Crazy idea: CE 4.2 on a Jornada 728?

Well this thread is to prove that a new OS can be put on, and probably double the RAM.
There's just enough room behind the screen panel for a certain bluetooth module.
I'm working to make a new backlight for the screen using white LEDs, and there's another screen panel that plugs in place of the current one to give a better contrast ratio.
The battery is easy.

We never found one that would work i dont think. There was a megathread on it a while ago.

That thread was aimed at finding an active matrix screen that would work simply by plugging it in place of the original, which is virtually impossible. I only aim to put in a slightly better passive matrix. That thread found a compatible one.

Agreed, running ce.Net off a flash card would be a boon to the community. I know I'd use it.

One thing I want to be clear on:
Is the purpose in gutting and creating a recombined Jornada instead of acquiring, say, a 900c a matter of form factor? I mean, I've considered just stripping everything from the case of my 7xx and starting from scratch, but after reading this thread and making some simple block diagrams it suddenly seems a lot of work for something that already exists but is just a tad larger.

Don't get me wrong, my 728 goes EVERYWHERE with me.

How do you intend to interface the bluetooth module to the system? Just because there is space for one doesn't mean it is possible? To me, the proof is in the pudding. Thus far I have heard a lot of blustering hand waving, and not a lot of technical detail.

I'm still thinking about how to interface the bluetooth module. It's a low priority.
My main project is getting windows CE 4.2 to run on the Jornada's hardware, and to burn it to a set of ROMs and solder them into the Jornada.

Running CE off a CF card has it's problems. You'd need to boo tinto CE 3 and then force it somehow into 4.2 as you do linux. And if I'm not mistake, that doesnt work as well as booting normally. Plus I think you'd have problems with storage and RAM and such.

Burning it to a ROM chip and soldering it in place of the existing one is actually not that hard. The harder part will be making drivers for CE that'll work with the Jornada and such. For that, I need the help of some interested developers, as it's over my head.

I'm not asking for anyone's money, not asking for investors or people to give me money in exchange for ROMs when the project finishes. I'm just trying to find some people who know how to do what needs to get done, and do it. The potential gains far outweigh the potential losses, and I think there's a very good chance it can be done.

Edited by Jax184 2006-06-21 5:29 PM

the bluetooth would be a HIGH priority for me
Rocketman, it has been done with other devices (simpad for example and zauruses). so it is possible.

oflash: the 900c is not just a "tad" larger than the 728. check out my comparison pics on my site! that difference sure can matter a lot to some people.

The mobilepro is unacceptably gigantic for me, which is part of the reason I'm working with the Jornada. Most of these mods would be cheap and easy to do, not terribly impractical.

I stand corrected about the size. To my mind, the largest of the HPCs, such as the Jornada 820 and the Intermec that compare in size to the the smallest full fledged notebooks are the most unwieldy but posses the greatest usability. Everything is a sacrifice.

Never having seen a Mobilepro in person, it just strikes me that the most recent of the NEC line has the greatest balance between up to date functionality and size.

Mind you, I knew that my comment on size would get my in hot water. I just didn't think I would be lambasted. I apologize for not taking my audience into account, where millimeters are the difference between a proper QWERTY keyboard and a qaWe45ty keyboard.

Again, I adore my Jornada (posting this message on it as the desktop's motherboard blew out) and make use of it daily.

I hope everything is possible as far as modifications go. I have my doubts about hardware. Namely a screen upgrade. I don't think the Epson display driver chip is every going to run a TFT display. But here's hoping for a better solution none the less.

Could we get thoughts on gutting the case and starting over? Or better yet, creating a new device that's Jornada sized from the foundations we already have. I propose we call it the Walkabout.

Edited by oflash 2006-06-21 10:23 PM

Gutting the Jornada and starting over would be one of the biggest and most expensive pains in the butt I can think of. The Jornada's hardware is capable enough that with a bit of work it can be made useable. But starting from scratch would take an investment of money that none of us would be willing to pay, and access to knowledge and equipment we don't have. I looked into it seriously for awhile, but couldn't make it work.

I don't have Smartbook, only one Jornada 720.

sorry, didn't want to make you feel this way. i just suggested you check out the comparison pics (between a J728 and a MP900). it is really personal preference which size fits you better.

still, the balance is really good between portability and comfortability with the 900c. i just can't take it everywhere like the j728. also it is sometimes too noticeable at some places when i take it out of my bag to work on / play with it a little no such problems with the jornadas

Thanks Cmonex. It's not a big deal. It was just the number and speed of the responses threw me a bit. You're a kind and benevolent guru as we all know.

A short term goal then. How about 128 Megs of RAM and something that I don't think has been considered before: An emulator. How possible would it be to emulate 4.x on a 3.0x machine. These forums have seen ambitious things, from commercial DOS emulators to Windows 9x on RISC processing platforms! I know the speed would suffer to a degree. That's why it is a stepping stone not a final destination.

I think it would be far less work to just make Windows CE run on the Jornada than to make it run in an emulator.

As this thread is falling out of interest...
I can't do this project on my own. I don't have the programming knowledge to complete it. You can't all wait for me to do it, as I'm unable to do it by myself. I need your help.

I'm not asking for money, but rather help to create the drivers and other related custom parts of the CE OS to make CE 4.2 run on the Jornada's hardware.

So if you've done similier work with the Jornada for the linux project, or just have experiance with these matters, I'm asking for your help to keep the Jornada platform alive.

I can't offer money, but I can offer a good price on a Jornada 728 to use as a test bed, and one of the new ROM boards should the project be completed.

Please post here or contact me if you think you can help out.