My O2 Joggler just arrived and it is quite an interesting piece of kit.
I’ve not had much time to play with it yet, but the O2 software stack seems a bit limited. Google calendar can be installed, but no mail, and I’m not sure the calendar will pop-up if something is approaching.
No web browser was a major failing in my opinion – Sure you get Sky News, but the interface for that is rather simple and I expected better (feels like WAP on a phone!)
The weather apps (for some reason there are two) are ok, but the default one seems to show some odd forecasts (
Friday, Thursday, Saturday with Friday and Thursday showing night forecasts for some reason)
I have yet to try uPnP for pictures and music, but the internet radio plays BBC stations fine.
The traffic app looks a bit simple, though the google maps app is nice. The messaging could be interesting as it can send/receive texts, but as I can’t see me using it much. The O2 calendar I have yet to try.
After poking that far, I decided to boot Ubuntu, so following http://www.stephenford.org/joggler/ I downloaded the Ubuntu image that has been customised for the Joggler, copied it to my usb key and it booted fine.
Getting wireless up was ok (at least I could copy and paste the wpa2 key from a file I put on the USB key before booting it, rather than typing the rather long random string I have on the on-screen keyboard as I had to for the O2 software), but I did find that using the touch-screen is not a good alternative to a mouse (and the on-screen keyboard can be really annoying!)
At least Ubuntu gives you a web browser (Chrome and Midori are installed by default in this image), but it is still tricky to use.
I had to increase the font sizes just to get windows that I could click the menus on.
So far the only thing it is actually great for is solitaire – which is a rather expensive deck of cards!
I need to try some of the hacks at http://www.jogglerwiki.info/ like installing telnet/ssh and then see what I can hack on top of the O2 software, as it seems better built for a touchscreen and keyboard-less device, though I am not sure what I will be able to get working. It does appear to have flash running on it, and one site suggests that any flash .swf file can be launched easily
Update: Good review at http://jtlog.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/new-clock-radio/
Similar to what I thought — after running ubuntu it reminded me that the stock UI was actually not bad for the intended purpose.
If I want to run as a “server” (for webcam, storage etc) then ubuntu is the clear choice — if I want to utilise the device as more of an input/touchscreen device the stock UI and custom flash apps is perhaps quite interesting. Not that I have CS4 to try (d/load a eval perhaps)
Enabling telnet / ssh is pretty easy, as is installing additional apps – although many referred to on joggler.info ie my PMJ don’t work that well. May be some value in looking at the chumby apps.
Meantime seriously wondering if getting 2 may be appropriate – one stock, one linux