The following brief announcement about an interesting new Japanese Linux implementation for the Compaq iPAQ PDA is provided courtesy of Linux Weekly News . . .

10art-ni Corporation, a Linux and Java system integrator in Japan, has announced their new product named “Melon.” Melon is a Linux kit which provides Japanese Linux environment on iPAQ, and is composed of Linux pre-installed 64MB Compact Flash and a manual. It does not require to remove the default OS on the inside flash ROM of iPAQ. Linux boots just by putting the CF into the iPAQ's card slot and starting Melon from the file manager. It is priced at about $100 and they are expecting to sell 1,000 kits in one year.

Further details . . .

• base distribution — Familiar0.4.1 by the Familiar Project
  
• GUI / Japanese environment — Shikigami by AXE, Inc.
  
• boot loader — CyaCE-YACH by Nicolas Bacca
  
• ROM monitor — RedBoot by Red Hat

Melon's website will be officially launched on November 1, 2001 . . .

• home page
  
• screen shots
  
• Press Release (in Japanese)

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