Received this from a friend of mine:
I have not been happy with any of the current existing PDAs. But now it
looks like Army may become a major player in helping design the next
generation Linux based PDA :-) :
(The following article appears in the November Issue of National Defense:)
"The Army is drastically simplifying the makeup of its high-tech soldier
ensemble, the Land Warrior, in an effort to make the system less prone
to failures and easier to use.
After the last version of Land Warrior (which was based on Microsoft
Windows--comment added) failed reliability tests earlier this year, the
Army switched gears and decided to make the system less complex and
modify the hardware to make it compatible with the new Stryker infantry
vehicle. The so-called Land Warrior Stryker Interoperable is scheduled
to be completed by 2006.
. . .
The next step in the program is to test a key component of the Land
Warrior—a portable command-and-control computer called the Commander’s
Digital Assistant—and let units in the field evaluate its performance.
“The CDA is our primary development tool. It’s an early generation of
what will be the leader-planning device for Land Warrior,” said the
program manager, Army Lt. Col. Dave Gallop.
The 1st battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment was to deploy
to Iraq last month with 10 laptop versions of the CDA and 42 PDA-size units.
. . .
The previous LW had a dual processor, which frequently malfunctioned.
Other changes include a more simplified data bus and a Linux-based
operating system, as opposed to Windows. “Evidence shows that Linux is
more stable. We are moving in general to where the Army is going, to
Linux-based OS,” said Gallop.
The Land Warrior operates in a soldier-to-soldier wireless network, for
short-range data and voice transmissions. For extended communications,
the CDA is connected to a SINCGARS ASIP radio. Other radios may be
incorporated in the future, such as the MBITR, the PRC-117F or L-band
and Iridium satellite systems.
http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/article.cfm?Id=1238
wayne
