“Today, PocketLinux is taking on the ambitious task of putting a
full Java environment, XML and a web server onto a PDA. Oh, and
user interface themes, the silly but cool-looking software
innovation du jour. Their target platforms are the PDAs we all
want, such as the Compaq iPAQ, which has 32 MB of RAM, 16 MB of
flash ROM and a big-enough-to-do-email-on color 240×320 screen.
That’s as much RAM as my second desktop Linux box.”
“Wait a minute? A Java GUI environment? How totally last
decade! Everyone knows Java is just the “new Cobol”–a server-side
language for people who write sales-tax-calculating applications
and wear short-sleeved shirts with ties to work!“
“Wrong. PocketLinux has an active development list, and if
anyone can take Java back to its “virtual machine for small
devices” roots, they can. If you think Java is lame, find me
another way to “beam” applications from PDAs of one architecture to
PDAs of another architecture.”