It's yummy. But you can't eat it!

[PSC]

Debian Jessie has font and input method support in its standard repositories. While probably not perfect it was good enough for my father in law when he last visited. I installed the necessary packages manually, but possibly just installing meta package task-chinese-s is all that is needed (if not, providing an adequate meta package could be a community project).

@PSC I think you should be able to input chinese somehow since the pyra will run debian. It should be able to display chinese characters just like with other linux distros. Not sure how input works with linux, but there is software that let's you enter pinyin and it will translate to chinese characters:
http://wiki.debian.org/gnome-chinese-input

there's probably other options for various use cases and it should theoretically work. maybe ED can test this already with the prototype once the keyboard fully works.

EDIT: ninja'd by _jr_

Thank you very much!
Now I am using Linux Mint, for Chinese input method, there is a software called ibus, once installed that, I can add input method for almost every language to it. But since Pyra is an ARM machine, I think any program will need to recompile then it could run on Pyra, right? Will "apt-get install" work? Or everything need to do the "./configure" "make&make install" process? Actually this is the only thing I am worry about. Because I think under Linux platform, compile and install a software is not easy. There always missing this or missing that, even just not working, some of them rely on the kernel or libc version, that can be a nightmare.

 

[TrashyMG]

It's Debian Jessie so you can install anything from the standard armhf repository via apt-get. There is a separate Pyra specific repository as well.

Like the Pandora we in the community have tackled some difficult ports so there is support in that area as well.

 

[neko]

This news is now on the first page of Hacker News:

https://news.ycombinator.com/news

Direct link: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11277408

 

[tychomat]

Speaking of yummy, there is an oven called pyra

http://www.objetconnecte.net/pyra-four-intelligent-3d-2207/

 

[ekianjo]

Because I think under Linux platform, compile and install a software is not easy

Actually it's WAY easier to compile anything on Linux than on other platforms.

 

[PSC]

Actually it's WAY easier to compile anything on Linux than on other platforms.

Thank you for your reply! And it is lucky to met a Japanese at here!
Yes, I understand it is WAY easier to compile anything than other platforms, but some platform just need not to compile something by users. As I remembered, I never compile any software under windows, most of those softwares can install by click the setup file. I like Linux, since everything are free, free to modify by users, that is great! So I left Windows platform. But I feel headache about the compile and install process, there are 10% of chance I can't made it. For example, the PCSX2, I never succeed. Yeah, I am newbie, but trying to learn something.

 

[bzar]

Thank you for your reply! And it is lucky to met a Japanese at here!
Yes, I understand it is WAY easier to compile anything than other platforms, but some platform just need not to compile something by users. As I remembered, I never compile any software under windows, most of those softwares can install by click the setup file. I like Linux, since everything are free, free to modify by users, that is great! So I left Windows platform. But I feel headache about the compile and install process, there are 10% of chance I can't made it. For example, the PCSX2, I never succeed. Yeah, I am newbie, but trying to learn something.

Out of curiosity, what linux distribution are you using? Most have pretty much all needed software in package repositories where you can install them from even easier than on windows.

 

[Klumpen]

Most have pretty much all needed software in package repositories where you can install them from even easier than on windows.

Well, the repos lack PCSX2 and more current versions of Dolphin (the bug in Mario Tennis was fixed ages ago) as well as epsxe and pcsxr which both still can't read eboots in those versions which is bad for me since I made all my isos to .pbp ages ago to save space since Pandora's repo had a version with this feature for years.

 

[PSC]

Out of curiosity, what linux distribution are you using? Most have pretty much all needed software in package repositories where you can install them from even easier than on windows.

I think it is Debian 7 (stable) , at last I am failed with the glibc version problem, I tried to update it, but after that my PC can't boot up any more.
It was years ago, since then I am going to use Linux Mint. I like Debian series OS, with the ppa, I can install PCSX2 easily.

 

[EdenR]

How about open degree? And preorders? Thanks

 

[ekianjo]

And it is lucky to met a Japanese at here!

I'm not Japanese but I live in Japan
Anyway should be no problem to support Chinese input, and I would recommend not using Ibus but UIM is probably better - at least for me it's a superior solution for Japanese.

COmpiling stuff on Linux is usually easy as long as you follow the build instructions. Of course there are some more difficult ports or more complex situations, but that's when you can ask for help or rely on binaries.

 

[Da Dude]

Great to see this prototype alive and running.
Please share more on youtube, better to check with a good sigar, than text ;-)

 

[rSl]

for me freedom is about choice, so it's not a bad thing to have an handheld for someone who likes to use windows programs/games or wants to use x86 in favour of the arm platform.
personally, as i stated many times before, i dislike windows and all the other closed os's out there, because one just can't trust them
without having the possibility to look at the sourcecode. opensource software is the *only* way one can trust his/her own system in these days of global
mass surveillance. stealing others user-data is the 'new' way of plundering for these post democratic capitalist governments/states in this digital era.
i strongly belive that we can change that to a big degree with opensource-encryption used widespread.
so i choose the handheld that does not betray me.

 

[Grench]

Obviously, running a web browser and not connected to anything, the WiFi must be working. How well?

Did it get the dual band radio 2.4Ghz + 5Ghz set?

802.11bgn or should other letters follow?

Is the range comparable, better or worse than a typical cell phone's WiFi?

 

[_jr_]

Thank you very much!
Now I am using Linux Mint, for Chinese input method, there is a software called ibus, once installed that, I can add input method for almost every language to it. But since Pyra is an ARM machine, I think any program will need to recompile then it could run on Pyra, right? Will "apt-get install" work? Or everything need to do the "./configure" "make&make install" process? Actually this is the only thing I am worry about. Because I think under Linux platform, compile and install a software is not easy. There always missing this or missing that, even just not working, some of them rely on the kernel or libc version, that can be a nightmare.

The relevant package seems to be https://packages.debian.org/stable/task-chinese-s-desktop (or -t- for traditional) and AFAICS this is also available for the armhf platform. Therefore it should just work after installing this package. It is using fcitx as the im framework. I don't know whether this is better or worse than the one you are using now.

 

[Majin Wamu]

This is amazing! I would love a transparent handheld, it looks beautiful.

 

[EvilDragon]

Obviously, running a web browser and not connected to anything, the WiFi must be working. How well?

Did it get the dual band radio 2.4Ghz + 5Ghz set?

802.11bgn or should other letters follow?

Is the range comparable, better or worse than a typical cell phone's WiFi?

Yes, we got the dual band version and I didn't notice any real slowdowns, did use apt-get via Wifi to install everything.
Haven't done any further measurements yet though.

 

[Grench]

This is amazing! I would love a transparent handheld, it looks beautiful.

I agree - and I just thought of an additional advantage to it. It could shorten the inevitable conversation with the US's TSA regarding this in-between laptop & phone sized device. As laptops get smaller and phones get bigger, I could see a TSA inspector deciding to call it a "laptop" because it is clam shell.

 

[rygD]

Obviously, running a web browser and not connected to anything, the WiFi must be working. How well?

Did it get the dual band radio 2.4Ghz + 5Ghz set?

802.11bgn or should other letters follow?

Is the range comparable, better or worse than a typical cell phone's WiFi?

I am waiting for the time when you can answer these questions for us (or we can answer them for ourselves).

I agree - and I just thought of an additional advantage to it. It could shorten the inevitable conversation with the US's TSA regarding this in-between laptop & phone sized device. As laptops get smaller and phones get bigger, I could see a TSA inspector deciding to call it a "laptop" because it is clam shell.

Just shove it in the tray and move on through. Is there more to the process now, or do they just x-ray all your stuff and scan you or feel you up? I haven't flown since they started taking naked pictures of you, so I am not sure if it is still just security theater or if they actually think about things and do things that make sense.

 

[Grench]

I am waiting for the time when you can answer these questions for us (or we can answer them for ourselves).

The fact that it is working well enough to not feel like it's worth bothering to measure actually says a lot though. Working WiFi prior to board mass production - check that one off of the "Don't Repeat Pandora Mistakes" list.

Just shove it in the tray and move on through. Is there more to the process now, or do they just x-ray all your stuff and scan you or feel you up? I haven't flown since they started taking naked pictures of you, so I am not sure if it is still just security theater or if they actually think about things and do things that make sense.

The last time I flew my carry on bag was x-ray scanned then overly well searched - complete empty and re-pack. My Pandora even got swabbed. When I went through the ICLICF machine (I See London I See France), they caught an 'anomaly' in my pants pocket. It was a 1/2 sized sheet of paper towel that I was using as a snot rag.

Likely it's a combination of factors. I carry an odd assortment of electronic equipment when I travel, have a background in Chemical Engineering, can legally concealed carry in many/most states of the US, am given regular background checks from my employers and an organization that I volunteer for, regularly travel outside of cell tower coverage, purchase fuel 45 US Gallons at a time and communicate regularly on foreign web sites. I'm very likely to be on one or more lists of "Interesting Individuals." Heck, if I saw my profile I would want me to get another look.

Still, a clear cased Pyra should shorten that one moment of, "What is this?" I suspect that the TSA guy likely had my profile on the monitor when the Pandora got red-flagged. It is just the right size for a .380 case. A clear Pyra would be obviously an electronic gadget and not 'something bad'.

Really, I'm a good guy with no nefarious intentions. But even I can see that if knowledge is dangerous - there is a good chance I'm on one or more lists.