Mobile Phone with PC running Linux 2.6

A8 writes "There is a new toy (aka the S101) around the corner from a German company called Road GmbH. Looks like the Nokia Communicator, but is a little PC with GSM, GPRS, IrDA, Bluetooth, WLAN -- you name it, running Linux 2.6/Qtopia! Sorry seems like the page is in German only." There are also versions based on the same hardware but running Windows CE and Symbian.

Comments

Keyboard like the Psion 5?

[Anonymous Coward]

Ah, the Psion 5 ... that was a really decent bit of hardware for the time. Quite a usable keyboard too, even on the minimal Revo model.

For those of us...

[freralqqvba]

who speak english.

ROAD runner?

[KontinMonet]

Looks to me like vapourware. Hardly any info, pictures tooled up with Photoshop (or whatever). No address or phone number, just a one address email. Is it a 'skam' (as we might say auf Deutsch)?

Re:ROAD runner?

[Anonymous Coward]

German commercial websites are required to publish address and phone number in a way which makes it easily accessible from every page. It's usually called "Impressum" or "Kontakt". The link is at the bottom of the page and leads to http://www.road-gmbh.de/impressum/index.html

Products have been announced for the fourth quarter of 2005.

Hans Constin is also director of Constin GmbH at the same address.

english translation [google]

[Anonymous Coward]

S101/S101K
Technical features
Software
- standard applications
- GSM telephone with SMS/MMS
- PIM also
* Directory
* Appointment calendar
* Tasks
- pocket calculators
- dictating machine
- indication program
- MP3 Player
- PC synchronisation Ms Outlook
- remote ACCESS
- InterNet Browser
- email client (POP and IMAP), repeated accounts
- Office Viewer (Ms Word, Ms Excel, Adobe pdf)

[Customized applications]
- cryptology (only S101K)
- Business applications for direct access to firm servers
- Providerspezifi on-line services

[Operating system]
- LINUX Kernel 2.6.x
- Qtopia Graphic user interface

[Hardware]
- GSM telephone
* Display: LCD mono chrome 102x65 pixel
* Keyboard: 20 keys standard layout
* Acoustic output over earphones or free speech mechanism
- PC
* Display: Color TFT 640x240 pixel with Touchscreen
* Keyboard: 63 keys PC-compatible layout
- Diktiergeraet/Audioplayer
* 4 separate keys for control
* Rendition over loudspeakers/earphones
- camera (optional)
* 2 megapixels

Actual working time
- GSM telephone: actively 4h, standby 240h
- PC: actively 5h, standby 30 days (GSM telephone switched off)

Konnektivitaet
- wireless: GSM quadband (850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz) with EDGE
* WLAN
* Bluetooth
* IRDA infrared modules
- wire-bound
* USB 2,0, mini USB socket
* SD Card base
* Power supply unit 5V DC, RK 1A
* Telephone Headset or stereo earphone

[Interior life]
- CCU Intel Xscale PXA 263 with 400 MHz
- memory 64MB RAM, 64MB Flash
- Akku lithium polymer 1500mAh, load time 3h
- vibration alarm

[General data]
- weight 210g inclusive Akku
- dimensions 128x60x25m

Ah memories...

[goofyheadedpunk]

Does anyone else remember the simpler days, when phones where just phones? When you didn't have to bother with your friends sending you pictures over their $400 internet phone camera thingies? When you didn't have to interupt a kernel compile just to check your voice mail?

I do. Good times.

Keyboard has a "Windows" key

[Linuxathome]

In the English version of the page, if you look at the larger picture of the device, the keyboard has a Windows key next to the Alt button. I understand we can remap that key to do whatever we want, but can't we use another image? I'd like to be reminded less of the pervasive MS Windows monopoly.

Re:Advantages of Linux

[Erik Hensema]

To the user it probably has no advantages at all. You won't even notice it's Linux.

To the manufacturer it's just the usual freedom/free beer thing.

Oh great...

[n2dasun]

...as soon as I've ordered my Treo 650, they introduce the phone that will mother my children.

Re:Linux for handhelds?

[evilviper]

What use is linux for handhelds, considering there are currently no good open source mini browsers (eventually, there will be minimoz) or handwriting recognition programs.

Good call Anonymous Moron...

There's no good Open Source mini-browsers like Konqueror Embedded, Dillo, or (GUI) Links2. Which is too bad, because the universe would colapse on itself if you used a non-open source browser (such as Opera) on Linux, just like every other embedded device ever made.

And you're sure to need good handwriting recognition on a device with a full keyboard... An on-screen keyboard (which most PDA users use) like xkbd couldn't possibly be good enough. And someone that wanted handwriting recognition couldn't possibly adapt one of the open source Linux OCR programs to suit this purpose...