So what is the IA-1

 The Compaq Ipaq IA-1 was released by Compaq in late 2000. It was originally made for the home user who didn't want to deal with a full computer system but who still wanted to check their email and "cruise the interweb". The IA-1 retailed (and can still be found in some places) for $599, with a 2 year subscription to the MSN network. The "MSN Companion" software, a modified version of Windows CE, came loaded on the machine, which allowed the user to send mail, browse the web, and other things.


But that wasn't enough for some people. :)


Ever since it was found that the I-Opener (an earlier internet appliance) was hackable, people have been breaking open these innocent (and fairly useless, out of the box) machines to find some way to make them worth the sum of their parts. And so happened with the IA-1. IA-1 boxes are now loadable with Linux, BeOS, or even Windows9x/ME. Their hardware is comparable to that of a low end machine (check the hardware spec page for full stats), but still allows for basic usefulness, and when put on a home network, can be very useful for controling other computers or appliances.

Nowadays, IA-1's can be found for between $89-120 on eBay and on various sales around the net, and the userbase is growing by leaps and bounds. This growth has spurned many new modifications to the IA-1, including adding hardware such as IDE harddrives and mice, specially compiled versions of linux, and other software made to make the IA-1 as diverse as possible.

This site is your guide to doing what *you* want with your IA-1.

Enjoy,
qDot
Head IA-1 Breaker