Subject:
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Re: Searching for alternatives
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Tue, 6 Feb 2001 13:25:47 GMT
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Original-From:
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Steve Baker <[sjbaker1@airmail.net]SayNoToSpam[]>
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Reply-To:
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sjbaker1@airmail.net=NoMoreSpam=
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Viewed:
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1386 times
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Rebel Transcanner wrote:
> > Is it possible to write programs for Wince without a costly development
> > system?
>
> Is that the point? I mean, if you want to program in NQC, why go to all the
> bother of purchasing this "Agenda" device, trying to hack into it, solder
> all these connectors and crap...
I'm not suggesting that you 'hack into it'...it has a perfectly well
documented set of programming tools and is easily interfaced to the PC.
I had a new program that I'd written myself running on the Agenda within
a half hour of taking it out of it's box. AgendaComputing *encourage*
you to delve into the sources and dink with the kernel software if that's
what you want to do.
I'm *certainly* not proposing to solder any connectors - all I want to
do is use it's existing 'commercial' IR port to drive my RCX and Scout
machines directly, no IR tower - either Lego or homebrew.
Being able to run NQC on the Agenda would be a bonus - and a bonus that
*should* just be a matter of typing 'make' to rebuild NQC for the Agenda,
no special version would be needed.
The new version of the Agenda Kernel that *should* allow me to drive
the RCX without the Lego IR Tower is due out in just a few days - then
we'll know for sure.
> when you can plug in your Mindstorms IR
> Tower to your WindowsCE palmtop, download freeware CENQC, and begin
> progarmming right away?
If you *ONLY* want to use NQC, yes. But if you want to write large,
complex AI programs and have them drive the robot from an on-board
computer, then I don't think Wince is a good choice because I strongly
*suspect* that the tools and API documentation needed for writing new
Wince programs are *far* from free.
I'm prepared to be proved wrong on that though - which is why I
asked the question:
> > Is it possible to write programs for Wince without a costly development
> > system?
...which you didn't answer.
> If that's true, it makes Pilot seem like a child's toy.
From a programmers' perspective, that's true. The Palm does seem like
a toy compared to the Agenda *IF* you are interested in writing new
programs for it - and especially if you are a Linux user and don't
want to have to learn an entire new operating system and API. (There
are also 'issues' about whether the Palms IR port can drive the RCX
without ugly hacking...dunno about that).
HOWEVER, the Agenda is a very new machine - and it doesn't yet have
the maturity of the Palm - so if you actually want to to PDA-ish
things like scheduling your life, storing phone contacts and recording
business expenses, (ESPECIALLY if you want to use handwriting recognition
to enter the data) - then the Palm is a better choice until the Agenda's
software becomes a little more mature.
I don't like the term 'PDA' to describe the Agenda. 'Palmtop Personal
Computer' would be a better description.
--
Steve Baker HomeEmail: <sjbaker1@airmail.net>
WorkEmail: <sjbaker@link.com>
HomePage : http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
Projects : http://plib.sourceforge.net
http://tuxaqfh.sourceforge.net
http://tuxkart.sourceforge.net
http://prettypoly.sourceforge.net
http://freeglut.sourceforge.net
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Searching for alternatives
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| "Steve Baker" <lego-robotics@crynwr.com> wrote in message news:3A7FFB5B.EF74DE...ail.net... (...) I would agree with that totally - I hadn't realized there was a need for higher computing. (...) ...beacuse I don't write computer programs, and I (...) (24 years ago, 6-Feb-01, to lugnet.robotics)
| | | Re: Searching for alternatives
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| (...) Are you attempting the NQC 'port' to the agenda? Please make sure you let us all know how it's going. Here's the four main things I think we all want: 1. Use it as a Remote (1 -255, motors etc) 2. Download Firmware to RCX 3. Download programs (...) (24 years ago, 6-Feb-01, to lugnet.robotics)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Searching for alternatives
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| "Steve Baker" <lego-robotics@crynwr.com> wrote in message news:3A7F6BC4.C89353...ail.net... (...) windows, (...) Is that the point? I mean, if you want to program in NQC, why go to all the bother of purchasing this "Agenda" device, trying to hack (...) (24 years ago, 6-Feb-01, to lugnet.robotics)
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