Zipit personal IM device

[Jaguarstrike]

Ive been poking around the anals of the internet (read: store websites) looking for some new device i could bring home, rip open and extend its functionality (or turn into some type of weapon) when i cam across the zipit z2 im something or another. It is touted as an open source alternative to using a computer for merely IMming, has a built in wifi card (no cellular bullshit ) and costs 50 bucks.

The thing runs linux and is open to dev work according to some websites. If its as open as Ive heard it is im going to get my hands on one. Of course I'll be reporting back with as much excruciating detail as possible.

Closer inspection revealed that a one year service plan is required for this thing. Further reading seems to tell me that I can bring the device home for 50 and then gets really vague on the specifics on what I can and cant do with it.

If anyone has ever held the device you can be of some help. Can you still IM without buying the contract? Do I have to pay the 110 bucks for the contract in store or can I just have 50 plus tax and thats that?

The thing looks fucking awesome and all I'd have to do is run a few (albeit creatively programmed) services on my home/office PC and I'll be set to do anything on the go so long as Im in range of an open wifi network.

Any word on if the card is good for cracking WEP? The CPU seems a bit slow for that but with a large enough storage card I could cart the data home and then proc it all there.

Thanks in advance for your response.

[Prometheum]

You could drop 300$ or so and get a pandora, and have basically an eeeeeeePC with a fully community-oriented system for cheap. that can definitely crack WEP.

[McFly]

Wait, are those for sale now? I remember watching that product a few months ago.

[Prometheum]

I don't know if they're for sale yet, but it should definitely be in the next six months by the look of things.

[Kamisama]

Originally Posted by Prometheum

You could drop 300$ or so and get a pandora, and have basically an eeeeeeePC with a fully community-oriented system for cheap. that can definitely crack WEP.

What's a pandora?

[Prometheum]

Originally Posted by Kamisama

What's a pandora?

It's sort of a mix between a DS and a PSP and a laptop. Basically, there was this handheld system the GP32 that all these game nerds loved in the 90's, and it had lots of homebrew games and whatnot on it. It was succeeded by the GP2X, which was even more homebrew-friendly, ran Gnu/Linux, was fully free software, etc.

Sadly, the company that made them either discontinued them recently or went belly-up, and now the successor to the GP2X will be the Pandora, this gaming system on CRACK that's been developed by a few GP2X community members.

http://openpandora.org/

It looks fucking insane, I for one would love one and would welcome any totsean who has one/will get one to put up a review of it somewhere.

[Kamisama]

I figure people should get a wifi-handheld that automatically connects to a decent wifi and starts up skype.
I mean, that beats having a cell-phone right there.

Personally, I have a high distaste for current electronics. I've never liked the lithium-ion technology. I'm still liking the usage of AA batteries.

10+ battery life the pandora site says. I always cut whatever I read on a website in half. But 5 hours is pretty damn good. I wonder how they maxed it to 10 hours.

[Prometheum]

Originally Posted by Kamisama

I figure people should get a wifi-handheld that automatically connects to a decent wifi and starts up skype.
I mean, that beats having a cell-phone right there.

Personally, I have a high distaste for current electronics. I've never liked the lithium-ion technology. I'm still liking the usage of AA batteries.

10+ battery life the pandora site says. I always cut whatever I read on a website in half. But 5 hours is pretty damn good. I wonder how they maxed it to 10 hours.

Skype is non-free and has a non-free protocol, too. Why the hell would you want to use it if it can't work with real SIP phones?

Gnu/Linux is very good with battery life, probably because it's more resource-efficient than non-free systems.

That and, you know, the pandora seems to do everything except avert global thermonuclear war, so it isn't surprising it has great life

[Jaguarstrike]

Woot, i got IRC working tunneled through AIM, next is a totse reader/poster, also over AIM. All I have to do is get the string parsing right and its smooth sailing from there on in.

Originally Posted by Prometheum

It's sort of a mix between a DS and a PSP and a laptop. Basically, there was this handheld system the GP32 that all these game nerds loved in the 90's, and it had lots of homebrew games and whatnot on it. It was succeeded by the GP2X, which was even more homebrew-friendly, ran Gnu/Linux, was fully free software, etc.

Sadly, the company that made them either discontinued them recently or went belly-up, and now the successor to the GP2X will be the Pandora, this gaming system on CRACK that's been developed by a few GP2X community members.

http://openpandora.org/

It looks fucking insane, I for one would love one and would welcome any totsean who has one/will get one to put up a review of it somewhere.

Please bend over! I wish to make love to you as you have just made me happy man, as a proud owner of the gp2x and on the waiting list for the pandora. Tbh didnt think anyone else really knew about them on totse. If and when it comes out i will gladly put a review up