I have been looking for a Sylvania #SmartBook for some time & finally got one!
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@Judeau Oooohhhh. That seems really really nice...
@nazokiyoubinbou It's interesting to say the least. It's such a strange product released several years after internet enabled smartphones emerged.
I've heard that they were primarily sold at Walgreens and CVS pharmacy for around $100. Such a strange underpowered product and UNBELIEVABLY cheap feeling. Haha!
One of my favorite things is the bottom left corner of the box. They knew consumers were going to be confused as to what this was. It's no Asus Eee PC that's for sure!
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@nazokiyoubinbou It's interesting to say the least. It's such a strange product released several years after internet enabled smartphones emerged.
I've heard that they were primarily sold at Walgreens and CVS pharmacy for around $100. Such a strange underpowered product and UNBELIEVABLY cheap feeling. Haha!
One of my favorite things is the bottom left corner of the box. They knew consumers were going to be confused as to what this was. It's no Asus Eee PC that's for sure!
@Judeau I just really really really miss super small, minimal devices that at least did basic computer stuff.
Though I guess since that was "Windows Embedded" in the 7 era, it was probably already past the point of no return for Microsoft on such devices. The last version I remember being really truly open and usable was 2003.
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@Judeau I just really really really miss super small, minimal devices that at least did basic computer stuff.
Though I guess since that was "Windows Embedded" in the 7 era, it was probably already past the point of no return for Microsoft on such devices. The last version I remember being really truly open and usable was 2003.
@nazokiyoubinbou What I would do for a new netbook... I remember when my sibling brought home their first Eee PC and it was the coolest little computer I had ever seen.
It really seemed like the future.
If someone wants to make a new high quality notebook, for a good price I'm all for it.
This smartbook carries over a lot of the Pocket PC feel, even though it's not a touch screen.
I don't know how open the system is, but I look forward to finding out.
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@nazokiyoubinbou What I would do for a new netbook... I remember when my sibling brought home their first Eee PC and it was the coolest little computer I had ever seen.
It really seemed like the future.
If someone wants to make a new high quality notebook, for a good price I'm all for it.
This smartbook carries over a lot of the Pocket PC feel, even though it's not a touch screen.
I don't know how open the system is, but I look forward to finding out.
@Judeau It really was! I loved the EeePCs to death when they came out and since have loved things that are similar. There are still some "netbooks" of sorts, but they don't call them that now and they're never that small anymore.
What was really amazing, and IMO the ultimate culmination of that, were the true "2-in-1" systems. I had one. The Asus Transformer T100HA. It had an Intel Atom SoC (why the F did Intel stop making the Atom????) so effectively was a tablet, but x86 and able to run standard PC Windows and Linux. Yes that includes old classic games without any emulation! But it could dock into a relatively solid keyboard attachment for keyboard and touchpad mouse like a laptop (and a proper USB port instead of using OTG.) Kind of like a Steamdeck, but in a laptop form.
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@Judeau It really was! I loved the EeePCs to death when they came out and since have loved things that are similar. There are still some "netbooks" of sorts, but they don't call them that now and they're never that small anymore.
What was really amazing, and IMO the ultimate culmination of that, were the true "2-in-1" systems. I had one. The Asus Transformer T100HA. It had an Intel Atom SoC (why the F did Intel stop making the Atom????) so effectively was a tablet, but x86 and able to run standard PC Windows and Linux. Yes that includes old classic games without any emulation! But it could dock into a relatively solid keyboard attachment for keyboard and touchpad mouse like a laptop (and a proper USB port instead of using OTG.) Kind of like a Steamdeck, but in a laptop form.
@nazokiyoubinbou I have never seen that 2-in-1 before. That thing looks slick and I love the fact that it's x86 architecture.
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@nazokiyoubinbou I have never seen that 2-in-1 before. That thing looks slick and I love the fact that it's x86 architecture.
@Judeau It was. And they don't really make them like that anymore.
My T100 died. It started freezing and now won't even turn on. A cap or something died maybe? I don't know. I looked at trying to get something else, but they quit making them the same. Now they all are just folding things that keep the bulk of a very bulky system attached. I guess this was mostly because they no longer had the convenience of a simple single system on chip when the Atom went away. Perhaps now that AMD has chips that are delivering a similar convenience this could come back? Please?? I mean, when you get right down to it, these types of things aren't so different from, say, a Steamdeck, but lower end, less powerful.
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I have been looking for a Sylvania #SmartBook for some time & finally got one!
These are such interesting devices. One part 90's H/PC, one part 2000's #PocketPC & thrown into a #NetBook form factor.
It's a strange hybrid device of form and function.
I can't wait to tinker around with this. Since it runs on ARM and #WindowsCE I have heard there are ways to load pocket PC programs on it, though they may be unoptimized.
@Judeau I had one of these running android, and was able to install Linux on it but the track pad was almost unusable, especially with the buttons on either side. Hope you have fun with it! I remember it being surprisingly light.
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R relay@relay.an.exchange shared this topic
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@Judeau I had one of these running android, and was able to install Linux on it but the track pad was almost unusable, especially with the buttons on either side. Hope you have fun with it! I remember it being surprisingly light.
@james From what I heard the Android version had a much better processor. I think it was 800 MHz whereas this Win CE is something like 300 MHz.
And yeah, the mouse buttons on the side of the trackpad are horrible. The entire thing feels like cheap hollow plastic.
I really wanted this one because it ran Windows CE and I can put a bunch of pocket PC PDA programs on it.
That's awesome that you had Linux up and running on yours. Do you remember what distro it was?
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@james From what I heard the Android version had a much better processor. I think it was 800 MHz whereas this Win CE is something like 300 MHz.
And yeah, the mouse buttons on the side of the trackpad are horrible. The entire thing feels like cheap hollow plastic.
I really wanted this one because it ran Windows CE and I can put a bunch of pocket PC PDA programs on it.
That's awesome that you had Linux up and running on yours. Do you remember what distro it was?
@Judeau I can't find the Linux distro, although I think it was some form of Debian. I did find an old RemixOS install tool I had for it.
Looks like it's on Archive.org as well https://archive.org/details/RemixOSForPC64B2015123002.7z
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@Judeau I can't find the Linux distro, although I think it was some form of Debian. I did find an old RemixOS install tool I had for it.
Looks like it's on Archive.org as well https://archive.org/details/RemixOSForPC64B2015123002.7z
@james That's interesting and thanks for the link. I just was more curious than anything.
I'm definitely going to keep this as a Windows CE device. I'm a huge fan of #PocketPC PDAs and #WindowsCE devices.
However, it's always neat to see what other OS's people are able to successfully boot on devices.
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@james That's interesting and thanks for the link. I just was more curious than anything.
I'm definitely going to keep this as a Windows CE device. I'm a huge fan of #PocketPC PDAs and #WindowsCE devices.
However, it's always neat to see what other OS's people are able to successfully boot on devices.
@Judeau I like WindowsCE as well. I wish it was easier to install software on many of the devices, but that's part of what makes them useful for me. Instant on, get right to Word and start working.
My favorite #WindowsCE device is the Vadem Clio. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadem_Clio). I have two of these. I used to have a very nice third one, but they're very picky about power and I fried it using a voltage adapter.
