OESF Portables Forum

General Forums => Off Topic forum => Topic started by: slocaus on March 22, 2004, 02:28:22 pm

Title: Good news for lLinux PDA users / not Sharp though, dangit
Post by: slocaus on March 22, 2004, 02:28:22 pm

Royal Linux PDA for $399 looks like it will finally ship!

http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3278017987.html (http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3278017987.html)

Since it will use Qtopia, hopefully we will get custome apps, even though it is not ARM based, but Motorola.

All specs look REALLY good!

(All screenshots look like my 5500!)

Title: Good news for lLinux PDA users / not Sharp though, dangit
Post by: clivel on March 22, 2004, 02:39:31 pm

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even though it is not ARM based, but Motorola.

Actually the Motorola MX1 Dragonball processor is an ARM based processor. The ARM architecure is licensed to a number of manufacturers, including Intel ( the XScale chips used in the Zaurus), Motorola, TI, Atmel, etc.
Clive

Title: Good news for lLinux PDA users / not Sharp though, dangit
Post by: clivel on March 22, 2004, 03:01:09 pm

It looks like Royal isn\'t the only company hoping onto the Linux/QTopia bandwagon.
Archos press release:
http://www.archos.com/press/press_releases...4.180304.en.pdf (http://www.archos.com/press/press_releases/archos_cebit2004.180304.en.pdf)
Although this doesn\'t mention QTopia, take a look at the screenshot:
http://www.clubic.com/n/n12043.html (http://www.clubic.com/n/n12043.html)

The way things are going, we soon won\'t have to rely on Sharp for our Linux PDA fix.  
Regards,
Clive

Title: Good news for lLinux PDA users / not Sharp though, dangit
Post by: slocaus on March 22, 2004, 03:27:39 pm

Here is some more on the Archos, but it will not be sub $400 USD like the Royal!
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/337/C2626/ (http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/337/C2626/)

This is good news for us Liux enthusiasts, but I do like my 5500 and lust for a 860!  

Title: Good news for lLinux PDA users / not Sharp though, dangit
Post by: DrWowe on March 22, 2004, 04:27:17 pm

Quote

The way things are going, we soon won\'t have to rely on Sharp for our Linux PDA fix.  :)  

It\'s too bad really...  they do produce nice hardware.  They just don\'t want to sell it to us very badly!

Title: Good news for lLinux PDA users / not Sharp though, dangit
Post by: spaul on March 22, 2004, 07:34:28 pm

Common denominator is that both are using linux to be cheaper than competitors.  I\'m no suit but it is probably a better strategy than Sharp.  Many who spring for Sharps great but pricey hardware are not as motivated by free linux software.

Title: Good news for lLinux PDA users / not Sharp though, dangit
Post by: Ethereal on March 22, 2004, 08:39:30 pm

Quote

All specs look REALLY good!

To be an optimist, anything that enlarges the maket share of mobile Linux devices is probably good, but to be brutally honest, doesn\'t this thing sound roughtly competitive with an SL-5500, but missing the CF slot, and twice the price, and two years later to market?

Also, Motorola brags on the effective speed of its 200 MHz chip, specifically citing that it will run past the PXA250--but with the cache errata turned on, won\'t an SL-5500 do the same?