The Icon Bar: News and features: Another piece in the Picsel puzzle...
Posted by Tim Fountain on 11:29, 27/10/2000
| RISC OS, Microsoft, Graphics, RISCOS Ltd
Chris Evans has spotted an article in the Glasgow Sunday Herald about mystery company Picsel Technologies. Here's a snippet: "The cause of all the fuss is a piece of software, e-Page, that can sit on a tiny computer chip and allows existing text and graphics from the internet, or other information sources in any file format, to be downloaded on to a handheld device, in the same form as a traditional PC. If, for example, you wished to view a Microsoft Word document, a streaming video image or an internet page, Picsel's technology allows you to view them perfectly without actually relying on the original software to do so." Among the 19-strong staff who work at there are ex-RISCOS Ltd. programmers Justin Fletcher, Matthew Bullock and Dave Thomas, and RISC OS programmer Joseph Heenan; but up until now we haven't actually known what the company does. Don't get your hopes up about handheld devices running RISC OS though, as this isn't going to happen.
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Another piece in the Picsel puzzle... |
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(11:38 27/10/2000)
[martin] (12:00 27/10/2000)
Richard Goodwin (12:30 27/10/2000)
Tim Fountain (12:54 27/10/2000)
Justin (13:25 27/10/2000)
Matthew (13:27 27/10/2000)
Joseph (13:30 27/10/2000)
Tim Fountain (14:11 27/10/2000)
Justin (17:57 27/10/2000)
Andrew Weston (18:23 27/10/2000)
David Thomas (22:55 27/10/2000)
Gav (00:07 28/10/2000)
Tim Fountain (11:31 28/10/2000)
Justin (15:40 28/10/2000)
Richard Goodwin (07:59 29/10/2000)
keith dunlop (18:59 3/11/2000)
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David Thomas |
Message #88136, posted at 11:38, 27/10/2000 |
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"Could we be seeing handheld devices running RISC OS in the not-too-distant-future?"
No.
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[martin] |
Message #88137, posted at 12:00, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88136 |
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Then I wonder what all these people are doing there?
(Apart from playing networked computer games in the office ;-) |
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Richard Goodwin |
Message #88138, posted at 12:30, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88137 |
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Perhaps the machines are based on RISC (ARM) chips, but not running RISC OS?
The fairly large processing power for a much smaller requirement of electrical power compared to x86 chips (4eg), coupled with recent moves to add extras to ARM chips so that they can do pretty much everything without too much extra circuitry, mean ARM chips are targetted at mobile devices quite a lot these days.
For instance, for a while now we've had ARM chips with memory controllers etc. built in - like with the A3010, and now the RiscStation stuff (I think!). Now add LCD and serial port controllers, stuff like that, and all you need for a new PDA is the chip, the stuff to plug your LCD screen or serial lead in to, and much less in the way of extra (and so costly) addition components in between.
That's probably over-simplifying technical stuff I only half understand ;) but a knowledge of programming for these chips in machine code would be an advantage when working for a company that uses ARM chips. |
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Tim Fountain |
Message #88139, posted at 12:54, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88138 |
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:) |
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Justin |
Message #88140, posted at 13:25, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88139 |
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Why is it that people seem to assume that if you've worked with RISC OS, that's all you're going to do in the future ? Blinkered, RISC OS users ? Nah...
Oh, and I think you'll find that Dave Thomas is an ex-RISCOS Ltd employee too :-)
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Matthew |
Message #88141, posted at 13:27, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88140 |
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But that is all they can do. |
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Joseph |
Message #88142, posted at 13:30, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88141 |
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Well I can hold my RPC in my hand. You lot clearly have small hands... |
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Tim Fountain |
Message #88143, posted at 14:11, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88142 |
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There was no assumption, merely speculation. Several of RISC OS' most famous (perhaps fame is the wrong word...) programmers move from the company who are responsible for RISC OS, to another company who're doing "something" with handheld devices. It's not that big a jump to make.
Oh and I know Dave worked for ROL. I've edited the news item to make that a little clearer. |
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Justin |
Message #88144, posted at 17:57, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88143 |
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Infamy... mu-ha-ha-ha-ha...
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Andrew Weston |
Message #88145, posted at 18:23, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88144 |
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Good luck to the Picsel staff and they're clearly talented people. Nice to know what they're doing but I suspect that it's largely irrelevant to most people dedicated to RISC OS. |
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David Thomas |
Message #88146, posted at 22:55, 27/10/2000, in reply to message #88145 |
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Oh, by the way. The product is ePAGE. Small 'e', the rest in capitals. :-) |
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Gav |
Message #88147, posted at 00:07, 28/10/2000, in reply to message #88146 |
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Infamy? ... as in 'they've all got it Infamy' |
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Tim Fountain |
Message #88148, posted at 11:31, 28/10/2000, in reply to message #88147 |
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Tell the Sunday Herald, I'm only quoting from their article :). |
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Justin |
Message #88149, posted at 15:40, 28/10/2000, in reply to message #88148 |
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It's just a pity that you missed out on the cool photo that went with the article. Ah well... |
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Richard Goodwin |
Message #88150, posted at 07:59, 29/10/2000, in reply to message #88149 |
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Well, if anyone can source us a copy... |
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keith dunlop |
Message #88151, posted at 18:59, 3/11/2000, in reply to message #88150 |
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Aha now we know where the RISC OS ltd. coders got poached to.
I hope you lot are deep in ARM-code learning how to remove the IOMD/VIDC problem....
TTFN ;-) |
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The Icon Bar: News and features: Another piece in the Picsel puzzle... |
