About QuantumSTEP

What QuantumSTEP is

• an alternative to Qtopia on the Zaurus designed for the Mac user
• an Application Suite including e.g. Address Book, Calendar, Web Browser, Navigator, Phone Dialer, Stickies, Property List Editor, etc.
• an Application Platform that aims at compatibility to MacOS X including:
  • libraries e.g.: libFoundation, libAppKit, etc.
  • data formats e.g.: .ics, XML, .jpeg, .icns, RTF, .bundle
• based on X11 and GNUstep/mGStep (LGPL)
• an obeisance to NeXT, GNUstep, Apple, MIT for their 15 years technolgy development

Installation

• just download the package and copy a .ipk plus the .mypkg file to your Zaurus
• install the .ipk (which unpacks the .mypkg)
• click on the QuantumSTEP Icon in the Applications tab

What you can do with it

• operate the Zaurus in a very familiar way (if you are a heavy Mac user)
• evaluate how a "Mac PDA" or "iPhone" could be operated in a user friendly way - and give feedback so that we can improve on it
• port Cocoa based applications to the Zaurus using Xcode (please try out and report your experiences!)

Requirements

• a Zaurus with SharpROM (tested on SL5500 with ROM3.10, C860 and C3000)
• some experience with the Macintosh UI to know intuitively how to operate
• a Mac is only required if you want to write software

What it is not

• a ROM image to flash
• finished or complete (most applications still lack some essential functionality)
• bug free (we have a long bug list)
• a "Mac" or PowerPC emulator (we cross-compile everything for the ARM processor)
• a port of MacOS X and/or Darwin - we use Linux, X11, GNustep
• comparable to the Newton - its simply different
• fast and responsive - our focus is on stability first, secondly on speed
• a fake: there is a Test Drive package which includes several applications compiled and linked against the Cocoa frameworks for the Mac. So, you can develop an opinion without touching your Zaurus or even owning one.