Pepper Pad

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Photograph
Pepper Pad 2

The Pepper Pad was a family of Linux-based mobile computers with Internet capability and which doubled as a handheld game console. They also served as a portable multimedia device. The devices used Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies for Internet connection. Pepper Pads are now obsolete, unsupported and the parent company has ceased operations.

The original prototype Pepper Pad was built in 2003 with an

Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovations Awards Honoree in the Computer Hardware category.[2]

The Pepper Pad 2 was introduced in 2004 with a faster 624Mhz

Montavista Linux operating system.[4]

The Pepper Pad 3 was announced in 2006 with as upgrade to a faster

RAM, 256 KB ROM, and both Wi-Fi (b/g) and Bluetooth 2.0. The Pepper Pad 3 used a heavily customized version of the Fedora Linux operating system[5][circular reference] called Pepper Linux. Unlike the Pepper Pad 2 which was built and sold directly by Pepper, the Pepper Pad 3 was built and sold under license by Hanbit Electronics.[6]

Support

Pepper Computer, Inc. has ceased operations and is no longer providing support or sales for Pepper Pad web computers or Pepper Linux.

Software

Pepper Pads ran Pepper's "Pepper Keeper" software and suite of applications. Pepper's software was designed to be easy to use, and offered many features later found in devices like the iPhone and Android. The Pepper Keeper's home screen provided large icons for launching applications including a web browser, mail client, chat client, photo viewer, music player, video player, games, and a scrapbooking application. Pepper offered an application store, automatic software updates, and a simple way to share photos, music, and files with friends.

The Pepper Keeper ran atop Pepper Linux, Pepper's custom version of the Linux operating system. Pepper Linux was ported to multiple devices including the One Laptop per Child.[7]

Software ported to the Pepper Pad

Hardware (Pepper Pad 3)

  • Mass: 2.1 pounds (985g)
  • Size: 29 cm x 14.9 cm x 2.3 cm (11.4" x 5.9" x 0.9")

Mainboard

  • PCI bridge
  • AMD CS5536 Companion device (
    SMBus / APM
    interface
  • Wolfson WM9713 AC97 Audio / Touchscreen interface
  • 256 MB
    SO-DIMM
    )
  • 256 KB BIOS ROM
  • Chrontel CH7013B NTSC/PAL TV signal encoder
  • IrDA
    and TvIR emitters/receivers

Subsystems

External Ports

  • USB 2.0 host port
  • USB 2.0 device port
  • 1/8" stereo headphone out
  • 1/8" composite video out
  • 1/8" microphone In

Internal Ports

  • miniPCI
    (occupied by WiFi interface)
  • JTAG test-access port.
  • Serial port with console

See also

References

  1. ^ "Pepper Linux Pad". 16 April 2004.
  2. ^ "MontaVista Linux Revs up New Pepper Pad". 5 January 2004.
  3. ^ "Pepper Computer introduces Pepper Pad 2 during DEMOMobile".
  4. ^ "MontaVista Linux Revs up New Pepper Pad". 5 January 2004.
  5. Fedora (operating system)
  6. ^ "News" (Press release).
  7. ^ "Pepper Pad Software on OLPC XO - OLPC News".
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