A Linux handheld computer is, in theory, easy and inexpensive given the availability of single-board computers, but in practice the budget invariably edges well into three figures. There’s an interesting alternative from [bkovac] that won’t break the bank as much, using a cheap 4G wireless hotspot, an iPhone USB keyboard case accessory, and, though a cheaper display could suffice, a fancy Adafruit Sharp memory display.
The hotspot is available from AliExpress for around 20 dollars/Euros/pounds, and it’s referred to by its model number, MF800. It’s powered by a Qualcomm MSM8916, also known as the Snapdragon 410, which you might have found in a budget cellphone early in the last decade. Importantly, though, it’s supported by mainstream Linux, and while it’s by no means the fastest on the block, it can be a poor man’s alternative to a Raspberry Pi. It comes with a small SPI display, but this project replaces it with a much bigger Sharp SPI memory display.
The build walks through a few case mods and a PCB mod on the modem, getting the keyboard to fit, and making a custom power board. Perhaps the software setup is the most interesting part, because this isn’t a simple case of installing a distro. Instead, there’s quite a bit of hackery to get the display working.
We really like this project because while a Linux handheld is nothing new, it’s making one using an unexpected starting point. It reminds us of the old days of running Linux on an old router.
This articles is written by : Fady Askharoun Samy Askharoun
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