Ruputer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ruputer was a wristwatch-sized wearable computer developed in 1998 by Seiko. In the US it was marketed as the OnHand PC by Matsucom.
The Ruputer had a 16-bit, 3.6MHz processor and 2MB of non-volatile storage memory and 128 KB of RAM. Its display was a 102×64 pixel monochrome LCD. Its main forms of input were a tiny 8-direction joystick and 6 function buttons. It also had a serial interface and an IR port for communicating with other devices.
The main body of the device (separate from the strap) was roughly 2 inches wide, 1 1/8 inches across, and 5/8 of an inch deep. Its was powered by 2 high-powered watch batteries, which supplied the device enough energy for approximately 30 hours of use. Under normal conditions, the watch powered down when not in use in order to extend its battery life.
The device was distributed with a SDK, which allowed for creation of new software written in the programming language C.
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[edit] Reasons for failing to achieve widespread success
The Ruputer failed to achieve widespread success, for a number of reasons. First, its screen was too small to display more than a handful of text, making it awkward to view data. Second, its joystick input required entering text in a process similar to that of entering one's initials in an arcade game high score list. Finally, it ran through its non-rechargeable batteries more swiftly than was convenient for a device meant to be worn as a timepiece.
The successor to the Ruputer was the OnHand PC.
[edit] OnHand PC
The OnHand PC was available in two colour styles, clear & black, and a single format. While the Ruputer was available with either 512Kb of storage or a full 4Mb of flash memory, the onHand PC came only in a single version with just 2Mb of storage. The operating system is known as W-PS-DOS version 1.16. The device features both an icon based GUI and a text based user interface. There is 128Kb of RAM, with an additional 128Kb of ROM.
On the device, data can be entered by two methods: The first method is by using the joystick mounted to the front of the watch itself (a method that has been considered clumsy). The second method is by synchronizing data from a full-sized PC using the included software. A program called HandySurf also allows synchronizing internet content (such as Yahoo News Headlines).
Communication with other devices is either through a 38,400 bit/s serial port dock, or through the 9,600 infrared link, the transmitter of which is mounted to the upper middle of the watch. It is possible to link two Onhands via this infrared link to play various two-player games.
The watch uses two Lithium CR2025 button cells for power, which can be accessed from the back of the device. The batteries gave on the user an average 3 months of usage. Many users have found that the CR2032 cells fit, which make give the device a longer run time.
The device's screen is a 102x64 STN 4-greyscale LCD which uses a timed backlight to save power.
The device weighs about 52 grams (2.5 ounce), similar that of a large electronic watch. As for January 2006, the price was $89.
Considering the type of system there is a fair amount of software available although some of the programs written for the Ruputer are either entirely in Kanji script or will not run due to the increased speed of the onHand's processor.
One developer has made a prototype for a docking station for the watch that includes a screen illuminator and a full-sized QWERTY keyboard. This is not a commercial product, but instructions are available as how to create such a device.
[edit] Similar Devices
The main competitor for onHand PC is the Fossil Wrist PDA, a wristwatch-sized PDA. The device runs Palm OS 4.1., and like other Palm OS devices, has a virtual keyboard and touch-sensitive screen with handwriting recognition, giving the Wrist PDA an advantage on the joystick input on the onHand PC.
The Wrist PDA features 8Mb of memory, 4 times the memory in the onHand.
One disavantage of the Wrist PDA is its battery life. Its rechargeable lithium ion batteries last only 3-4 days, or less, versus the 3 months the onHand PC gives. Also, WristPDA is not water resistant, and is more than twice the weight of onHand.
In 2001, IBM displayed two prototypes for a wristwatch that ran Linux, but never brought the product to market.
