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A Review of the Always Innovating Touchbook

Issue 190

From Issue #190
February 2010

Feb 01, 2010  By Daniel Bartholomew
 in
Take an ARM Processor (the OMAP3530) add a touchscreen and Linux and a quart of uniqueness, and what do you get? A Touchbook from Always Innovating, that's what.
Conclusion

In the final analysis, I like the hardware much more than I like the software, and I like the Touchbook's potential more than I like its current state. If you just want a Netbook that works, stay away for now. If, however, you like tinkering and don't mind a bumpy road, there's a lot to like.

Resources

Always Innovating: alwaysinnovating.com

BeagleBoard: www.beagleboard.org

Re-install Instructions: www.alwaysinnovating.com/wiki/index.php/Reinstall_OS

Big Buck Bunny: www.bigbuckbunny.org

Daniel Bartholomew lives with his wife and children in North Carolina. His on-line home is at daniel-bartholomew.com.

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Too bad I can't have one

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 05/17/2010 - 08:24.

I'd love to buy one of these, but I can't see spending money now just to wait 6 months for the device to *maybe* be shipped, while never hearing from the company. This is pretty much what people have been reporting in the forums, and now apparently they aren't even making them:

https://www.alwaysinnovating.com/store/home.php

Why would you suspend production when an order backlog exists?

Just for hacking.

Anonymous's picture
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 11:37.

It sounds fun to tear apart and fool with but not good for much else. I'll stick to an iPad - usable for non-geek-wanking stiff but still plenty hackable.

Really interesting product

Angel Lightbringer's picture
Submitted by Angel Lightbringer on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 20:56.

I've read about the beagle board before, and I am very pleased to see some people actually had an excellent use for it.

I am looking forward to buy one of those in the future -- the touchbook -- maybe when Always Innovating clears the order backlog and finds a way to keep it low.

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