- SSDs, Alpha-400

- Re: Symbian going open-source soon

- Asus 901 Eee and Hp 2133

- Re: Symbian going open-source soon

Date: 24 Jun 2008 21:37:29 +0100
From: Trygve Henriksen <address truncated>
Subject: SSDs, Alpha-400

Greetings!

Don't forget that the SSDs that came on the S3/MC and HC series machines was preceeded by the DataPaks on the One and IIs... (They used 'windowed' EPROMs to store data. Psion even had a 'UV Erase' service back then)

Ajai Khattri wrote:

>> And the Alpha-400 is just 700grams... (just about the weight of 2 S5's, >> or half the weight of the HP 2133 ;-)

> I seem to remember a comparison to the EEE but if you want to switch
> around the argument then so be it.

Of course...
Anything for a good argument. ;-)

> The Alpha has a 400MHz CPU and 128Mb RAM right? About the same as my
> N810 web tablet. Im a software developer so I need a bit more oomph than > an S5 :-) I also need > 2Gb disk space. The Alpha seems too big to be a > PDA (Ill stick to my N810 for that), and too small to write software on. > And if the keyboard is anything like the EEE, a lot of people will be put > off.

Yes, it's a 400MHz/128MB RAM machine, but...
My netBook is 190MHz/32MB, and we all know how capable that is. (The S5 is 4/8MB, and was it 18MHz?)

2GB diskspace?
There is a slot for SD-cards, and the 3 USB ports also helps. (I haven't been able to make it work with my USB-HDDs, yet, but it works
OK with my 4GB Sandisk Cruzer mini USB-stick)

The internal FLASH on the Alpha is 1GB and about 350MB is used. (650MB free to use)
But some of what is there is a 'Ice Age II' trailer and a big Chinese/English dictionary. So the rest of the Software must be 'rather' compact.

The keyboard is to put it nicely, not as good as the S5. Not certain if I should rate it 'Worse than Revo' or not. (you can use USB keyboards and mice when at home, though)
Not that you'll be able to write much software on it, as there's only AbiWord for word-processing, and not much hope of installing other programs.
It may look like the 'Toolchain' used to make the software is available here: http ://www.ingenic.cn/eng/productServ/kfyd/Linux/pfCustomPage.aspx
Another limitation I've run into is that it'll only allow 3 user program
to run at the same time.
Luckily, AbiWord allows for more than one file open at the same time.

The way I see it, is that it's most suited for writing, with some surfing. (I have a 280page .RTF file which after being converted to .ABW and styles applied to it, can be edited with no problems)

AbiWord and the Spreadsheet can also create .PDFs...

> I routinely read bigger PDFs on my tablet. Viewing PDFs is plenty fast on
> the Mini of course.

A pity that the small screen makes it a pain in the @$$ no matter which machine... ;-)

I may try to talk the boss into getting me a Mini later on, to test
against the Remote Office solution we have, and see if they're any good
for those who now use SmartPhones for email. (There's no way I can justify buying one of my own)

For now, I'll keep playing with he Alpha, and post my experiences on my fourm.

:-)
Trygve

Date: 24 Jun 2008 22:58:51 +0100
From: Ajai Khattri <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Symbian going open-source soon

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008, Arne Christensen wrote:

> "Mobile leaders to unify the Symbian software platform and set the > future of mobile free" -- http://www.nokia.com/A4136 001?newsid=1230416>
> "Nokia to acquire Symbian Limited to enable evolution of the leading > open mobile platform" -- http://www.nokia.com/A4136 001?newsid=1230415
Im not suprised Nokia wound up buying the rest of the Symbian shares - Motorola never did anything with their membership, Ericsson merged with Sony and produced mediocre phones ever since.

Making it open source stops it being labelled as a "Nokia-owned" system and (hopefully) attracts more developers.

--
Aj.

Date: 25 Jun 2008 09:07:56 +0100
From: Dick Chatjaval <address truncated>
Subject: Asus 901 Eee and Hp 2133

Dear All,

I just purchased a 901 Eee for usd550, with preinstalled Windows Xp. The machine feels much more refined than the original model and the case finishing very nice. Battery life was advertised as 7 hours. I was able to get 5 1/2 hours on 3/4 full brightness, wifi on and listening to internet radio. Hard drive is 12gb, 1gb ram. Screen size slightly bigger than 700, no need to scroll for most web pages now. The linux model is the same price but comes with 20gb hard drive.
Interestingly, the 12gb comes with 2 ssd's. 4gb and 8gb. I found this out only when I tried to merge the 2 into one partition, thinking Asus partitioned one hard drive to c: and d: drive.

At same time, our friend bought the HP 2133, due to the bigger hard disk of 120gb. She likes to work with full brightness screen. Battery lasts about 1 1/2 hours. It is loaded with Windows Vista.

Best wishes,
Dick Chatjaval

Date: 25 Jun 2008 18:23:09 +0100
From: Renee Ford <address truncated>
Subject: Re: Symbian going open-source soon

Yep I'm watching this unfold via the NY Times.  A profile of one of Nokia's executives is below - While I understand (sadly) the market's driving fascination with being able to watch movies and TV on one's phone and the need to meet that expectation, I'm thrilled Nokia is using its position in the marketplace (gained by understanding and meeting the needs of the marketplace around the world...  unlike you know who), to place Symbian on the table for everyone to play with. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/23/business/media/23nokia.html?scp =5&sq=nokia&st=nyt
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/technology/25nokia.html?scp=2&sq=no kia&st=nyt
One question though:  What about the platform for PDA's?  Will someone put a 5mx in this guy's hand and say sometimes you don't need all the bells and whistles, just a good handheld, with WiFi and a old fashioned modem for impossible locations travelers find themselves in sometimes.  Find us someone to make this again with a color screen.  And make the thing durable with serious hinges please.  No one wants to buy a new one every other year or spend time trying to repair it.

I'm willing to keep waiting:^)

Best wishes to all,
renee - Favorite Epoc story (Itmar has heard this already) I played solitaire to calm the nerves on my beloved 5mx some years ago during a breakneck taxi ride to a border airstrip.   Nepali Maoists were enforcing a strike and had already bombed a nearby bridge with a passenger-filled bus on it earlier that morning.  It was marked by a housemate's disgruntled cat (didn't realize what happened until a few hours later when I returned and noticed the smell; the pile of paper it was laying on  and the moving box next to it told the story).   It refused to work for over a year and then one day began once more to work again.  Unfortunately the power source no longer makes a connection to the unit (same problem with my Series8 - more serious since I can no longer charge the battery) so using it requires using batteries all the time, even at home. 

>Date: 24 Jun 2008 09:02:08 +0100
>From: Arne Christensen <address truncated>
>Subject: Symbian going open-source soon

>Something's going on:

>"Mobile leaders to unify the Symbian software platform and set the future of mobile free" -- http://www.nokia.com/A4136 001?newsid=1230416
>"Nokia to acquire Symbian Limited to enable evolution of the leading open mobile platform" -- http://www.nokia.com/A4136 001?newsid=1230415
>Regards, Arne

>------------