I just recently picked up the Compaq iPaq PocketPC recently, and was thinking that with the similarities of the base hardware, an empeg emulator could be possible on this device. Anyone else out there own one of these and an empeg? www.handhelds.org is a site run by Compaq Research that describes running Linux on this device, so it shouldn't be to far to get to an emulator. Then in theory, any work here then could be ported to x86.

(I was really suprised with the iPaq being a previous Palm owner and lover. It's actually responsive for a CE device, has decent battery life, and is small. It then offers nice color and sound, and power to run more PC like applications then a Palm. If any Palm users are looking for an upgrade, and are willing to deal with the limits of CE while having a Linux capable system in their hand, I highly recommend trying to get one of these devices.)

I just recently picked up the Compaq iPaq PocketPC recently, and was

Grr.. I wish Compaq would have better supply on iPaq's. All delivery estimates atleast to most of the Europe has been delayed multiple times, now earliest estimates sometime next month. From what I've read, it seems very interesting development platform. It definitely gives much more possibilities than Palm by the CPU being 10x more efficient, having decent color display and so on. Though, I've always wondered why they chose 12-bit instead of 16-bit for the display.

thinking that with the similarities of the base hardware, an empeg emulator could be possible on this device.

Most probably, but I don't get the point why would you want empeg emulator on iPaq?

Kim

Grr.. I wish Compaq would have better supply on iPaq's. All delivery estimates atleast to most of the Europe has been delayed multiple times, now earliest estimates sometime next month

Most stores are giving a lead time of two months. A few units manage to trickle into some stores, like Circuit City has recieved 7 in the past two weeks that got spread out to the Colorado stores.

It definitely gives much more possibilities than Palm by the CPU being 10x more efficient, having decent color display and so on.

I look at is as being a small PC compaired to the Palm being a PDA with some possibilities. By what I can see, this is how the creators worked it out. And now that one of these got to a decent size and speed, I can stand to own one, and actually enjoy it much more then my Palm V.

Though, I've always wondered why they chose 12-bit instead of 16-bit for the display

Hardware limitation of the Sony TFT they used. It's still very nice, and more useful to be able to see it in all lights including sun. Thats one of the reasons I never moved from the Palm screen until now due to the sun issues on other color handhelds.

Most probably, but I don't get the point why would you want empeg emulator on iPaq?

Probably because this thing just pulled $500 away from my budget towards a Mark II, and I sold my Mark I :-) Plus a portable empeg emulator could come in very handy right now where I could program on it, compaired to not being allowed to carry an empeg into class. I suppose a wireless CDPD modem and telnet to my home linux machine would work, or wireless LAN if my car is close enough... Now I need to get my hands on a PCMCIA adaptor.

Good luck emulating the DSP *grin*

Rob

You can already run mpg123 to play mp3-files of the iPAQ/Linux.
This probably means that re-using some of the empeg-player code would
make it "emulate" quite well. A lot of the hardware is identical

Marius

Erm, no, the DSP is a mask programmed digital signal processor and the player software (as it stands) would get rather upset if it didn't find one.

In any case, I feel there may be legal implications with copying our software to run on another platform. As we've always said, the hardware is nothing much, the software is our bread and butter.

Rob

How about the other way around. I could install CE on the empeg and write a CE player. One hell of a way to jump feet first into CE development. Then I could use the mail, address book, etc. from the iPAQ on the CE empeg. Notice how nicely the empeg fits in my pocket, and I could carry the battery in a backpack! Just think, with 36Gigs my address book could have 400 billion entries! I could store the whole US yellow pages!! And some maps and some family pictures . . .

Later,

Steve

How about the other way around. I could install CE on the empeg and write a CE player.

Mommy, make the bad man stop!

___________
Tony Fabris