From: Gopi D Flaherty (gf2e_at_andrew.cmu.edu)
Date: Wed Dec 28 2005 - 13:22:26 PST
On Wed, 28 Dec 2005, [iso-8859-1] Abraham Limpo Martínez wrote:
> Nokia 770, unfortunately, lacks enough RAM to run most applications
> (sometimes even lacks RAM to run its own applications!), but the idea is
> good, as the 770 is cheaper (I think) than the Zaurus.
I have a 770, which I use quite frequently. I find the web browser Opera
to be the only real issue with memory. Without any open windows in Opera,
I have had no problems running numerous other apps. With one window open
in Opera and a few other apps open, it seems fine. Multiple Opera windows
_and_ two or three other apps is an issue.
The 770 has 64MB of DRAM. The mp2k has 4MB. Well written apps should not
have any issues on the 770.
>> I think that a 770 with the Newton OS, or a re-implementation
>> of the OS,
>> would be wonderful. It's the right hardware platform to replace the
>> MessagePad 2100, and it has the right core OS components to
>> support an
>> excellent OS. All it needs is the Newton platform...
>
> And, you know, we can always develop our own platform. Gumstix
> (http://www.gumstix.org/) sells development kits starting at 99$, altough
> you will have to build your own interface for an LCD screen (not included in
> the DK). Next generation of Gumsticks will be equiped with the PXA270, wich
> have very useful features like an USB host port (enables the use of
> keyboards, memory and other addons), embedded support for LCD screens with a
> resolution up to 1024x768, audio, and up to 512Mb of addressable memory.
Indeed. You will need to build plastic housings, battery charging
circuits, cable assemblies, etc.
Finding a touch screen display that is what you want is often difficult.
Finding somebody who will sell you one or two, unless you're able to
convince them that you will eventually want thousands, is very
challenging.
I don't mean to suggest that this is impossible. However, producing
something that is as small, robust, and well designed as even the cheaper
PDAs on the market is going to be a very challenging project. I would be
very surprised if it could compete against the low-end iPaq devices.
A few 770 developers I know have tried out using RS-MMC flash ROM cards as
virtual memory. The reports I've heard are fairly positive. It doesn't
seem to have a huge impact on performance.
As to how long the flash card will last, that's hard to say. Flash cards
do wear levelling, which is supposed to spread the writes around so that
modifying one file a lot doesn't result in constant overwrites. I haven't
found anything written about how those algorithms work. However, 64MB or
128MB RS-MMC cards are not that expensive, so if the card lasts under a
year, I don't really mind.
Another option is to attach a small hard drive to the 770. The USB port on
the 770 can do USB host mode. You could attach a 2.5" drive, or even, say,
an iPod mini, to the back of the 770. It would still be thinner than an
mp2k.
I guess what I'm saying is, I think that the 770 is, as it stands right
now, sufficient as an mp2k replacement. I also believe that hacking it
to deal with its limitations would be easier, cheaper and more reliable
than building a device from scratch.
The highlight of the 770 is its display. I've used many, many different
PDAs, smart phones, etc. etc. over the years. I've never seen anything
with a screen that felt like you could write a full line of text on it,
_and_ that was even minimally pocketable. The 770 is very pocketable; you
can write a full line, though it's a bit cramped. A good tradeoff IMHO.
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