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Linux PDA can give you what you want

Guy Kewney AnchorDesk

Published: 21 Nov 2001 14:50 GMT

"Please don't write anything which will make people want to buy the new pocket Sharp PDA," implored the product manager. "We don't have enough to sell. And it's not ready."

I want one.

The SL-5000D doesn't use Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system, it uses "free" Linux software. It's not a Pocket PC at all.

But it looks like one. And I want one.

It's not finished. For example, if you run a program, you can't close it down. It runs in the background until you load enough new software into its 32MB of flash RAM - then it unloads them. Not quite right! - but I want one.

Inside it is a perfectly ordinary StrongARM processor just like most other pocket digital assistants have. The screen is a rather nice reflective TFT - which means it works in bright sunlight. In short, it looks pretty like a cross between an iPaq pocket PC and a Palm Pilot. I want one.

Sharp will admit it's a mess. It's a market research project, not a product. But I want one.

The point is, you can have anything you want on a Linux computer. You write it yourself. All the operating system is free; all the development tools are free. You just need the skill. And what Sharp is hoping, is that enough people will be inspired by this little machine to write all the software that people really want, that it will be a success.

Why bother? Why do I want one?