Amiga OS on PDAs ?

[Valan]

I post this coz my girlfriend just bought a Sony Clie sj33. The hardware is amazing and the price is ok too(HK$1500, about 120pounds).

For those who don't know it, on the hardware side it compares roughly with the original amiga. no H/disk 320x240, full colour, 16Mb ram, removable media(128mb max), IR, built for MP3 play.

I know that AmigaDE may run on it but this is superbly suited for Amiga stuff. I haven't taken much notice of PDAs but I do now and this is the lower end of the scale.

The best thing is the OS(PalmOS). You can run a program say a game but there is no 'quit' command. You simply choose another program or you 'tun off' the machine. Another thing is that 'turning off' is not really turning off. I mean turning off is setting the machine into hibernate mode so that it is in the same state you left it when it starts up again.

It feels like it is multitasking but it is not. I looked at WinCE quickly yesterday and it does not feel as smooth.

I am excited I guess because it is the first time in 8yrs that something feels like it goes down the same road as the Amiga.

It would be foolish to put the whole AmigaOs onto it but if it worked like an Amiga it would be even better than it is now.

What do other think?

Valan

[Warface]

It won't run AmigaDE unless it is rewritten AFAIK. (I have a Clie myself, just exchanged my Palm a few weeks ago)

AmigaOS AFAIR requires 640x256 as the minimum resolution, so simply you have to wait just a little longer :-) (There are other issues however, memory handling of the palm, the screen, etc., the Palms/Clies are a slightly different in architecture than the original Amigas)

[MrZammler]

Actually, there is a port of UAE, but for the Zaurus which uses Linux instead of PalmOS, check google for it.

I'm guessing that's the closer you can get to running AOS on a Palm-like device.

Maybe someone could get going on a PalmOS port of UAE?

[Valan]

Hi Warface,
The minimum screen is 320x240 in NTSC mode and 320x256 in PAL. Almost all games are in 320x256/240 mode.

PalmOS uses simplicity and direct access to allow people to use the machine. I think the media properties of AmigaOS, its small size and the multitasking would suit this type of machine ideally.

Maybe not a literal port but one with the same basis.

Valan

[Warface]

The minimum screen is 320x240 in NTSC mode and 320x256 in PAL. Almost all games are in 320x256/240 mode.

But we are speaking about the OS here. Don't mix it up please.

[Lozrus]

Well, a Palm port of AROS is actually underway (and, I think, partially working) so you might actually get your wish  :-)

There may even be a certain amount of binary compatibility as the palm processor is 68000 based.  :-o

Loz

[takemehomegrandma]

Lozrus wrote:
Well, a Palm port of AROS is actually underway (and, I think, partially working) so you might actually get your wish  :-)

Yes, I recall seeing some screenshots (or photos) of AROS running on a Palm hardware. Very interesting indeed! But perhaps that certain AROS "distribution" has been put on ice now, because I have not heard anything about it for a long time ...

[N7VQM]

Valan wrote:

PalmOS uses simplicity and direct access to allow people to use the machine.

In what sense do you mean direct access?  Usage, programming or what?

[Valan]

Hi N7VQM,
Sorry I mean usage since I am not a programmer. Also by direct access I simply mean that parts of the system are still 'directly accessable' no matter how the machine is used, or at least seems to be.

Warface,
I think the resolution is 320x240/256 but it scrolls to 640pixels wide. I just tried to check but my Amigas HD just died :-(

So now I need to ask where can I get it fixed, and get a new one?

[Valan]

Lozrus and takemehomegrandma,
I do hope so it seems to be ideal. Ppaint, Finalcopy and Starglider on my girlfriends Sony Clie would be great.

Played Lemmings today and it seems even better with a pen to select the little fellas. I think games like Powermonger or The Settlers would look and play really well.

[jeffimix]

There may even be a certain amount of binary compatibility as the palm processor is 68000 based.

Are you telling me my Palm Zire 71 with a Texas Instruments OMAP procesoor is 680x0 compatible? If ti is... well, that's an 140 MHz 68K chip there... =)

[Khephren]

Palm Clie's handsprings all stopped using the 68000 compatible chips last year. They were fully 68020 up to 66mhz. One of the early clie had this, +a 320x320 res colour screen. I'm sure a custom workbench (with small fonts etc) would look lovely on this. Games would look cool as well, most modern apps would be to cramped though, Still, A500 apps like DPaint and vista would be ok. The OS would need a LOT of hacking. Graphics handling would be simple -just write a driver for Picasso/cybergraphics telling Intuition that the Clie screen is a custom graphics card. Memory, CIA and other chip dependencies would be the real headache. Not having to write a CPU emu would help. You'd have to emulate Paula, or only hear sounds on AHI compatible drives(with a palm driver) I'd love to see this.

[N7VQM]

Khephren wrote:
Palm Clie's handsprings all stopped using the 68000 compatible chips last year. They were fully 68020 up to 66mhz.

The MC68SZ328, the fastest 68k-based Dragonball, is based on a FLX68000 CPU which is identical to the MC68EC000.  It just happens to run at 66.32MHz.  MC68020 code would not run on these processors but 68000 code will.

See the Features section of this document:
MC68SZ328 Product Brief

[Valan]

This is looking better and better. I just hope the AROS guys can get it done soon.

Dpaint or Ppaint would be great as an ideas sketch pad.
66mhz is plenty fast enough for averyday usage, I mean I won't be rendering or doing heavy video or sound work.
What's the current stus of DE or will we need to wait until AOS becomes hardware independent?

Valan