"John Tobler" squeakie@visto.com writes:
This is a call for a brief report from you all on which tiny devices someone has made Squeak-capable (to one degree or another).
Recent mention of the Casio E105 (WinCE) and the new Visor (Palm clone with 8MB of RAM for $250, hardware upgradeable) has inspired me with technolust! I have examined a number of messages in the archives but find myself unable to list precisely which little devices currently support Squeak and which do not. Should I conclude that currently Palm OS is "out" and (ouch!) Win CE is "in.""
The E105 looks really cool, but pricey. I can skip all the extras but what I *really* want is to be able to tote everywhere a working Squeak image, including browsers. Capability to run Morphic would be a big plus but not an absolute requirement (although the Morphic code would *have* to be in the image for study and reference purposes).
Here's my personal wish list.
I want something with functioning browsers, so that I can study the Squeak hierarchy in my few spare moments.
I want a Squeaky device I can grab and use -- wherever I am -- for image reference and (at least) limited editing in those odd mid-night, not-at-home moments when my muse usually chooses to strike.
Laptops, kneetops, and palmtops are too big -- the thingie must be able to accompany me on a walk, a bus, an airplane, into a restaurant, and (especially) into the "little programmers' room." No, it doesn't have to survive the shower.
Color would be nice but not required.
I'm not sure I could justify the bucks for an E105. I'd like to find something workable for under $300.
I would prefer to avoid paying usury to the Evil Empire.
I live in beautiful San Diego, so my erstwhile electronic companion must have certain beach survival skills.
So, which are the candidates for "Squeaky Handheld Device of the Year?" Which might make it into the "almost usable" category? Which are "gonna be great someday!" Which will likely always be just a "wannabe"?
Not to promote stuff from my employer... but did you consider the Jornada 820. I just got one of them. It's a CE device with a reasonable keyboard. Display is a bit slow (maybe if it would boot Squeak ;-) I've no idea whether Squeak has been ported to it though?
Marc
-----Original Message----- From: Marc Nijdam [mailto:marc_nijdam@hp.com] Sent: Thursday, September 23, 1999 6:57 PM To: squeakie@visto.com Cc: squeak@cs.uiuc.edu Subject: Re: Squeak on handheld?
"John Tobler" squeakie@visto.com writes:
Not to promote stuff from my employer... but did you consider the Jornada 820. I just got one of them. It's a CE device with a reasonable keyboard. Display is a bit slow (maybe if it would boot Squeak ;-) I've no idea whether Squeak has been ported to it though?
I've spent the last several days researching the Jornada 820. If anyone is considering doing the port, or considering buying a portable computer strictly as a Squeak box, I would strongly recommend it. At the moment it's the fastest CE machine out there. Though most CE people seem to think this is a disadvantage, it uses a mouse pad(apparently with 2 buttons) instead of a touch screen so you don't have the constant problem of Squeak not being able to find the pointer. Of course, the 10 hour battery life doesn't hurt either. Also, I've seen it advertised for as little as $615. Sorry if this sounds like an advertisement, but from what I've read I'm pretty well sold on this device(outside of being reluctant to throw money at Microsoft).
______________ Frank Berthold Kytharis@javanet.com
"As for believing what I write--I don't believe anything. I either know it, or I'm still thinking about it." -Tom Ivers
On Mon 27 Sep, Frank Berthold wrote:
I've spent the last several days researching the Jornada 820. If anyone is considering doing the port, or considering buying a portable computer strictly as a Squeak box, I would strongly recommend it.
Doing the port should be as simple as buying the machine, getting hold of a version of the WinCE SKD for it and compiling the WinCE sources. At least, that is what M$ would assert! Take a look at http://www.hp.com/jornada/developers_corner/dev_tools.html for an explanation of what you would need. I'll happily d the work in exchange for a machine, the software and <drevilvoice>one million dollars</drevilvoice>.
tim
Another great platform is the newly announced Psion netBook (read about it at http://www.enterprise.psion.com/public/products/netbook.htm) which will be able to run the EPOC32 Squeak port that Tim and I are doing for the Psion Series 5 pocket computer, except faster, larger, and in color (and with native development tools - no cross compiler needed)! I have no idea when I will be able to get my own netBook, but it looks like a very worthy contender.
Some features: 190MHz StrongARM processor, 32 MB DRAM standard, 64MB optional, CF card slot (supports IBM MicroDrive) AND Type 2 PCMCIA, 7.7" 640x480 backlit color display with touchscreen, big keyboard, sound, IrDA, 235x182x37 mm size (approx 9 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 1 1/2 in), 1150g including 10 hour LiIon battery (2 1/2 lb).
A mis-feature: The only pricing I've seen so far is for a netBook with lots of development-kit type addons for 1000 GBP (Pounds, not Pence :-) ) which puts it out of my range for a while. It's being marketed as an OEM system (e.g., the Psion 5 is repackaged as a communication device and sold under the Ericsson name) so it may take some time to become readily available.
Tim Rowledge wrote:
... I'll happily d the work in exchange for a machine, the software and <drevilvoice>one million dollars</drevilvoice>.
tim
-- Porting is such sweet sorrow - Ed Luwish
It's amazing how little one has to do to become a celebrity. I just started my 15-minute timer. :-)
Tim Rowledge: rowledge@interval.com (w) +1 (650) 842-6110 (w) tim@sumeru.stanford.edu (h) http://sumeru.stanford.edu/tim
On Tue, Sep 28, 1999 at 12:01:06PM -0600, Edward P Luwish wrote:
Another great platform is the newly announced Psion netBook (read about it at http://www.enterprise.psion.com/public/products/netbook.htm) which will be able to run the EPOC32 Squeak port that Tim and I are doing for the Psion Series 5 pocket computer, except faster, larger, and in color (and with native development tools - no cross compiler needed)! I have no idea when I will be able to get my own netBook, but it looks like a very worthy contender.
But how did you guys get around the unbearably crappy Psion development environment?
Have they opened up their specs / API's at all by any chance?
-Chris (A Jilted 3a owner who always wanted to see a free devtool set for the thing :)
On Fri 01 Oct, A Prophetic Thirst wrote:
But how did you guys get around the unbearably crappy Psion development environment?
I don't think we have, yet. It's still dreadful. At least thelatest veriosn has almost intelligable doc and doesn't require you to first install a particualr version of PERL in a particular place even if you already have a good version loaded. And all just to do a recursive copy!
tim
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