[AuckLUG] Linux PDA

[Paul Eggleton]

On Fri, 03 Aug 2007, Denise Bates wrote:
> There is a limiting factor to Opie as a "desktop": It isn't proper
> X. This means that some programs that need a full-blown X won't
> run under it. 

Of course, as I said in my other message I'm biased, but personally I believe 
this to be a red herring. Either the platform you are running has support for 
the applications you want, or it doesn't. I'm not convinced that having X 
actually makes it easier to port or run applications, since you pretty much 
have to redesign the UI for the device anyway, and for most programs that 
means you might as well just rewrite it from scratch.

> I acquired a second IPAQ, a 5500, just to run X-dependent programs
> but it is disappointing: The power management is crippled, with
> only a couple of days battery life at best. Re-booting (necessary
> after every time the battery flattens) is a nightmare.

The 5400 & 5500 series are definitely problematic. The kernel needs some work 
for this model (I understand there is at least one person actively working on 
this), but another factor is simply the poor design of the hardware with 
respect to battery charging, ie. if it goes completely flat there is a 
complicated recovery procedure to get it to wake up again. This happens 
regardless of whether it is running Linux or PocketPC.

Cheers,
Paul