Well, if this isn’t every Linux geek’s mobile fantasy: NewsForge | PalmSource announces Linux support
We look forward to contributing code to the Linux platform under its existing licenses. We believe that PalmSource’s expertise in building great mobile solutions can help make Linux even more compelling than it is now. The Palm OS layer written for use on Linux will be designed to be portable to any suitable mobile Linux distribution, and we’ll expose Linux APIs under the Palm OS layer. We look forward to partnering and cooperating with Linux companies and developers to contribute to the on-going development and adoption of mobile Linux.
It sounds like they will be building the new PalmOS to work as a layer atop Linux, the same way that the Mac OS X “Aqua” layer is built atop BSD-flavoured UNIX. With Wi-Fi built into the device, you’ll be able to wardrive with a Linux server in your pocket. Slot in Apache, Perl/Python/PHP, MySQL, wikis, Emacs, FTP… ah, the geek in me is just drooling….
More info at The Reg.
(No, I don’t have a Zaurus or a Yopy, but I really wish I did….)
December 8th, 2004
A new article at Newsforge that mirrors a lot of my experiences with Impress as compared to Powerpoint: NewsForge: Microsoft PowerPoint versus OpenOffice.org Impress. It’s a good intro for those people wondering if Impress can fulfill their needs.
My experiences, in brief: I love the drawing tools; I really like the navigation system (more or less common with all OOo apps); the style handling is great; the transitional tools are a little different from PP (but easily learned); and the dual-monitor setup is a little fiddly, but doable (either through enabling “mirror” mode, or switching primary/secondary monitors via your laptop). The Powerpoint import/export seems to work very well, but I must admit that I haven’t tried more than about a half-dozen. The export to Flash and PDF works really well in the presentations I’ve tried, and has proven to be of great benefit when I have to send the slides to someone. Lastly, I must admit that I quite enjoy using Impress to make presentations, much more than Powerpoint. I’m not sure if it’s because of the look and feel, or because of the better graphical abilities. Or maybe I’m just so very tired of Powerpoint. (I actually teach workshops on it…. *sigh*)
December 8th, 2004