Working in the embedded systems world usually means needing new toys. Well, it doesn’t always mean it, but it sure is a nice excuse! This time it left handedly meant it. Current client wants me to get more involved in configuring development environments for employment and debugging. For those who don’t know what that means it is figuring out how to connect to the target, cross compile your application, deploy it, then remotely debug it so the developer never has to leave the comfort of their desktop machine except to touch something on the screen of the target once in a while to make the application do something.
Ordinarily I’m the developer coming in after someone who likes to do that kind of thing has already done it and written up a work instruction. You see, I’m software, not hardware. Back when I wrote midrange applications for big companies on the operating system created by God (OpenVMS) I showed up in a suite with a briefcase, few pens and something to write on. When you develop embedded systems for really large companies that’s still the way it is. Actually, I don’t even need the suit for a growing number of them. Just don’t show up naked, unbathed, or looking like a street vagrant. You see, they don’t want you brining anything in or taking anything out. Some of the stuff has to go through up to 7 years of government regulated testing before it can be released into the wild.
At any rate my current client wanted me to get familiar with setting up environments to cross compile for both Android and Raspberry Pi. I already had a Pi so now I needed a cheap Android target. No way in Hell was I getting a phone. A cheap 2 in 1 might find other uses, assuming I don’t trash it completely. Making a shiny new brick is always a possibility when you get around to flashing stuff. I definitely did not want used either. Far too much of that stuff is broken or infected with something yet sold as “like new.” My last client spent more in parts fixing laptops they “found a deal on” than it would have cost to just order desktops with a warranty.
My search at the time found the RCA Viking Pro 10. It was on sale for just under $100. Much to my chagrin, today I see the 11.5″ RCA Galileo Pro 11 is now on sale for under $80. Oh it is not screen size envy, it is infuriating keyboard design issues with the Viking Pro 10. I should also be up front that it is against my religion to buy anything from Walmart. I consider it a completely unAmerican thing to do for reasons we don’t need to go into. You can rent this if you want a partial list of reasons.
There 3 tragic design flaws with the keyboard on the Viking Pro 10. If you aren’t used to typing, you might no be burned by them. Being both a writer and software developer these flaws infuriate me beyond words. Let’s see if you can guess the first one.
Just couldn’t make my flip phone get a good over the top picture but a few minutes of looking should point out the problem. There is no insert key! On many operating systems and in many applications, particularly word processors and text editors you paste code by hitting <shift><ins>. Yes, there is that odd Gnome crowd that uses <ctrl><v> which might have came from Wordstar which copied an interface from a time before we had arrow and navigation keys. Unless there is an “undocumented feature” of hold this-that-and-another to generate the insert key this flaw affects both the Viking Pro 10 and the Galileo Pro 11.
Now let us get to the most frustrating part of this particular keyboard.
That’s right, the left shift key is full size and exactly where it should be. The right shift key as that itty bitty button way over against the right edge of the device.
While you are looking at the second picture take a good look at the key labeled “.com.” I had never heard of such a key. Just for grins, in a text field I pressed it. Guess what, it actually sends the characters “.com” all at once. Gee, what a wonderful “feature.” It and the up arrow key occupy the space most people’s pinky finger plants itself to hit the shift key so trying to write a long email is just a joy. Had the shift key been where the “.com” key is, most typists probably could retrain themselves to “not reach so far” but asking us to reach all the way . . .
I have a bit of a like-hate relationship going on with Android. Making us obtain apps that shove advertising on us is a major hate. Not providing a simple interface like Linux to add fonts is a major hate. I was going to try using this thing to write a few blog posts and some book writing if/when I travel, but installing fonts you already have is not an easy thing. It will get easier once I have the debug environment configured so I can just shove them out from my desktop. Even the word processors for the application shove advertising in our faces.
Personally I can see why not that many people are loving Android devices. We don’t want ads forced on us but that seems to be the entire focus of the platform.