[olug] Linux Handheld from Sharp.

[Quinn Coldiron]

Speaking of Linux hand helds, I used to be a Palm user, but had to give
it back to my previous employer.  My current employer gave me an iPaq,
but didn't care what I did with it, so I put Linux on it with the QPE
desktop, just like the Zaurus.  I really did try to get used to the
WindowsCE apps, but it just found it to be clunky, and of course I
couldn't sync the PIM apps with Evolution, or any other Linux app.  The
Linux/QPE on the iPaq was fun to play with, but again, no simple, easy
conduit to Evolution, etc.  I now see that somebody has developed a
Gnome based desktop for Linux on the iPaq (QPE is KDE/QT based).

Anyway, without the ability to easily keep my contact and calendar stuff
synced, I literally have not turned on the iPaq in 6 or 8 months.  Plus,
the battery life sucks and I gotta recharge it after 4 to 6 hours of it
being out of the cradle.  We even sent it back to Compaq to have the
battery replaced. If I forget to plug it in overnight after using it all
day running around the workplace it's dead in the morning.

Just this morning I bought another Palm Pilot off ebay.  I can't wait
until it gets here.  IMHO, Palm is the best PDA if you are wanting to
manage contacts, schedules and keep notes.  Fast, simple, efficient, and
cross-platform.  I tried using the iPaq's power features, but the screen
is just to small to do much with it.  I have a wireless network card and
modem for it, but browse the web on it?  Please...the screen it too
small.  Use VNC to manage some of the Windows boxes?  Again, screen is
too small.  Use a telnet console to manage our AIX or Linux boxes? 
Again, small screen and handwriting with a stylus just doesn't cut it. 
That's what a laptop is for.  It's a PDA, not a computer!

I am keeping the iPaq to play with.  I'm gonna put Linux back on it for
fun.  The first time I put Linux on it I had Apache runing a website off
it via my wireless card.  Nobody at work knew that website was running
inside my desk drawer :-).  I had a few other unix admins here SSH into
it and they thought they were on one of my "real" servers :-).

Quinn


On Fri, 2002-11-15 at 13:12, Don Kauffman wrote:
> I found this Linux Handheld  and I am curious if anyone on this mailing 
> list has one and what their experience has been. A product comparison 
> would also be nice if you have experienced another type of system.
> 
> Thanks!
> http://www.officedepot.com/shop/catalog/sku.asp?BC=3:3601:3601:3601003&ID=313126&LEVEL=SK&SID=0EGL5KJTPAK89NNQ92Q9E459TDTG2D4D&PP=301001
> <http://www.officedepot.com/shop/catalog/sku.asp?BC=3%3A3601%3A3601%3A3601003&ID=313126&LEVEL=SK&SID=0EGL5KJTPAK89NNQ92Q9E459TDTG2D4D&PP=301001>
-- 
Quinn Coldiron <qcoldir at nmhs.org>