UltraMobileGeek by ThoughtFix

Off-topic: Mac mini hack

2010-04-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering what I do on my rare free time now:

With a little help from Kevin in the “cutting steel” department, I fitted a Mac mini plus a Firewire hard drive into the acrylic chassis of an old PowerMac G4 Cube. I completed it last night.

Final specs:

Core2Duo 1.83, 2GB RAM, 64GB Solid State SATA hard drive. 750 GB hard drive over Firewire, slot load DVD/CDRW combo drive still works. UV lighting in back. Colored lighting on the underside.

In chronological order. Facebook links work even if you don't have a Facebook account. If you’re easily bored, just click the bottom link.

Moblin 2 Beta!

2009-07-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the Moblin v2 beta is here from Intel. I'll be installing it soon. I can't wait to play with that new Clutter interface.

SSD Failure: Any other stories?

2009-05-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

Last night, I suffered from a corrupted hard drive in my MSI Wind. No amount of repair (including putting it into a new computer, repartitioning and attempting to reformat with Linux, etc) would repair it. The drive errors in /var/log/messages told me the interface was reset and not ready. In short, it died.

It's a 64 GB Patriot EP Warp2 and only four months old. Has anyone else experienced this?

Viiv S5 makes an iPod cry

2009-05-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

I love watching Dynamism's site for the latest new toys from around the world. The Viiv S5 has been getting a lot of attention lately as a super small form factor XP machine. Given the specs (Atom CPU, 60 GB HDD, 1GB RAM, 4.8" display) I had a hard time deciding what I would personally do with it. The price point (US $599) makes it more expensive than some current "netbook" class machines as well.

Then I looked at the iPod touch. It has 32GB storage, a much smaller, lower resolution display and can only play music and movies after translation from iTunes. It can do some limited web browsing, but without Flash. Any media downloaded over the web has to be Quicktime to play back. The MSRP is $399.

For another $200, the Viiv S5 gives:

The ability to run a "real" operating system
Almost twice the storage
A larger, 1024x600 display
Access to PC software and peripherals

Granted, there are disadvantages. For battery life, size, and weight, the iPod wins. For those of us stuck at a desk most of the day, the Viiv S5 is worth all those sacrifices. I wonder if the other "desk shackled" workers among us will consider the S5 as a way to stay entertained through the work day. It looks like it'd be good for it - plus catch the eye of the other office nerds and make them jealous. (picture borrowed from Dynamism. Hope they don't mind.)

For extended Viiv S5 coverage, take a look at UMPC Portal as well.

Samsung Parts: Can't do anything right!

2009-02-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

In my continuing saga of attempting to get restore DVDs for my Samsung Q1U-V UMPC: This time they sent me an XP Tablet restore disc instead of the Vista restore disc. Probably a better OS, but not the one I paid for.

Samsung: Repeating the same mistake

2009-02-10T11:46:00.000-08:00

That last post about Samsung was a chuckle. Today's update is a crying shame.

The parts distributor sent me a replacement copy of both DVDs. the exact same problem was present. The discs showed up as "My Disc" when inserted and had a single .NRG file. Do they not realize that there is a difference between burning a disc image and simply dragging the disc image on to a new DVD?

I contacted them again. We'll see.

Samsung and Quality Control

2009-02-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

Edit: It happened again.

Here's an absolutely hilarious, true, and sad story of my attempt to buy a pair of restore DVDs for a Samsung Q1 Ultra:

Find discs on samsungparts.com (a company actually called J&J International)
Order. $11.75 each (there were two) plus shipping. Cheap - considering Lenovo wants $50 for a restore disc for an old Thinkpad X41.
A few days later, get shipment confirmation
A few days later, get discs
Discover that the discs are not actually bootable recovery discs, but DVDs burned by samsungparts.com incorrectly. Instead of using Toast to actually burn the disc, they simply dragged the toast .NRG image to the disc and burned it. I don't have Toast, so I couldn't correct this error for them.
Contact J&J with this information.
Got this response:
I will send you out new copy's but the CD were tested and working before it was shipped to the customer .

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email us at customerservice@companyname.com or call us toll free at 800-627-4368. If you need to make any changes to your order, please call our sales department prior to shipping.
Companyname.com? Really? Grammar errors? Lying about testing? Referring to me, the customer, in the third person? I decided Samsung should know how bad samsungparts.com is. I sent a message to Samsung's customer service line. Here's the response:
Thank you for contacting Samsung Electronics. We appreciate your interest in our newly released line of Notebook PC's.

Thank you for informing us of your situation. I will forward this information on to the necessary parties to help avoid future incidents like this has happened.

If you should have any other question or concerns you can either reply to this e-mail, or call us at 1-800-SAMSUNG (726-7864).

I don't think Samsung understands what I want, why I contacted them, or even what to do about it. I think everyone involved could use some English/grammar lessons.

Above all - I think Samsung customer experiences should be researched by consumers before they consider buying another Samsung product.

M is for Mobile, MID, and Moves

2009-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

If you don't know MID Moves, you should.

It's a recent collaborative effort of several Mobile Internet Device bloggers (and we already know their names) focusing on the MID "movement" in mobility.

Many mobile MIDS mean many mobile masses masterfully manipulating miniature machines, making more meaningful messages. Mmmmmmmmmm.

Don't Fear the Penguin

2009-01-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

It's time to weigh in on the much-reported (and much-discussed) story of a Wisconsin girl dropped out of college because her new laptop had Ubuntu instead of Windows.

There are a few things missing in this story:

Don't universities have a computer lab where students who cannot afford laptops can work?
Why don't we hear any stories of other students dropping out of college because they cannot figure ou their laptop? Or is this one special because it runs Linux?
Where are the stories of the students who can overcome this girl's shortcomings and actually use Ubuntu successfully for college?
Why didn't she ask for help BEFORE she dropped her courses?

It's painful how sensational a story can become when it has media hot-button tech trends like "Linux" in them. People already "fear" Linux enough without stories like this. It's time we find mass media stories about the "other side" of the Linux adoption trend.

Ultramobilegeek: The neglected blog

2008-12-02T12:45:00.001-08:00

The post count has been dropping off sharply on this here blog. When I have time to write, I generally post over at TabletBlog.com or try to make guest appearances elsewhere.

I also must announce that I cannot cover CES this year as my new Silicon Valley "day job" has a rush season in January and, as a primary Systems Administrator, it's my job to make sure the developers have all they need. The upside is that I am physically not far from some of the great movers-and-shakers in the mobile tech industry and will try to get more hands-on with things as they develop.

Ultra-mobile PCs as we know them are evolving into either MIDs, Netbooks, or super high-end phones. I don't know if a "UMPC movement" will revive, but I'll resume work on UltraMobileGeek when significant news in this space inspires the urge. In the meantime, I can be stalked on TabletBlog or Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

Intel buys OpenedHand, cements position as Linux softare company

2008-09-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

The media is abuzz with Intel's purchase of OpenedHand. This makes sense as the divergence from Canonical on Ubuntu Mobile left Intel with a gap in Linux developer partnerships.

One thing is certain: Microsoft must be fuming about this. A couple years ago, all home computer hardware developers had to be in bed with Microsoft to get things out the door. Recently, we've seen Intel's shift to face off with Microsoft in the software/operating system market. We live in interesting times. If we can see more hardware and software developers working on a unified Linux software distribution model, maybe mobile Linux isn't doomed after all.

p.s. If anyone knows the original source of the image used in this post, please let me know.

It's IDF time!

2008-08-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Are you following the coverage?

Why Mobile Linux is Doomed

2008-08-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

Would you like to download this mobile software? Please select your operating system:

iPhone
Windows Mobile
Blackberry
Symbian
Linux

You have selected Linux. Please select your flavor:

Xandros (Eee)
moblin 2.0
LiMo
maemo
Andriod (beta, perpetually)
Ubuntu Mobile
etc. etc. etc.

How much extra developer time would be involved in compiling and customizing each application to every potential mobile operating system? How much extra time would be involved in integrating each application with the appropriate distribution channels? Would all that time be worth it to the small target audience of mobile Linux devices?

One thing must happen for mobile Linux to thrive: The distribution sponsors must create a consistent application pool and installation experience. They must provide developers with ease and incentive to create applications for the platform. If this is not done, every mobile Linux device will be relegated to a small pool of hobbyists and dedicated fans.

Windows Mobile and Symbian provide the developers with incentive: There are just so many darn phones of theirs out there and the owners are known to pay for the application. Both platforms are lacking dedicated (and sponsored) application directories with easy on-device browsing and purchasing.

Apple came in with the solution to that: The iPhone application store is easy for users and provides the ability to browse, download, and purchase applications directly from the device. Apple now has enough phones in the marketplace to attract a purchasing audience for the software. However, they punish developers by telling then what can and cannot be sold there. They are also under strict non-disclosure clauses in participating in the iPhone application store.

Linux has the opportunity to learn from these competitors and blow them away. Since Linux systems are fewer and most are newer and more nimble than their competiors, they can rise above the shortcomings and dominate. The problem: It would delay launch of ALL the systems and stock holders would be mad. As a result, manufacturers and mobile Linux sponsors will cave to the stock holders' demands to release early and be the "first to market."

It's a shame. I will miss the excitement of mobile Linux systems. I hope some company is strong (or wealthy) enough to provide developers with the tools, distribution channels, and incentives to provide a rich application directory for their devices. Failing that, mobile Linux is doomed.

Phoenix, Arizona meetup

2008-07-29T13:52:00.001-07:00

I met a few offline already, but are there enough tablet junkies, mobile Linux enthusiasts, or other friendly geeks willing to get together for talks on tips, tricks, and experiences with this technology?

Leave comments and I'll see what I can put together.

Moblin shakeup: Intel switches to Fedora

2008-07-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

While covering OSCON, The Register has an article outlining Intel's switch from Ubuntu to Fedora as a base Linux distribution for Moblin. For those who had missed it, I covered the Ubuntu Mobile and Moblin relationship previously. It is currently unclear what this decision means to Ubuntu Mobile. I'll have to ask Canonical.

The Register points to an official decision to switch from .deb package management to .rpm package management. From their interview: "Dirk Hohndel, Intel's director of Linux and open-source strategy, told The Reg there was no falling out with Ubuntu, but the move to Fedora was a technical decision based on the desire to adopt RPM for package management."

Later in the article, there is a more telling reply: "The other thing we thought about was Moblin one wasn't successful in creating this community push - having a vibrant community push is the winning factor."

This brought to mind images of Steve Ballmer chanting. It's all about the developers and the community. Ubuntu is my favorite desktop Linux, but apparently the Ubuntu team did not bring that level of excitement to the MID platform. Intel wants more. Could you blame them? This is something that needs a great deal of community drive if it ever intends to get from board rooms to shelves.

If they really want developer and community excitement, they should make a hybrid operating system and cross-compilation toolchain for Nokia's maemo platform which would allow Nokia developers to simply compile their existing source against it. In these comments, it seems Internet Tablet owners are already clamoring for a larger, more powerful version of the same thing.

The Link vs. moblin image above is from ZeldaDungeon.

Congrats to James, Kevin, and Om

2008-07-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

I am excited for my friends James Kendrick and Kevin Tofel of JKOnTheRun. They announced that they have joined the Giga Omni (GigaOm) family and will be contributing to that family of information portals.

Good for them!

On a side note: I, too, will be blogging a whole lot more in the near future. ThoughtFix has been acquired by Unemployment and the merge will take place a week from today (when the parent company of the "day job" gets rid of the IT department in Arizona.)

Goodbye, proprietary firmware!

2008-06-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Looking at the coffee machine above, you wouldn't guess it's a computer. It is. In fact, it runs Windows XP and is complete with XP security vulnerabilities as reported by SecurityFocus via Slashdot. While that may be discouraging, it is no less amazing that a coffee machine can operate a standard operating system and have applications written for it's own control.

That's the key, of course. "Standard" operating system. Looking at industry trends recently, it is becoming obvious that electronics makers are abandoning their own proprietary software in favor of established, often open-source systems. Examples:

Nokia purchased Symbian outright, established the Symbian Foundation, and changed the Symbian structure to a royalty-free, open platform.
Google's much-touted Android is part of an Open Handset Alliance with nearly three dozen partners.
GPS maker Dash uses Linux as a base - the same Linux structure as the OpenMoko Linux phone.
ACCESS Company, the owners of the PalmOS system, is building on the roots of PalmOS on top Linux. I recently interviewed them on this for tabletblog.

There are more (like LiMo) in the works as well. With the major names in partnerships and even the smaller companies working together, we can expect (hope for?) an end to the idea of a proprietary, closed firmware.

Consumers' voices have been heard: They want more from their devices than the software included in the box. Developers have been heard: They don't want to write the same software for two dozen platforms to get market penetration. The open-source community has been heard: When the system is open, it can be improved by the worldwide development community.

Apple begrudgingly opened up an application store for the iPhone but still keep it closed and on a tight leash. Microsoft has allowed development on the Windows Mobile platform for quite some time, but the Windows Mobile SDK requires Microsoft Visual Studio ($300 to $800 depending on the version) and uses a proprietary code "style" to interact with the still-closed operating system.

The question for discussion: Is this overall a good thing? How will this impact applications, security, cost, and evolution? What will happen to stodgy handset makers like LG who still stick with their own system? How will Microsoft and Apple react to the increasingly present, increasingly open competition?

Discuss!

When is a netbook not a netbook? When it's just another darn laptop!

2008-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Laptopmag has a comprehensive review of the Asus Eee PC 1000H. The problem with the new Eee is not in design, features, or capacity. The flaw is in the dilution of the Eee name.

The original Eee 701 has a distinct feature set that made it unique and successful:

Low price
Small size and 2.0 pound weight
SSD
Linux OS specifically geared for net use.

The Eee 1000H has the following:

"Normal Laptop" price of US $649
"Small notebook, but still notebook" size and 3.2 pound weight.
80 GB HDD
Windows XP

In other words: It's just another darn laptop. The Eee 701 was revolutionary in that it was designed for internet use from the ground up. The Eee 1000H, while rather cute as a laptop, serves to dilute the Eee brand name and capitalize on the 701's success.

What else can you get for $649? Looking over at a major retailer (Best Buy's site) I see the following:

A $649 HP with: AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile technology TL-60; 3GB DDR2 memory; DL DVD±RW/CD-RW drive; LightScribe labeling; 15.4" widescreen; 250GB hard drive; Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1
A $649 Dell with: Intel Pentium Dual-Core mobile processor T2370; 2GB DDR2 memory; DL DVD±RW/CD-RW drive; 15.4" widescreen; 160GB hard drive; Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1
A $599 Compaq with: Intel Pentium Dual-Core mobile processor T2370; 3GB DDR2 memory; DL DVD±RW/CD-RW drive; LightScribe technology; 17" widescreen; 160GB hard drive; built-in Web cam; Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1

Granted, none of these are under 4 pounds. Their weights are 5.2 pounds, 6.2 pounds, and 6.8 pounds respectively. Consumers are given a choice between "two pounds lighter" and "an order of magnitude more powerful" for the same price.

I beg you, Asus: Keep the revolutionary roots of the Eee 701. Don't make the Eee line into just another batch of underpowered subnotebooks destined to fade away into obscurity.

Origami Experience 2.0: More inspiration than value

2008-06-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

I was actually excited enough about Origami Experience 2.0 to reinstall Windows Vista on my Samsung Q1 Ultra. The interface is actually rather pretty. The applets are arranged in "tiles" and selecting a tile brings it up front. The addition of "picture passwords" is interesting too.

There are problems, though:

The RSS reader type thing didn't seem to populate with anything. If there was a button to manually refresh it, I could not find it.
To configure any given widget, the widget must be selected and the menu item "Main tile options" must be selected. This is just about the opposite of intuitive. How difficult would it have been to put a little gear on the corner of each tile once it's selected?
The software adds value to UMPCs but not enough to justify the Vista overhead.

After discussing this with a couple other mobile tech bloggers and reading Kevin Tofel's take on it, I see many of us are of a similar mind: Too little and too late.

If this was incorporated into UMPCs when they were first released, they could have gained traction as a "secondary desktop display" when they weren't mobile. With Vista the exclusive target for UMPCs, CPU and battery capability must rise while costs must fall.

I've said before that Vista killed the UMPC for at least two years. It's now a year and a half into that time. Within the next six months, UMPCs need to pack enough CPU, RAM, and graphics horsepower to run Vista without lag else they will fade into the shadows of MIDs, ULCPCs (that's a new acronym: Ultra-low-cost-PCs like the Eee) and even rich, large-screen smartphones.

Origami Experience 2.0 isn't without merit. It shows Microsoft is still developing for this platform and shows what devices of this type COULD do. However, it should be improved as a feature yet still be a sideline to the function. After all: Why would someone buy a UMPC?

Share your knowledge - Win some money!

2008-06-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Jeff Moriarty at the Intel Software Network posted an announcement on the ISN blogs calling for contributions to an Intel sponsored MID wiki. I'll do what I can to help given my limited understanding of the systems but hope others will hop on this as well.

Here's a quote:

Each week we're offering a $100 US to a random contribution (real content, not just changing punctuation!) So the more content you add, the more chances you have to win. Of course, no fair taking content inappropriately from other sources, and make sure you read the full rules because you need to sign up for the contest in addition to making the wiki edits. Content is not limited to Intel related MIDs, and we've love contributions on Google Android, Apple's iPhone SDK, and other players in the industry.

Since content is not limited to Intel MIDs, I'll add a bunch of stuff about maemo and Nokia Internet Tablets. That should help developers as Moblin and maemo share a lot of code. Even so - I'd rather one of you win the $100!

Speaking of Moblin and such, Steve at UMPC Portal has been posting in a forum thread about his experiences with testing the latest Ubuntu Mobile build. I too downloaded the image and created a USB installer, but am waiting to back up the Q1 Ultra since the installer would wipe XP off the UMPC. Thanks to JKK Mobile for the tip to the thread.

tnkgrl makes me jealous - mods a FlipStart with HSDPA

2008-06-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned tnkgrl here before and she's at it again with her hacks. This time, she modded a Vulcan FlipStart with HSDPA. I'm going to follow her advice (once budget allows) and do the same with my Samsung Q1 Ultra. In the meantime, here's a good tip from Jenn at Pocketables on how to get HSDPA from AT&T for only $20 per month!

Combine the two tips from these wonder women of tech and you've got your internet access in your pocket from anywhere. Great work.

So THAT'S a netbook...

2008-06-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

While reading my RSS feeds this morning, I saw Jenn at Pocketables write a post that is nearly identical to a post that I had in mind. I haven't been covering all the new product launches and comparisons because I leave news and reporter-style writing to other great bloggers like UMPC Portal.

I'm the Linux guy. I'll hack it, tweak it, tune it, upgrade it, and get all the wonky stuff to work. I haven't been writing on that because I haven't had a new device in my hands for a while. We'll see where the market goes. I'm excited to watch!

Intel gets it - sets up a MID developer community.

2008-05-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

When I first thought of Intel and their involvement in the open source device market, I admit I had a hard time accepting that such a big, diverse company would be nimble and open enough to attract Linux developers. My doubts were quickly laid to rest by some conversations I had with MID team members at CES and since then.

More evidence of this showed up today as Jeff Moriarty of Intel Software Network blogs post about a new software development community and wiki presented by Intel. This is in addition to the resources on moblin.org already.

Let's keep this ball rolling. Providing developers with the resources they need is crucial in the success of any platform.

Eee PC - Six months later

2008-05-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Did I really buy this thing six months ago? It seems like only yesterday.

Most of my mobile computing has been taken over by the Samsung Q1U-V but I still believe the Eee PC is worth the $400 spent on it. The primary function of the Eee is now a second household computer - used for recipes and music in the kitchen, chat, light web browsing, and streaming entertainment. The tiny power brick and good battery life away from the desk make it perfect to cart around the house.

I cannot use my Eee, though. The person to whom I loaned it will not give it back.

When her Sony VAIO died, she was without a laptop. Since I have the Q1U, TabletKiosk eo, and Nokia Internet tablets, I felt I could lend out the Eee safely without worry. Sony had her laptop for three weeks and it finally came back last week. Most of the stuff was repaired, but the screen hinge is now wobbly and the screen flicker problem is still there.

She now uses her desktop computer for gaming and the Eee for light web browsing, Email, chat, and last.fm streaming. Even with tiny hands, she feels the keyboard is cramped but still functional. The worst part, according to her, is going back and forth between the desktop and the Eee.

With the Sony laptop back in her hands, I asked if I could have my Eee back. Her response: "Do you want the VAIO instead? It's dead to me."

While I am on the topic of shoddy service (the Sony reminded me of this) I remember sending an Email request through Samsung's support form weeks ago. I asked if it was possible to purchase a copy of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition to downgrade (upgrade?) Vista on my Q1U-V. Still no response. Is this typical for Samsung? Let me know.

MID pricing: You're doing it wrong!

2008-05-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

UMPC Portal is reporting an expected US $750 on launch for the Gigabyte M528 MID. This is after his initial discovery where the price actually looked closer to US $1450. Even at $750, this is overpriced. There's no good reason MIDs should outprice budget laptops and compete with UMPCs. The Samsung Q1U-V (800 MHz Intel A110, 1 GB RAM, 60 GB HDD) is currently $782 new on Amazon.com.

MIDs and non-phone, non-computer Internet devices have two challenges to the sale:

Convince consumers they need or want one.
Convince customers that their solution is the right one.

Gigabyte may be hoping to capture an early adopter crowd or first-to-market hype for their MID, but even as a devout early adopter, I wouldn't spend more than $500 on a new device of this class - especially with the Nokia tablets and Eee PC available. The upcoming Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition price seems to be in the US $440 range so that's the current price to beat.