This would be really cool on handheld computers like the Psion. I bet I could type as fast on this as I can on a full keyboard with tiny keys... and i'd have a free hand to hold the device or use the stylus.
Re:better *hardware* not better wince
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Palm In Trouble?
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WinCE was designed from the GROUND UP specifically for portable devices.
WinCE may not be a direct port of NT, but it's pretty damn close and certainly was not designed from the ground up for portable devices. WinCE uses a subset of the Windows APIs, uses a registry, uses shared DLLs, and uses the same basic file structure as the desktop OSs. And, of course, the GUI was orignally from the desktop (and still is on the clamshell units).
The Palm does word processing, spreadsheets, relational databases, and does have true web browsing (not just web clipping). If you need higher resolution, Handera's new unit has 240x320 and Sony's new unit has 320x320. If you need MP3 playback, Sony's can do it.
In general, Palms are smaller and lighter. Many CE devices are better for FPU intensive apps and multimedia. In the end both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. Get the best tool for your needs and stop this silly WinCE vs. Palm holy war.
Get RPN from palmgear.com. I sold my HP48S and HP200LX when I got my 1st generation Pilot almost 5 years ago... haven't needing anything else since.
(Also, if you need to do equation solving, try Mathpad).
Why Not Color or 480x320? Other Problems?
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PDAs, PDAs
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OK, this device looks really cool.
However, I'm not sure I want to run legacy apps in a 160x160 window (which will be effectively smaller than the M100 screen). Why didn't they just jump to 480x320? (or 440x320, which is close to the aspect ratio of 320x240)
Apps could be double pixelated at 320x320 take advantage of the entire screen (like the new Sony model).
And now that low-power reflective color screens are becoming more affordable, why not use one of them? I'd pay $450+ for this thing if it had color. I agree that lower-power greyscale screens are more practical for some users, but I suspect color units would sell better...
I also wonder what kind of PalmOS problems (performance and compatibility) will come up due to the different resolution screens. We've got:
- 160x160 Standard, Samsung phone w/ softinput area
- 240x160 Samsung phone w/out input area
- 240x240 Handera w/ input area
- 320x240 Handera w/out input area
- 320x320 New Sony Clie
It's going to be an interesting year for PalmOS.
On a side note, it's funny that this model was announced the same day that the M500 has starting showing up in Office Depots:-)
Re:Is Linux really the OS you want on your handhel
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Agenda VR3 Review
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I haven't read the book you mentioned... I'll look for it the next time I'm at Barnes and Noble. So consider this post from a semi-informed person:-)
While WinCE is not a port in the strictest definition of the word, it is *strongly* based on the desktop version of the OS (not just the GUI). Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't CE have the same basic directory structure and APIs? Doesn't it use DLLs and a registry? If so, I disagree with your statement that WinCE is "...a complete rewrite from the ground up."
As far as I understand it, M$ did it this way to make development easier for NT/9x developers (as you mentioned in another post about the APIs). In many respects, that's a smart (and ethical/legal, IMHO) way for M$ to take advantage of their large developer base for their desktop OSs.
The apparent downside to this strategy is that CE appears to have inherited many inefficiencies and buggy behavior from the desktop OS. Just compare the Psion Netbook to CE devices with similar hardware... the Psion is extremely responsive while the CE devices are sluggish (EPOC is not a perfect OS either, but that's besides the point).
Of course, you could argue that Linux is also a poor choice for a mobile computer due to it not being efficient (and that's a legitimate point). But even if we ignore the efficiency issues and bugs of CE, there's still the existence of DLLs and the registry (and the various problems that come with those things... not being able to fully uninstall programs, conflicts, etc...)
So, I think M$ should've *really* designed CE from the ground up to run on a handheld.
The M505 is impressive. It's got *most* of the things Palm users have been asking for: color in a PalmV formfactor (YES!!! And with side-reflective TFT... YES!!!), backlit graffiti area, vibrating alarm, and expansion slot.
The lack of MP3 playback is disappointing, but not a big deal right now, IMHO. When dataplay disks come out next year, then MP3 playback on a handheld computer will be more important. Right now it's mostly a gimmick.
However, the lack of improved audio or a higher resolution screen is going to be a real turn-off to some people (including me). Don't get me wrong... It doesn't make me want to switch to WinCE (unless they rewrite that buggy, inefficient OS from the ground-up). But I dunno if I'm gonna shell out for an M505, even though it's a very reasonable price.
I'll probably hold out for a device with a higher resolution screen. The question is, what will come first?
1. A version of WinCE that doesn't suck (doubtful, knowing M$)
2. PalmOS 5 devices with higher resolution, improved audio, and MP3 playback
3. Color EPOC Palm devices with multimedia capabilities
or
4. The new Sharp Linux devices, which will reportedly be focused on Java for development.
Looks like the next 12 months will be very interesting... shall we start a pool?
Google is very fast and has a superior interface. But with Deja, you could search with AND NOT OR, which was very very useful. Google, if you're reading this, please add boolean operators to the search options!
Do other companies do unethical and illegal things for the sake of profits? Yes. Is the old guy with the destroyed trachea responsible for his own actions? Yes.
But neither of those facts excuse Phillip Morris from also being responsible. They are guilty of covering up the fact that 1st and 2nd-hand smoke is harmful (which they've lied about for decades) while also manipulating nicotine levels to get people even more addicted. That makes them accountable and they deserve a Hell of a lot worse than they are getting. These people should be jailed.
But because that won't happen, fining them to the brink of bankruptcy and taxing them to pay for these "The Truth" adds is a better alternative to doing nothing (You're also forgetting that 2nd-hand smoke is not neccesarily self-inflicted).
My biggest gripe, other than the guilty parties not going to jail, is that the government should be using money taken from tobacco only for cigarette related health care / education / advertising.
That said, there were much better commercials during the Superbowl.
The Platinum is 5.4 oz (the same as the old Visors) and the Prism is 6.9 oz! That doesn't count the covers.
I read six months ago that Handspring was working on creating a smaller Visor. So, why is the Prism 6.9 oz, which is heavier than the color CLIE, IIIc, and IPAQ?
The biggest selling point seems to be that the screen displays 65.6k colors. Why is that important when the screen only has 25.6k pixels?
Maybe if they had used a 320x320 screen, making the unit this large would be justifiable. But as is, I don't see how Handspring expects to sell many Prisms at $450.
No need to resort to name calling... it's certainly true that isolationism is more Buchanan's thing than Limbaugh's. What made me think of Limbaugh is that he also rants about how human caused damage to the environment is a myth created by "the Liberals" (Note that the original poster used the word liberal 7 times in his first post and twice more in his second).
Remember "The Way Things Ought to Be"?, Limbaugh wrote:
Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines spewed forth more than a thousand times the amount of ozone-depleting chemicals in one eruption than all the fluorocarbons manufactured by wicked, diabolical, and insensitive corporations in history. So much so that respected scientists now say that a 4 percent to 6 percent ozone loss could -- could, but may not -- occur over the Northern Hemisphere in the next two or three years... volcanoes have been doing this for 4 billion years. And guess what? We still have a healthy ozone layer!
And then in a debate with Al Gore, he said:
If you listen to what Senator Gore said, it is man-made products which are causing the ozone depletion, yet Mount Pinatubo has put 570 times the amount of chlorine into the atmosphere in one eruption than all of man-made chlorofluorocarbons in one year."
The fact that he contradicted himself isn't the issue (570 in one year = 1000 in all of history?). The fact that Volcanic chlorine is water soluble while Human CFCs are insoluble, and can rise to and damage the ozone layer is.
Do I know that the original poster listens to Limbaugh? No. But they both blast liberals for creating the "myth" that humans damage the envirnment (while Limbaugh didn't use the word liberal in the above quotes, he has many other times). We don't know exactly how much we are affecting the environment, but we certainly should not dismiss human activity as insignificant.
OMG... I just assumed you're a troll. But your second post indicates you might actually believe what you've written. Well, I'll take the easy shot:
Ah yes, here we see that renowned professer Stephen Hawking is trying to use fear tactics in a quest to convince us that we need space exploration and colonization... [snip]
...they've been trying to push through globalist regulations to shackle the freedoms of nations to conduct their own affairs. [snip]
It's all just another step along their path towards a one world superstate run along Liberal policies... [snip]
OK, so now who is using fear tactics? Suggest you get your information from more reliable sources than Rush Limbaugh.
I used to always hear it referred to as FlashRAM. It's generally intended to only be read from most of the time, but is actually write-able, so it's not ROM. More recently, I've heard it called FlashROM. Whatever... as far as I know, FlashRAM = FlashROM
As far as Linux on a handheld goes, I've been thinking about it for a while. So far, it doesn't seem to make much sense. Though it'll likely be more reliable than WinCE, I doubt it'll be much more efficient. However, I may still exchange my PalmV for one.
Why? Because I want to learn more about Linux and I don't have time to screw around with it on my desktop. I installed RH5.0 a while back, figured out which files to edit to get my video card to work, ran a Q2 server, etc... but I NEED Windows due to my job, and it was too inconvenient to have to reboot back and forth. So, I haven't played with Linux in a year or 2.
Having it on a handheld interests me because I hope to be able to play around Linux when I'm killing time (instead of playing Hearts/Vexed/whatever on my PalmV, which I probably do 3-4 hours per week).
However, I'm really not sure how much I'll be able to learn on Linux on a handheld. Since most things I'd want to learn about are meant to be on a server or at least a workstation, and the screen will be so small, I dunno if it'll be that much fun to use. But, assuming it is usable, I ought to get something out of it by messing with Linux for a few hours per week...
i am a little late posting to this topic but i already had something typed up from when i picked a digicam last weekend, so i will copy and paste it here for anyone interested.
wanted a good-for-all-occassion portable digicam. i narrowed it down to the nikon 950 and olympus c2020z (considered the tiny canon s10, but it's flash is too weak, battery life is poor, and is only 2x zoom).
so, here are my cp950 vs c2020z notes:
*****************************************
both
pros - use aa nimh batteries - good battery life - 1600x1200 - good image quality (sharpness, color, etc...) - reasonably quick cycle and lag times - 3x zoom - manual and auto controls - continuous shooting modes
cons - chromatic aberration (2020z worse than 950) - removable lense cape (vs built in cover)
advantage 950 - amazing macro ability. like low power microsope. 2020 only focuses to 8". - has solid metal case - has bag - uses compact flash (but no cf2 support). 2020 uses smartmedia (up to 64mb) - swivel design useful in many situations - chromatic aberration not as bad on 950 as on 2020 - 2020 lense cap prevents lense from extending if left on (bad for camera?)
advantage 2020 - smaller and lighter - f2.0/f2.8 (vs f2.6/4.0 on 950) - comes with remote - comes with 4 aa nimh and charger - panoramic function (requires olympus media) - better flash (950 has redeye problem) - can record quicktime movies - has distance readout for manual focus - battery life *slightly* better - cheaper: $476 vs $557 (950 = $657-$100 rebate... also need to add $40 for batteries/charger = $597) - 2020 in-stock at above price
cf vs sm - cf has onboard controller (devices can read future releases. sm requires firmware update for future releases) - sm is more fragile - sm is smaller (though both are tiny) - sm takes less power for writing - sm is faster for writing
*****************************************
i like cf a *little* better, but i'm somewhat indifferent to it since both have pros & cons. it came down to size/weight and speed of lense vs macro and swivel. if the 950 had been the same price, i might've gone with it instead. but the difference in price made the choice easier.
i ordered an olympus c2020z sunday and got it wednesday. have taken ~ a hundred shots and a few movies so far... i am quite happy with it.
check out these sites for reviews: www.steves-reviews.com www.imaging-resource.com
Star Blazers was the shit when I was 9 years old. I remember watching it everyday after school in '79 (and later Force Five, Captain Harlock, Robotech, etc...). And that was back when only us geeks knew what Japanimation was. When I was young, there weren't Anime sections in your local video stores... you kids today don't know how good you have it:-)
Anyway, I came across this online 6 or 7 years ago:
********************************************
Picard: Captain's Log, Stardate 98765432.10. While on a routine mission to the Achbarditaniary System, our sensors picked up a strange fluctuation in the space-time continuum. While we cannot determine the source of this disturbance, long-range sensors are picking up a lone vessel in the immediate vicinity. We are en route to investigate.
Q: Jean-Luc, mon capitaine. I'm back!
Picard: Q, get out of here!
Q: Non, mon ami. I have a contract, remember?
Picard: (fume)...
Data: Captain, I do not think that Q's contract pertains to this particular scenario. Technically, this is not a parody, but another inane attempt to pit our ship against another genre vessel. Precedents include the Battlestar Galactica, Cylon Base Stars, Blake's 7, Dr. Who's Tardis, Robotech Veritechs, the Batmobile, Dastardly and Muttley's flying--
Picard: Enough, Data, we get the point. Excellent. Q, you are not wanted here, nor legally required to be here. You will leave.
Q: Hurumph. It's a silly premise, anyway. But I'll be back. I'll be watching.
[Q disappears in a bright flash.]
Picard: Finally. Let's get on with this. Beverly's waiting for me....
Wesley: Hey!!!
Riker: Shut up, boy!
Picard: Number One, remember this is NOT a parody.
Riker: Sorry.
Wesley: Thanks!
Picard: Shut up boy.
[cut to Yamato]
Venture: Derek! What was that ship?
Wildstar: I don't know, Mark. I think it was one of the Comet Empire's new Space Destroyers. We were hit by a Magna-Laser Cannon!
Sandor: They destroyed the Third Bridge.
Nova: But where are we now, Derek? Where did the enemy ship go?
Homer: I lost contact with the Third Space Fleet, Captain.
IQ-9: MY SENSORS DETECT ANOTHER SHIP APPROACHING. VERY FAST. FASTER THAN A GENIUS ROBOT CAN COMPUTE. I AM A FAILURE.
[IQ-9 tips over and falls]
Nova: EEEEK! I have it on the scope. It's back!
Wildstar: Recall the repair teams. Ready the shock cannons.
Eager: Aye, aye, sir.
[cut to Enterprise]
Riker: What the hell is that? Looks like an old Earth Navy Battleship.
Worf: Sensors show it is an old Earth Navy Battleship.
Riker: You're kidding.
Worf: Klingons do not kid. The ship has been modified to be spaceworthy. It is arming its weapons. It is using an unidentifiable energy, but it does seem to be... tachyon based.
Picard: Tachyon? Can our shields deflect that?
Worf: I don't know. It is not mentioned in "Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise."
Riker: That means... we're at the mercy of the writer!
Picard: Merde.
Worf: However, that should be little problem. The ship is NOT shielded.
Picard: Good. Mr. Worf, raise our shields and hail that vessel.
Worf: Aye sir.
[Yamato]
Nova: Distance to Space Destroyer 40 mega-meters. Oh! Derek! There's an energy reading building around the Destroyer.
Wildstar: Fire all shock cannons!
[Enterprise]
Picard: Attention alien vessel, I am Captain Jean-Luc--
[The ship rocks violently as its shields absorb the attack]
Worf: We are under fire. Permission to destroy alien vessel.
Picard: Negative, Mr. Worf. Our shields seem able to deal with their weapons. We are on a peaceful mission.
Worf: (under breath) Wimp.
Picard: What was that?
Worf: I said wim-pieth. It's Klingon for Wise Leader.
Picard: Why, thank you. Let's try communicating again. I am Captain--
Wildstar: Fire the shock cannons! Fire all missiles! Ready fore torpedo tubes!
[Once again, the Enterprise rocks violently as its shields absorb another attack]
Picard: I am Captain--
[another attack...]
Picard: I am Captain--
[and another...]
Riker: Captain! You've tried that 20 times. They aren't listening.
Data: Shields are beginning to weaken, sir.
Picard: Very well. Stand by while I convert from Peace Mode to Kick-Ass Mode.
[He turns around in his chair three times.]
Picard: There. That'll be enough of that. I'm tired of being a sitting target. Mr. Worf, target one of those laser turrets and fire main phasers, short duration.
Worf: (with a big shit-eating grin) Yes sir!
[The Enterprise fires several volleys, causing severe damage to the Yamato]
Picard: Worf, I said one shot.
Worf: Oops. Finger stuck.
Data: Direct hit, sir. The alien ship has sustained heavy damage. It is... burning sir.
Wesley: That's impossible. You can't have a fire in space. There's no oxygen!
Data: Nevertheless, there is a large fire... and smoke.
Picard: This is damn peculiar.
[back on the Yamato...]
Homer: They've destroyed Turret Number three!
Sandor: They've destroyed Bridge Number three.
Wildstar: Grrrr. We can't just sit here. Let's see how their force field stands up to real power. Ready the WAVE MOTION GUN!!!
Orion: Transferring all energy to Wave-Motion Gun.
[cut to Enterprise.]
Picard: That seems to have taken the fight out of them. They've stopped firing. Now maybe they're willing to talk.
Data: Captain, I read a buildup of that strange tachyon energy inside that hole in the front of the ship. Readings go off the scale.
[Everyone looks up at the screen. White swirls of energy are building around the front of the Argo. Everyone suddenly notices that the other ship is no longer damaged.]
Riker: What the hell? What happened to all of the damage? We crippled that ship.
Data: Sensors show that the alien vessel is fully functional.
Picard: Could that ship be of Borg design?
Data: Negative, sir. It is constructed of simple metals as found on Earth.
Riker: Look at the glow on the front of the ship. It's getting ready to fire.
Picard: Well, it's just sitting there. Let's put a stop to this right away. Mr. Worf, fire phasers and photon torpedoes.
[Yamato]
Sandor: They destroyed Bridge Number Three.
Venture: Derek! We have to get out of here. We're heavily damaged!
Wildstar: GRRRR. No! Continue countdown for the Wave-Motion Gun. Launch all Black Tiger Fighters to stop their firing.
Data: The enemy ship is heavily damaged. Yet they still continue to build up to fire. Their fighters are ineffectual.
Picard: Enough is enough. Mr. Worf, fire phasers, wide spread, to destroy those fighters, then bear all weapons on that ship and destroy her.
Worf: Phasers readied, fired!
Worf: Photon torpedoes, armed... fired!
[The Enterprise unleashes barrage after barrage of photon torpedoes. Fire and smoke engulf the Yamato.]
Worf: Four dozen torpedoes scored direct hits on the alien vessel. She must be totally vaporized in that cloud.
Picard: Very well. It had to be done. Scan the wreckage, then we'll proceed to Starbase 69 for repairs and debriefing.
Wesley: S-S-Sir, LOOK!
[The Enterprise crew looks up in astonishment as the Yamato emerges from the cloud]
Sandor: They destroyed Bridge Number Three.
Wildstar: 3... 2... 1... FIREEEE!!!!
[The Enterprise is completely destroyed by the wave motion gun's massive beam]
Venture: Whew. That was a close one.
Wildstar: Sure was. Send out the repair teams. Let's move on with our mission. We have a planet to save.
OK, Linux will likely be better than WinCE for a handheld (simply because it's a better desktop OS), but we don't really know if Mobile Linux will be a good handheld OS. Squeezing a desktop OS into a handheld, as M$ has done, has many disadvantages (Back when CE first came out, it was only us Palm-ites that blasted CE for this, but now pretty much everyone recognizes it).
So far the only WinCE devices that are as small as Palms use a CPU that's too slow. The Yopy should be fast, but it looks big too. Who knows if a Linux handheld can be made in the Palm form-factor?
The EPOC32 OS is an excellent handheld OS. Psion could make something the size of a PalmIII (if not PalmV). Last year, there were reports of an "EPOC32 kernal with a Palm GUI on top" project for cell phones. Is that coming out for handhelds? If so, when?
These issues have been discussed in the Palm vs WinCE holy-wars many times, but I'm gonna comment on your post anyway...
1. Palm = Computer (not just calculator). People have argued that the Palm is a glorified PDA ever since the 1st generation WinCE devices came out. That is, of course, absurd. The Palm is limited (mostly due to its low resolution screen and speed of text entry) but is quite functional for Spreadsheets, simple databases, etc...
2. While the E-105 is faster for purely FPU related stuff (such as, say, Chess) due to its 133MHz CPU, the Palm is more responsive for most PDA tasks.
3. Palm is smaller and lighter. This obviously doesn't matter to everyone, but it is THE primary reason most people I know choose the Palm. I simply consider the E-105 to big and heavy to carry with me all the time, while I don't even notice my PalmV in my pocket (The WinCE devices that are as small as the Palms are too slow). The PalmIIIc is larger/heavier than the V, but it's a hell of a lot more portable than the E-105.
4. If you're going to compare memory, then remember that for almost every use, 8 MB on a Palm is more than 32 MB on a WinCE device (due to programs being smaller and the Palm OS being more efficient).
I'm not anti M$. I actually use and like (for the most part) Win2k and Office97. However, WinCE is crap. I said it when it first came out and I'll say it again... it was a mistake for M$ to try to squeeze a stripped-down desktop OS into a handheld. M$ needs to start over. If they made CE as fast and efficient as EPOC32 or PalmOS, WinCE would rule the handheld market (afterall, the WinCE devices' hardware is impressive).
Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. If you want MP3, movies (or anything that needs higher resolution), Compact Flash abilities, or the ability to to run FPU intensive apps, then get an E-105. If you want small size, small weight, longer battery life (Not THAT much longer for V, or Vx... figure the IIIc will be approx the same as the E-105), and quick responsiveness, and a screen that you can read in sunlight, then get a Palm (PalmIIIc if you want color).
OK, color is nice. But what Palm should do is increase the resolution to 320x320 (supporting old apps double-pixlated). That would be MUCH more useful than color.
Better yet, make it 480x320 using the writing area (assuming they use a more scratch-resistant screen) with the option to rotate 90 degrees. Then you could actually use Telnet!
Yeah, I read that too. The different screen sizes sound good. If we get to 480x240 (which could be done if the writing area is made a part of the screen like WinCE), add the option to rotate the screen, and a built in modem, we could finally have the ultimate Telnet machine.
The question is, will the new 33 MHz Motorola CPU be fast enough? My Palm V is fast with most PDA type stuff, but when I run Quicksheet or StarPilot, it's somewhat sluggish, even when I use Afterburner at 29 MHz (though it's not as slow as the WinCE devices).
Assuming the color interface eats up more CPU time, it seems like 33 MHz isn't going to give us much more capabilities other than color. I still am wondering why Motorola doesn't come out with a 100+ MHz variable speed CPU like the StrongARM.
On a different topic, does anyone know what kind of color screen Palm is considering? Is it going to be the same technology as the low-power Color Gameboy screen? How's it going to perform in sunlight?
I know... I ran EcoHACK on my old Pilot, and I run Afterburner on my PalmV.
What I meant is, is there a technical reason why they can't use a CPU that runs at between 16 and, say, 100 MHz? Quicksheet would run a hell of a lot better...
Everyone remember the ITSY? It's a handheld computer prototype with a 200 MHz StrongARM CPU that had active down-clocking software to save battery life. I runs Linux too. It's not being mass-produced, however.
Well, what I want to know is, why doesn't anyone else use a "variable-speed" CPU so that you can run your CPU intensive apps with decent performance, but still get good battery life when running PDA apps?
Imagine EPOCH32 or PalmOS running on one of those... WinCE could use it too I suppose, though you'd have to run at the fastest CPU speed most of the time anyway, so why bother?:-)
Anyway, adding the above CPU and a color 320x320 resolution screen to the Palm (thus allowing the old 160x160 apps to run) would make it a tough act to follow.
Is there a reason why it can't be done with the Palm?
Slashdot Mirror
This would be really cool on handheld computers like the Psion. I bet I could type as fast on this as I can on a full keyboard with tiny keys... and i'd have a free hand to hold the device or use the stylus.
WinCE may not be a direct port of NT, but it's pretty damn close and certainly was not designed from the ground up for portable devices. WinCE uses a subset of the Windows APIs, uses a registry, uses shared DLLs, and uses the same basic file structure as the desktop OSs. And, of course, the GUI was orignally from the desktop (and still is on the clamshell units).
The Palm does word processing, spreadsheets, relational databases, and does have true web browsing (not just web clipping). If you need higher resolution, Handera's new unit has 240x320 and Sony's new unit has 320x320. If you need MP3 playback, Sony's can do it.
In general, Palms are smaller and lighter. Many CE devices are better for FPU intensive apps and multimedia. In the end both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. Get the best tool for your needs and stop this silly WinCE vs. Palm holy war.
Get RPN from palmgear.com. I sold my HP48S and HP200LX when I got my 1st generation Pilot almost 5 years ago... haven't needing anything else since.
(Also, if you need to do equation solving, try Mathpad).
OK, this device looks really cool.
:-)
However, I'm not sure I want to run legacy apps in a 160x160 window (which will be effectively smaller than the M100 screen). Why didn't they just jump to 480x320? (or 440x320, which is close to the aspect ratio of 320x240)
Apps could be double pixelated at 320x320 take advantage of the entire screen (like the new Sony model).
And now that low-power reflective color screens are becoming more affordable, why not use one of them? I'd pay $450+ for this thing if it had color. I agree that lower-power greyscale screens are more practical for some users, but I suspect color units would sell better...
I also wonder what kind of PalmOS problems (performance and compatibility) will come up due to the different resolution screens. We've got:
- 160x160 Standard, Samsung phone w/ softinput area
- 240x160 Samsung phone w/out input area
- 240x240 Handera w/ input area
- 320x240 Handera w/out input area
- 320x320 New Sony Clie
It's going to be an interesting year for PalmOS.
On a side note, it's funny that this model was announced the same day that the M500 has starting showing up in Office Depots
I haven't read the book you mentioned... I'll look for it the next time I'm at Barnes and Noble. So consider this post from a semi-informed person
While WinCE is not a port in the strictest definition of the word, it is *strongly* based on the desktop version of the OS (not just the GUI). Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't CE have the same basic directory structure and APIs? Doesn't it use DLLs and a registry? If so, I disagree with your statement that WinCE is "...a complete rewrite from the ground up."
As far as I understand it, M$ did it this way to make development easier for NT/9x developers (as you mentioned in another post about the APIs). In many respects, that's a smart (and ethical/legal, IMHO) way for M$ to take advantage of their large developer base for their desktop OSs.
The apparent downside to this strategy is that CE appears to have inherited many inefficiencies and buggy behavior from the desktop OS. Just compare the Psion Netbook to CE devices with similar hardware... the Psion is extremely responsive while the CE devices are sluggish (EPOC is not a perfect OS either, but that's besides the point).
Of course, you could argue that Linux is also a poor choice for a mobile computer due to it not being efficient (and that's a legitimate point). But even if we ignore the efficiency issues and bugs of CE, there's still the existence of DLLs and the registry (and the various problems that come with those things... not being able to fully uninstall programs, conflicts, etc...)
So, I think M$ should've *really* designed CE from the ground up to run on a handheld.
Anyone know if the new Nvivia GeForce2 Go mobile chip supports RatioMetric scaling? If so, does it take any sort of performance hit?
- Thanks
The M505 is impressive. It's got *most* of the things Palm users have been asking for: color in a PalmV formfactor (YES!!! And with side-reflective TFT... YES!!!), backlit graffiti area, vibrating alarm, and expansion slot.
The lack of MP3 playback is disappointing, but not a big deal right now, IMHO. When dataplay disks come out next year, then MP3 playback on a handheld computer will be more important. Right now it's mostly a gimmick.
However, the lack of improved audio or a higher resolution screen is going to be a real turn-off to some people (including me). Don't get me wrong... It doesn't make me want to switch to WinCE (unless they rewrite that buggy, inefficient OS from the ground-up). But I dunno if I'm gonna shell out for an M505, even though it's a very reasonable price.
I'll probably hold out for a device with a higher resolution screen. The question is, what will come first?
1. A version of WinCE that doesn't suck (doubtful, knowing M$)
2. PalmOS 5 devices with higher resolution, improved audio, and MP3 playback
3. Color EPOC Palm devices with multimedia capabilities
or
4. The new Sharp Linux devices, which will reportedly be focused on Java for development.
Looks like the next 12 months will be very interesting... shall we start a pool?
Google is very fast and has a superior interface. But with Deja, you could search with AND NOT OR, which was very very useful. Google, if you're reading this, please add boolean operators to the search options!
But neither of those facts excuse Phillip Morris from also being responsible. They are guilty of covering up the fact that 1st and 2nd-hand smoke is harmful (which they've lied about for decades) while also manipulating nicotine levels to get people even more addicted. That makes them accountable and they deserve a Hell of a lot worse than they are getting. These people should be jailed.
But because that won't happen, fining them to the brink of bankruptcy and taxing them to pay for these "The Truth" adds is a better alternative to doing nothing (You're also forgetting that 2nd-hand smoke is not neccesarily self-inflicted).
My biggest gripe, other than the guilty parties not going to jail, is that the government should be using money taken from tobacco only for cigarette related health care / education / advertising.
That said, there were much better commercials during the Superbowl.
The Platinum is 5.4 oz (the same as the old Visors) and the Prism is 6.9 oz! That doesn't count the covers.
I read six months ago that Handspring was working on creating a smaller Visor. So, why is the Prism 6.9 oz, which is heavier than the color CLIE, IIIc, and IPAQ?
The biggest selling point seems to be that the screen displays 65.6k colors. Why is that important when the screen only has 25.6k pixels?
Maybe if they had used a 320x320 screen, making the unit this large would be justifiable. But as is, I don't see how Handspring expects to sell many Prisms at $450.
Bring on the color Vx!
Remember "The Way Things Ought to Be"?, Limbaugh wrote:
And then in a debate with Al Gore, he said: The fact that he contradicted himself isn't the issue (570 in one year = 1000 in all of history?). The fact that Volcanic chlorine is water soluble while Human CFCs are insoluble, and can rise to and damage the ozone layer is.Do I know that the original poster listens to Limbaugh? No. But they both blast liberals for creating the "myth" that humans damage the envirnment (while Limbaugh didn't use the word liberal in the above quotes, he has many other times). We don't know exactly how much we are affecting the environment, but we certainly should not dismiss human activity as insignificant.
Well, this has gotten off-topic...
OK, so now who is using fear tactics? Suggest you get your information from more reliable sources than Rush Limbaugh.
As far as Linux on a handheld goes, I've been thinking about it for a while. So far, it doesn't seem to make much sense. Though it'll likely be more reliable than WinCE, I doubt it'll be much more efficient. However, I may still exchange my PalmV for one.
Why? Because I want to learn more about Linux and I don't have time to screw around with it on my desktop. I installed RH5.0 a while back, figured out which files to edit to get my video card to work, ran a Q2 server, etc... but I NEED Windows due to my job, and it was too inconvenient to have to reboot back and forth. So, I haven't played with Linux in a year or 2.
Having it on a handheld interests me because I hope to be able to play around Linux when I'm killing time (instead of playing Hearts/Vexed/whatever on my PalmV, which I probably do 3-4 hours per week).
However, I'm really not sure how much I'll be able to learn on Linux on a handheld. Since most things I'd want to learn about are meant to be on a server or at least a workstation, and the screen will be so small, I dunno if it'll be that much fun to use. But, assuming it is usable, I ought to get something out of it by messing with Linux for a few hours per week...
> www.steves-reviews.com
supposed to be:
www.steves-digicams.com
i am a little late posting to this topic but i already had something typed up from when i picked a digicam last weekend, so i will copy and paste it here for anyone interested.
wanted a good-for-all-occassion portable digicam. i narrowed it down to the nikon 950 and olympus c2020z (considered the tiny canon s10, but it's flash is too weak, battery life is poor, and is only 2x zoom).
so, here are my cp950 vs c2020z notes:
*****************************************
both
pros
- use aa nimh batteries
- good battery life
- 1600x1200
- good image quality (sharpness, color, etc...)
- reasonably quick cycle and lag times
- 3x zoom
- manual and auto controls
- continuous shooting modes
cons
- chromatic aberration (2020z worse than 950)
- removable lense cape (vs built in cover)
advantage 950
- amazing macro ability. like low power microsope. 2020 only focuses to 8".
- has solid metal case
- has bag
- uses compact flash (but no cf2 support). 2020 uses smartmedia (up to 64mb)
- swivel design useful in many situations
- chromatic aberration not as bad on 950 as on 2020
- 2020 lense cap prevents lense from extending if left on (bad for camera?)
advantage 2020
- smaller and lighter
- f2.0/f2.8 (vs f2.6/4.0 on 950)
- comes with remote
- comes with 4 aa nimh and charger
- panoramic function (requires olympus media)
- better flash (950 has redeye problem)
- can record quicktime movies
- has distance readout for manual focus
- battery life *slightly* better
- cheaper: $476 vs $557 (950 = $657-$100 rebate... also need to add $40 for batteries/charger = $597)
- 2020 in-stock at above price
cf vs sm
- cf has onboard controller (devices can read future releases. sm requires firmware update for future releases)
- sm is more fragile
- sm is smaller (though both are tiny)
- sm takes less power for writing
- sm is faster for writing
*****************************************
i like cf a *little* better, but i'm somewhat indifferent to it since both have pros & cons. it came down to size/weight and speed of lense vs macro and swivel. if the 950 had been the same price, i might've gone with it instead. but the difference in price made the choice easier.
i ordered an olympus c2020z sunday and got it wednesday. have taken ~ a hundred shots and a few movies so far... i am quite happy with it.
check out these sites for reviews:
www.steves-reviews.com
www.imaging-resource.com
Star Blazers was the shit when I was 9 years old. I remember watching it everyday after school in '79 (and later Force Five, Captain Harlock, Robotech, etc...). And that was back when only us geeks knew what Japanimation was. When I was young, there weren't Anime sections in your local video stores... you kids today don't know how good you have it :-)
...
Anyway, I came across this online 6 or 7 years ago:
********************************************
Picard:
Captain's Log, Stardate 98765432.10. While on a routine mission to the Achbarditaniary System, our sensors picked up a strange fluctuation in the space-time continuum. While we cannot determine the source of this disturbance, long-range sensors are picking up a lone vessel in the immediate vicinity. We are en route to investigate.
Q:
Jean-Luc, mon capitaine. I'm back!
Picard:
Q, get out of here!
Q:
Non, mon ami. I have a contract, remember?
Picard:
(fume)
Data:
Captain, I do not think that Q's contract pertains to this particular scenario. Technically, this is not a parody, but another inane attempt to pit our ship against another genre vessel. Precedents include the Battlestar Galactica, Cylon Base Stars, Blake's 7, Dr. Who's Tardis, Robotech Veritechs, the Batmobile, Dastardly and Muttley's flying--
Picard:
Enough, Data, we get the point. Excellent. Q, you are not wanted here, nor legally required to be here. You will leave.
Q:
Hurumph. It's a silly premise, anyway. But I'll be back. I'll be watching.
[Q disappears in a bright flash.]
Picard:
Finally. Let's get on with this. Beverly's waiting for me....
Wesley:
Hey!!!
Riker:
Shut up, boy!
Picard:
Number One, remember this is NOT a parody.
Riker:
Sorry.
Wesley:
Thanks!
Picard:
Shut up boy.
[cut to Yamato]
Venture:
Derek! What was that ship?
Wildstar:
I don't know, Mark. I think it was one of the Comet Empire's new Space Destroyers. We were hit by a Magna-Laser Cannon!
Sandor:
They destroyed the Third Bridge.
Nova:
But where are we now, Derek? Where did the enemy ship go?
Homer:
I lost contact with the Third Space Fleet, Captain.
IQ-9:
MY SENSORS DETECT ANOTHER SHIP APPROACHING. VERY FAST. FASTER THAN A GENIUS ROBOT CAN COMPUTE. I AM A FAILURE.
[IQ-9 tips over and falls]
Nova:
EEEEK! I have it on the scope. It's back!
Wildstar:
Recall the repair teams. Ready the shock cannons.
Eager:
Aye, aye, sir.
[cut to Enterprise]
Riker:
What the hell is that? Looks like an old Earth Navy Battleship.
Worf:
Sensors show it is an old Earth Navy Battleship.
Riker:
You're kidding.
Worf:
Klingons do not kid. The ship has been modified to be spaceworthy. It is arming its weapons. It is using an unidentifiable energy, but it does seem to be... tachyon based.
Picard:
Tachyon? Can our shields deflect that?
Worf:
I don't know. It is not mentioned in "Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise."
Riker:
That means... we're at the mercy of the writer!
Picard:
Merde.
Worf:
However, that should be little problem. The ship is NOT shielded.
Picard:
Good. Mr. Worf, raise our shields and hail that vessel.
Worf:
Aye sir.
[Yamato]
Nova:
Distance to Space Destroyer 40 mega-meters. Oh! Derek! There's an energy reading building around the Destroyer.
Wildstar:
Fire all shock cannons!
[Enterprise]
Picard:
Attention alien vessel, I am Captain Jean-Luc--
[The ship rocks violently as its shields absorb the attack]
Worf:
We are under fire. Permission to destroy alien vessel.
Picard:
Negative, Mr. Worf. Our shields seem able to deal with their weapons. We are on a peaceful mission.
Worf:
(under breath) Wimp.
Picard:
What was that?
Worf:
I said wim-pieth. It's Klingon for Wise Leader.
Picard:
Why, thank you. Let's try communicating again. I am Captain--
Wildstar:
Fire the shock cannons! Fire all missiles! Ready fore torpedo tubes!
[Once again, the Enterprise rocks violently as its shields absorb another attack]
Picard:
I am Captain--
[another attack...]
Picard:
I am Captain--
[and another...]
Riker:
Captain! You've tried that 20 times. They aren't listening.
Data:
Shields are beginning to weaken, sir.
Picard:
Very well. Stand by while I convert from Peace Mode to Kick-Ass Mode.
[He turns around in his chair three times.]
Picard:
There. That'll be enough of that. I'm tired of being a sitting target. Mr. Worf, target one of those laser turrets and fire main phasers, short duration.
Worf:
(with a big shit-eating grin) Yes sir!
[The Enterprise fires several volleys, causing severe damage to the Yamato]
Picard:
Worf, I said one shot.
Worf:
Oops. Finger stuck.
Data:
Direct hit, sir. The alien ship has sustained heavy damage. It is... burning sir.
Wesley:
That's impossible. You can't have a fire in space. There's no oxygen!
Data:
Nevertheless, there is a large fire... and smoke.
Picard:
This is damn peculiar.
[back on the Yamato...]
Homer:
They've destroyed Turret Number three!
Sandor:
They've destroyed Bridge Number three.
Wildstar:
Grrrr. We can't just sit here. Let's see how their force field stands up to real power. Ready the WAVE MOTION GUN!!!
Orion:
Transferring all energy to Wave-Motion Gun.
[cut to Enterprise.]
Picard:
That seems to have taken the fight out of them. They've stopped firing. Now maybe they're willing to talk.
Data:
Captain, I read a buildup of that strange tachyon energy inside that hole in the front of the ship. Readings go off the scale.
[Everyone looks up at the screen. White swirls of energy are building around the front of the Argo. Everyone suddenly notices that the other ship is no longer damaged.]
Riker:
What the hell? What happened to all of the damage? We crippled that ship.
Data:
Sensors show that the alien vessel is fully functional.
Picard:
Could that ship be of Borg design?
Data:
Negative, sir. It is constructed of simple metals as found on Earth.
Riker:
Look at the glow on the front of the ship. It's getting ready to fire.
Picard:
Well, it's just sitting there. Let's put a stop to this right away. Mr. Worf, fire phasers and photon torpedoes.
[Yamato]
Sandor:
They destroyed Bridge Number Three.
Venture:
Derek! We have to get out of here. We're heavily damaged!
Wildstar:
GRRRR. No! Continue countdown for the Wave-Motion Gun. Launch all Black Tiger Fighters to stop their firing.
Data:
The enemy ship is heavily damaged. Yet they still continue to build up to fire. Their fighters are ineffectual.
Picard:
Enough is enough. Mr. Worf, fire phasers, wide spread, to destroy those fighters, then bear all weapons on that ship and destroy her.
Worf:
Phasers readied, fired!
Worf:
Photon torpedoes, armed... fired!
[The Enterprise unleashes barrage after barrage of photon torpedoes. Fire and smoke engulf the Yamato.]
Worf:
Four dozen torpedoes scored direct hits on the alien vessel. She must be totally vaporized in that cloud.
Picard:
Very well. It had to be done. Scan the wreckage, then we'll proceed to Starbase 69 for repairs and debriefing.
Wesley:
S-S-Sir, LOOK!
[The Enterprise crew looks up in astonishment as the Yamato emerges from the cloud]
Sandor:
They destroyed Bridge Number Three.
Wildstar:
3... 2... 1... FIREEEE!!!!
[The Enterprise is completely destroyed by the wave motion gun's massive beam]
Venture:
Whew. That was a close one.
Wildstar:
Sure was. Send out the repair teams. Let's move on with our mission. We have a planet to save.
Nova:
Oh, Derek!
OK, Linux will likely be better than WinCE for a handheld (simply because it's a better desktop OS), but we don't really know if Mobile Linux will be a good handheld OS. Squeezing a desktop OS into a handheld, as M$ has done, has many disadvantages (Back when CE first came out, it was only us Palm-ites that blasted CE for this, but now pretty much everyone recognizes it).
So far the only WinCE devices that are as small as Palms use a CPU that's too slow. The Yopy should be fast, but it looks big too. Who knows if a Linux handheld can be made in the Palm form-factor?
The EPOC32 OS is an excellent handheld OS. Psion could make something the size of a PalmIII (if not PalmV). Last year, there were reports of an "EPOC32 kernal with a Palm GUI on top" project for cell phones. Is that coming out for handhelds? If so, when?
1. Palm = Computer (not just calculator). People have argued that the Palm is a glorified PDA ever since the 1st generation WinCE devices came out. That is, of course, absurd. The Palm is limited (mostly due to its low resolution screen and speed of text entry) but is quite functional for Spreadsheets, simple databases, etc...
2. While the E-105 is faster for purely FPU related stuff (such as, say, Chess) due to its 133MHz CPU, the Palm is more responsive for most PDA tasks.
3. Palm is smaller and lighter. This obviously doesn't matter to everyone, but it is THE primary reason most people I know choose the Palm. I simply consider the E-105 to big and heavy to carry with me all the time, while I don't even notice my PalmV in my pocket (The WinCE devices that are as small as the Palms are too slow). The PalmIIIc is larger/heavier than the V, but it's a hell of a lot more portable than the E-105.
4. If you're going to compare memory, then remember that for almost every use, 8 MB on a Palm is more than 32 MB on a WinCE device (due to programs being smaller and the Palm OS being more efficient).
I'm not anti M$. I actually use and like (for the most part) Win2k and Office97. However, WinCE is crap. I said it when it first came out and I'll say it again... it was a mistake for M$ to try to squeeze a stripped-down desktop OS into a handheld. M$ needs to start over. If they made CE as fast and efficient as EPOC32 or PalmOS, WinCE would rule the handheld market (afterall, the WinCE devices' hardware is impressive).
Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. If you want MP3, movies (or anything that needs higher resolution), Compact Flash abilities, or the ability to to run FPU intensive apps, then get an E-105. If you want small size, small weight, longer battery life (Not THAT much longer for V, or Vx... figure the IIIc will be approx the same as the E-105), and quick responsiveness, and a screen that you can read in sunlight, then get a Palm (PalmIIIc if you want color).
Rant off.
OK, color is nice. But what Palm should do is increase the resolution to 320x320 (supporting old apps double-pixlated). That would be MUCH more useful than color.
Better yet, make it 480x320 using the writing area (assuming they use a more scratch-resistant screen) with the option to rotate 90 degrees. Then you could actually use Telnet!
Yeah, I read that too. The different screen sizes sound good. If we get to 480x240 (which could be done if the writing area is made a part of the screen like WinCE), add the option to rotate the screen, and a built in modem, we could finally have the ultimate Telnet machine.
9 7,00.html
Also, check this Nokia/Palm article out:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,318
It will run an Epoc kernel with the Palm OS GUI. That sounds interesting, though all Palm OS programs will need to be recompiled to run on it.
Sticking an AA battery in a Palm III would require an increase in thickness.
Also, 2 AA will weigh more than 2 AAA.
The question is, will the new 33 MHz Motorola CPU be fast enough? My Palm V is fast with most PDA type stuff, but when I run Quicksheet or StarPilot, it's somewhat sluggish, even when I use Afterburner at 29 MHz (though it's not as slow as the WinCE devices).
Assuming the color interface eats up more CPU time, it seems like 33 MHz isn't going to give us much more capabilities other than color. I still am wondering why Motorola doesn't come out with a 100+ MHz variable speed CPU like the StrongARM.
On a different topic, does anyone know what kind of color screen Palm is considering? Is it going to be the same technology as the low-power Color Gameboy screen? How's it going to perform in sunlight?
In any case, this is good news!
I know... I ran EcoHACK on my old Pilot, and I run Afterburner on my PalmV.
What I meant is, is there a technical reason why they can't use a CPU that runs at between 16 and, say, 100 MHz? Quicksheet would run a hell of a lot better...
Oops. I meant EPOC32 (you know, the Psion), not EPOCH32.
Everyone remember the ITSY? It's a handheld computer prototype with a 200 MHz StrongARM CPU that had active down-clocking software to save battery life. I runs Linux too. It's not being mass-produced, however.
:-)
Well, what I want to know is, why doesn't anyone else use a "variable-speed" CPU so that you can run your CPU intensive apps with decent performance, but still get good battery life when running PDA apps?
Imagine EPOCH32 or PalmOS running on one of those... WinCE could use it too I suppose, though you'd have to run at the fastest CPU speed most of the time anyway, so why bother?
Anyway, adding the above CPU and a color 320x320 resolution screen to the Palm (thus allowing the old 160x160 apps to run) would make it a tough act to follow.
Is there a reason why it can't be done with the Palm?