PDA

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tbrminsanity
April 21st, 2008, 06:46 PM
What is the best PDA with regards to connecting to Ubuntu and syncing with programs like Sunbird, Thunderbird, and Open Office/Gnome Office suite? It should also have wifi and/or bluetooth, play music and videos, have a decent amount of available software and have a "standard" PDA suite of apps (calculator, memo pad, checklist, ...).

I currently have a Palm Tungsten C but it is getting on and I am looking to replace it. The Wifi doesn't work unless I drop my encryption :( and all I can do is back up my info on Ubuntu not grab info from Sunbird, Thunderbird, and OO.org. Plus biggest of all I'm bored with the PDA, but I'm not willing to replace it until I find something that is better and fits my needs.

tbrminsanity
April 22nd, 2008, 11:16 PM
I was looking at the Nokia N800 and N810. Has anyone used these devices and what do they think of them? Is it easy to load new software onto them (since it is Debian based)? I noticed that there is an Ubuntu version for these devices, dose it make the device run better? Can you load apps like the Gnome Office suite or OO.org onto the device? As a Debian based OS does it have Synaptic installed for loading new programs or do you need to load it separately?

tbrminsanity
April 28th, 2008, 09:51 PM
I've decided to get an N800 (I don't need the GPS feature of the N810 and I can live without the keyboard). What OS you people suggest I put on the device? Ubuntu Mobile or Tablet OS 2008 (the upgrade of the OS currently on the device)?

Mr. Picklesworth
April 28th, 2008, 10:42 PM
Ubuntu Mobile doesn't really live on there yet, although there are nice efforts to get KDE 4 going. (KDE 3 works happily).

The IT OS works pretty well, actually. It has a clean, reasonably integrated feel and has fantastic power management.

Nice choice, by the way :)

tbrminsanity
April 28th, 2008, 11:08 PM
Ubuntu Mobile doesn't really live on there yet, although there are nice efforts to get KDE 4 going. (KDE 3 works happily).

The IT OS works pretty well, actually. It has a clean, reasonably integrated feel and has fantastic power management.

Nice choice, by the way :)

Cool thanks. I will just do the OS upgrade then.

tbrminsanity
April 29th, 2008, 09:52 PM
What are the must have apps for the N800 and where can I get them? I have an idea to start. I googled N800 software and got the maemo software download site (and all of its goodies). I'm definitely going to download the LCARS theme (so my Star Trek buddies will drool). What is a good office app (does all the Gnome office programs work on the N800? [Abiword, Gnumeric])? Is there a good random password generator available (or an I going to have to program one)? Is there a conversion utility (SI to Imperial and back)?

alaaji
May 7th, 2008, 08:28 AM
Abiword and gnumeric are both available for the N800. I would suggest that you surf on over to www.internettablettalk.com and have a look at their site. They have lots of info on the N800/810.

tbrminsanity
May 7th, 2008, 03:37 PM
@alaaji
Thanks

tbrminsanity
May 25th, 2008, 04:23 PM
So my Nokia N800 arrived a couple of days ago and I've had a chance to play with it. OMG! It is like the best PDA I have ever used. So easy to setup and find new programs. And so easy to install new stuff. I suppose I should do a plus minus review:

Pluses:
* The user interface is so intuitive that it takes very little time to learn.
* Upgrading the OS (I upgraded from OS2007 to OS2008 ) was very easy, even with the Linux based instructions (download two files and enter in one terminal command).
* The screen has amazing resolution which makes everything shinny and nice.
* A wide range of excellent apps for the PDA (I will put a list of my favourite later).
* OMG battery life! First device that I have ever used that measured it's battery life in days (not hours)!
* Very nice web browser (even with an 800x600 resolution screen).
* The hidden power of the device (example I was playing with my PS3 and I noticed that my controller [which are bluetooth based] was showing up in my list of bluetooth devices on my PDA. With some work I could probably use the PS3 control on the PDA).
Minus
* I've come from the Palm side of the PDA market where all their devices turn on and off instantly, the load time for this PDA is a bit annoying (around 20 secs).
* Needs a larger list of places. Only Canadian Cities are Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec. That doesn't even cover all the timezones in Canada.
* Didn't have the ability to set the clock to 24 hours (I spent 10 years in the military and prefer a 24 hour clock).
* Some native Gnome apps didn't have the same preferences I come take for granted on a desktop (most notably the ability to view hidden files in the file browser).

Best apps I've used so far:
* Password Safe (Similar to Vista's My Wallet where you can save passwords and user names and call on them in the webbrowser)
* Maemopad+ (Good for quick notes or diagrams, can save pictures, notepads, or lists easily)
* Dali Clock (Full screen clock good for my bedside)
* Pidgin (Same as on the desktop)
* Skype (Same as on the desktop but you get free minutes with the PDA)
* Numpty Physics (The most addictive desktop game I've ever played!)
* Canola (A multimedia center with a Myth-like interface. Does LastFM, youTube, and others)
* MPlayer (Same as on the desktop)
* Application Manager (A very stripped down clone of Synaptic)
* File Manager (native) (The native file manager breaks down folders by categories for quick referencing)
* File Manager (GPE) (A stripped down clone of Nautilus)
* Personal Menu (A stripped down clone of Gnome-Menu)
* Load Applet (A powerful app that shows system loads, can kill processes, and can be used to make screen shots)
* Large Statusbar Clock (Shows time in AM/PM or 24hrs format)

grndslm
June 6th, 2008, 07:48 PM
I'm gonna wait for the Gigabyte M528... it actually runs Ubuntu Mobile and will be the first device to do so (as far as I know).

I'm really waiting for word on two areas -- price & battery life. I'll pay a good bit to get this M528 as it seems to be 5 times faster than the N810... but if the battery life is only a couple hours, I'll be picking up the N810 instead.

Thanks for your input, tbrminsanity!

alwiap
June 6th, 2008, 08:56 PM
I use a nokia n800 daily, my only complaint with it is that the volume when plugged into headphones isin't loud enough when I'm working out trying to listen to my music (That is, compared to say an iPod). Other than that, it's a great piece of equipment. I also leave the screen on all the time when it's plugged in, so it's my alarm clock as well ( I love the seashore waking me up :) )

Also, with the GPS on the n810, you can just get MaemoMapper on the n800 and connect it via a Bluetooth phone, and that gives your position and you can navigate around that way (which I do quite frequently), or, if you're lazier, you can just go to mapquest or googlemaps while you're online and save the page that has the directions, then use it offline while you're in the car (which I used to do).

grndslm
June 8th, 2008, 07:47 PM
Also, with the GPS on the n810, you can just get MaemoMapper on the n800 and connect it via a Bluetooth phone, and that gives your position and you can navigate around that way (which I do quite frequently), or, if you're lazier, you can just go to mapquest or googlemaps while you're online and save the page that has the directions, then use it offline while you're in the car (which I used to do).Yea... I really don't *need* GPS (but I sure do *want* it), so the N800 is actually starting to sound more and more like the device for me.


I use a nokia n800 daily, my only complaint with it is that the volume when plugged into headphones isin't loud enough when I'm working out trying to listen to my music (That is, compared to say an iPod).This kinda worries me. I read somewhere else that the headphone jack wasn't even stereo. Anybody else have an opinion on the headphone jack??

tbrminsanity
June 9th, 2008, 03:10 PM
To address the deficiencies in the osso-clock application I've started a project on google code. Currently it breaks clock though. If you are interested in adding to the project please get a hold of me.

http://code.google.com/p/osso-clock-location-pack/

priegog
June 10th, 2008, 11:11 AM
Yea... I really don't *need* GPS (but I sure do *want* it), so the N800 is actually starting to sound more and more like the device for me.

Can't you hookup a GPS bluetooth receiver? that's what I do on my tablet (I run full-blown ubuntu, tho). They're crazy cheap on eBay (I got mine for some $30 IIRC), so if you don't want to spend the big bucks on a N810 maybe you can get a N800 and do this. Trow in an iGO slim bluetooth keyboard and you'd have almost a complete computer on there (I'm writing from my tablet using it). Can someone confirm the maemo mapper can take GPS input from an external bluetooth GPS unit?

alwiap
June 12th, 2008, 11:47 PM
Can't you hookup a GPS bluetooth receiver? that's what I do on my tablet (I run full-blown ubuntu, tho). They're crazy cheap on eBay (I got mine for some $30 IIRC), so if you don't want to spend the big bucks on a N810 maybe you can get a N800 and do this. Trow in an iGO slim bluetooth keyboard and you'd have almost a complete computer on there (I'm writing from my tablet using it). Can someone confirm the maemo mapper can take GPS input from an external bluetooth GPS unit?

I can do it with a bluetooth cingular phone and my n800. the n810 is not worth the extra bucks (unless you are really rich), as the on screen keyboard works fine on the n800, and you can GPS fine anyway.

bruce89
June 12th, 2008, 11:52 PM
I noticed that there is an Ubuntu version for these devices, dose it make the device run better?

Trying to run UMAE with OO.o and Firefox on a 400MHz processor. You do the maths.

priegog
June 13th, 2008, 12:38 AM
Trying to run UMAE with OO.o and Firefox on a 400MHz processor. You do the maths.

Speaking of this, check out what I came across today (http://mobilecrunch.com/2008/06/11/new-firefox-mobile-concept-video-looks-amazing/). I wish they stopped teasing us with these videos and make the things already. The next couple of years are lining up to be VERY interesting for the mobile platform (and Linux).

bruce89
June 13th, 2008, 12:41 AM
Speaking of this, check out what I came across today (http://mobilecrunch.com/2008/06/11/new-firefox-mobile-concept-video-looks-amazing/). I wish they stopped teasing us with these videos and make the things already. The next couple of years are lining up to be VERY interesting for the mobile platform (and Linux).

I'm more excited by WebKit. I don't think Mozilla has a future on Linux type platforms.

priegog
June 13th, 2008, 12:49 AM
I'm more excited by WebKit. I don't think Mozilla has a future on Linux type platforms.

But webkit is just a framework... not something end users would interact with... And who's to say this kind of UI couldn't be part of a webkit-based browser (even if mozilla never does it). Also, at this point there is NOTHING to be sure about the mobile platform: we got the iphone, which crappy as it may be (tech-wise) will have HUGE sales (and therefore matter), MobLin with the back of hardware manufacturers and cell netwoks, and android on the other hand. But still, I'm interested in knowing why you think mozilla won't have a major role in this, seeing as it already has in deskto linux (isn't it the default and sometimes only browser in most distros?)

bruce89
June 13th, 2008, 01:02 AM
But webkit is just a framework... not something end users would interact with... And who's to say this kind of UI couldn't be part of a webkit-based browser (even if mozilla never does it). Also, at this point there is NOTHING to be sure about the mobile platform: we got the iphone, which crappy as it may be (tech-wise) will have HUGE sales (and therefore matter), MobLin with the back of hardware manufacturers and cell netwoks, and android on the other hand. But still, I'm interested in knowing why you think mozilla won't have a major role in this, seeing as it already has in deskto linux (isn't it the default and sometimes only browser in most distros?)

What about Clutter WebKit - http://www.clutter-project.org/blog/?p=50.

Just because something's default on popularist stuff like Ubuntu doesn't mean it's best.

priegog
June 13th, 2008, 01:26 AM
I didn't get an answer... but still, it's not "clutter webkit", just like it's not "firefox gecko". As for firefox not being the best... well let's just say I'm not in the mood for a flamewar, but I've tried EVERYTHING under the sun, and I still use firefox. I mean don't get me wrong, I like the idea behind webkit... But I don't know if it's really THAT practical to be such a fanatic about it. After all, how often do you have to code from scratch a browser? (yeah I know it can power more than browsers, but still).
And I still don't see why mozilla (who's already jumping on the mobile bandwagon) can't continue to lead like they have been doing so far.

bruce89
June 13th, 2008, 01:57 AM
I didn't get an answer... but still, it's not "clutter webkit", just like it's not "firefox gecko".

Clutter is a library, so is WebKit. It is a wrapper for WebKit to allow it to be used in Clutter, which means some lovely 3D web browsing.

Epiphany 2.23 onwards only uses WebKit, Gecko support is gone.

I wrote a browser by the way:



#include <gtk/gtk.h>
#include <webkit/webkit.h>

int
main (int argc, char **argv)
{
gchar *uri;
GtkWidget *window;
GtkWidget *sw;
GtkWidget *web_view;

gtk_init (&argc, &argv);

if (argc > 1)
url = argv[1];
else
url = "http://www.webkit.org";

window = gtk_window_new (GTK_WINDOW_TOPLEVEL);
gtk_window_set_title (GTK_WINDOW (window), "Web Browser");
gtk_widget_set_size_request (window, 800, 600);
g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT (window), "destroy",
G_CALLBACK (gtk_main_quit), NULL);

sw = gtk_scrolled_window_new (NULL, NULL);
gtk_scrolled_window_set_policy (GTK_SCROLLED_WINDOW (sw),
GTK_POLICY_AUTOMATIC,
GTK_POLICY_AUTOMATIC);
gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (window), sw);

web_view = webkit_web_view_new ();
webkit_web_view_open (WEBKIT_WEB_VIEW (web_view), uri);
gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (sw), GTK_WIDGET (web_view));

gtk_widget_show_all (window);

gtk_main ();

return 0;
}


Pretty easy, eh?

grndslm
June 15th, 2008, 06:31 PM
Can't you hookup a GPS bluetooth receiver? that's what I do on my tablet (I run full-blown ubuntu, tho). They're crazy cheap on eBay (I got mine for some $30 IIRC), so if you don't want to spend the big bucks on a N810 maybe you can get a N800 and do this. Trow in an iGO slim bluetooth keyboard and you'd have almost a complete computer on there (I'm writing from my tablet using it). Can someone confirm the maemo mapper can take GPS input from an external bluetooth GPS unit?What tablet do you have??

priegog
June 15th, 2008, 08:29 PM
What tablet do you have??

A Motion Computing M1300. Re-reading my post I realise it looks like I got the tablet for $30, but I was talking about the bluetooth gps. I got the tablet for some $150 on ebay a few months ago.