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 NEWSXybernaut reveals support for Linux on its "wearable" PC By Rebecca Sykes December 15, 1999 3:41 pm PT Xybernaut on Tuesday announced that its Mobile Assistant IV wearable computer is available running the Linux operating system.
"In many respects [Linux is] a good fit for wearable apps because of its inherent networking capabilities and the fact that it's a robust OS," Moynahan said. The Mobile Assistant IV can be worn in a number of ways, including on a head-mount display. The head-mount display includes earphones and a projecting 4-to-5 inch arm with an inch-long VGA monitor on it, according to a Xybernaut spokeswoman. When positioned over a user's dominant eye, the monitor gives the appearance of a 15-inch screen, she said. Input into the device is achieved in one of three ways. Users can wear the head-mount display with a microphone below the monitor, or can wear a keyboard or a touchpad on their wrist, she said. A battery pack on the belt completes the ensemble, which weighs just under 5 pounds, she said. The Mobile Assistant IV is available running DOS, Windows 98, Windows NT, and Unix, in addition to Linux. The vast majority of Xybernaut customers -- automotive, shipping, and aerospace workers who use wearable computers on factory or facility floors -- use Mobile Assistants running Windows 98 or NT, but that could change if a big car manufacturer, for instance, decided to run Linux, Moynahan said. Xybernaut Corp., in Fairfax, Va., is at www.xybernaut.com. Rebecca Sykes is a Boston correspondent for the IDG News Service, an InfoWorld affiliate.  RELATED SUBJECTS  Client HardwareSPONSORED WHITE PAPERS 
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