Ubuntu Notpad "umm sort of um kind of a lap top!"

[Omnios]

This may prove interesting and possibly the basses of a future product called notepad. Basicly the basis would be documentation on how to make a glorified PDA out of a very old old laptop computer. The bases being build around the specs of the lagacy laptop with a hole range of possiblities and packages. I read an article about something similar for old 200mhz desktops but found the idea of taking a 160 to 300 mhz laptop and making low footprint packages for them facinating.

Im not shure what could run on them as they will be low on ram but on higher spec units it may prove interesting what people could do with them. The possibilites are endless from making notes to checking email or even playing tetris on the bus.

Lastly it would be something to do and possibly lots of fun lol.

What do you think of glorified Notpads?

[jasmuz]

Sounds really interesting, then again if you got any old old laptops, send me one.....you can use GNU/LINUX to even revive the dead! :P (lol)

That project might have a good future, for those tweakers that want to reuse/recycle old laptops into wonderful PDA's.

[Omnios]

Um sort of have an idea for a desktop using a low resource scalable modified desktop that is handled differently. Where most gdm's come in packages Notpad desktops would come in scales pertaining to how much ram you have in your old desktop. Each component would have a ram rating where you could measure it agains the amount of ram you have on your notepad. For example you could have a bare bones Ice or one that is a bit more fancy if you have anouph ram to handle it.

As for uses you may be able to use it to check your email, sit on the couch and surf the net etc. The most important aspect would be a day timer app to manage your day. Could also be a new toy for the kinds to play with when your using the main computer. Im not shure how networking works in old computers but that may prove interesting. WHo knows it might sit off to the side of your main computer to manage your messenger programs.

[benplaut]

lets see:

75MHz Pentium Processor
16mb RAM
540mb HDD
640x480 ? screen
external 3.5" floppy
2x 16bit PCMCIA


meet the specs?

oh, i thought not... never mind :roll:

[Omnios]

Hell thats the buity of it if there are a lot of even lower spec laptops then there will be a demand and where there will be a demand there will be Ubuntu Notpad.

Anyways as for specs im estimating so feel free to post the specs of that old dusty lap top in your closit. I have no idea what the average specs are for old dusty laptop or even the min specs to run a lap top with ice for that matter. Well we have one spec already posted whats your closit piling.

[Omnios]

Um one thing notepad is mainly an idea for Documentation and How to's pertaining to very low resource laptops. As documentation it is very flexable and would allow for a broad range of informed choices mainly pertaining to desktop what can be run with how much ram etc. If it ever gets off the ground or becomes something more like notepad components being built for it who knows thats just a vivid daydream for now. However the documentation part is very feasable and duable.

One example would be how to strip xfce or ice to bare bones and knowing how much processor power and ream is needed to run that. No dought there are other low resouce desktops but I havent realy read all that much into that and as you have probably noticed there isn't much documention on that in these forums. As a matter of fact I havent realy seen any posts pertaining to old lap top networking etc which may be a notepad strenght.

Anyways this classifies more than a hobby rather than a serios project and I dont have a dustball (yay new term "dustball" very old lap top sitting in a closit.) though if I had documention I might check out a few used computer shops to pick up one for practicaly nothing.

[Omnios]

Um with the ubuntu Lite is seems that notepad would be limited to lap tops under 200mhz and 64 megs ram. Though there may be lap tops around 200mhz that don't have 64megs ram. A sticky issue would be whay is the absolute mininum requirements for a notpad.

As far as software it may be possible for a higher end notpad to possibly use software from the Ubuntu lite Synaptic. But the main bases of documention is finding exsisting packages and running them on a Ubuntu core. Possbly using a base Ubuntu lite install and building from there. Documetion may not be all that difficult consisting mainly on Links and How to's.

As for software I was thinking of using for simple things Like checking email and having a day timer like program. I am realy fasinated with the idea of getting a dustaball and using it for messenger along side my desktop or possibly running a nintendo emilator on it. Now all I have to do is find one at a garage sale lol.

[Omnios]

After I started this thread I started thinking about how many older lap tops (dustballs) are actualy out there.

My curiosity is getting the better of me so Please post the specs of your dustball if you have one.

Had another scarry thought a version of linux to take on ce that can run on pda's and dustballs. Shudder


benplaut
lets see:

75MHz Pentium Processor
16mb RAM
540mb HDD
640x480 ? screen
external 3.5" floppy
2x 16bit PCMCIA


meet the specs?

oh, i thought not... never mind

This sounds like good point to aim at so far.

[benplaut]

After I started this thread I started thinking about how many older lap tops (dustballs) are actualy out there.

My curiosity is getting the better of me so Please post the specs of your dustball if you have one.

Had another scarry thought a version of linux to take on ce that can run on pda's and dustballs. Shudder



This sounds like good point to aim at so far.

i'd say the pentium class is a better goal, since laptops this old have a sort of dependency on DOS, that's kinda hard to get rid of (going from babbelfish'd japanese sites, so i think that's what it means)