Linux Finds Its Way to More Handheld Devices

LXrider writes "The coolest new handheld to pick Linux as its OS is the Pepper Pad. This device was one of the most exciting products to be found at this year's otherwise lackluster C3 Expo in NYC. The Pepper Pad runs MontaVista Linux on a Intel XScale PXA270 (624 MHz) processor and it used for viewing multimedia, surfing the net, and controlling your home's electronics."

Comments

Re:Over priced, Under powered

[Anonymous Coward]

I work for Pepper.

1. Wait a few months, you'll get 2.6. FWIW Montavista has backported most of the exciting stuff from 2.6 to the 2.4 kernel we use, so we're not missing out on all that much.
2. 1024x768 on an 8" screen gets a bit small, and the LCDs are hard to find.
3. It has video out, read the spec sheet. DVD playback is best accomplished by copying the DVD to the Pad. Perhaps someday there will be a better solution.
4. We're working on it
5. The XScale only supports USB 1, so adding USB 2 requires more chips = more space, more power, more cost. Stay tuned.
6. Firewire may not be the best high-speed bus to add. We'll see.
7. Read the spec sheet, it has bluetooth. Works, even!

Who's going to provide support for Knoppix? You? We're a step ahead of you in that department, we already have a Linux that works, we control what packages are included, and we've locked down the UI for normal users so they don't know it's Linux underneath. Hackers can get underneath just fine if they really want, we like them.

DVD drives take up space, cost money, and use a godawful amount of power. It's a *good* thing we didn't include one, trust me.