Linux Powers Lilliputian PCs

An anonymous reader writes "Gumstix is launching a whole line of dinky little PCs little larger than a Big Red Plenty Pack. The first Netstix model targets server, sniffing, and network simulation. The next model will be USB-powered, followed by models with SD/MMC slots and built-in WiFi. They come with Linux 2.6.17, and lots of room for user applications."

want one^h^h^h 1000

[chriss]

Nice: 200MHz XScale, 64 MB RAM, 16 MB Flash (3MB occupied by OS), 100MBit Ethernet, CF-II slot, 1-3/8 * 4-1/8 inches (35 x 103mm). Even nicer: the next version with integrated WiFi. All done by a company of 26, with no intention to grow, but to automate more if more work has to be done, so prices will fall.

Not so nice: $186.5 for one, $165 in volumes of 1000. I know, this is still very cheap for something in "industrial size", but too much to build one into my door bell, one into each phone, one into each light switch (the joy of being unable to turn of the light due to an 500 error), one into the fish tank, one into the fridge to finally order milk like we have been promised for years.

But give it some years, and I will have a log of how many minutes I brushed my teeth based on the report my eToothBrush send wirelessy to my server.

Re:image a cluster of these (usb hub powered)

[chriss]

The article mentiones one of the first applications, using 24 of these to simulate a network at a network equipment vendor on his desktop. From there to your cluster is just a tiny step. SETI@desktop.

What are you talking about?

[Anonymous Coward]

These systems are very much comparable to typical desktop systems we had at the end of the 1990s. As I'm sure you are aware, we did have fairly capable systems then (it wasn't that long ago!). We had ICQ, web browsers, office suites, and even desktop Java applications! I am without doubt that enterprising individuals and groups within the open source community will port applications like Seamonkey and GAIM to this device, so we can surf the web, check our email, and chat online.

Also keep in mind that a 200 MHz ARM CPU is somewhat more powerful than a 200 MHz Pentium CPU. So in effect, these systems may turn out to be quite a bit better than the desktops we had in the late 1990s.

hmm...

[jpardey]

Plug one of those into a midi/usb keyboard, a DSP unit (or a math processor tailored to sound), a card with samples or patches, and speakers, and you'd have yourself a synthesiser probably better and cheaper than anything on the market.

Then again, you could just buy a used desktop from the local computer shop like I did, which is much cheaper, faster, and powerful, but has the disadvantage of size.

Re:want one^h^h^h 1000

[Sqwubbsy]

Why would you use a whole computer when all you need is a signal and a transmitter?

Of course this reminds me of the story about a guy giving a speech at a chipmaker convention reminiscing how 25 years earlier a guy had given a speech at the same hotel saying the microchip industry will never be that big because you don't need a chip in every doorknob.
And here, 25 years later, every doorknob in the hotel had a chip.
Go figure.

Same specs as a WRT54GS

[Anonymous Coward]

You might as well use the Linksys WRT54GS for your project, you will save a lot of money for basically the same thing.

How much $$$ ?!?!!!

[bluesguy_1]

Uhhh.... I can go out and buy any number of devices [openwrt.org] around $50 that will all of this and much more with OpenWRT [openwrt.org]. Granted they aren't as small, but they almost all include 802.11g and several have USB2.0. For the increased capability, and reduced price, it's a far better deal unless you absolutely need something that tiny...

i dont get it

[grapeape]

What is the benefit of this device? For nearly the same amount you can get a pda capable of running linux that includes a faster processor, an input method and a screen. Am I missing something?

Pocket PC

[Dan East]

Considering you can get a Pocket PC for $100 more, which additionally gives you SD, WiFi, Bluetooth, color touchscreen, microphone, speaker, hardware controls, more RAM, more flash capacity, a faster CPU and an integrated "UPS" that runs for several hours, I don't see these selling too well. There are few applications for the hardware that could not benefit immensely from an integrated display alone. Granted most Pocket PCs do not come with integrated ethernet, but it can be easily added via CF.

Dan East

Framebuffer module

[wowbagger]

I'd like to see them make a simple, stupid framebuffer module for these things - just NTSC or PAL resolution output at 256 colors would be plenty - look at what the old Atari/Apple/Commodore computers could do.

I want to use these as a very simple display for home automation - hang one on the back of the TV, use a PIN switch video port (or the video input on the TV), run about a 40 by 24 character display - not fancy, but enough for display.

A frame buffer like that could easily be implemented in a small FPGA now-a-days.

Of course, a tiny X server or VNC client would be even better.

Blackdog

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.projectblackdog.com/ [projectblackdog.com]

This is similiar. I bought one but haven't had much time to play with it.

The early Days of Bubblepack computing

[monopole]

While this still has to drop a bit in price it points to the next big thing. Bubblepack computing. I.E. PC grade computers (this and the OLPC) with preinstalled distros in bubblepacks on the racks by the checkout counters at Target and WalMart. Buy one plug it in, use it. Store your work on removable flash or USB key. When the unit breaks, fails, or is stolen, toss it in the recycle bin and get another. Zero maintenance, zero support. Within a few years the'll make the standard PC look like mainframes.

Re:Framebuffer module

[HWguy]

Actually the processor in these supports an LCD-based frame buffer. They offer boards which can "plug in" that allow you to wire an LCD to them directly. Linux works easily with these - X11 runs. But definitely for hardware capable people, not the casual user.

Re:These aren't PCs...

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm actually doing the exact same thing on a Soekris net4801 [soekris.com]. It's a bit bigger and more expensive, but I think it's a good deal for what I can do with it. I use links and mutt (with imap and smtp kludge and local mail disabled) from it. I wonder how much electricity I save using that as my "IRC from anywhere" box over a regular PC just sitting around 24/7.

The whole thing runs debian from a cheap 1GB CF card I picked up from Fry's. / is mounted read-only with a few tmpfs mounts for the logs, /tmp, and various parts of /var. 128MB of ram, 266mhz geode, three ethernet ports, one PCI, one mini-PCI slot and USB and a serial port. It also has a really nice case.

Re:i dont get it

[linzeal]

If you have ever deployed 1000's of small devices you will know that the less parts and bulk the better. An input screen just begs something to be stolen. We had over a dozen pda's stolen at a dot com I worked for, they were all used for spurious purposes such as mobile inventory. The culprit was found when we sprayed the back of each one with a diluted bleach solution and ran a black light on the desks of the sales force. A man who was making 200k a year cried to us that he took them to give to his family as gifts.