NEWS FLASH! In a press conference today, Compaq announced an application contest for Linux-based handheld devices for the purpose of “[driving] development and adoption of Linux applications on handheld devices such as the Compaq iPAQ.” Five finalists and one grand prize winner will be announced at LinuxWorld in August 2001. Full details are available on a special contest website.

About the contest

From the contest website . . .

Well, because Compaq is so ingrained in the Linux community, we have a little contest going for Linux Developers such as yourself. It involves you creating a cool new Linux app — either Business or Gaming — for those ubiquitous handheld devices (like ours). And showing the world your skills in the process. Or at least our judges, who are some of the most accomplished Linux luminaries around. Point is, you'll get noticed.

The prizes . . .

From the contest website . . .

• There will be a total of five finalists from which well known Linux community luminaries will select a single Grand Prize winner.
  
• Each of the five finalists will receive a Compaq iPAQ H3600 Pocket PC Handheld computer.
  
• The Grand Prize Handheld Application will be announced at LinuxWorld Fall 2001. The Grand Prize Winner will select from one of the following:
  
  
  • Compaq TFT8020 Monitor
    
  • Compaq Armada Notebook M700
    
  • Compaq Professional Workstation

In response to this question posed by LinuxDevices.com, Compaq representativese declined to acknowledge that there are any specific plans to market the iPAQ preloaded with Linux. Instead, a spokesperson carefully clarified that the purpose of the contest is “to drive solutions for Linux on handheld devices” such as the iPAQ.

The representative also pointed out that Compaq has sposored the handhelds.org community project for over a year, which uses the iPAQ PDA as its primary platform for handheld linux application development, and has been making iPAQ's available to members of the developer community in support of these efforts.

Additionally, Compaq has one European distributor which sells the iPAQ PDA preloaded with Linux.

 
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