Project PDA

Operating system and open source software paradigm of liberation, also known as GNU /Linux, which implements the POSIX standard. In the PDA Arena, Palm and Pocket PC are the big players, with Linux based PDAs making up ground. Linux based PDAs are extremely popular within the "Alternative PDA Community". The popularity of Open Soure Operating Systems has migrated to the PDA community because of the flexibility and power that Linux can add to the PDA. Such as  VR3 PDA, CDL Paron "secure PDA", Sharp Zaurus SL-5500,  Yopy 3700 PDA..

In the "old" days, setting up Linux on just a common PC had a little bit of adventure mixed in with it. Installing Linux on a laptop was for the more "militant" geek and well, Linux on a small PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or Palmtop was somewhere out there on the horizon.

But things have really changed. Linux has gone mainstream and is either already installed or there are plans to install it in any electronic device you can think of. All this has come about due to Linux's tremendous versatility.

In no area is this improvement more significant than for PDAs, a market for which Linux currently seems stunningly appropriate. Here is a market in which connectivity with desktop computers is important, so mature and stable networking support is a necessity. The presence of a GUI virtually defines what a PDA is, so good GUI support is also important.

Linux on the Compaq iPAQ H3600 is probably farthest along. The iPAQ is a high-end PDA that is normally shipped with Microsoft Windows CE. However, Compaq is sponsoring an admirably open effort to port Linux to the iPAQ, found at www.handhelds.org.

A startup called Imovio has announced a WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled clamshell PDA that runs the Linux-based Qt Extended stack. Very similar to the Sharp Zaurus, the iKit is based on a Marvell PXA270 processor, with 128MB RAM, 64MB flash, and a 2.8 inch QVGA display.

Installing Linux on PDAs/Palmtops:

•  Linux Palmtop Page (http://www.linux-laptop.net/palmtops.html ) - A guide to installing Linux on hand-held devices
•  handhelds.org - website dedicated to information and promotion of open source technology for hand-held devices.
•  LinuxDevices.com (http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8728350077.html ) - definitive guide to PDAs that either come with embedded Linux or PDAs whose developers are actively involved in porting Linux to their devices.

If you only want to transfer data between your Palm device and PC, you can use pilot-link (http://www.pilot-link.org/).