developerWorks: Zaurus Pioneers Embedded Linux

“George Santayana once said, ‘Those who cannot remember the past
are doomed to repeat it.’ But in the computer design industry, it
seems, this warning has gone unheeded. Companies often repeat the
mistakes, lessons, and improvements of previous systems.

“When the first announcements came out that a new Sharp Zaurus
would ‘run Linux,’ the Linux community was abuzz with fascination
and rumors. Years later, there are still handheld devices running
Linux that draw inspiration and ideas from Sharp’s work, even
though the Linux-based Zaurus has faded to obscurity in the U.S.
market…”

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