[Updated May 3] — FlipStart, founded in 2002 by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, earlier this month began shipping its first product. The FlipStart 1.0 squeezes a full PC — including a 1.1GHz processor, hard drive, display, keyboard, and wireless communications — into an ultra-compact,… palm-sized package.

Product Manager Keith Amodt said FlipStart has “no plans to support operating systems other than Windows” on the device. However, he adds, “We have tested various flavors of Linux on FlipStart, and it will run just fine.”

Amodt continues, “Any experienced Linux users should be able to install and run Linux or BSD on our system with minor tweaks. They may not use 100 percent of our hardware capabilities — i.e. InfoPane, WAN, touchstick, etc. — but, the rest of the system is still very useable.”

A few tantalizing techie tidbits:

• ULV Intel Pentium M Processor, clocked at 1.1 GHz
• 5.9 x 4.5 x 1.4 inches, when closed up
• 5.6-inch, 1024 x 600-pixel touch-sensitive “wide SVGA” display
• 30 GB shock-mounted hard drive
• Three forms of wireless communications
• QWERTY keyboard

Despite its obvious geek appeal, the FlipStart 1.0 appears to be available initially only with Microsoft operating systems — including Windows Vista or XP. However, given its standard if miniaturized PC architecture, the device probably runs Linux just fine, assuming the company has not done something in the BIOS to prevent it — a prospect that seems unlikely, given the $2,000 price tag.

Learn more about FlipStart by reading the full story at WindowsForDevices:

 
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