Looking for a portable, wireless Internet accessible computer (not a laptop)

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Ram Samudrala 21 years ago

I'm looking for a wireless phone/Internet accessible computer that is small in size and has the following functionality:

Need high-speed Internet access. The faster the better.
Need to be able to attach a keyboard at least. Mouse and monitor would be good. Should have a build in tiny keyboard.
Linux friendly would be good.

Essentially I'm looking for a small client that I can use instead of a laptop.

--Ram

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NetSteady 21 years ago

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Jeff Liebermann 21 years ago

It would be nice to know what OS and applications you plan to run on this machine. Such minor details largely determine the horsepower required.

I've built a few machines based on mini-ITX motherboards. Low power consumption was the major requirement. See:

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some examples (right hand "Projects" side menu). Some are really bizarre. For example, the "Attache Server" seems to fit your description:

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's one built into a Windoze XP software box:

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should give you a clue as to the size.

There are Linux drivers for at least the Via EPIA series of mini-ITX boards.

I don't understand the requirement for a "wireless phone". Do you mean running VoIP over 802.11b/g wireless? No problem.

Anyway, see if any of the projects above jog your imagination.

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Ram Samudrala 21 years ago

Thanks--that's an interesting page. The Attacheserver is a good one in terms of computing but I also need a phone line with it, and am also looking for an one-stop solution for the phone and the wireless Internet services.

The other post pointing me to

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what I was looking for, but the reason I posted was because all these choices leave me confused. I was hoping to get some feedback as to good ones to check out before I physically went into stores and tested them.

An interesting choice I've come across is the EVDO technology with a laptop. But this makes the phone capability somewhat cumbersome. Essentially the functionality I'm looking for is a snappy mobile phone (where I can actually log in to my machines here and check e-mail using elm, edit using emacs, etc. without too much hassle) with EVDO-like technology for wireless Internet. This "mobile phone" essentially acts as a phone, or as a dumb terminal and peripherals such as a mouse can be connected to make its use easier.

--Ram

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

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Ram Samudrala 21 years ago

I've researched this issue thoroughly. The reason I want to do this now is that for the first time, there's a technology called EVDO that allows for broadband access speed over cellphone frequencies

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.This is what I've learnt: Most current Blackberries (in fact, all, as far as I know) do not have broadband speeds that arises as a result of the phone (i.e., not wi-fi). Verizon is the only company that has the most roll-out--in other words, I can get this speed in most major cities in the country and then some. And Verizon has two phones that can do this, including a Samsung (which is a Blackberry-like device).

So there are two solutions, and I've decided to go with both:

A Samsung SCH-i730 phone/portable computer which is about 0.00 with a two-year contract. This would be combined with a voice/data plan costing /month.

A PC card for my laptop which provides the same functionality without voice capability (Verizon Wireless PC 5220) which should be about 0 with a two-year contract and a data only plan that costs /month.

This is the technology I've been waiting for. I hope it works as promised.

--Ram

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