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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."
Doubtful, this is an embedded system, how many people are itching for a desktop version of PalmOS or Symbian just because they like it on their PDA or phone?
Also, couldn't the parent post be posted in response to almost every story on slashdot ever?
...but the video on the site requires Windows Media Player 9.
I think the idea is essentially good but it lacks some pretty essential goods:
1. 2.4 kernel? C'mon! 2.6 is out... we like new crap.
2. 800x600? Okay, it's good for a lot of people out there -- just not me. For something that small, I would want at least 1024x768, but a wide aspect display would be really nice too... if it had...
3. DVD playback. This device really needs DVD playback and even video out to be really cool. It needs to be that headrest DVD player *and* be a computer too.
4. 802.11g
5. USB 2.0
6. IEEE1394 (iLink, Firewire, whatever)
7. Bluetooth
A cheap laptop beats this thing all over the place except for being aimed at the consumer rather than the hacker. It would be REALLY nice if this thing could connect with a cell phone to exchange data (pictures, address book, etc) and gate itself to the internet. USB 2.0 and/or Firewire and/or Bluetooth would be among the best means by which a lot of this could happen.
For this configuration of hardware, I think they could have saved a lot of money and development time by adopting a version of Knoppix for this thing. Pull out the packages you don't want, add a few that work for this hardware and lock down the UI so that people don't need to know it's Linux and you're good to go.
An added advantage to having a DVD reader installed on this thing would be easy user updates/reloads -- it's a no brainer to insert a "factory reload" media, reboot and hold down some magical key combination eh?
Anyway... a laptop beats this and these days the price is probably better too.
No, the coolest new Linux device is the Nokia 770.
7 70
http://www.nokia.com/nokia/0,1522,,00.html?orig=/
and more attention to the little mom'n'pop hardware that is great. It will not be great for mainstreem hardware to be the sole offer, because it often undersells smaller competitors to the point of harming customers and the future innovations. It's the little man, down to the worker at his desk, that is relied for perfecting his stroke on the picture. All the painters of highest regard were somewhat sloppy in their day, and yet their "art" has endured to show forth a different interpretation of things that it continues in its own merit onto others. Somtimes you need to invest in bad hardware to allow a small company exist long enough to produce its most inspired product. I am not saying its a bad product or componay, although market reach implies such, yet consider SoftField Tech and its Linux-only PDAs. Its next release of PDAs will be verry good, but that will never happen unless people buy the already existing outdated hardware.
I am waiting for VA Software to re-enter the hardware market; and that I will to, every day. Slashdot is a great post of VA. It needs to be said, the VA hardware was a great enterprise that I am said to see fade away just because people were finding it difficult as a VAR. Somtimes, image is the only solution you can offer on a product that passes your way and that is the secret of QA.
I am the nightmare of nightmares.
Probably not, because this device isn't about the operating system. Other than the mention of Mozilla, where do you see an indication that this is NOT Windows?
Yeah, it's Linux. The target user doesn't give a damn. He or she just wants instant-on web and no-brainer wireless. And MP3s that don't require one to dig for some grey file to make it work.
And the marketing doesn't even mention Gnome, KDE, RPM, or Debian. Heresy!
Come to think of it, with all the user focus, I'd better re-read the article and make sure it's not a Mac ...
This is my post. There are many others like it. If you don't like what you read here, go try one of the others.
i assume DS-Linux and PSP linux were not present?
i didn't read it, so sue me.
My friend bought a new tablet pc for about 600 bucks and this cost 800 something
Visit my site @ http://www.madtorrent.com
Neat ultra-portable there.
How's wireless support under the Linux installs you have on the Fujitsu? I have a Fujitsu S6210 and Suse 9.3 works like a champ with this notebook and a bog standard Intel 2200BG chipset.
Semi-OT: Suse 9.3 is the only install I've put on this notebook that I haven't had to do *any* configuration to get WPA-PSK working. Fill in your pre-shared key and take off. I've tried just about every distro and although I could get WPA working it wasn't nearly as seamless as it is in Suse 9.3. The kinternet tool in 9.3 is what keeps me on Suse. No mucking with config files and custom scripts to bring the wireless up and down. Very nice.
Trying to keep it on topic here :) How about suspend to RAM or suspend to disk in Suse ... any issues with that? I ask because I'll be damned if I can get suspend to anything working on this notebook using any distro.
Looking at the datasheet on Fujitsu's site it is stated that that particular model is fixed at 256MB of RAM. That looks like it will be the only sticking point for me. As far as build quality, the only other notebooks I've used personally that compare to and surpass Fujitsu is the excellent Thinkpad. I still miss my T30 that a Diet Coke destroyed *sniff*.
Anybody have any experience with the ultra-low voltage Pentium-Ms? I'm looking at the entire Fujitsu ultra-portable line due to the pleasant experience I've had with this S6210. Obviously speed isn't my main concern but portability and battery life are.
You've got an easy breezy wind at your back...most of the time.
This surely is an alternative at less than half the price of the pepper pad ($849.99)?
Mobilis products have already been covered in slashdot.
-- Prem
Aiming to tweet on a rice
I have a Agenda VR3, which is what the device use to be called. It's a very solid and well designed PDA. has a nice big screen without a lot of wasted space on the edges of the screen by placing many of the buttons on the side. It has a nice crisp grayscale display with a backlight that is almost as good as a PalmIII's. It has a flash-based file system, which is especially nice because it has a pitiful battery life. A good rechargable battery would have really made a difference on this device. The AAAs simply don't cut it. I've used NiMH on my VR3 which does help somewhat on battery cost, but s single charge of NiMH's last even less than disposable cells.
The OS and apps are well written, who could have guessed you could cram a full X server in it and have it be as responsive. Running a real X server makes it super easy to port apps over to the VR3. Although the solitaire game and Agendaroids that comes with it are pretty good for stock games.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire