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Unofficial Qt Environment (and Sudoku) For the Kindle

Posted by timothy on from the tablet-madness-never-ends dept.

An anonymous reader writes "I've just posted packages for installing a Qt-based platform on the Kindle 2 and DX devices, and a Sudoku game to go along with it. The Qt-based platform includes plugins I wrote for the e-ink display, the keyboard, and the five-way joystick thing — so it's a fully interactive and usable environment now. Soon I'll be adding a sample app with source code to go along with it."

4 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. sudOkU by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    It is sudoku, you retards

  2. Does it do anything for refresh rate? by cvd6262 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I checked a Kindle out of my college library and the WhisperNet browser was better than I had expected. I set up a textarea form on my server, and tested taking notes with it.

    The only problem was that each letter would appear on its own refresh cycle (at about 1Hz). While it took me 51 seconds to type out a short paragraph, the K2 was locked up for another 60 seconds while each letter appeared one after the other.

    It was clear that the string was saved to a buffer (because I *didn't* have to wait for each letter to appear before typing the next), and I know the refresh rate is just a limitation of e-ink, but it seems an alternative environment could display multiple characters with each refresh.
     

    --

    I'd rather have someone respond than be modded up.

    1. Re:Does it do anything for refresh rate? by cvd6262 · · Score: 4, Informative

      I just tested it again and it appears to be an issue only in the browser. When I add a note to an e-book, the screen keeps up fairly well. But when I type a long comment into a textarea on a webpage, it keeps up for the first few words and then slows to a crawl.

      So, yeah, probably a bug in the code.

      --

      I'd rather have someone respond than be modded up.

  3. rationale by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    The platform itself is not supposed to be commercial/closed. I'll drop that hosting request as soon as enough people have tried it and I know it doesn't brick a whole lot of Kindles. This way I can easily change the packages and fix something if it goes wrong. Also, if Amazon gets crazy nasty and starts banning everyone who installs it, then I can properly warn people if that starts to happen.

    I was only able to test it on two Kindles, after all... and not for very long on the Kindle 2 (which most people probably have).

    As for the Sudoku game, I was hoping to do the standard iPhone app-like demo version + paid version later. If nobody cares, or if Amazon decides to play rough... I won't sell the paid version. I don't need that kind of trouble. If the legal stuff looks a little weird, give me a little break, here... I could potentially get in a lot of trouble with this. I'm pretty conflicted ATM.

    Amazon's announcement of their own official 'KDK' in the works messes with my plans somewhat. :) Don't get me wrong, the fact that Amazon is going to be providing that is awesome. I was hoping to prove there's a good amount of interest in it and also (if I was really lucky) push any SDK to use Qt instead of Java. (and maybe make a little money as the first real app for it in the process) ... I can't believe Amazon's first app idea is Sudoku. I guess it's an obvious one... but damn!

    The original goal of being the basis of a future Kindle SDK look a little blown. So, I'm still figuring out where to go with it.

    Someday I'll actually take the time to find my login and actually post as myself. Sorry. :)

    Darron