Surely an OS as big as Linux - taking a whole CD-ROM up as it does - is not the obvious choice for a small device with limited capabilities?
You realize that the full CD contains several graphical interfaces, several compilers and compiler tools, copious documentation and lots of games.
You can easily fit a basic Linux and GUI in under 40 megs, the last MS product to do that was Windows for Workgroups.
You can easily fit the kernel and a few needed apps onto 2 floppies.
Wouldn't a custom built OS for this kind of device such as EPOC or Windows CE be much better suited in this domain?
Well, with Linux, you can take what exists and build something small and fast, you don't need to include everything that comes with a standard Linux distro.
Also, I am wondering whether the Linux GUI, GNOME, is of sufficiently high standard for the purposes of an "easy to use" device such as he Yopy. From what people have shown me, it seems to be somewhat complex and has a lot of non-standard interface features which users will be unconfortable with. Since the GUI is part and parcel of the operating system, isn't this another reason why Linux is the wrong choice for the PDA domain?
Part of the problem with configuring Linux is that people want to stick any card or peripheral into a computer and make it work with Linux. when you are talking thousands of network cards, hundreds of video cards, hundreds of sound cards, hundreds of scanners, thousands of printers, etc, you can see what a daunting task this is.
With a PDA, there won't be very many peripherals, and the developers can concentrate on getting just the basic functionality to work.
The GUI can be coded for the PDA, and there should be very little to configure from the average user perspective.
And can someone with an aerospace engineering degree tell me what the difficulties are in building one? One would think they'd be easier to do than a rocket launch since you can get lift for the first 15 miles or so, as opposed to going straight up.
The big difficulty is heating and engines.
From memory, low earth orbital velocity is around mach 25.
For a space plane, you want to breathe oxygen from the atmosphere for as long as you can, this cuts down the amount of oxidizer you need to carry along.
However, the faster you go in the atmosphere, the greater the frictional drag, and the hotter you get. The fastest a known jet plane has gone in the atmosphere is about Mach 3.3, with the SR-71. To do this, it needed special alloys, a corrugated skin, and leaky fuel tanks (which seal when the plane heast up). To go faster, you need better materials, and perhaps a regeneratively cooled skin (cooled with liguid hydrogen or liquid methane perhaps). The fastest a known manned plane has gone (except for the shuttle) is Mach 6-ish, with the X-15. The X-15 was rocket powered, which brings us to the engine question.
A conventional jet engine burns fuel at subsonic speeds, meaning the airflow through the engine must be subsonic.
So what do supersonic planes do? They slow down the airflow using compressive shockwaves, generated by the nose, and engine inlet geometry. Each change in contour generates a small shockwave, which slows and compresses the airflow a little bit. You build enough little shockwaves, and your supersonic airflow becomes subsonic, and your engine works. You can only do this so much, though, and the maximum supersonic speed you can reasonably slow down is probably around Mach 3.3.
There is a theoretical solution though, the Supersonic Combustion Ramjet, or SCRamjet. The Scramjet burns fuel at supersonic velocities, and is theoritically capable of reaching Mach 25.
Of course, you need alloys that can withstand the heating of Mach 25, and you need a way to push the SCRamjet to supersonic speeds, which is either rockets or another jet engine.
Interestingly, a SCRamjet was scheduled to be tested on an X-15 flight, but the program was cancelled.
You may get better mileage from a rocket powered plane that gets some atmospheric oxygen, it lets you cut your takeoff mass.
Why did rockets get us into orbit? They are a brute force solution, bring everything with you you need to burn, and don't speed up until you're past the astmosphere.
Wild rumors? There have been plans for liquid methane cooled Mach 5 surveillance craft floating around which ride on their shockwave, and you can do a web search on Aurora.
So, when they starting making nano computers, will that be the end of building your own box?
When you can no longer assemble a computer with fingers (and a soldering iron if you're way 'leet) but instead need high powered microscopes and nano-manipulators, who's going to be able to afford those tools?
Maybe Intel (or whoever builds these nano-devices) will sell Von Neumann-ish devices to help the home builder play, maybe a Nano-Builder Studio, or even Visual Nano-Basic.
The Markerpro computer sales that come by every month would also have a fair selection of older stuff. I have to buy a fair amount to offset the entrance price, though.
The best deals are at garage sales, though. Last summer I picked up a 486/66 dissassembled tower (with CDROM, NIC and sound) and a NEC C400 multisync, speakers, keyboard and a mouse for under $100. I gutted the tower to make a Pentium, and I use the monitor every day as my primary monitor.
But with all talks of high-tech aside, a car still has only 3 boolean data channels (R/L blinkers, horn), 4 if you count the finger.
Fer instance, how about a cell phone presence and a cell phone using?
I know if I see someone driving while using a cell phone, I try to give them a wide berth, the information that communicates to me is to expect weaving and erratic braking.
How about headlights? We've all experienced Jeff Gordon wanna-bees who tailgate you in the left lane of bumper to bumper traffic, then flash their headlights, expecting you to pull into a crowded lane so they can go 75 instead of your 70.
And let's talk about bumper stickers. Fer instance, if I see a lot of Grateful Dead stickers on a car, I give that car a lot a room, no telling when an acid flashback might occur (though I'm still waiting).
If the true costs of the automobile was passed onto to the driving public, ie by paying for roads, parking garages, bridges and compensating for lost taxes not paid on highways and bridges, gas would probably cost $8.00 a gallon US, and public transportation would seem much more reasonable.
Just think about it -- a new generation of slashdotters, all of whom had received all of their education and information, from slashdot! I reckon it would only take two or three generations before dissenting opinions had been completely removed from society, which would be double plus good.
Come on, admit it. Wouldn't you love to have a job where you digitally removed enemy-of-the-state Gates from all past histories?
In general, anything which really needs to be kept should be printed out and archived in duplicate (this also has the advantage of settling once and for all what time a document was created, unlike electronic formats),
This is dang expensive, bulky, and could put your company out of business. You need a lot of space, and every 20-50 years you would need to copy the documents (acid based paper).
Caterpillar has chosen to electronically archive almost everything, to save money and time in printing repair manuals.
You can read other stories about electronic document management at the Document Management Alliance homepage.
Disclaimer, I work for a Fortune 50 company that specializes in Document management, so I do have a vested interest in this.
Slashdot Mirror
It was a little tough, but with my rotary tool and a fine carborundum bit, I was able to grind it right out.
I'll do it for you, too, just send me your Pentiums.
George
What a hoot, it almost makes me want to get the sims.
George
Surely an OS as big as Linux - taking a whole CD-ROM up as it does - is not the obvious choice for a small device with limited capabilities?
You realize that the full CD contains several graphical interfaces, several compilers and compiler tools, copious documentation and lots of games.
You can easily fit a basic Linux and GUI in under 40 megs, the last MS product to do that was Windows for Workgroups.
You can easily fit the kernel and a few needed apps onto 2 floppies.
Wouldn't a custom built OS for this kind of device such as EPOC or Windows CE be much better suited in this domain?
Well, with Linux, you can take what exists and build something small and fast, you don't need to include everything that comes with a standard Linux distro.
Also, I am wondering whether the Linux GUI, GNOME, is of sufficiently high standard for the purposes of an "easy to use" device such as he Yopy. From what people have shown me, it seems to be somewhat complex and has a lot of non-standard interface features which users will be unconfortable with. Since the GUI is part and parcel of the operating system, isn't this another reason why Linux is the wrong choice for the PDA domain?
Part of the problem with configuring Linux is that people want to stick any card or peripheral into a computer and make it work with Linux. when you are talking thousands of network cards, hundreds of video cards, hundreds of sound cards, hundreds of scanners, thousands of printers, etc, you can see what a daunting task this is.
With a PDA, there won't be very many peripherals, and the developers can concentrate on getting just the basic functionality to work.
The GUI can be coded for the PDA, and there should be very little to configure from the average user perspective.
Hpoe this helps,
George
And can someone with an aerospace engineering degree tell me what the difficulties are in building one? One would think they'd be easier to do than a rocket launch since you can get lift for the first 15 miles or so, as opposed to going straight up.
The big difficulty is heating and engines.
From memory, low earth orbital velocity is around mach 25.
For a space plane, you want to breathe oxygen from the atmosphere for as long as you can, this cuts down the amount of oxidizer you need to carry along.
However, the faster you go in the atmosphere, the greater the frictional drag, and the hotter you get. The fastest a known jet plane has gone in the atmosphere is about Mach 3.3, with the SR-71. To do this, it needed special alloys, a corrugated skin, and leaky fuel tanks (which seal when the plane heast up). To go faster, you need better materials, and perhaps a regeneratively cooled skin (cooled with liguid hydrogen or liquid methane perhaps). The fastest a known manned plane has gone (except for the shuttle) is Mach 6-ish, with the X-15. The X-15 was rocket powered, which brings us to the engine question.
A conventional jet engine burns fuel at subsonic speeds, meaning the airflow through the engine must be subsonic.
So what do supersonic planes do? They slow down the airflow using compressive shockwaves, generated by the nose, and engine inlet geometry. Each change in contour generates a small shockwave, which slows and compresses the airflow a little bit. You build enough little shockwaves, and your supersonic airflow becomes subsonic, and your engine works. You can only do this so much, though, and the maximum supersonic speed you can reasonably slow down is probably around Mach 3.3.
There is a theoretical solution though, the Supersonic Combustion Ramjet, or SCRamjet. The Scramjet burns fuel at supersonic velocities, and is theoritically capable of reaching Mach 25.
Of course, you need alloys that can withstand the heating of Mach 25, and you need a way to push the SCRamjet to supersonic speeds, which is either rockets or another jet engine.
Interestingly, a SCRamjet was scheduled to be tested on an X-15 flight, but the program was cancelled.
You may get better mileage from a rocket powered plane that gets some atmospheric oxygen, it lets you cut your takeoff mass.
Why did rockets get us into orbit? They are a brute force solution, bring everything with you you need to burn, and don't speed up until you're past the astmosphere.
Wild rumors? There have been plans for liquid methane cooled Mach 5 surveillance craft floating around which ride on their shockwave, and you can do a web search on Aurora.
Hope this helps,
George Haberberger
BSAE Penn State, 1988
So, when they starting making nano computers, will that be the end of building your own box?
When you can no longer assemble a computer with fingers (and a soldering iron if you're way 'leet) but instead need high powered microscopes and nano-manipulators, who's going to be able to afford those tools?
Maybe Intel (or whoever builds these nano-devices) will sell Von Neumann-ish devices to help the home builder play, maybe a Nano-Builder Studio, or even Visual Nano-Basic.
George
I bought a lot of my older hardware at Computer Surplus Outlet last year, and also some at Computer Strippers.com.
Locally (to me), I occasionally pick up a part at Rochester Computer Recycling and Recovery and Computer Renaissance.
The Markerpro computer sales that come by every month would also have a fair selection of older stuff. I have to buy a fair amount to offset the entrance price, though.
The best deals are at garage sales, though. Last summer I picked up a 486/66 dissassembled tower (with CDROM, NIC and sound) and a NEC C400 multisync, speakers, keyboard and a mouse for under $100. I gutted the tower to make a Pentium, and I use the monitor every day as my primary monitor.
George
Wow, what you using for a RIP, platform-wise?
George
Thanks, someone has a sense of humor.
Lamo moderators marking me as flamebait, losers.
Probably IPv8 referred to urinating vegetable juice.
George
There wouldn't be much gain in efficiency in compiling most PostScript since you're still limited by the print speed of your printer.
Even printing 180 pages per minute, our PostScript interpreters generally get ahead of the print engine.
George
If not, why?
Anyhow, one of the tenets of that book is that very good crypto will allow online virtual banking that no government will be able to trace.
Kind of like an offshore bank, but quicker and easier to implement.
The first geek/bankers to do this stand to become very rich.
Income tax may disappear, being replaced with real estate taxes, etc. Society may change drastically.
Get ready,
George
But with all talks of high-tech aside, a car still has only 3 boolean data channels (R/L blinkers, horn), 4 if you count the finger.
Fer instance, how about a cell phone presence and a cell phone using?
I know if I see someone driving while using a cell phone, I try to give them a wide berth, the information that communicates to me is to expect weaving and erratic braking.
How about headlights? We've all experienced Jeff Gordon wanna-bees who tailgate you in the left lane of bumper to bumper traffic, then flash their headlights, expecting you to pull into a crowded lane so they can go 75 instead of your 70.
And let's talk about bumper stickers. Fer instance, if I see a lot of Grateful Dead stickers on a car, I give that car a lot a room, no telling when an acid flashback might occur (though I'm still waiting).
George
Ah, I dunno.
I did a quick and dirty google searched on automobile subsidies to find those two.
George
Unless I burned an 80 minute one, then it lasts 80 minutes.
George
A lot of the problem is that American automobiles are subsidized way more than public transportation is.
In 1995, this was estimated at $5,000 per family.
If the true costs of the automobile was passed onto to the driving public, ie by paying for roads, parking garages, bridges and compensating for lost taxes not paid on highways and bridges, gas would probably cost $8.00 a gallon US, and public transportation would seem much more reasonable.
George
Just think about it -- a new generation of slashdotters, all of whom had received all of their education and information, from slashdot! I reckon it would only take two or three generations before dissenting opinions had been completely removed from society, which would be double plus good.
Come on, admit it. Wouldn't you love to have a job where you digitally removed enemy-of-the-state Gates from all past histories?
George
A red and blue NYC embossed laptop would be perfect theft protection, becuase it would plainly be stolen, and no one would buy it?
Where does that guy come from?
He needs to get on the radio and tell all the NCY people
"Hey, crack, pot and herion are illegal, don't buy them"
How naive.
George
He has loads of ideas there on how nanotech affects society.
George
Too bad no one listens to Jefferson anymore.
I do, I have Surrealistic Pillow in my car.
And along comes a man with a sledgehammer
All it takes is one hit
adnthem little animals are dead
George
And I got a frickin' link wrong.
Document Management Alliance.
George
In general, anything which really needs to be kept should be printed out and archived in duplicate (this also has the advantage of settling once and for all what time a document was created, unlike electronic formats),
This is dang expensive, bulky, and could put your company out of business. You need a lot of space, and every 20-50 years you would need to copy the documents (acid based paper).
Caterpillar has chosen to electronically archive almost everything, to save money and time in printing repair manuals.
You can read other stories about electronic document management at the Document Management Alliance homepage.
Disclaimer, I work for a Fortune 50 company that specializes in Document management, so I do have a vested interest in this.
George
So Kraft sold Post to Microsoft? What are the product?
P-M Shredded Kerberos?
P-M Frosted Blue-Screen-of-Deaths?
P-M Toasted FUD-ios?
P-M Golden Honey-bloat?
Ummmmm,
George
They lost me when they started talking about parallel layers of gas.
I think they meant concentric layers of gas.
Oh well, it's good to know you don't need to pass geometry to get a job as a reporter.
George
It would make agreat screen saver.
Well, now they can dig up the body, do some DNA testing, and find out.
George
I forget the title, but a missionary lands on a planet where the aliens must test everything.
They crucify the missionary, expecting him to rise up again on the third day.
And a robot one.
Someone a robot gets known as God's incarnation.
A fanatic injures the robot with a laser, in the side. It takes about 3 days to repair the wound.
For the life of me, I can't remember the titles.
George