Re: GNUstep Handheld

[Max Chan]

If you skip the “rugged” and “5-year availability” requirements, there are a lot of cheap Android tablets based on Allwinner chipsets out there, and you can mod one to run stock Debian then GNUstep on top. You may get ruggedness if you can design a better case while keeping those cheap guts.

If you don’t mind designing your own main PCB and case, Raspberry Pi Compute Module + AI-thinker A9 combo GSM/GPRS/tri-mode GPS (GPS + GLONASS + Beidou) module would work.

If you blow the 600 EUR budget cap, you can buy some rugged x86 tablets from folks like Toshiba, usually from their military lineup. Then you can either Hackintosh it (if the hardware allows it, and you feel like it) or put Ubuntu on it to put GNUstep on top.

顺颂商祺

陈北宗 Max Chan, from SushiBits Projects

Tel. +86 186-2165-8748

https://github.com/SushiBits

On May 6, 2020, at 17:33, Andreas Höschler via Discussion list for the GNUstep programming environment <discuss-gnustep@gnu.org> wrote:

Hi all,

I am investigating a niche project for which a handheld device with the following features is required:

• runs GNUstep so that Objective-C apps can be built
• mobile device (handheld, tablet,...), ideally rugged
• GPS receiver
• GPRS/LTE for connecting to the internet (SIM slot) (pppconfig)
• price tag < 600 EUR

The supply with this hardware should be save for the forthcoming years (at least 5 years).

Any ideas before I am forced to burry the GNUstep approach and have to take the iOS route?

Thanks a lot,

Andreas