They call it Latitude ON, a hardware module with a:
Cell phone processor with its own unique operating system.
What it really is, is an ARM based mobile device running Linux. Booting in just 2 seconds, it looks like a great little interface which quickly provides access to the web and more.
* Instant access (about 2 seconds) to business information (E-mail, calendar, contacts, Internet browser & Citrix Receiver client)
* MS Exchange integration or POP e-mail Access
* Always on/connected – the module continues to run regardless of the state of the main OS
* Ability to view MS Office and .pdf document attachments
* Long battery life (about 17 hours on a 6-cell battery)
* Designed for the future with upgradable infrastructure (flash-based software updates)
I wonder if you can download the source code somewhere..
2 thoughts on “Dell Latitude shipping with built in ARM system with Linux”
Sounds like Dell’s answer to Splashtop ( http://www.splashtop.com/ ) that ships with items like Asus motherboards.
Good stuff… and hopefully something we see a lot more of.
I like this option though a little more — as it’s ‘always on’.
Yeah, I hope so too. It would be great to see everything laptop, desktop and mainboard ship with embedded Linux.
Actually, they do mention Splashtop in their presentation but mention that it’s for home desktop users, while Latitude ON is designed for business users. Also, I think that Splashtop uses the computer’s resources, not a separate device, but I could be wrong!
-c