Dr. Dobb's Journal - July 2008 - (Page 56)

State of the Art JAVA & THE NOKIA N810 INTERNET TABLET Listing One import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.*; import org.eclipse.swt.SWT; import org.eclipse.swt.layout.RowLayout; public class SWTTest { public static void main(String[] args) { Display display = Display.getDefault(); final Shell shell = new Shell(display); shell.setLayout(new RowLayout(SWT.VERTICAL)); Label label = new Label(shell, SWT.CENTER); label.setText("Hello DDJ!"); Button button = new Button(shell, SWT.NONE); button.setText("close"); button.addListener(SWT.Selection, new Listener() { public void handleEvent(Event arg0) { shell.dispose(); } }); shell.open(); while (!shell.isDisposed()) display.readAndDispatch(); } } Inside the N810 OS Sometimes referred to as “ITOS,” this Linux-based OS is a Nokia-sponsored community project called “Maemo” that is based on Debian GNU/Linux. ITOS tries to act like a desktop in your pocket. Most of its GUI and development platform comes from the GNOME project, and it uses Matchbox (window manager) and Hildon (GTK+ application framework) for the heavy lifting. ITOS supports preemptive multitasking, but limits the display to one application at a time, although you can switch between them. It also includes BusyBox (busybox.net) as a lightweight form of the common UNIX tools found on the desktop. Other applications available include Skype, Gizmo, and Google Talk for VoIP; Canola and MPlayer for multimedia; MNotify, Claws Mail, and Modest for e-mail; the Gnumeric spreadsheet application; Pidgin, Jabber, and GoogleTalk IM clients; Rhapsody music service; and a host of other applications for remote connectivity, personal information management, GPS navigation, and so on. The OS can be updated by re-flashing the device from a host computer via a USB connection. Future releases of the OS will support more IM clients, additional web browser choices, and an incremental OS update tool that will eliminate the need to reflash the device. Other changes may include a new interface, given the community’s success in making KDE 3, Openbox, and XFCE run on the OS, and Nokia’s recent port of Qt. —E.J.B. makes cross compilation and application development straightforward. It comes with a GNU cross-compilation tool chain and emulator based on QEMU Although the official Nokia/Maemo development language for the N810 is C, ScratchBox lets you code in C++, Python, Ruby, C# with Mono, and Java. Applications can be packaged as Debian (.deb) archives, and made available for installation through the Maemo Application Manager tool. Nokia is also working to port Ubuntu Linux to the device, and one community member has ported the KDE desktop to the N810. Conclusion Recall I began with a search for an iPhone-like device with a rich UI, multimedia capabilities, and the ability to run Java applications and connect wirelessly to make mobile calls without a carrier. With its wealth of connectivity options, the Linux-based Nokia N810 certainly comes close—and with the recent addition of WiMAX support, it comes even closer. On the other hand, since WiMAX N810 currently only works with Sprint’s Xohm network and the nonWiMAX N810 still requires a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone for mobile connectivity when away from a wireless LAN, it’s not quite there yet. But if you’re looking for a more open device that runs opensource software and gives you choices in terms of application development and communication options, the Nokia N810 is a perfect choice. As WiMAX gains in adoption, and as the number of free WiFi hotspots grows, Nokia ITOS-based tablets currently offer a reasonable alternative to smart phones with expensive mobile calling plans. DDJ 56 Dr. Dobb’s Journal l www.ddj.com l July 2008 http://busybox.net http://www.entrek.com http://www.ddj.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Dr. Dobb's Journal - July 2008

Dr. Dobb's Journal - July 2008 Contents Friday Night Fish Fry Alia Vox Developer Diaries Developer’s Notebook Engineers Without Borders Conversations Patricia Tries Event-Based Architectures Graphs Versus Objects Lock-Free Queues Dr. Dobb’s Architecture & Design World Java and the Nokia N10 Internet Tablet Effective Concurrency The Agile Edge Swaine’s Flames

Dr. Dobb's Journal - July 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.