Dear all,
we are a small online reseller in Europe focussing on improving the World by selling Handheld Linux devices - currently all available Sharp Zaurus models.
Every now and then, we come across announcements of new Linux based PDAs and Smartphones. Most of them are vapourware or design studies that never see a shop - remember the Royal LineaLX?.
But sometimes, we find something that is more real. This time it comes from a company in Asia and they have shown it last and again this year on CeBIT. Unfortunately, they don't have a brand themselves and they don't sell single unit quantities. So you and we can't simply order like with the Sharp Zaurus.
So, my approach is that if there shows up enough interest (meaning approx. 1000 devices per year) amongst you and your contacts, and we can raise some pre-investment money, we would approach them to make e.g. a ZUG branded device.
Attached are pictures of a PDA (the screen shows WinCE but they have Qtopia) and a Smartphone (more or less prototypes/platforms) and some spec:
PDA (seems to be similar to a Zaurus A300):
* 3''5 QVGA (320x240) touchscreen, no keypad
* Freescale ARM 200MHz
* 64 MB RAM, 64 MB Flash
* Speaker, Headphone, Microphone
* SD slot (no CF)
* IrDA, USB
* Linux 2.4 kernel, Qtopia
* Options: Bluetooth, WLAN, Camera, USB Host, FM Radio
Smartphone:
* 3'' QVGA (320x240) touchscreen, pull-out QWERTY keypad
* Freescale i.MX21 350MHz
* 64 MB RAM, 64 MB Flash
* Triband, GPRS Class 10
* WLAN integrated
* Speaker, stereo Headphone, Microphone
* SD slot (no CF)
* 1'3 Mpix CMOS camera
* IrDA, USB
* Linux 2.4 kernel, Qtopia
As I haven't seen the smartphone in operation, I can't tell anything more. Generally, specs seem to have some flexibility, as they make customized devices.
I have no idea on the price because that is part of negotiations - so, if you are interested, please tell how much you would value such a device (compared to the price of a Zaurus).
Nikolaus
http://www.handheld-linux.com