NationStates Jolt Archive

If there were a handheld wireless device that you could access all Wikimedia stuff from, would you buy it? The connection would work like cellphones: there are towers that connect you anywhere you are. So would you buy such a device?

What your describing sounds a great deal like the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

So, somewhat like a PDA with the internet...?

Would come in handy when I'm trying to prove people wrong on facts.

So, somewhat like a PDA with the internet...?
Yes, but it only accesses wikimedia stuff.

http://encyclopodia.sourceforge.net/en/index.html

But doesn't that just download it periodically. I mean it accesses Wikipedia and is its own thingy.

Tryna get rich quick?

What your describing sounds a great deal like the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.
I'll buy it, but only if it's cheaper than Encyclopedia Galactica and has "Don't Panic" written on the cover.

I'll buy it, but only if it's cheaper than Encyclopedia Galactica and has "Don't Panic" written on the cover.
HAAHAAAAAHAAAAA!
YEAH! In small friendly letters.
But seriously, I would love to have such a device!

Yes, but it only accesses wikimedia stuff.
What would be the point of that? The infrastructure already exists to access the internet on mobile devices wherever you (in the developed world, that is), so building a second set of infrastructure purely for Wikimedia distribution would just make it more expensive than its competitors (and it would have less coverage while the network was being built).

Ummm...Isn't that basically anything that can get on the internet?

So, somewhat like a PDA with the internet...?
quite.

now if only they had wi-fi everywhere (like san francisco!) i'd be set...
(can't you download the wikipedia database? i know with wiki's i've set up you can but maybe thats cos i'm the admin :confused: )

you mgiht as well buy a PDA that has internet

but if the wikimedia thing is much, much, cheaper, then maybe

quite.

now if only they had wi-fi everywhere (like san francisco!) i'd be set...
(can't you download the wikipedia database? i know with wiki's i've set up you can but maybe thats cos i'm the admin :confused: )
You can, yeah, but it's several hundred gigabytes in size.

hmm... how about a SD or CF card with a compressed version of wikipedia you could run on your PDA/phone/laptop? even when not connected to the net? could auto-update itself when you are, and otherwise just be used offline. could be made nice and cheap too...

only problem would be fitting those many, many gigabytes onto a cheapish flash memory card :-S


pick em up in corner-stores or libraries, or book shops *nods*
(i like this idea!! wonder if i can make any money from it :P (its mine i tells ya!:p ))

I remember that Wikimedia were discussing providing an offline version of Wikipedia with some Linux distribution. All I can find in Google is this page discussing the general idea, though:

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_on_CD/DVD

I remember that Wikimedia were discussing providing an offline version of Wikipedia with some Linux distribution. All I can find in Google is this page discussing the general idea, though:

http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_on_CD/DVD
I've found a download page for the German version (8GB with pictures, 3GB without):

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiPress/Download

english download http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Database_download :)

hmm... how about a SD or CF card with a compressed version of wikipedia you could run on your PDA/phone/laptop? even when not connected to the net? could auto-update itself when you are, and otherwise just be used offline. could be made nice and cheap too...

only problem would be fitting those many, many gigabytes onto a cheapish flash memory card :-S


pick em up in corner-stores or libraries, or book shops *nods*
(i like this idea!! wonder if i can make any money from it :P (its mine i tells ya!:p ))
Your idea has been stolen. Thank you for using the internet. Have a nice day.

english download http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Database_download :)
That's the one. I was searching for 'wikipedia offline distribution linux' when I stumbled across the German one - I guess it would have made sense to then search for the English version.

Your idea has been stolen. Thank you for using the internet. Have a nice day.
:mad: damn yous!!

oh btw here's the latest file of 1.2 gb... http://download.wikimedia.org/enwiki/latest/enwiki-latest-pages-articles.xml.bz2 not sure why i'm posting it except that that's the one you want, apparently

I've found a download page for the German version (8GB with pictures, 3GB without):

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiPress/Download

Cool, now you can put me in your pocket.

Well, of COURSE I would buy such a device!

i would buy it as long as it were much cheaper than a blackberry, pda with internet, smartphone, etc. If it weren't cheaper, then I would just use the internet on one of those devices to find it.

8gb? thats more than my linux box has :-p

The whole point is that its cheaper and no subscription. I guess it could use existing structure, and filter all but wikimedia stuff.