For what I do with programming, see here.
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Linux references :

If you know nothing about Linux, I was the maintainer of the LinuxFAQ for the LINUX echo on fidonet.
My first Linux distro was SLS - yes, that long ago ! Goto Distrowatch for a list of distributions.
You can even find Linux en wallon!

Software

References to some software or companies I like:

OS/2 references :

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Handhelds

Before smartphone, if you wanted some computing power on the go, what you were looking for was a handheld, as they were called, or a palmtop. As the name implies, palmtops are small computers that hold on your palm. NOT to be confused with agenda, which are dumb, palmtops were actually smart little beasties, because they could run other programs than those they have onboard when sold. The great-grand father of those is probably the Psion II organizer, or maybe some TI calculator. Also known as PDA, there are all but gone today, since they have been replaced by smartphones. Psion and Palm are probably the best known, and most likely the best - period :-).

Palm and compatibles

Psion references

For those of you who don't know it, the Psion was a palmtop, or rather I should say THE palmtop. Once you have lived with a Psion 3c, you won't need or want any other (Sorry Psion, that includes the serie 5). Unfortunately, none of those machine exist anymore. The Zaurus is the best alternative.

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Zaurus references

In order to replace my trusted and faithful Psion3x, I had to look for something fitting my needs. Those were: Needless to say that as soon as Sharp came out with its Zaurus line, I started being very interested and watched closely all models. Several factors made me go for the C860, even though the battery requirement was not completely fullfilled:
It was a linux machine, and as such, filled all software requirement.
It had a keyboard and was small.
As a 400mhz with 128 Megs Ram, it was powerful enough.
There were only two major problems:
1) it was not officially sold outside Japan.
2) It was very expensive.
Both problems suddenly found a solution when, at a time when the dollar was plundging against the euro, a friend located a unit in Bruxelles. Needless to say that I jumped on it.
Since the original software was completely in japanese, and my japanese is shaky at best, I flashed the memory with another system: Opie.
Here are the websites I found useful / interesting in relation with the Zaurus:
Some reviews of the beasts:C3000

Systems, Software, Documentation


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Alternative OSes / Open Sources :


The ancestor: Minix


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Programming languages:



The History of computers

Military Archives and PC technical guide are worth a look.




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