Trolltech ships application environment for mobile Linux devices

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Mar. 25, 2002

Trolltech today announced the general availablility of an SDK for developing applications using Qtopia, a Linux-based application environment for mobile embedded devices. Qtopia provides the application platform for Sharp's recently introduced Zaurus SL-5500 Linux-based PDA, and Trolltech expects other recent design wins to result in the introduction of 8-10 additional new consumer products during 2002. Sharp's Zaurus SL-5500 is the first PDA from a major power in consumer electronics to ship with embedded Linux.

Qtopia is intended for use in PDAs, smartphones, Internet appliances, and other mobile devices running Embedded Linux. The product includes a set of applications for productivity, information management, Internet content, entertainment, and synchronization across multiple desktop operating systems. These include an address book, calendar, to do list, text editor, MPEG and MP3players, international city clock, asteroids game, Mine Hunt, Go, plus many more.

"Qtopia is the missing piece that is needed to make Linux a leading player in the PDA market," said Haavard Nord, chief executive officer for Trolltech. "We believe that Qtopia represents the first viable 'third way' in mobile computing, with the flexibility, simplicity, power and portability that has been missing from the Palm OS and Pocket PC platforms," Nord added. "Many device manufacturers are evaluating Qtopia right now, and several will launch products in 2002."

Previous to today's announcement, Trolltech had only shipped beta versions of the Qtopia SDK to a limited number of manufacturers and developers. The fully released SDK, which will be delivered by the end of this month, is "more or less the same as that which is used in the Sharp Zaurus PDA," said Nord.

A future version of Qtopia, designated version 3 and based on Qt version 3, is also in process, according to Nord. Version 3 will add enterprise database support, and will provide binary compatibility with Qtopia version 1 applications (so that Qtopia version 1 applications will run without modification on Qtopia version 3).

Trolltech provides two licensing options for Qtopia development. Developers planning to develop GPL-licensed applications may download a free GPL version of the Qtopia SDK from Trolltech's website. Alternatively, a commercial version of the Qtopia SDK can be purchased which allows developing non-GPL applications. Pricing for the commercial version will be "under $200", according to Nord. The two versions (commercial and non-commercial) are identical, except for the restriction on licensing of the resulting applications in the case of the GPL version.

The version for developing GPL applications is being given away at no charge because "we really want to encourage GPL development," Nord explained.

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