Reading on the TouchPad

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Until the software comes from HP, it is hacking.

So, has someone that has installed firefox on their Apple Macintosh or Microsoft Windows computer hacked their computer?

Firefox certainly does not come from Apple or Microsoft.

Originally Posted by Nate the great

And it may sound like I use it as a dirty word becuase I usually have bad luck while doing it. That's why I don't hack most of my devices.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

So, has someone that has installed firefox on their Apple Macintosh or Microsoft Windows computer hacked their computer?

Firefox certainly does not come from Apple or Microsoft.

The cases are not parallel. You don't have to put your computer into developer's mode to install Firefox.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

The cases are not parallel. You don't have to put your computer into developer's mode to install Firefox.

How about running Linux as the only operating system on a computer? Did I hack it?

This is fun!

[Graham]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

The cases are not parallel. You don't have to put your computer into developer's mode to install Firefox.

To be fair though, you only have to put your Touchpad into developer's mode just to install the Preware app. As soon as you've done that you can switch it back out of developer's mode. The apps in the Preware catalogue don't need developer's mode to run.

It's not a great deal different to ticking the box in Android settings that allows you to install apps from outside the Android Market - which you would need to do to use the moderated Amazon app store, for example.

Graham

[ScalyFreak]

We have successfully hi-jacked the thread with a discussion about semantics!

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

The cases are not parallel. You don't have to put your computer into developer's mode to install Firefox.

Sure, you have to use an administrator account to install new programs in windows But ScalyFreak is right, why argue about this? Those are just words, with "hacking" being particularly difficult to pin down in most circumstances, anyway. That would deserve a whole new thread all by itself.

[ScalyFreak]

In an effort to get the thread back on track (and distract myself from the fact the TouchPad still isn't here yet ), I was just wondering if Ubuntu will automatically be able to access any stored data, music, et cetera, or if I need to do something to make that happen? And has anyone tried running Calibre in Ubuntu on TouchPad, and how did it run?

[rhari79]

Apologies if this diverts again.
But is ubuntu running over a vm?
How does this affect the battery life of the touchpad?

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

In an effort to get the thread back on track (and distract myself from the fact the TouchPad still isn't here yet ), I was just wondering if Ubuntu will automatically be able to access any stored data, music, et cetera, or if I need to do something to make that happen? And has anyone tried running Calibre in Ubuntu on TouchPad, and how did it run?

If you are running the "Easy Ubuntu configuration script" and check the appropriate option (something about access to internal memory), then your Ubuntu has full access to your WebOS file system (and the other way around). Talking about music, there is really no need to do that in Ubuntu. You may have to search the Precentral forums for tweaking Ubuntu audio, but WebOS works fine for music. And Ubuntu stinks for Video, since we don't have all the graphics drivers.

I can also report that Adobe Reader for WebOS has been upgraded and seems improved.

I didn't try to run Calibre in Ubuntu, interesting idea though. I had some problems with the Kindle reader on the Touchpad, so converting on the fly might be an idea. However, I mostly use FBReader, which can handle non-DRM books of almost any type you throw at it and gives you additional formatting options without changing the underlying files.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by rhari79

Apologies if this diverts again.
But is ubuntu running over a vm?
How does this affect the battery life of the touchpad?

You split the touchpad's memory, and create a seperate disk for Ubuntu. Then, after installation, the whole Ubuntu will run just like any webOS program. You can maximize it, our you can keep it running in the background while you do something else. You close it by swiping the card off screen.

Unless you do some heavy lifting in the background, I don't see how having Ubuntu would affect battery life. The HP's battery life is good, but not stellar. Of course, I watch a lot of flash-based video online. But I get through the day easily, keeping WiFi running and mostly reading the newspaper on it in the morning and browsing, e-mails, whatever in the evenings.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

If you are running the "Easy Ubuntu configuration script" and check the appropriate option (something about access to internal memory), then your Ubuntu has full access to your WebOS file system (and the other way around).

Sweet, that will make it easy.

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I can also report that Adobe Reader for WebOS has been upgraded and seems improved.

I mainly want Ubuntu for PDF reading, so if WebOS improves to the point it can do it well, I might pass on Ubuntu.

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I didn't try to run Calibre in Ubuntu, interesting idea though. I had some problems with the Kindle reader on the Touchpad, so converting on the fly might be an idea. However, I mostly use FBReader, which can handle non-DRM books of almost any type you throw at it and gives you additional formatting options without changing the underlying files.

I've used FBReader before on my phone, and it was okay. I want to run Calibre because that's what I use to manage my library on my computer, so it would be easy for me to migrate the library to the TouchPad.

I found out why it's taking to so long for my TouchPad to arrive. It hasn't shipped yet! Apparently having a fire-sale with a price reduction that makes Steam's Holiday sales look conservative does a number on inventory levels. Who knew?

It may be another couple of weeks before it gets here.

[HansTWN]

Not trying to crush your hopes here --- but where did you order it? Does anyone still have some in stock -- I think not. After all, rumor has it only 1-200 K additional units were made and most are going to HP employees. Do you have a confirmed order directly from HP? A lot of those shipped in the last few days, as I have read. Wherever you ordered it, you have to be pretty high up the waiting lists to have a chance.

Too many people bought a great number of units to resell them for a large profit on ebay.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Do you have a confirmed order directly from HP?

Yes, I actually do. They're just really slow in processing their orders and shipping them out...

[Indio777]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Yes, I actually do. They're just really slow in processing their orders and shipping them out...

This is from the HP site:

"As long as your order passed all payment verification, your order will be fulfilled. However, we do not have enough stock to satisfy all orders at this time. It will take up to 6-8 weeks to build enough HP TouchPads to meet our current commitments, during which time your order will then ship from this stock with free ground shipping. You will receive a shipping notification with tracking number once your order has shipped. We apologize that these timelines are longer than indicated on the website at time of purchase. "

HP was just overwhelmed by the demand once the firesale started. I would have never have bought the Touchpad at its original price; way too expensive and I think some poor decisions were made tech-wise that kind of doomed it, but I thought the firesale prices were too good to pass up. Evidently a lot of people felt the same way.

This post from the precentral forums has a rather extensive guide to further tweaking the Touchpad: http://forums.precentral.net/hp-touc...ted-guide.html

Evidently, some of the tweaks are supposed to greatly improve performance. I am planning installing prereader and working through the guide over the weekend.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Indio777

HP was just overwhelmed by the demand once the firesale started.

The note you posted from the website was sent to me in email. I'll say only that given the way they've managed their business the past few years I am unsurprised, and leave it at that...

Oh well. Gives me lots of time to do research. Preware, here I come!