Re: [Gumstix-users] Gumstix newbie, have a few questions?

[elemein <seb...@ho...>]

Victhor Foster wrote:
> 
> 1. The Chestnut43 is the closest to what you need. There are no hard
> drive connections, the only external storage available(other than USB
> drives) is the microSD card slot.
> 2. From what I know, Linux, Windows CE and Android. I guess iOS won't be
> supported anytime soon ;) Gumstix computers use ARM architecture
> processors, which are fundamentally different from x86 processors(the
> ones you probably use in your computer), therefore standard desktop
> OSes(i.e. x86 ones) won't be able to run on Gumstix.
> 3./4. 720 MHz isn't that bad for a ARM processor, even though they are
> going over 1 GHz now. I can set the clock speed on my Overo, so
> overclocking might be possible, though I have used it to underclock it.
>> 
>> 
>> elemein wrote:
>> > 
>> > Hi, I'm new to Gumstix, and new to the forums, but I'm trying to get
>> into
>> > mobile computing. Specifically, I have a goal, and it's actually VERY
>> big.
>> > I want to make the smallest UMPC (okay, so it's literally not big, but
>> > logically, it is ;-) ) 
>> > 
>> > So I took a look around, and the discontinued Microsoft OQO came up as
>> the
>> > smallest one, having a height of only about 3.3" and a length of 5.6"
>> and
>> > having a 1" thickness, it's going to be difficult to beat, but I was up
>> > for a challenge anyway.
>> > 
>> > So I was looking around for the smallest motherboards I could find; I
>> > looked at qseven. Their carrier boards would be too big for what I
>> want.
>> > The mobile-ITX boards looked a little more doable, but they were only
>> made
>> > by one company in Taiwan (not really a good point for me, and they're
>> not
>> > very common to begin with). I took a look at the CoreExpress, which had
>> > slightly larger dimensions than the mobile-ITX, and these were even
>> MORE
>> > unavailible than mobile-ITXs. So I took a look around and found
>> Gumstix.
>> > 
>> > So that's my backstory, now onto my questions, I have quite a few, so
>> let
>> > me number them, they should be fairly easy to answer.
>> > 
>> > 1. I took a brief look around the Gumstix website, and I decided on
>> using
>> > the Overo series. The COM has no onboard USB/LCD/3.5mm/etc. inputs;
>> > OBVIOUSLY expected, so I took a look at the expansion boards, and
>> really,
>> > there also isnt much there either in terms of having all the features I
>> > want (the features I want is atleast 1 USB port (to add a USB hub),
>> some
>> > kind of input to a hard drive (I'll be getting one inside my UMPC of
>> > course), an input for an LCD screen (or any non-touchscreen for that
>> > matter), a 12V DC input (for battery power input) and preferably
>> > ethernet), is there any expansion boards I can get for those features?
>> Or
>> > am i going to have to look elsewhere? If I can't, are there any
>> solutions
>> > for this problem?
>> > 
>> > 2. What operating systems run on Gumstix? I was taking a look around
>> the
>> > forums and saw that most Linux OSes will run on them, as well as
>> Windows
>> > CE, and no mention of Apple OSes. Now I preferably would want to be
>> able
>> > to run all three types of OSes, if not all three, atleast Windows. Now,
>> I
>> > have no problems with Windows CE, it looks fine to me, but obviously I
>> > would strongly prefer being able to have a "desktop" OS on it (such as
>> > Windows XP, or 2000, or Vista, etc.). Is it possible to run these OSes
>> on
>> > it? Even if they're 32-bit versions? If not, are there any solutions? 
>> > 
>> > That's all my questions for now, I guess I will have more later on, but
>> > that's later. Thanks guys! I appreciate the work you will put into your
>> > answers!
>> > 
>>     Oh woops! I forgot two more questions!
>> 3. The Overo Fire (my preffered COM) only runs at a clock rate of 720
>> MHz,
>> obviously, this isnt very fast for a PC, and even for a UMPC. Is it
>> possible
>> to simultaneously have two gumstix COMs working together from the same
>> harddrive, same OS, same basicly everything, but just to have the added
>> power of the second gumstix? I would really rather have 720 MHz x 2
>> Gumstix
>> than just one, but if I cant, thats fine.
>> 
>> 4. Can you overclock Gumstix processors?
>> 
>> Thanks! I hope you'll pardon the mixup! 
> 
> 
> 
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1. Ah, well is a USB hub supported? From what I've seen, most any other port
that I need (bluetooth, hard drive, etc.) is availible through some USB
dongle or direct connection, in which case, even though it's not exactly
preferable, it should do the job fine.

2. Oh, would it be possible if I were to modify Windows CE to ACT more like
a desktop OS? (Change visuals, add dlls, change other things I may find out
later as I'm not super familiar with Windows CE), also, does that many any
32-bit programs will not be supported by the processor? 

3. I know 720 MHz is pretty decent for a ARM processor, but I'm trying to
make it most like a mobile PC, so more power is always welcome. And again,
can I "connect" two gumstix to use their capabilities for one device?

4. Pandaboards and Beagleboards both use ARM processors as well, they only
come with the other ports that i would need. Though, is it possible to take
out the ARM processor and replace it with an Intel Atom or similar? (Sorry
if this seems like a stupid question, I am actually very new to ARM
processors, and I dont know the Cortex A-8 pinset it uses...) 

5. A Micro-SD isnt really enough space for the project. How could I make it
so a USB HDD becomes the primary booting drive?

Thank you again. If the Gumstix platform truly is just unsuitable for my
project, then I may have to move back to Qseven/mobile ITX/ExpressCore, and
try to work something out... Oh but, what are the Beagle/Pandaboards
categorized as? 
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