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Pepper Pad 2 Linux Web Pad

Posted by michael on from the zesty dept.

`Sean writes "Pepper Computer debuted their $800 Pepper Pad 2 at DEMOmobile 2004 this week. Specs include a 624 MHz XScale processor, 8.4" 800x600 TFT touchscreen, 802.11b+g, and 20 GB HDD running MontaVista Linux CEE. Out of the box the Pepper Pad 2 loads the Pepper Keeper as its GUI, but a full-blown Linux distribution with Java 2 JRE and X-Window System is sitting under the covers just waiting be customized. I personally can't wait to get a hold of one of these to turn into an OBD-II and telemetry workstation for the rally car."

7 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Low Cost Linux SBCs? by DAldredge · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Where can you buy low cost Single Board Computer that can run linux? Kind of like the one in the WRT54g?

  2. I've wanted this by Hugonz · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've wanted this for months now. A "laptop" that instead of advertising the newest P4 processor for Barbecues (R) gives you low power, ARM (XScale) computing at the right price. Of course, It has to run linux. Good one!

    1. Re:I've wanted this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So have I. Imagine, it would make a great X terminal at home. Use the power of your desktop in a device that weighs 2.3 pounds.

      It's basicly what MS's tablets promise to be, but at a third of the cost and it has the flexibility of linux.

      The thing can be 3x as powerfull as a tablet PC if you have a nice dual (core?) opteron computer laying around somewere.

      The business aspects of this device is also intreaging. If you use it as a X terminal, the majority of the time the harddrive will be asleep, and thus the only real things using the battery would be the display and the wireless.

      A 802.11g is plenty quick for this...

      Also would make a great DVD movie player once you used Mencoder to rip them into libavcodec (or the inferior Dvix or Xivd ) mpeg4 avi file.

      2 pounds!!

      The 600mhz proccessor would be pleny fast for any Linux machine, except if you want to play doom3 or run real transparencies or something.

      everything that MS said that the tablet would be minus the suck and the price (oh and almost-working writing recognition)

  3. Re:But.... by anonymous+cowherd+(m · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Personally, I'd rather have a Sharp Zaurus SL 5600 with an added GPS unit. Different use cases, true, but I'm certain I'd get more use out of the Zaurus.

    --
    http://neokosmos.blogsome.com
  4. Battery? by melgeroth · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Is the battery life mentioned anywhere? If it is I missed it.

  5. wow I want one by dcstimm · · Score: 2, Insightful

    WHen I get a job and can afford $800 dollars ill buy one in a heart beat, lets just hope it can run the mythfrontend so I can watch tv in bed.

    --
    keanmarine.com
  6. I hate to say it... by deminisma · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But where's the market? You can buy a decent PC for $300, the keyboard looks too unsuitable to be used professionally and it's too big to used as a PDA. So it is an overpriced, oversized PDA, with a clunky interface. Who really has any utility for that?