[REBOL] Re: Build this and they will come...
From: mat:eurogamer at: 28-May-2001 11:54
Heya Terry,
TB> A Rebol PDA with the following specs...
What physical form?
TB> - Built on a Rebol friendly hardware platform (avoiding Palm type limitations)
TB> - Rebol friendly OS (or even, do I dare say it... a Rebol OS?)
If you're talking off the shelf, it has to be WinCE? Which isn't bad
as it means you've got Pocket Word and a decent browser I suppose.
TB> - Color graphics, Multimedia capable.
Stereo is so often lacking on PDA, annoying stopping most of them from
doubling as MP3 players. I can't claim to care about colour, it's nice
but the big problem is battery consumption. Double life with B&W.
TB> - Small Qwerty keyboard ( like the Blackberry RIM www.blackberry.net)
Absolutely. None of that Palm silliness :)
TB> - 500 MB rewriteable DataPlay discs ( www.dataplay.com ) for a storage.
TB> - 128 mb of ram :)
That sounds like full client spec parts. Not really necessary is it?
PDAs need and use very little memory. So long as it takes CF you've
got plenty of options. Although using SODIMM memory would be nice,
like the discontinued Compaq Aero 8000. That unit *is* pretty much
what you have specced but it's kinda sub notebook size. The keyboard
is wonderful though.
TB> - Bluetooth chip for adhoc networking (perhaps dual chips, the other for CDMA or
whatever the latest broadband that's readily available)
I'm afraid I'd have to seriously disagree here. Bluetooth is a
horribly broken standard. Well 'standard' is giving it more credit
than it deserves, it's an absolute abortion. If you want to interface
with a mobile, the best bet is a bog standard serial port IMO (even
infrared has a bag load of issues). For LAN networking, 802.11b all the
way.
TB> - Under $300
TB> I'll preorder 100!
Probably doable if you lowered some requirements like the big memory,
re-writable disks or colour screen. The Compaq Aero 8000 is going
extremely cheap here in the UK as it's clearing out old stock but it's
still £250, way way over $300.
You know, the Psion Revo would be a really really nice Rebol platform
but unfortunately with RT being American they can't be bothered with
porting to it :(
A nice /view port to such a device and you could work entirely from
within the rebol desktop. That'd be nice assuming that everyone jumped
on board and started writing the necessary apps. (Which I think would
happen if such a platform and a /view port existed. It'd be cool!)
--
Mat Bettinson - EuroGamer's Gaming Evangelist with a Goatee
http://www.eurogamer.net | http://www.eurogamer-network.com
