The Gumstix Portable PC Thread That Won't Die

Harshboy · Post by **Harshboy** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:19 pm

i might not use an altoids can, if i use anything that small i'm using a spiderchip tin, and the Windows CE port is free, but not officialy released yet.

Stranger · Post by **Stranger** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 6:47 pm

Well, good luck with the whole thing.

daleighan · Post by **daleighan** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:51 pm

How would you fit a psone screen in an altoids case. Don't use the screen with a frontlight, frontlights suck. Also, I think that Windows ce would not be a great choice on gumstix, as it is an operating system that doesn't do much and doesn't have much software. Too bad its not an x86 board. Is there some kind of xscale linux distro that is any good?

Harshboy · Post by **Harshboy** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:56 pm

DSL( Damn Small Linux ) would be very suitible for the Gumstix. As you can run all of the emulators made for any linux disro on it!

Mr. Cool:
Yes you can use a Ipod Hard Drive on the Gumstix. Make sure you buy the CF to IDE adapter and then go on ebay. They have Ipod( 32 pin ) to IDE adaptors. So in all terms, you can use the Ipod hard drive. It may requires a re-format tho...but should be hard.

Mr. Cool · Post by **Mr. Cool** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 9:03 pm

daleighan wrote:How would you fit a psone screen in an altoids case. Don't use the screen with a frontlight, frontlights suck. Also, I think that Windows ce would not be a great choice on gumstix, as it is an operating system that doesn't do much and doesn't have much software. Too bad its not an x86 board. Is there some kind of xscale linux distro that is any good?

I think he meant he would make an apropriatly sized case if he used a psone screen. Whats wrong with frontlights?
The only reason that CE is used is because the only choice is that or linux, because there isnt enough memory, or at least I think thats the reason. If you had a harddrive with a few gigs connected to the gumstix, could you put a better operating system on it like xp? Also, can you put a usb port on it?
One last question: Is it possible to buy a trackpoint, seperate from a keyboard? (a trackpoint is that little nub used as a mouse in the middle of some laptop's keyboards)

daleighan · Post by **daleighan** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 9:20 pm

Frontlights cause color bleeding and they aren't very bright. A couple other things: Gumstix isn't x86 based, so it can't run DSL. It would in fact be a very good operating system for a portable, but its not going to happen. I really don't know of any xscale linux distros, and windows xp won't run on xscale. The main downfall of the gumstix is that it isn't x86 based. I think that you can add usb ports. Look for an expansion board that does this on the gumstix website. Lastly, I don't think you can just use a trackpoint; they are usually proprietary. I found a little track ball that would be great though: http://www.buyextras.com/fintracmousw.html .

edit: the best gumstix has plenty of ram: 64 mb

xriverfalconx · Post by **xriverfalconx** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:25 pm

@ben - okay...pm sent regarding my investment to this project!!! This'll be very good!!!

Mr. Cool · Post by **Mr. Cool** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:46 pm

If the gumstix proves to be to restrictive, and not have enough features, what is the next smallest computer, that could be used either for a normal pcp priject, or an altoids pcp project?

loup · Post by **loup** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:53 pm

okay, I see someone already touched on what I was writing here. Move along, nothing to see here

Oh, and daleighan, it might be possible to port all of DSL's packages to the gumstix platform, it would just take a lot of work (man, a port of a distro (DSL) based on a distro (knoppix) that was based on another distro (debian,) where would that bring us?)

teraflop122 · Post by **teraflop122** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:38 pm

If the gumstix proves to be to restrictive, and not have enough features, what is the next smallest computer, that could be used either for a normal pcp priject, or an altoids pcp project?

This: http://www.compulab.co.il/ivc3/html/ivc ... asheet.htm

Or this: http://www.capax.se/products/product.as ... X86-166-01

But good look finding a place to buy either of them

loup · Post by **loup** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:49 pm

to purchase the CM-iVC3:

http://www.compulab.co.il/sales-and-sup ... act-us.htm

you would probably have to call to purchase

teraflop122 · Post by **teraflop122** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:00 am

--> But good look finding a *GOOD* place to buy either of them

I'm not about to email them or phone them my credit card number. If it isn't an online store, it isn't a buying method.

I know, I know. When you get into OEM and quantity pricing you just don't find such nice online stors, but really, I'm allowed to rant and rave all I want-because-its-midnight

loup · Post by **loup** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:49 am

sure sure, be picky about the deal... *cough* I probably wouldn't bother with trying to do the whole "buy it over the phone" thing either. Also, it looks like the main distributor is in Haifa, Israel. There is also a distributor in Canada as well, but I couldn't find the product in question available from their website.

Either way, I would expect a hefty import tax to be tacked on to the purchase unless you actually live in one of the countries that has a distributor

daleighan · Post by **daleighan** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:19 am

ha, i'ma gunna get the http://www.capax.se/products/product.as ... X86-166-01
for like 70 bux!

KANDYMAN-IAC · Post by **KANDYMAN-IAC** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:49 am

Depending on what can be included into the end devioe I'm in in.

What LCD's have been considered? Is the PSone LCD even able to be a wired up for a digital interface.

Now I've been reading into the gumstix UNIT, wiring up audio as well as video is not possible unless a custom expansion board is made. (I'd love to see it as a PMP as well as a well rounded emulator.)

I would also be interested to see if hooking up an IDE harddrive would be possible? maybe through the compact flash port.

With a sweet ass USB controller wired over either side.

I'm willing to pay up to $600 Australian in total.

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/vescovi/gumstix/gumstix.htm

http://www.gumstix.org/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=lcd