Video: HY Research's Beagle Board-based MID
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted April 8th 2009 10:14PM
posted April 8th 2009 10:14PM
This next item is a homebrew MID loosely based on the funky and fresh Nokia N800. Sure, until Mr. HY Research gets a battery installed, the "mobile" part of this internet device will rely on an extension cord... but that said, this is one fun little project. Based on the ARM Cortex A8-based Beagle board, it features a 4.3-inch (480 x 272) display, Bluetooth, support for OpenGL ES 2.0, S-Video and HDMI outputs, USB, SD / MMC, RS-232, and audio in / out connections. As controls go, this thing sports not only a touchscreen, but a five position joystick, three position slider, and plenty of buttons as well. Not bad, not bad at all. The company is on the lookout for "consulting and designs of custom expansion boards," so if you're in the mood to do some business, hit that read link. If you're really just a fan (aren't we all?) there is an action packed video of the thing in action, after the break.
[Via SlashGear]
[Via SlashGear]
I still prefer big bad beetleborgs.
I could've sworn it said that... Seriously.
Cool little project. OMAP3530 for the win! I think he's ripping himself off with that PSP resolution screen though. 800x480 would be nicer.
Is there a reason the case has the texture of an elephant turd? (Elephant Turd would be an awesome band name, by the way)
Because it's a one-off DIY project, not a mass produced gadget.
Yeah, this thing is what one guy managed to slap together in about two weeks. That's pretty impressive.
(He's got a BeagleBoard Rev C in there, and the Rev C2 was only publicly released a couple weeks ago.)
Yes, the iPhone is just a toy. The Palm is just a phone. Neither are computers, both are glorified cellphones. Neither will run much in the way of your typical business software. Cry yourself to sleep at night because %90 of the computers in the world use Windows. And if you don't believe me, check the return rate of Netbooks with Linex installed. If it doesn't run Windows, forget about it.
And if you use a Mac, check your upper lip for a little Steve Jobs on it. Remember, Steve likes it best when you swallow.
only chance it has of survival is if its priced at 50% what ipod touch.,which would be $115.
Anything more than that will have a guaranteed death,at least here in america.,agree,.,?
Surely you're smart enough to realize that this is some random dude's personal homebrewed product and not a demo of some multinational conglomorate's new product.
This is not even in the same class as an ipod touch, it has a processor capable of running a complete desktop environment. The price range is completely different. A more comparable product would be the Archos 5 which features the same processor. The Beagle board alone costs 150$. Totally out of place comparison.
iPhone clone! sheesh, I wonder when they'll stop copying the thing...
I hope you can see the irony there :)
iPhone clone?!? WTF? How is this an iPhone clone? Its faster, runs a real OS and was put together using home materials.
You're forgetting who writes this blog. Bought and paid for by Apple.
For those that don't know: the Beagleboard is based on the OMAP3530, the same board that powers the Pandora.
*the same processor, not same board. Pandora's is custom :P
The beagle is pretty cool regardless
There's an old IT joke about a man that unveils, to a room full of tech-heads, a pocket size super computer, 400Ghz, 1 TB of RAM, 100 TB of storage, and a 3D hovering holographic image for a display. And the first thing the first nerd asks is, "Yah, but can it run Windows?".
That's the $64,000 question, where's WinXP? Anything less is just a toy.
"just a toy"? so all Palm devices are toys? so the iPhone is just a toy? so all the things that don't run windows are just toys? I think you should reconsider that statement. As far as portable devises go, windows is not the Goliath it is on the desktop, well not completely at least.
Take a look behind you Max. That rocking motion is you getting screwed Ballmer deep.
Yes, the iPhone is just a toy. The Palm is just a phone. Neither are computers, both are glorified cellphones. Neither will run much in the way of your typical business software. Cry yourself to sleep at night because %90 of the computers in the world use Windows. And if you don't believe me, check the return rate of Netbooks with Linex installed. If it doesn't run Windows, forget about it.
And if you use a Mac, check your upper lip for a little Steve Jobs on it. Remember, Steve likes it best when you swallow.
@Max oh you soo copy pasted that ... oh and how many of those Linux netbooks are really returned because the SSDs are too small.. and how many of the HDD versions that 99% of the time are now running Linux?
That 400Ghz processor ought to be able to emulate XP pretty well with QEMU. ;)
-J
oh, its so pretty!! That industrial pockmarked texture was not necessary, homebrew concept or not. Art design dept must be a steelworker called Paulie
Yes, as bhtooefr commented, that's incredible progress considering that the Rev C2 board just became "widely" available at the end of March/beginning of April. That's the first thing I noticed, too: the Rev C2 board with the two new 20-pin expansion header areas for raw LCD control just below the big general purpose header that's always been there. HY mentions that the Beagle is unmodified except for populating those areas with headers to interface to the Sony LCD panel. Thank goodness he didn't try to convert DVI-D to drive the panel because that's a solution that wouldn't fly for most people even if it's "doable." It's like going to from New York to London via LA. It's unfortunate that earlier Beagle Board designs didn't directly provide the LCD signals (as they arguably should have) or HY would already have already shipped polished kits or assembled units. I wonder if those interface wires cause any problems with RF being picked up by the panel. Apparently not much, though the FCC might beg to differ. Well, sorry to focus on the LCD aspects. Good work, HY! Seeing it working should give more of us the confidence to consider moving from "spectator" to "player" for our own ideas. Meanwhile, a MID version might just hit the spot for others willing to venture out a bit for a walk on the wild side.