The BeagleBoard was mentioned on #maemo this morning, quite a neat little device. OMAP3530 based, so it's like the (caseless) desktop version of a NIT.

Seems like it has potential as some sort of mobile (or home) server, or maybe a lighter-weight Mac Mini sort of deal. Where you have a screen/keyboard/mouse at two locations and just lug the computer back and forth—smaller than a laptop without the size constrictions.

This thing is small. The OMAP3, in particular, is rather disturbingly bitesized from a desktop-CPU perspective.

From the Reference Manual:

The Beagle uses the OMAP3 version ES2.1. It is in a .4mm pitch POP package. POP (Package on Package) is a technique where the memory, NAND and SDRAM, are mounted on top of the OMAP3. For this reason, when looking at the Beagle, you will not find an actual part labeled OMAP3.

and

A 4 pin DIN connector is provided to access the S-Video output of the Beagle. This is a separate output from the OMAP processor and can contain different video output data from what is found on the DVI-D output.

They have a neat Flickr collection up. This shot was particularly fun:

It's been floating around the Pandora sites for some time. There's a lot missing that's on the Pandora, notably WiFi.

As for a mini desktop solution: I have two Linutops (the original and the Linutop2, here) and they are quite satisfactory as "you-just-don't-see'em" computers, although the S-video out of the Beagle is nice. Then again, my Linutops are hooked up to tvs with tuners, so I don't miss it that much and it seems it's becoming increasingly difficult to find tvs without a VGA plug.

Beagles may be cheaper, but Linutops are plug and play...

Eh, USB or SDIO. Not a hard problem to solve.

Cheaper is an understatement. Linutops are pushing $400, compared to the Beagle's $150. Plug and play isn't a bad argument, but that's not really the point of the Beagle and not all that exciting a selling point for my interests . . . hackable > plug'n'play.

As for what's missing from the Pandora specs, I'd have said notably the screen, keyboard, game controls, and case; the BeagleBoard is a bare board, and nobody's gonna homebrew handheld packaging as good as the Pandora.

I'm with GA on this point; if I get one of these (BeBo or Linutop), it's not gonna be about plug'n'play.

I can see a backpack server with one of these... it can handle GPS, heavyweight apps, and maybe WWAN capabilites; remote storage too, if I get enough stuff I want to lug around to warrant that. The IT/Pandora can be PANed up, and work nicely together, within 20+ meters. (Assuming Class 1 in the pack, Class 2 N800.) Out of range, the N800 remains rather functional on its own, and provided they both have internet access, preserves full app and storage server functionality with a little extra lag.

The interesting thing would be to throw a WAP in the pack as well, and when the BT starts dropping off, they automatically fire up a 802.11g link with phased-array antennas... (No, I'm not sure exactly where along the line that went from interesting to crazy.)

This one is interesting too



Seems like Maemo is an often used distro with it...

I wonder what is this dev board next to the N800...

Too bad, that it doesn't have network.
I hope that network can be added at the expansion-connector.

It's an OMAP35x EVM.

There's also the LogicPD Zoom OMAP34x for a slightly more complete solution.

Read the Reference Manual. The SD slot is SDIO, so you could stick a wifi card in there (perhaps one of the Eye-fi products?), you could also stick a USB Wifi card on the USB port.

i cant help wonder how well maemo does as a desktop interface

Probably not fantastically considering the fact that a lot of stuff is designed for 800x480.

Real sweet, I am looking for a device to do squid/ips/routing this may do esp. only 150 monopolies!!