Ubuntu/Linux realease for mobile devices planned soon - 8125, K-JAM, P4300, MDA Vario Software Upgrading

The release is planned for October, but there are bound to be betas beforehand.
Normally with Ubuntu there are major new releases every six months(ish) and with being open source there is no risk of anyone spitting the dummy at libraries of ROMS.
http://www.ubuntu.com/news/ubuntu-for-mobile-internet-devices
For the benefit of those wondering WTF ubuntu is - its already been voted one of the top 100 products of 2007 in PC World. (Can products be free?)
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,131935-page,13/article.html
It is also being offered now by Dell as an alternative to Vista...
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/05/01/13147.aspx
...prompted by Michael Dell using it on his home PC for years.

Well, if I'm not mistaken, the Mobile Internet Device referred by the news, are UMPCs (e.g. fully functional PCs). As such, porting the OS over is easy job, as compared to porting it over WinCe devices.
However, having said that, it is not all lost. With Intel on the market with Linux, chances are, probably there will be more applications written for Linux based OS and will then encourage the dev on Linux on WinCe (if you google, there is a Linux for Wizard project running already).

As far as I know there have been a few shots at linux for the wizard (et al), although the benefit of being ubuntu would be a far wider range of developers, the release structure they favour, and the finances to back it.
I still have a windows 98 boot (for some specific software than runs badly on any newer versions) and if you look at the spec of machines from then (I swapped the board, processor and memory from a Cyrix 166 with 32meg, to a pII 450 with 128 meg about late 1998), the older machines spec does not look particularly good compared to the wizards.
The xubuntu flavour of ubuntu is quite capable of extending the life of older hardware, by running more efficiently - and I have set up a few older machines I was given as scrap to play games for friends' children - to introduce them to 'proper computers' when it does not matter as much when they discover jacobs crackers fit in the floppy, or a CD rom cannot close with enough force to cut off action mans legs.
Anyway - returning to the plot - I would suspect xubuntu is currently not too far from working in a PDA - but the xubuntu project has far lower funding than ubuntu, but could be an excellent platform to adapt.

Well, as far as I know, Linux based systems do not 'really' run more efficiently. The primary reason that Linux OS is able to utilize older hardware is that it is lightweight. Thats like running DOS on older hardware.. it works well.

die, bill, DIE
hanmin said:
Well, as far as I know, Linux based systems do not 'really' run more efficiently. The primary reason that Linux OS is able to utilize older hardware is that it is lightweight. Thats like running DOS on older hardware.. it works well.
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Nah, its my experience that ALL windows OSs are resource hoggging pigs and linux isn't and it makes much better use of system resource than winblows
take a web server running apache under winnt, replace the os with a flavor of linux and the same machine running apache has more throughput than before.
and there are distros that run very well on just about any machine, put xp on a 200mhz pentium mmx and see if you have a useable machine, that same puter with linux will work great for the average joe blow who just, web browses, emails, does word processing/ doc. creation.
linux will put computing power in the hands of people who cant blow 1000$ every 2 years to get the latest greatest pc. I wont even go into the ridiculous amounts of cash micro$oft charges for new versions of the bug ridden code they pass off as a finished product, then release 4 service packs to band-aid it together.
thanks linus, you should get a nobel peace prize or some sh1t...
bhang

bhang said:
Nah, its my experience that ALL windows OSs are resource hoggging pigs and linux isn't and it makes much better use of system resource than winblows
take a web server running apache under winnt, replace the os with a flavor of linux and the same machine running apache has more throughput than before.
and there are distros that run very well on just about any machine, put xp on a 200mhz pentium mmx and see if you have a useable machine, that same puter with linux will work great for the average joe blow who just, web browses, emails, does word processing/ doc. creation.
linux will put computing power in the hands of people who cant blow 1000$ every 2 years to get the latest greatest pc. I wont even go into the ridiculous amounts of cash micro$oft charges for new versions of the bug ridden code they pass off as a finished product, then release 4 service packs to band-aid it together.
thanks linus, you should get a nobel peace prize or some sh1t...
bhang
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Here's a good example of some everyday anti-Microsoft rhetoric.
Linux on a slow computer won't make it do anything more than it could do running a Microsoft product. Sure, a finely customized (read: limited) Linux system might use a little less memory, but a slow computer is a slow computer.
Back on topic, I'd look more towards the already-existing Linux projects for the Wizard being useful before any Ubuntu branded distributions would be available. The BlueAngel Linux project from a couple of years ago got pretty far, I wonder if the Wizard is really all that much tougher to get working.

tone007 said:
Here's a good example of some everyday anti-Microsoft rhetoric.
Linux on a slow computer won't make it do anything more than it could do running a Microsoft product. Sure, a finely customized (read: limited) Linux system might use a little less memory, but a slow computer is a slow computer.
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Click to collapse
Yours will be a good example of a .. anti-old PC rhetoric?
I beg to differ. A PC's speed heavily depends on how many instructions it is running. The number of instructions run per second for any PCs is fixed, but having less unnecessary instructions to runs, yields a faster PC. Try running Vista with all fancy eye-candy enabled and browse the internet. Do the same with Windows 95. A slow PC is slow when you run something heavy on it, hence 'a slow computer is a slow computer' isn't true.

hanmin said:
Yours will be a good example of a .. anti-old PC rhetoric?
I beg to differ. A PC's speed heavily depends on how many instructions it is running. The number of instructions run per second for any PCs is fixed, but having less unnecessary instructions to runs, yields a faster PC. Try running Vista with all fancy eye-candy enabled and browse the internet. Do the same with Windows 95. A slow PC is slow when you run something heavy on it, hence 'a slow computer is a slow computer' isn't true.
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When Ubuntu for Mobile phones is in 20 years of development, then I will consider it, however for my everyday needs, WM6 has me covered. Thanks, but no thanks. This is just the beginning for Linux on a phone, it has a LONG way to go to keep up.
Not only that, you have to find someone WILLING to create the software for FREE and well, you get what you paid for.
If you are a C++ programmer, Linux on a Mobile Phone will be a welcome challenge, but there is no market for Linux on a phone YET. Only reason anyone one the market will choose to switch is due to a CHANGE from what's already out there. I do not feel it compares at all to WM6 yet.
Sure, you can run faster, once you remove all of the graphics, background processes, etc, but you can do that with WM6 too. That's what people are creating their own roms for.
Water down any OS and you will find that it runs really fast and really well.

I wonder if there will be Blackberry support? It might be interesting to toy with.

NeoDMD said:
When Ubuntu for Mobile phones is in 20 years of development, then I will consider it, however for my everyday needs, WM6 has me covered. Thanks, but no thanks. This is just the beginning for Linux on a phone, it has a LONG way to go to keep up.
Not only that, you have to find someone WILLING to create the software for FREE and well, you get what you paid for.
If you are a C++ programmer, Linux on a Mobile Phone will be a welcome challenge, but there is no market for Linux on a phone YET. Only reason anyone one the market will choose to switch is due to a CHANGE from what's already out there. I do not feel it compares at all to WM6 yet.
Sure, you can run faster, once you remove all of the graphics, background processes, etc, but you can do that with WM6 too. That's what people are creating their own roms for.
Water down any OS and you will find that it runs really fast and really well.
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So that's why Motorola already have, and Palm are developing linux mobile phones?
Linux on a mobile device is going to be here on mainstream handsets very soon, within the next 12 months guaranteed.
The reason?
Licensing costs.
If you develop an open source OS, and set of codecs to handle media, you don't have to pay so much to all the companies you traditionally hand money over to when you sell a phone.
People who buy a mobile phone rarely care if it can run Microsoft's pocket office apps, or RIM's office apps, or anyone elses, just as long as they can write that document, or email, and easily send it, or get it onto their PC.
People also don't care if it runs WM6, Symbian UIQ, S60, Linux, Palm, or Blackberry, they just care if it can do xyz functions, looks nice, and they can afford it.
We care, but we are not the majority of the market.
And lets be honest, out of all the mobile OS' out there, which is going to be the most hackable?
Linux on our HTC devices is always going to be a hobby more than a real alternative OS, since it's based on who wants what, and has the time to develop it. But on a commercially available device sold with it, it's already here, and more are on the way!

Linux is faster - especially non GNOME distros.
There is also Ubuntu light on the horizon.
I read this article which to me is a good summary...
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=40532
...and to reiterate my aforementioned point in addition to the seeking of fees - who requested the removal of the rom library here? So greater control with open source to the savvy end user.
Additionally - many of us are running linux without even realising - as its often the OS running in your routers/wireless modems.
Finally - if Windows kit for PDAs/smart phones was any good - would there be a reason for a forum like this to improve upon it, or are we all just really pernickety people?

Ubuntu is a really amazing OS.
I have been running it for a while already, and I love it (except sometimes I screwed up, need to resetup).
U should all try it

Straight from the disk it saw and set up everything - including setting the two hyperthreading processors as 4 processors (I have the non server disk version too).
Only problem so far is its not happy with my Sandisk U3 Titanium.
Another point worth mentioning is the lightest/fastest/most secure browser is purportedly 'Dilo' which is written for Linux - but I have not tried it yet. (Although the security is based on the 'you cannot hijack it - if we dont support it' school of thought.)

Linux rocks, I have ubuntu running on one of my desktops and am seriously considering dual booting my other with Fedora KDE. It really did a lot to speed up my old compaq, and i am not running a "watered down" version, I have more aps and programs on this than i did on xp, and it still boots faster and i have yet to have a weekly crash like i did with xp. I really would like it on my wizard, but in the meantime i'm going to watch palm's develpment and look in that direction.

Linwizard
If you want to play a bit this works on my wizard. Still a long way to go but I can say I have linux on my wizard. And I don't have to change anything or lose my current setup. Just extract the folder to your SD and run the app. I haven't figured out how to exit the program with out a soft reset, but big deal. Also there is no touch screen support or shifted or symbol support for the keyboard.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/linwizard/
Cheers...

Related

Keypad Light tweak?

http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=43822&highlight=keyboard
Is there any current way to perform this kind of tweak for the Wizard? I've just spent 20 mins searching but couldn't find anything related
Cheers!
nope
I have to say, despite it's nice design I'm really starting to get irritated with my Vario now... The processor is uber-slow compared to all other HTC devices, it's not tweakable anywhere near the amount the others are, it has an OMAP processor and thus won't be possible to run Linux etc on it.
I think even after 2 months it's time to look at a new device
blackobsidian said:
it has an OMAP processor and thus won't be possible to run Linux etc on it.
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That's bull**** - the first (?) Linux smartphone from imcosys runs the TI OMAP 730 with embedded Linux;
http://www.imcosys.com/html/technische_daten.html
It's just a matter of people actually doing the work to port the O/S. Personally I think people who want to run Linux on Device X should just get Device Y which runs it natively - less work, and you support a company that already readily supports Linux on Device X-alikes.
As far as CPU-speed goes, it appears to vary per-reviewer. Some say it's slower, others say it's faster. I guess it'll depend on what you're doing with it.
Not sure what you mean with regards to 'tweakable', though. The only 'tweak' I'm readily aware of that works on e.g. the HTC Universal but not on the HTC Wizard is the keyboard backlight. They both run WM5 and are tweakable to pretty much the same extent as far as the O/S and running software allows.
That said - I obviously rather like mine. -That- said, I can see myself moving to a different device 2-3 years down the road quite easily, especially with all the network upgrades -and- the speed at which new devices are coming out. Wouldn't be too surprised if they're all rather like smaller OQO's by that time.. handheld, good battery, running will Windows XP (probably not Vista yet - hardware specs for that thing are through the roof)
See my comments have all been based on various forums I've read, posted on and recieved replies from. Apparently the OMAP architecture is completely different from most other processors and so it's a niche market (meaning people won't bother with trying to do anything good such as Linux, major overhauls of software, overclocking software etc) - Even Anton Tomov's Hack Master software is having issues with the overclocking functionality and keeps getting pushed back and back and back some more.
I have to say I bought my Wizard (MDA Vario flavour) because the design is slick and it was pretty fast in the shop demonstration. I didn't realise that the second I put anything on it, it'd slow down so much.
I've reflashed it with the best and fastest current rom out there:-
VERSION
ROM Version 1.6.7.1
ROM Date 38624
Radio Version 01.13.10
Protocol Version 4.0.13.17
ExtROM Version 1.3.2.102
And although it's faster than the bloated T-Mobile crap that it comes with by default it's still slow (my today screen only has SPB Pocket Plus and Pocket Weather on it but it still chugs occasionally) and it's an absolute nightmare playing something as simple as Arkaball!
"tweakable" I class as something I can mess around with. With my Samsung T100 I completely replaced the casin with a clear casing, reconfigured everything including LED colour and created my own firmware for it etc. I basically like to try and be individual which is why I won't got for a device already running Linux etc.
Tech Knowledge + Gadgets + being a geek = wanting cool stuff
OQO looks nice but huge. I'm looking for a device I can use for business (running a QA department) and as a mobile. Shoulda got myself a P990i... lol
Here's a proposition for your thoughts... if everybody is customizing their device, then not customizing your device makes you more of an individual
That said - yes, if you want that manner of tweakability, you should've gone for a different device. I'm not sure why a Linux-preloaded one would be excluded from the get-go because you didn't put it on there yourself.. it certainly should open up tweaking possibilities.
Overclocking software for the OMAP does exist - and I'm sure AntonTomov will get one out eventually as the number of devices using the OMAP increases. I'm sure the XScale will still be #1 for some time to be with the recent pricedrops and announced speeds (1GHz - vroom).
However, just because it's a different architecture doesn't typically stop the person who go "But does it run Linux? it does now!" on e.g. Slashdot . Of course if Linux was on your mind from the get-go, a little googling around would've readily shown which devices run it natively and which have been successfully made to run it, to whatever extent, and should've based your purchasing decision on that
For what it's worth, the Treo 700w (650? - been a while) was on my list, but once in the shop with the device in my hand, I knew I would grow to hate the form factor within the first week.
ZeBoxx said:
the first (?) Linux smartphone from imcosys runs the TI OMAP 730 with embedded Linux;
http://www.imcosys.com/html/technische_daten.html
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There are many Linux phones already
http://openezx.org
but the ports to HTC Blueangel and HTC Universal
use more free software
You can also check Linux for OMAP page
http://focus.ti.com/docs/general/sp...mplatedata/cm/splashdsp/data/linux_com_portal
Correction... Everyone on this forum is customising their device... Most people in the real world buy a device and use it out of the box as they don't know or can't be bothered to upgrade it lol.
To be honest with you this is my first PPC device. Before this I was in a job where I didn't want or need the functions and features the PPC has and I had a K750i. Before that was a 7610 and before that a GX20.
I have to admit I was in the process of looking at PPC's when my K750i had an unfortunate incident where my fist went through the screen because it was crashing every 30 seconds... That's why I didn't research as much as I should have before getting my Wizard.
I've learned my lesson though and next time there'll be a LOT of research involved before I buy!
I'm assuming that individual hardware can't be replaced in the Wizard either? i.e. buying a faster processor/mobo etc? My mate's Universal had it's mobo replaced so maybe...
1Gb? Mmmm....
Treo 700w is nice but it was the 990i I meant to say (I updfated it when I realised what I posted lol)
ZeBoxx said:
I'm not sure why a Linux-preloaded one would be excluded from the get-go because you didn't put it on there yourself.. it certainly should open up tweaking possibilities.
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"running Linux" != running free software platform.
Compare Motorola A780 and HTC Blueangel/Universal.
well, I did say "should". I didn't say it would come with a CD with all the source code on it ready for compilation
We're getting way, way off-topic anyway. Keyboard/button backlights tweaks are as of yet non-existant. Chances are you can tweak it by modifying the driver - but nobody's confirmed or done so. Worst case scenario is that it's all in hardware. For the specific tweak mentioned - no, because the Wizard doesn't have a light sensor. Arguably you could start up the camera ever once in a while and check lighting that way, but it wouldn't be very accurate

Linux powered device from Intel

Not sure if this has been posted. Didn't find this mentioned when searching site anyway for the unix people amongst us.
Check Here
And Here
Looks more like a tablet type than a mobile better get a bigger belt...
If there were to be as much software available for Linux based machine, I'll be over Linux in a jiffy.. but nice to know there are people putting effort into the issue on other phones... but with giant Intel supporting Linux, it'll be good. And, Palm has plans going to Linux-ish too..
I wonder what has MS done to piss off Intel
Oh the good old days when an upgrade/hack was done by the techo with byo soldering iron and flicking of dipswithes.
I remember studying on a prime mainframe at uni we found a way to increase the cpu speed and double the memory.
We hacked to primos machine code to take out the redundant loops and flicked the memory dip switch that essentially made the io read every byte of memory instead of every second byte.
They use to build the mainframes fully configured but offered them with less memory/slower cpu which were upgradeable at cost. ie $100Ks They would send you the new os with the redundant loops taken out to increase cpu or send the tech out to switch the dipswitch to double the memory.

Any Laptop

Alright guys. I'm getting a new laptop for school next year, and I can get basically anything that I want. I don't really want a Mac, because quite honestly, I'd end up installing Windows on it and never using the iOS. So, what computer would you choose (laptop, anyone you want!). I've been looking at The Lenovo IdeaPad Y540 with the RapidDrive. Any suggestions?
toshiba satellite laptops are good. my sister has one. it's good, and not too expensive.
KHeeney5 said:
Alright guys. I'm getting a new laptop for school next year, and I can get basically anything that I want. I don't really want a Mac, because quite honestly, I'd end up installing Windows on it and never using the iOS. So, what computer would you choose (laptop, anyone you want!). I've been looking at The Lenovo IdeaPad Y540 with the RapidDrive. Any suggestions?
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Get one of thw intel i5 i3 and something else ones.
I have i5 and i3 blazing fast and HP!
KHeeney5 said:
Alright guys. I'm getting a new laptop for school next year, and I can get basically anything that I want. I don't really want a Mac, because quite honestly, I'd end up installing Windows on it and never using the iOS. So, what computer would you choose (laptop, anyone you want!). I've been looking at The Lenovo IdeaPad Y540 with the RapidDrive. Any suggestions?
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Click to collapse
Go to the dell website and customize a laptop to whatever you want, you know, choose your own: processor, ram, hardrive space, graphics card etc.
I customized an inspiron 1525 a whil back and its running nicely
how about the best of both worlds , getting a macbook to show around and get the honeys in school , and having it dual boot windows at home to get some work done (when nobody sees you , ofc)
I use Lenovo Thinkpads normally. They are awesome. I really like their customer service. It's really IBM, but they are very patient and knowledgeable.
Well, you'd never use iOS on a Mac anyways, since iOS doesn't run on Macs (except in the emulator as part of the iOS SDK).
It is all about what you need. I'd get a Dell and run Ubuntu on it if I wasn't relying on certain Mac OS X software. Oh wait, I have a Dell running Ubuntu that I use a lot, in addition to my MacBook Pro.
The problem is you don't specify your needs at all, there is no best computer. I love my MacBook Pro and I love my Dell. And I'd happily recommend either of them to you, or several other machines - depending on your needs. So, what do you need?
I'd advise against getting a Dell Inspiron. There's a design flaw in the hinge where the case starts to spread apart; my girlfriend, mother, and roommate all have the problem and it started just after a year of owning their laptops. If you're already looking at Lenovo and you really can "get pretty much whatever you want" I'd suggest looking at a ThinkPad, the build quality is much better than the IdeaPads.
What are you exactly planning to do with the laptop?
You might need extra graphics muscle for vid editing our gaming.
Go for something with a sandy bridge. I'll be somewhat futureproof.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
souljaboy said:
how about the best of both worlds , getting a macbook to show around and get the honeys in school , and having it dual boot windows at home to get some work done (when nobody sees you , ofc)
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Seconded.
Or you can just boot Windows and say;
"I REALLY love the hardware, but Mac is sooooo last picosecond ago."
Otherwise, go for an ultraportable.
http://goo.gl/TDMgh
This one.
sakai4eva said:
Seconded.
Or you can just boot Windows and say;
"I REALLY love the hardware, but Mac is sooooo last picosecond ago."
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Have you ever actually USED OS X? Like I said, a computer is a tool. OS X provides the core foundation to do things Windows users can only dream of. Want me to blow your mind? I can show you videowall and blended projector setups running all in software (plus some Matrox TripleHead2Go's) doing things that required thousands of dollars worth of video processing hardware five years ago.
Granted, that's a rare application, but the same benefits apply to lower-level programs too. Mac OS has had true, full system-wide color management since the first OS X release. Windows? Their new, much-touted color management is about on the same level as Mac OS 9 was - 11 years ago.
Apple has done a great job providing creative professionals with an amazing platform. Sadly, it seems like they're abandoning us in favor of the content consumers and iOS. We shall see. But for right now, it's the best thing out there for the needs of many creative professionals.
Mark Uhde said:
Have you ever actually USED OS X? Like I said, a computer is a tool. OS X provides the core foundation to do things Windows users can only dream of. Want me to blow your mind? I can show you videowall and blended projector setups running all in software (plus some Matrox TripleHead2Go's) doing things that required thousands of dollars worth of video processing hardware five years ago.
Granted, that's a rare application, but the same benefits apply to lower-level programs too. Mac OS has had true, full system-wide color management since the first OS X release. Windows? Their new, much-touted color management is about on the same level as Mac OS 9 was - 11 years ago.
Apple has done a great job providing creative professionals with an amazing platform. Sadly, it seems like they're abandoning us in favor of the content consumers and iOS. We shall see. But for right now, it's the best thing out there for the needs of many creative professionals.
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Click to collapse
Have you ever actually USED Windows 7? Like I said, a computer is a tool. Windows 7 provides the core foundation to do things Mac users can only dream of. Want me to blow your mind? I can show you 16xAA and 4xAF graphics on SIX monitors (plus some sick DirectX 11 tessellation) doing things that required thousands of dollars worth of Mac hardware five months ago.
Granted, that's a common application, but the same benefits apply to lower-level programs too. Windows 7 has true 3d games since its release. Mac? Their new, much-touted app store is probably 4 to 5 years behind.
Microsoft/AMD/ATI/NVidia/Intel has done a great job providing gamers with an amazing platform. Sadly, it seems like they're abandoning us in favor of the content consumers and consoles. We shall see. But for right now, it's the best thing out there for the needs of many gamers.
FTFY.
Um, not sure if it was your intent, but you only proved my point. Different uses need different tools. We've got Windows 7 sitting and running up at the church on two machines that have replaced our sound boards (both front of house and monitor mix) and much of our effects and processing gear. Software Audio Console by RML Labs. Great product, and runs fantastically well on Windows 7. The developer is a bit of a nut, and he himself is always complaining about what Microsoft does poorly in Windows (especially in regards to memory management, which he notes is tuned more towards most processing power, not lowest latency like one desires in a live audio application). Regardless, he's managed to get Windows down to a few milliseconds of latency, and he has the whole setup working very, very well.
So, you proved my point. Windows 7 is a great gaming OS. I never said it wasn't There's a lot more to this world than games, but if games are what you want, the Windows 7 is where it's at - though OS X is catching up. It's definitely had "true 3D" since release. Right now the two big issues are drivers that aren't really tweak-able - and tuned more towards rendering accuracy than performance; and the actual support of developers (though both have improved a lot in the last year).
Mark Uhde said:
Um, not sure if it was your intent, but you only proved my point. Different uses need different tools. We've got Windows 7 sitting and running up at the church on two machines that have replaced our sound boards (both front of house and monitor mix) and much of our effects and processing gear. Software Audio Console by RML Labs. Great product, and runs fantastically well on Windows 7. The developer is a bit of a nut, and he himself is always complaining about what Microsoft does poorly in Windows (especially in regards to memory management, which he notes is tuned more towards most processing power, not lowest latency like one desires in a live audio application). Regardless, he's managed to get Windows down to a few milliseconds of latency, and he has the whole setup working very, very well.
So, you proved my point. Windows 7 is a great gaming OS. I never said it wasn't There's a lot more to this world than games, but if games are what you want, the Windows 7 is where it's at - though OS X is catching up. It's definitely had "true 3D" since release. Right now the two big issues are drivers that aren't really tweak-able - and tuned more towards rendering accuracy than performance; and the actual support of developers (though both have improved a lot in the last year).
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I'm just trying to say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whatever platform that you use, as long as you are happy with it. I will not begrudge you if you decide to buy a Mac for legitimate reasons (graphics editing, etc.), but a Windows PC for me is a much better deal. Maybe its because I've grown up around Windows, so I'll never get the "need" for an overpriced and underspec'd computer.
And, yes, my PC is kinda heavily modified
Glad we could find a middle ground
Get a Macbook Pro, At least you wouldn't be getting those annoying updates and useless Norton Anti-virus notification. I been a pc user for more than 10 years and Os X is really not bad like people make it out to be.
sakai4eva said:
I'm just trying to say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whatever platform that you use, as long as you are happy with it. I will not begrudge you if you decide to buy a Mac for legitimate reasons (graphics editing, etc.), but a Windows PC for me is a much better deal. Maybe its because I've grown up around Windows, so I'll never get the "need" for an overpriced and underspec'd computer.
And, yes, my PC is kinda heavily modified
Glad we could find a middle ground
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Click to collapse
I think if you'd shop it, you'd find Macs aren't bad for what you're getting, price wise. There are things that have value people don't mention. Things like the glass screen on laptops (hard to damage and easy to clean - sadly, also REALLY bad glare) and the large full-multitouch glass trackpad... it's a joy to use, easy and fast.
As for the desktops, Mac Pros are crazy pricey at first glance. But when you look closer, they're using server (Xeon) processors and server-grade components. Which makes almost no difference in performance, but it does legitimately add a fortune to the cost. Apple needs a true desktop machine. But if you compare it to other machines using the same components, pricing is similar or better.
The big thing is that Apple has no low-end, cheap-built, high-performance machines. Their machines are all made THEIR WAY. No choices. 1984 style, even. I do not like that, but when looked at in the broader market, it's not so bad - Macs are one of many choices to find the best tool for each job. Windows is also one of many choices. I spend much of my time on a Dell in Linux
BTW, I wasn't even talking graphics editing. Though the color management engine makes Macs great for that. Next time you go to a concert and see walls of video screens behind the stage and stuff like that, and you assume there's a ton of fancy video gear, there might not be. The software exists, on Mac OS X, to do that all in software today. And the software exists, on Windows, to mix sound all in software, today. And the results, in both cases, are as good as traditional hardware solutions.
Sorry I have't posted back guys. But I ended up ordering:
Toshiba Portege r700
Windows 7 Pro 64 bit
Intel i7 @ 2.67 GHz
4 GB DDR2
120 GB SSD
Fingerprint Scanner
HDMI Out
13.3 inch widescreen
The SSD and DDR2 was important to me since I will be a computer engineering student. I love it. Fast, extremely thin (for all the guts) and just as light as my girlfriends MB Air.
Thanks for your help.
Sent from my DROIDX
Sounds like a nice machine, but I question why you wanted DDR2, and not DDR3. I'm just a noob though.
ASUS G51J works GREAT for gaming and school

X86 Ubuntu and Wine running on xt890?

I've been hunting around for any development progress for the K900 when I stumbled across this (Along with rumors of Wine for android x86 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GT9lZDplJ8
The title translates to " Launching Ubuntu x86 + Wine under Android x86"
I know amost nothing about VNC but I'm guessing he did something similar to this but perhaps using ubuntu touch?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1966984
I'm trying to figure out if this is a worthwile way to run old windows games on a phone, rather than using QEMU on my Note 2. Are there any advantages to this? Or should I stick with QEMU until the next generation of intel phones are out?
My experience with Wine has been very positive, generally being more stable than running the games in Windows had ever been. I'd imagine that keeping everything x86 the whole way is probably good. QEMU has been slow enough and the reliability has been spotty enough to the point where I generally dont bother anymore. =(
Thank you for sharing this! i really, really hope they will continue developing this for our razr i!!
I've managed to do the same on my Orange San Diego.
If I remember correctly, I just followed the tutorials for installing ubuntu in chroot on android, but I used a x86 image instead of an arm image. Can't remember if I had to do custom stuff.
Then it was basically installing wine, like you'd do on an Ubuntu pc.
Wine worked, but Vmware/virtualbox didn't (I guess it's because ubuntu ran in chroot). I was/am hoping to run a full windows on a phone, but no-one seems to be interested in it, and I don't have the skills/knowledge to do it
Since this phone has an unlocked bootloader, you'll probably be able to install ubuntu directly (without chroot) (good chance you'll find a step by step guide for this phone), so maybe you could run vmware/vbox too. Can't try that on my orange, since it has a locked bootloader, and it doesn't look like it's getting unlocked any time soon.
If any developer would be able to have a look at this...? I'd change phones if someone managed to get it up and running, I'd guess
Terror Factor, How are speed and stability when running Ubuntu/wine through chroot?
I think there were some people trying to dual boot. I think there are probably some serious obstacles though. I belive this particular chipset has a proprietary driver which could make it difficult to use. The next generation of phones will use what is basically intels integrated grapics on a soc. Those might be the first to be able to dual boot a full desktop os. There is a phone out now in China, the K900 that uses the updated clovertrail plus chip that is supposed to be linux compatible. But it still seems to have a Power VR chip for grapics =(
Other than that. I could see there being issues with perhaps drive partitioning and installing the boot loader (grub, etc). I suppose it also depends how the boot sytem works. I don't belive phones use any type of BIOS. I dunno.
Fujistsu makes a phone/computer (loox f-07c) that runs full windows. It's kind of a bulky and inelegant solution though.
I can't remember any stability issues, but it's been a few months and I only messed around with it for maybe half an hour after it was installed (noticed I couldn't run virtualbox/vmware, so I was a whole lot less interested). The stock apps that came with wine worked fine (notepad for example). I can't remember if I installed anything else in wine though.
That Fujitsu is pretty big, and quite outdated hardware wise. Might be worth buying if I could find a cheap one on ebay, but battery life will probably suck and I am guessing it'll be way to expensive for what it is.
Once the intel cpu's are getting more popular for smartphones, I am guessing we'll eventually see a full desktop OS on one of them. That might be a year or two though, I'm afraid

[Discussion/Rant] Disappointments in Current technology

Hey Guys Kyuubi10 here again.
I had a thought on my head and couldn't help but share to see if people have the same views as me.
I am currently disappointed with phones, tablets and computers...both on a hardware level and on a software level.
While I do see technology getting better each year I have a feeling that we are currently stuck in a cycle which the major companies are unwilling to break.
Let me go deeper into detail. But to make this thought comprehensive to most people I'll try to organise it by topic.
Software:
Most developers nowadays have a huge disregard for code efficiency, and as such the advancement into making code more efficient has slowed almost to a halt. Because our devices are becoming each day more powerful, developers don't care anymore about creating applications which don't consume RAM, nor applications which are bug-free on release.
Instead buggy applications are released, which consume loads of RAM, because a future update will fix bugs, and devices will get better and have more RAM.
Thus new and inexperienced developers are not being taught the value in making an efficient program.
And this annoys me.
This brings me to Java, and Android. While I love android and what it stands for, the fact that it still runs mostly on Java annoys me. Java being hated by most developers, and being seen as a backward step in the development world is one of the major programming languages in today's world.
Google, being a great company should set up an institution made to further programming standards, and through such institution it should begin laying the foundations for a new programming language to be used with Android.and it's focus should be efficiency.
Also, highly disappointed in the progress of Windows 10. Mentioned to be a revolutionary step for Windows....yet it is simply a reworked GUI for Windows 8. It still even has the charms!!! All that was done was to make Windows store apps open within windows rather than fullscreen, and fixed a couple bugs. Oh yeh, and Cortana...which seems more like a spy than a virtual assistant. It actually refuses to work unless you let it monitor your location. Why does it need so much info?
Microsoft Edge feels like a beta testing version. I thought that they would at least incorporate some Internet Explorer functionality to Edge. But it is not even recognized as a browser by certain websites. At this moment in time IE is still better than the "revolutionary" Edge.
You are still better off with Firefox or Chrome.
On the Linux side of things...it still annoys me that there is very little support for Linux. But that has enough complaints on the internet to make its own case, I'll avoid repeating everything all over again.
Instead I'll make a complaint about Android. Why is almost no-one building an android port which works well as a desktop OS?
Why are we still limited between OSX, Windows and Linux (which has little support)?
Android has been around long enough...but very few people are making an effort in creating a fully functional version of android for desktop.
The way I see it is that Android is based on Linux...it should contribute back to the Linux community. Someone should use a well established Linux distro and mix it with Android. If their runtimes are incompatible then a technology such as CoLinux or UML could be used to run both at the same time. While also using KSM to keep RAM consumption to a minimum.
This could be well supported by Google (Now Alphabet), and the community.
Hardware:
While the development of CPUs is going strong, with Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm and MediaTek trying to best each other...Other things aren't doing quite as well. Especially RAM. This mostly being the fault of OEMs, trying to keep costs as low as possible while squeezing every cent from their customers.
This is highly noticeable when you get Tablets which are up to 4x bigger than a phone and have the same amount of RAM as a phone. This kills multitasking abilities in our modern day devices.
We already have 64-bit CPU chips...why isn't it yet common for our devices to have 4GB+ of RAM? Asus showed that it's possible with its Zenfone 2.
How long will it take other OEMs to follow suit? The progress in this area has been too slow over the years.
Again, especially for tablets. Those things should have been reaching 6GB or more within 2014 and 2015. We definitely have the technology to do it.
While for desktop and laptops I'd love to see qualcomm and Nvidia to step up into this market with their ARM based chips.
It would be interesting to see a mix of Dedicated graphics interacting with an ARM CPU...I wonder if that is possible.
But the advantages of ARM chips are undeniable...They have even started to appear into the server market, and yet nothing for personal PCs. This is sad. The battery reduction, heat reduction achieved by such chips would make computers so much more powerful. But advances in this area are also moving foward too slowly even though we already have the technology to do it.
Security
But this annoys me most of all. The lack of focus about security.
While technology increases, it seems that no one is worrying about the security of new devices etc...
I mean, if someone stole my smartwatch all they would have to do is reset it and they could connect it to their smartphone as if I had never owned it.
That breaks my heart.
How hard is it to create a pair of symmetrical encryption keys, or 2 pairs of asymmetrical ones (if you want to be paranoid), in order to make sure that the smartwatch works only with that specific smartphone which has the correct keys.
This would also mean that if the owner wanted to use a second device to connect to their smartwatch it would be fine and safe as long as they have the correct keys. Thus improve functionality and safety with one blow.
With a whole load of smart devices being offered currently and very few of them have any security whatsoever! It annoys me deeply.
Obviously there are other security issues all of which have already been extensively discussed, such as encryption while surfing the web as default, efficiency of current standards etc...
As a solution I believe that the major tech companies in the world should get together and make a consortium with the purpose of advancing technology.
The idea is that once a new technology/protocol/standard is introduced by one of these companies then the others test it extensively, and if it is found to improve current technology they all adopt it. Because the main issue is that while many solutions exist, they are not wide spread because most companies don't use these solutions.
But if the most significant companies in the tech industry lead the way by using the new technologies, then by default the other smaller companies will follow.
But such a consortium needs to exist in order to avoid useless competition.
Competition is good when it is a force to improve current standards, not when it isolates another company's improvements by rejecting their solutions.
I agree with most of your points but I have to disagree in regards to Windows 10. As Microsoft explained it will be continuously improved. I think with Win 10 they finally listen to its customers (more than 90% satisfied). In my opinion 10 is far, faaar better then 8 and I think its developing is going into the right direction.
As this is about more than smartphones... And not about anything in specific... I'm moving this to the off topic section. :good:
Thanks,
Darth
Forum Moderator
Darth said:
As this is about more than smartphones... And not about anything in specific... I'm moving this to the off topic section. :good:
Thanks,
Darth
Forum Moderator
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe, I found no thanks button. So I'll reply instead! Thank you! )
markdc said:
I agree with most of your points but I have to disagree in regards to Windows 10. As Microsoft explained it will be continuously improved. I think with Win 10 they finally listen to its customers (more than 90% satisfied). In my opinion 10 is far, faaar better then 8 and I think its developing is going into the right direction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, you bring a good point. But this comes back to what I said that developers now are not worried about bringing a great product into the market, they bring an unfinished project which will then be updated as time goes on.
In fact what people are happy about Windows 10 is more due to the GUI changes. (No full screen apps, start button is back where it belongs.)
While my complaint comes more from the fact that they took a really long time to build Windows 10, and it still is Windows 8 with a different GUI. Which makes me think, what did they do with the huge time they took developing it?
Personally, I liked Windows 8... Yes it had its flaws, but it was revolutionary. It was magnitudes faster than Windows 7, albeit it had many glitches. But those were ironed out with 8.1.
It was Microsoft's first attempt at merging their mobile OS to their Desktop one. And to me this was a great idea, and improvement.
Windows 10 on the other hand doesn't feel as revolutionary as they claimed, from a technical perspective. Yes from a business perspective, it is something new, but not the software itself.
Can you see my argument?
But you are right, and I agree with you in the fact that it is moving in the right direction. I hope that Microsoft's push to mix a mobile OS and a desktop OS will inspire Google to do the same to its Android OS.
Chrome OS just doesn't truly feel like a proper OS.

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