GPL Linux Driver For The Synaptics cPad

jki writes "A historical moment for Openchallenge as a challenge has now went through the full circle. 18th August Mace Moneta submitted a challenge to develop open source Linux drivers for the Synaptics cPad (cPad is an LCD-equipped touchpad that provides notebook users with a secondary display as well as touch interface and navigation) integrated to Toshiba Satellite 5100-501 for example. Now, today Rob Miller submitted the solution implementing GPL'd Linux drivers. I am so thrilled to see Openchallenge really working -- I hope this opens the flood gates!"

Good for embedded Linux?

[bradams]

I think this would be a good display / input option for single board computers (SBC) that do not need a full time display.

Plug it in, check the config, move on to the next...

Re:kindegarten-level reading

[Anonymous Coward]

kindegarten-level reading

...kindergarten.

Competition to MS's Pen Tablets!

[JessLeah]

How hard would it be for a hobbyist geek to use one of these devices, commodity hardware, and a little cleverness (like that of those Mac hackers who would take apart a Powerbook, flip the keyboard back behind the display, mount it on a stand, and call it an iMac Jr. [applefritter.com]) to design the "OpenTablet" spec?

Someone could make a fortune selling do-it-yourself kits with instructions... and of course the specs could be made open, for those of us (not me!) handy enough with a soldering iron and whatnot to make it ourselves...

A pen tablet running something like Debian... would easily be the perfect antidote to MS's admittedly nifty-looking new pen tablets :)

Re:Competition to MS's Pen Tablets!

[Bob The Cowboy]

Hmmm.... so let me see if I've got this right...

1) Sell do it yourself kit for OpenTablet for the huge audience of Open Source geeks who want a tablet PC running Linux
2) Open specs so that any geek with skill can make changes themselves
3) ???
4) Profit!!!

?

Re:Competition to MS's Pen Tablets!

[zog karndon]

Rather hard, as the resolution on a synaptics cPad is around 128 x 128 monochrome. A friend of mine has one on his Toshiba laptop, and while it's kinda cute, it's not terribly useful.

the old Touchpad

[Nicolay77]

This is cool.

I have and old Synaptics touchpad, like 4 years old, and the only driver linux people were able to do was to remove the tapping feature. What a stupid thing.

I really like the scrolling, and it only works, as always, in windows. This new driver, for a more advanced touchpad, is a welcome thing.