The NEC MobilePro 900. A beautifully sized and featured Handheld PC circa 2003. A venerable performance beast when compared to its earlier brethern – although doomed to run WinCE out of the box. This thing packs a 400MHz Intel PXA255, 64MB RAM, 32+32MB flash, touchscreen, unimpressive although adequate 8.1″ DSTN HVGA display, PCMCIA and CF slots, USB host port and built-in modem into an extremely portable ~ 9.7″x5″x1.2″ package. Plus, it sells used for less than it’s earlier siblings for which linux ports exist, and boasts a 10 hour battery life under standard productivity.

Lets make one run linux, and then lets make it useful!
Picked up a beat-up unit off ebay cheap, and promptly replaced the built-in modem with a serial port — small, careful soldering here, although a technically simple mod! It already has a built-in serial port; but, few cables exist, and ordering the connector (Honda RMC-EB9F1( )-BSLA3-MA1) is expensive.

Tools:

HaRET

Inside:

firmware: p530 v6.0
 build date: oct 4 2004
 PIC firmware ID: 3.18.7
 Bootloader Version: 3.4
 bSquare

windows for handheld pc 2000: build 9546-126
 core system version 3.0
 internet explorer version 4.01
 pocket outlook version 3.1

ROM: 2003/05
 ROM Rev: Minerva TR5.4
 ID: 002E0006-40D4-00D1-F800-123456781234

intel pxa255a0c400
 l4340393

x2:
 NeoMagic
 NMC1110A-LQ144C
 0439h102 1998
 201076

microchip
 pic16lf877
 h04 pt

ta550cpfb
 48t
 cvv9

42j4n9k
 max3243c

x2:
 samsung
 k4s561632e-tc75

epson
 s1d13806f00a1

f c39af
 lcx32245

wim
 xwm8731
 43aewrv

isp1161a1
 cd1992
 tpno42
 6e

x2:
 128j3c150
 5427a789
 z4272014b

m systems
 Disk on Chip Plus
 m03831-d32-v3-x

 bottom::

sigma:: r3064xl
 f13675-0309

ltc1628cg