POSTED BY

Rob Beschizza

AT 6:33 AM
Monday September 28, 2009

Computers

linux • zipit

Put linux on a Zipit, get a $40 netbook

A cheap little cellular WiFi handheld, Zipit does instant messaging in similarly single-minded fashion to how the Peek does e-mail. Unlike the Peek, however, the Zipit now has a real Linux distribution that turns it into a cute, ingenious, and nearly-useless laptop. From Lilliputing:

You might be interested in running Linux, installing DOSbox, or maybe an NES emulator. The Zipit has a 300MHz XScale processor, 32MB of RAM, and a Mini-SD card slot for stroage. It has a 2.8 inch QVGA display and a 1000mAh Li-Ion battery. It connects to 802.11b/g WiFi networks. And if you follow a series of steps from hacker Hunter Davis, you can install a working Linux operating system with the Fluxbox window manager.

"The speakers are remarkably underpowered," says Hunter Davis, creator of this neat how-to video.

[Lilliputing]

6 Comments

word_virus

#1 – 7:38 AM September 28, 2009

Nit-picky, but apparently this thing is Wi-Fi only, not cellular?

Rob Beschizza

#2 – 8:54 AM September 28, 2009

Right you are! I mistook the optional SMS subscription to mean it had a Peek-style cellular connection.

stv schnbrn

#3 – 12:48 PM September 28, 2009

Cooool! always liked the peek idea, but never wanted to deal with or budget for another service and just wifi is free all over the place in cities.

S.B.

#4 – 4:32 PM September 28, 2009

I find this surprisingly awesome. Instead of lugging around my super heavy (1kg) netbook, I can use this to twitter and IM from the café.
Now, if only there was a touch screen model...

MBCubberly

#5 – 10:53 AM September 30, 2009

That's awesome. Interesting applications for developing places, too- one handheld per child? pretty awesome, cheap communication tool.

David Cole

#6 – 1:58 PM September 30, 2009

We've been using ZipIt's for school applications for 4 years now (www.learningsoft.net). They're nearly perfect handhelds for K-12.

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