Hackers Get Android Running on Real Hardware

nerdyH writes "Google's Android stack for Linux phones has been successfully hacked onto several actual hardware devices, including Linux-based Sharp Zaurus PDAs and a high-end development board. Google's preview release of Android last fall included a software emulator based on Qemu, but you can't beat real target hardware when writing applications for devices, because emulators may not accurately reflect real-world performance. Plus, it appears that Android's modern UI could really breathe some new life into lots of Linux-friendly hardware with ARMv5TE or better cores."

Comments

Too bad about the QVGA

[Anonymous Coward]

Too bad that Android SDK defaults to QVGA .. most Android apps are going to work best in QVGA (320 x 240).. not other resolutions like VGA or higher that are better for convenient web browsing. I doubt there will be VGA or higher Android phones anytime soon .. So the platform will not go too well. It sucks cause I had hope for it.

Re:Too bad about the QVGA

[0xdeadbeef]

Yeah, that's what killed the iPhone - totally failed because it doesn't run at VGA resolution.

At least the Android simulator can be configured to launch in VGA mode (or any resolution), as well as the default QVGA and HVGA modes. I hope the iPhone dev-kit is as forward-thinking.

Re:Too bad about the QVGA

[Deanalator]

Speaking of which, is there any word on how hard it would be to get android on an iphone?

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/01/iphone-processor-found-620mhz-arm/

true variety

[debatem1]

This is a very impressive thing, not just because it makes it easier to test, but more importantly because it promises to allow the same distro scheme used by mainstream linux on cell phones. some may see that as a downside, but if it does develop I think its just one more reason to support open, upgradeable platforms.

Windows Mobile replacement

[the 99th penguin]

I hope that it will be able to replace windows mobile on my HTC device soon (the O2 XDA, not sure exactly what model that would be). I am sure that the actual hardware of the phone is not too bad but things are just so slow.

Like TFS says, it is great to have something to run on older hardware, especially with the way the phone market works these days trying to get you to do upgrades as often as possible, most of the time unnecessarily. How many don't just want a phone to use as a phone? I know my grandfather wouldn't mind having a special stripped down version of Android with only basic functions and if I can pick up an old used phone that most people think is outdated to run it on that would be perfect.

Re:Windows Mobile replacement

[kbahey]

I am looking forward to that too.

Although I am in Canada, I bought an unlocked HTC Hermes/TyTN (AT&T/Cingular 8525) from eBay. Being a GSM phone, my SIM card from Rogers worked instantly.

Here is to hoping that Google or HTC will provide that, although that would anger HTC's clients (the carriers).

Technical Re-purpose

[hhawk]

As a fan of SciFi, I always love the "mad hacker" who takes a bunch of old parts and kludges together something interesting. We are a long way from that... We have always had PCs. You buy them with an MS OS and you can re-purpose them into Linux devices of various types.

But I love the idea of taking older form factor cell phones, which are really abandoned tech, and wiping out the older operating environment and replacing it with Android. It's not quite the way the built R2D2 in star wars but it's a step in that direction.

- liberating commodity hardware
- installing commodity software
- creating something interesting and useful.