[lug] FREE Compaq iPAQ Internet Appliance

[Robert Racansky]

FREE


Compaq iPAQ Home Internet Appliance

Model number:  178358-001

with wireless keyboard




pictures (not mine) here:

http://www.amazon.com/Compaq-Internet-Appliance-178358-001-Desktop/dp/images/B006J137BS




specs:

http://support.radioshack.com/support_computer/doc62/62499.pdf

Display : 10.1" DSTN flat panel color display , 800 x 600 dpi resolution
Operating System : MSN Companion
Security : SSL 128 bit
Input/Output : Four (4) USB Ports, Two (2) RJ11 phone jacks, One (1)
stereo line out
Compact Flash slot “ SanDisk type 1 or 2 capability to be supported in
future updates
Browser : Microsof Internet Explorer 4.0




According to

http://www.cnet.com/products/compaq-ipaq-home-internet-appliance-ia-1-k6-2-266-mhz-32-mb-0-gb-lcd-10/specs/

It has a K6-2 266 MHz  processor, so it might actually make a useful
machine for a lightweight OS  (see below).

The one major downside is that it doesn’t have an ethernet jack.



* “GNU/Linux on the Compaq IA-1 Internet Appliance”

http://realprogrammers.com/hack/IA-1/

Basically, run an OS from a Compact Flash card, “You will not lose the
IA-1's original MSN functionality up until you overwrite the IA-1's
internal Flash, which is not required.”   Use a USB-to-Ethernet
adapter for network connectivity.

Unfortunately, the nearly 15 year-old links to JAILBAIT ( JAILBAIT's
Another Interesting Linux But Also Intimidating Too ) are broken, but
if you're reading this e-mail on the BLUG list, I'm sure you're the
type of person who can figure out how to boot another Linux distro
from a compact flash card.


Slashdot ( “Another $99 Web Terminal”  December 09 2001 ) discussion here :

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/01/12/09/1632234/another-99-web-terminal