In fact, you should be able to have both on the Pandora: With Ubuntu installed, you're basically getting a normal Ubuntu distro with normal package management. I would advize to keep all programs on the one SD card though, to avoid a horrible mess...

You really can't include libraries used by more than one application in a "self-contained" deb.

As soon as you have the same file included in more than one package the package manager (the apt/dpkg part, not the application manager) will refuse to install the second package because of a conflict.
This makes perfect sense when you think about it. There's no way the package manager can know the difference between two authors accidentally using the same name and path for a library, or including the same library.

The other alternative, which is to use static linking (that is, including all the code inside the application) is also useless on a tablet due to the excessive memory requirement. It would totally suck.

In other words, just forget about the idea of including shared libraries as part of every package, it won't work. Not even for non-default libraries not included in the flash filesystem.

I like "netpad", but if you want to communicate the idea of "does everything" then you either need to call it something geeky like "xxx computer" or something generic like "xxx pod." Any wordlets similar to "pod" that don't invoke Apple yet signify "generic device?"

GA, much better photo!

"pod" is a do it all device?

the only thing i connect pod with is podcast and that darn hardrive/mediaplayer...

/me hits tso on the head with an ipod

Considering the amount of time people have these tiny devices in their hands and the variety of uses they make of it, I tend to see them evolving more as a 'friend' or even an 'alter ego'.

Science fiction always thought about technology becoming our friends or alter egos in the form of humanoid robots, something between R2D2 and C3PO. However, what was relevant about those robots was the fact that they could tell and show you many interesting things, travelling always with you and introducing you to new beings and new worlds.

I hope Maemo 55 will become my R2D2 replacement.

Quim, remember my Nokia blog posts on this subject? You and ragnar both commented. Looks like I was on the right track... well, generally.

hmm, now that could be interesting. it would give me a reason to have my BT headset in my ear all the time, thats for sure

altho i get a bad "clippy" vibe from it all...

At 5:something am I didn't remember, no.

I don't know myself what is Peter after in this thread.

Shops in malls have just a bunch of labels to play with and they are quite reluctant to increase or even rename labels: phones, PDAs, PCs, laptops, consoles, MP3 players, GPS navigators, digital cameras, fridges, microwaves...

Then you have a tech industry and blogosphere that simply love lavels and come up with things like UMPC, MIDs, tablets, Internet tablets and so on. Do we need or do we want another label? I'm glad Peter is here interested in this question, because thn I can concentrate on the open software, as usual.

Something that also makes me think are those users that come to forums like this and talk about the N810 as "the Nokia". Will we see people in the future going to a shop and asking for "a Maemo"?

imo, corp marketing love the labels, so that they can make their specific product stand out. bloggers on the other hand, specifically tech bloggers, more or less hate them. especially when there is a explosion of them around very similar products from different corps.