obviously no shortage of people who are willing to fork it out.

Re:$645 Affordable?

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Those prices are also for the Japanese market. It might be less if produced for the US. Or not. It really depends. I also wouldn't suggest comparing the price of one type of device in one country with a high cost of living with that of a different kind of device sold in a different country with a much lower cost of living.

Comparing it to Palms and Pocket PCs doesn't jive well as the screen has over four times the visible screen area.

I was just thinking

[HappyCitizen]

Whats the point of linux on a pda? I mean, Windows Mobile does it just fine. Its 100% designed for mobile, and even coming from microsoft, I never find it crashing. I was gonna install linux, but I didn't want to risk everything, and it was pointless I realized. Windows Mobile does everything just fine, I know your not used to hearing something good about Microsoft on /., but its true. Now, with a hybrid, it still sounds a little huge for a pda. I think once it gets that big, its really a tablet, in which case linux is a great idea. I think this is a whole new angle from which linux could attack the Mobile market, and in this case be worth it, and its advantages will be shown.

Re:I was just thinking

[UnknowingFool]

I mean, Windows Mobile does it just fine. Its 100% designed for mobile, and even coming from microsoft, I never find it crashing. I was gonna install linux, but I didn't want to risk everything, and it was pointless I realized.

I would think the main reason would be would be cost. Companies either build their own OS (like Palm) or license from another company (Palm, MS, etc) or customize an open source OS like Linux. Cost wise adapting Linux may be cheaper in some cases than licensing. With PDA prices slipping, cutting every cost is important.

For hobbyists,teh reason to install Linux is probably boredom, curiosity, etc. It's the same reason why people overclock or mod their cases.

Re:Tablets

[ToadMan8]

I wouldn't say failed... I am a Gentoo desktop user but I am writing this to you during class from my Compaq tablet running XP Tablet. Ony M$ft bothered getting the buttons, screen rotation and extras working and it does quite well. Just because they didn't replace laptops doesn't make them a failure.

Re:*ring-ring*...

[zulux]

Ahem...

* Taskbars
TRS-80 CoCo with Microware OS-9 had a Taskbar - in 1986
* Maximize, minimize, and close buttons in the upper-right corner.
My TRS-80 with Microware OS-9 has these. You could could configure them where you liked them. In 1986.
* The standard print dialog.
I'm impressed - Microsoft made a dialog.
* Internet browser/file browser integration.
Make your OS just as bugy as your browser. Great Idea!!!
* "Start" menus
Copied off of NeXT.
* .NET technology -
Copied off of Java and Pcode
* ...and much, much more

Like....

Clippy!
Product Activation!
Serial Codes!
No support for Alpha, Risc, PowerPC.

The only thing Microsoft did was to get 386 computesr to behave like computers costing much more (UNIX Workstations, Apples..) . Now that hardware performance is a lot cheaper - there's no need to run crappy software like Windows. You can get the real deal.

Just buy a laptop

[Gothmolly]

For this price, get a used laptop or iBook off ebay and throw Linux on it. Then you'll get a real display, HD, expandibility, etc. No cramped screen, no expensive wifi cards, just a real system, but one that you can take with you. Like here
650 USD, done.

Re:Just buy a laptop

[zmcnulty]

But would this be simple?
Maybe for you, but for the market of this device, no.
The article explains that there are only 4 icons that appear when the device is powered on, stuff does not need to be double clicked, etc...
It uses England's Picsel Technologies browser, which opens 20 different file formats, right from said application.
Sure, there may have been other devices in the past with the same functionality, and certainly cheaper options are available, but NEC's focus for this device is ease of operation. This is one of the reasons they are marketing it towards municipalities for tourism, it's intended to be usable by anyone.

Monitor

[Anonymous Coward]

What I want to know is, if I connect it to my computer, will it work as a 2nd monitor/sketchpad.

THAT would make it worth the money. It's nearest competition from Wacom (admittedly higher-end) is over 2k. And you'd be able to take it with you if you want to draw on location.

Re:Tablets

[ibbey]

I'm not quire sure I'd want to carry something around if it was bigger than a normal PDA.

But you're not the target market. You're problem is that you are only seeing the way you would use it.

There are numerous people/industries who'd love something a bit more potent then a PDA, but don't need a full laptop. There are many similar products on the market already, and they do very well. They just aren't sold at retail. They are sold to vertical markets, often with custom software, and are usually sold at a substantial profit margin. If the price point is correct, and the features are reasonable, this will do well.

Personally, I'd buy one of these right now if they were available. This would make the ideal car-pc. While that might not be a big enough market to sustain the production for a long period, I'm willing to bet that they could easily sell 4000 units a year.

Another potential market: Replacing portable DVD players (judging from the number on the market, this seems like a reasonable market segment to aim for). This is no bigger, not much more expensive, and can be used for something other then playing DVDs. The article only mentions a cd player, but if they offer a DVD, that could be it's killer app.

Re:Truth

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank you for offering nothing of actual value that will be modded up. Speak in repeated short sentences that ends with a "I hope this is the beginning of..." statement that yet again doesn't actually say anything.

Where the hell have you been?

You just described 90% of the posts here.