Bit Stories 2008-07-02: Recording Screwups, Moblin.org, Linux, MIDs, and NetMeeting

By Joshua Bancroft (Intel) (63 posts) on July 3, 2008 at 8:30 am

Here's this week's show! Have a listen, and check out the download/subscribe links and detailed show notes below.

This week's show is only 30 minutes long and weighs about 28MB (it’s a 128kbps MP3). You can download the file directly, listen using the streaming player above, or (BEST OPTION!!1!) subscribe to the Bit Stories podcast feed in your favorite podcast aggregator (like iTunes). If you subscribe to the feed, you’ll get each show delivered automatically as it becomes available - probably once a week or so, with the occasional bonus video or audio segment thrown in for fun. Plus, we’ll love you forever if you subscribe! :-)

Here are some free form notes from today's show:

Yet Another Audio Setup
Embarrassing Confession: We recorded the last two shows using the built-in mic on my MacBook Pro, instead of the elaborate mixer/condenser mic that we have set up. Because I'm an idiot. The saving grace? It sounded pretty darn good! :-)
Have developers let the Tablet PC community down?
Brian paved and reinstalled Windows XP on his Samsung Q1 UMPC
Why XP instead of Vista? Not quite enough horsepower.
Josh has done the same thing (gone back and forth between XP and Vista) on his Asus R2H UMPC
Speaking of mobile device operating systems... Moblin.org
What the heck IS Moblin? Is it an OS?
Moblin is a stack of tools to help create OSes and applications for Mobile Internet Devices. It's sponsored by Intel, and hosted by Intel Software Network
Ubuntu Mobile Edition (UME) sneak peak is out there, if you have a Samsung Q1 Ultra
Brian feels that he won't be able to use a Linux-based MID because of the lack of mature ink/handwriting input support
It's really hard to do an ink interface well
Will Atom-based devices ever have the horsepower to do handwriting well? Is this a hardware or a software problem?
Do open source projects do better when there's a common, widespread demand and need for the result (like a web browser)? Do enough people in the open source community need and/or want good ink and handwriting support to motivate them to write it? Would enough people use it and care about it to make it worth their time?
Since Mobile Internet Devices are all about the Internet, having a good browser is going to be essential.
Windows versus Linux on these small, pocketable internet devices.
In general, lack of UI "polish" in Linux applications is a deterrent for non-geeks to adopt it.
Brian's "essential" applications on his Samsung Q1: Microsoft Office, Firefox, and Microsoft Money
Is Firefox the exception to the "Linux applications don't have a good interface/user experience" stereotype?
How easy is it going to be to "install any app you want" on the upcoming Linux MIDs?
The challenges of adapting applications to devices on smaller screen.
UMPCScrollBar - a great little app that lets you scroll windows around the smaller UMPC screen, so you can get to the "Install" and "OK" buttons that get pushed off the bottom of the screen.
Intel Software Network's mobility community makes tons of resources, tools, and smart people available for people writing applications for these devices. Take advantage of us!
Without great software, Intel products are just a bunch of really tiny hot plates. :-)
Have we discovered the REAL reason Intel has chosen not to deploy Windows Vista? Is it because NetMeeting is no longer there? Microsoft stopped distributing NetMeeting in 1998 - TEN YEARS AGO. But Intel lives and breathes NetMeeting - old habits die hard. (Update after the show: according to Wikipedia, Microsoft released a hotfix that allows you to download and install NetMeeting on Vista. Guess we were wrong! ;-) )
Macs do Screen Sharing, based on VNC, but there's NO way on a Mac to participate in a NetMeeting call, because it's a closed, proprietary Microsoft protocol.
Google Docs is GREAT for live collaboration.
PowerPoint is a great presentation tool, but it is NOT a collaboration tool! It gets abused WAY too often. PowerPoint abuse starts early - Brian's 7th grade son is already doing it!
New recording time - Wednesday morning instead of Friday afternoon. Hope this gets the show out faster, and Josh and Brian perkier.
Josh's morning voice - he's not a morning person. Brian gets up at 5:30 AM.
Stuff we didn't get to this week: Brian dips his toes into the world of Twitter and FriendFeed, and next week is iPhone 3G day! Come stand in line with us!

The show is picking up steam - we're hitting our stride, and cranking them out. Many, many thanks to our listeners - we love you guys! We love connecting with people through the show, and getting to know who's listening. But the only way we can do that is if you talk to us, so leave a comment, email us, or find some other way to say "hi", and let us know what you think of the show! :-)

Categories: Atom, Bit Stories, Mobility

Comments (4)

July 6, 2008 9:47 PM PDT

Thejesh GN

Any idea how UME runs on eeepc?

July 7, 2008 8:28 AM PDT

Josh Bancroft (Intel)

Total Points: 2245
Status Points: 2195

Brown Belt

I don't know how well UME would run on an Eee PC, but I'm dying to find out. If I had one, I'd probably have already tried it out. I think the UME preview that's out now is pretty hardware-specific, and intended for the Samsung Q1 Ultra "McCaslin" reference platform. But I'm sure it won't be long until there's a generic installer of UME from Ubuntu, or an Eee PC version. Can't wait to play with it! :-)

August 2, 2008 3:28 PM PDT

Mentor Graphics

The moblin project is very cool indeed.

October 13, 2008 6:25 AM PDT

Welles Du (Intel)

Total Points: 870
Status Points: 370

Brown Belt

man, this rocks..

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Bit Stories 2008-07-02: Recording Screwups, Moblin.org, Linux, MIDs, and NetMeeting

By Joshua Bancroft (Intel) (63 posts) on July 3, 2008 at 8:30 am

Categories: Atom, Bit Stories, Mobility

Comments (4)

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