But this is, I believe, the beauty of the Black Dog project. It is not a finished oil portrait. Rather, it is the canvass and paint awaiting the strokes of a master painter. The Black Dog is less a "product" and more an effort is an attempt to foster development of software value to a novel new hardware device.

If you are looking for a finished product which will supplement your business's needs out of the box, consider waiting for the Realm Mobile Personal Server. If, however, you want a platform to explore the possibilities afforded by this new type of device, this may be just the item for you.

Unlike many miniature computing devices, the Black Dog is designed to be easily reconfigurable. Based on Debian for PowerPC, the Black Dog can apt-get a number of standard Linux applications which aren't normally loaded in the standard distribution. Given Realm's push toward creating an IT-savvy follow-on, this Dog's ability to learn new tricks is just the ticket.

The DVD-R included in the package contains the System Developer's Kit (SDK) for application developers. The Project Black Dog website also includes numerous pieces of documentation, the latest software downloads, and a helpful group of forums where people discuss issues relating to Black Dog. All in all, a good bit of information is ready at your fingertips for playing with your new pet.

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