Nokia's Linux Handheld

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday May 25, 2005 @01:48AM from the gadgets-i-want dept.

Nils Faerber writes "Today Nokia announced the introduction of the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet device along with the Open Source based Maemo Development Platform. With this new product Nokia enters several new worlds all at once. A new concept for the use of a handheld device, a new fully visible open source based development process and the explicit use of open source software in a commercial grade product. The typical use case for the Nokia 770 is to be the internet usability extension to your mobile phone or other wireless internet access equipment. It is extremely portable by its small formfactor, usable for almost all internet applications thorugh its exceptional resolution of 800x480 pixel and its multimedia capabilities by making use of a TI-OMAP CPU and a accompanying digital signal processor (DSP) core. The consequent use of open source software and technology basing on the Linux kernel 2.6, X11-server technology and the GTK+ toolkit the resulting new Hildon graphical user interface creates a fully new user interface experience for portable Linux devices."

24 of 320 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

The nokia Internet tablet by the_xaqster · 2005-05-25 01:51 · Score: 5, Funny

Take 2 and call me in the morning....

--
I'm just here to regulate Funkyness
Good by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-25 01:52 · Score: 3, Interesting

If this gets popular, and as presumably the interface will be similar to all other Nokia products, people will realise that Linux is not necessarily hard to use.
1. Re:Good by garcia · 2005-05-25 02:11 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  people will realise that Linux is not necessarily hard to use.
  
  If by "people" you mean the general non-computer-geek population, then I really don't think they care what OS the unit is running. Tivo is easy to use and runs on Linux. Archos media players are easy to use... The list continues.
  
  Linux *can* be difficult to use, especially as a home OS. UIs that lay over the kernel and OS don't have to be.
2. Re:Good by CortoMaltese · 2005-05-25 02:19 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The FAQ confirms that "the user interface has its roots in the smartphone Series 90 user interface."
Left-handed model? by oni · 2005-05-25 01:53 · Score: 5, Interesting

I doubt there will be a left-handed model. Pretty much every PDA or device like this one has buttons on the left side, which I can't use because I'm holding the device with my right hand because I need to write on it with my left hand.

Oh well, sucks to be me I guess.
1. Re:Left-handed model? by jintxo · 2005-05-25 02:08 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  ... pregadous ...
  wtf?
No ethernet by noisymime · 2005-05-25 01:53 · Score: 3, Interesting

I know it kind of goes against the whole portability idea, but no ethernet?
GStreamer by JohnFluxx · 2005-05-25 01:55 · Score: 5, Informative

Please note that it is also recently revealed that Nokia has been funding GStreamer ! Thank you Nokia!
Battery Life by AngryScot · 2005-05-25 01:56 · Score: 5, Interesting

3 hour battery life seems to be a little short if you are going to be traveling and want to use it.

I suppose you could charge it in your car...

--
All spelling mistakes are due to solar flares...honest
1. Re:Battery Life by l810c · 2005-05-25 02:34 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  3 hour battery life seems to be a little short if you are going to be traveling and want to use it.
  It's only 1500 mAh, your average NiMH AA is at 2300 mAh each. This battery must be puny.
  
  An external battery pack would be a cool option. 2 AA's in a small tube with wire could provide nearly 10 hours.
PDA please! by johansalk · 2005-05-25 01:57 · Score: 3, Interesting

Looks exciting; can't wait for them to make a PDA out of it. I just wish they'd used regular SD instead of reduced size memory cards.
It's $350 by jolyonr · 2005-05-25 01:58 · Score: 4, Informative

Not sure where you got the price from, but my sources say it's going to be $350.

Jolyon

--

Please read my Canon EOS tech blog at http://www.everyothershot.com
Re:Seen it already... by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-25 02:00 · Score: 4, Informative

cough PSP cant surf the web *cough*

nor can it read emails, play streaming radio and at least 60 other things.

the PSP is a neat portable game but a webpad it CERTIANLY is not.

so how do you click on a fricking link because the PSP lacks a touchscreen? and when is FLASH going to be released for the PSP?

*cough*
... but shame on you, Nokia... by lowieken · 2005-05-25 02:04 · Score: 5, Insightful

for wanting to impose software patents on us in the EU!
1. Re:... but shame on you, Nokia... by A+beautiful+mind · 2005-05-25 02:32 · Score: 3, Insightful
  Nokia is really mixed up in these matters:
  
  it supports open source stuff like this
  
  supports the anti-microsoft side in eu vs. microsoft battle
  
  on the other hand, supports software patents
  
  I'd wish they'd just make up their mind and vouch for FOSS
  --
  It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
  Be yourself no matter what they say
AP says it runs Opera by Anonymous Coward · 2005-05-25 02:12 · Score: 3, Informative

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic le/2005/05/25/AR2005052500555.html

"In one similarity to Nokia's smart phones, the tablet employs the Opera browser from Opera Software ASA."
Re:Forget ethernet, no bluetooth??!!! by tuxnduke · 2005-05-25 02:21 · Score: 3, Informative

What do you mean no bluetooth ?

(Straight from the site:)
Connectivity:
* WLAN: 802.11b/g
* Bluetooth specification: 1.2
you're in luck by cahiha · 2005-05-25 02:25 · Score: 4, Insightful

It's open source and it's X11 based. That means that RandR probably works on it and you can just rotate the screen 180 degrees.
Screenshots! by spectrokid · 2005-05-25 02:36 · Score: 4, Informative

http://www.maemo.org/screenshots.html

--
10 ?"Hello World" life was simple then
No 3G/GSM? by ubera · 2005-05-25 03:03 · Score: 5, Interesting

I think it's a pity that the rather beautiful design and obviously neat software doesn't include Nokia's core function: mobile phone connectivity (and not through BT).

--
But what is the SIGnificance?
Some good signs though by hemul · 2005-05-25 03:11 · Score: 3, Interesting

here
Re:No CF slot? by iamnotanumber6 · 2005-05-25 03:41 · Score: 3, Informative

Why do manufacturers hate CF so?

Because CF is based on the ancient ISA parallel bus interface - too many pins, too much overhead. The newer formats use a serial (eg. SPI) interface, more easily supported by microsontrollers, saving a lot of wiring and board space/complexity.
Pregadous by doru · 2005-05-25 04:00 · Score: 3, Funny

It's a perfectly cromulent word !
Re:Ogg vorbis support? by rillian · 2005-05-25 05:58 · Score: 3, Interesting

I talked to Uraeus about this a bit. The machine has combined ARM9/TI DSP cores. The idea is that you want the codecs running on the DSP, and apparently the free Xiph codecs we're included in the launch because there's no DSP port of the reference implementations. (There's no GCC back end for the dsp, although some folks are working on a related series.) This includes Ogg Theora, Speex and FLAC as well as Ogg Vorbis.

Whether the ARM is too slow (or battery consumptive) to run the decoders on its own, I'm not clear but with everything open source it will be easy to check.

I'll be a Guadec, where they are apparently also doing a demo, so hopefully will know more next week.

In the long term though we need help with the DSP gcc port and someone to do hand-optimized asm for the xiph codecs. If anyone's interested, please let us know.