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PinePhone Pro Announced

pine64.org

191–200 of 375 posts

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#191
post #163

It is frustrating to me that despite the blunt verbiage about it being a beta device for software and hardware developers, people even here are griping about it being not ready for everyday use. If a free and open-source mobile operating system is missing software support for a feature you want, please contribute to its development.

As a owner of many pine64 products I wish there was a clear path to learning how to contribute. My last time coding was C++ class over 16 years ago and I wish I had some sort of idea on how to get started with hobby programming in my spare time as an adult. Edit// Especially since I've jumped on the ARM bandwagon and replaced my desktop with an M1 mac and my laptop with a Pinebook Pro.

It certainly depends on what feature or what app you would like to work on. Mobian and Manjaro are both on GitLab, and the public is able to create an account. Issues there may be marked Help Wanted or similar.

In regard to motivation to continue programming, that can be the most difficult. Overall if you are proud of your work and find it useful yourself, you will probably continue the habit of contributing and supporting your code.

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#192
post #163

It is frustrating to me that despite the blunt verbiage about it being a beta device for software and hardware developers, people even here are griping about it being not ready for everyday use. If a free and open-source mobile operating system is missing software support for a feature you want, please contribute to its development.

As a owner of many pine64 products I wish there was a clear path to learning how to contribute. My last time coding was C++ class over 16 years ago and I wish I had some sort of idea on how to get started with hobby programming in my spare time as an adult. Edit// Especially since I've jumped on the ARM bandwagon and replaced my desktop with an M1 mac and my laptop with a Pinebook Pro.

go smaller, if u use some open source software check it's repositories and community forums and find something that people don't like to do

documentation is definitely a candidate also automated tests

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#193
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the message / take away is : developers, developers, developers. Something that quickly evolves by the shared power of a lot of minds. If you are buying it, toss it away and don’t contribute, this will hamper future succes.

Is there a way to sell apps?

Did you develop one? Remember the post you replied to was developers developers developers.

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#194
post #163

It is frustrating to me that despite the blunt verbiage about it being a beta device for software and hardware developers, people even here are griping about it being not ready for everyday use. If a free and open-source mobile operating system is missing software support for a feature you want, please contribute to its development.

I feel like programmers have become "soft". I bet the old guard is okay with something like this - a lot of C, C++, assembly skills - this is what it meant to mess around with computers! Now, you can just be modifying CSS and call yourself a programmer. You get one of these devices, and you're sorely disappointed!

I don't think the elitism here is necessary or even the root of the issue of code contributions. The apps currently present in these PinePhone operating systems were developed and are supported by knowledgeable and hardworking PinePhone users, but the fewer developers there are, the more limited the support is.

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#195
post #93

I received a Pinephone in the latest shipment, about three weeks ago. I also got the convergence dock to be able to attach a monitor, keyboard and mouse. I am extremely motivated to get off Android on my phone, and yet my Pinephone has already been discarded (and I never even put a SIM card in it). There are far too many out-of-the-box bugs and glitches to consider this a usable product. For example, the convergence…

A basic but very important question: can it phone and send/receive text message reliably? Smartphones are so bloated with functionalities, it seems nobody ever talks about that. I don't see the answer on the website.

"A basic but very important question: can it phone and send/receive text message reliably"

Half a year ago, when I looked into it, the answer was a clear: no. And there were not many things that did work reliable, without frequent freezes and crashes.

I doubt that fundamentally changed, so if you are looking for stability and reliability right now, than better look somewhere else. This project is about to get to such a state.

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#196

Mini Ask HN: The comments here seem to say that PinePhone and friends are not ready to be daily drivers or even occasional drivers. I think that's fine. However, I do want to support these people and their work. I also need an ARM machine to do tests on (for portability of software and such), so I'm thinking of buying this Pro version. Yes, I'll spend a lot more than I need to, but I really want to support them. So q…

A Raspberry Pi may be more useful for your ARM build server related tasks, as the PinePhone runs on battery, has only one USB C port, etc. If you are developing applications for the PinePhone or other mobile viewports, then absolutely the PinePhone is for you.

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd second your assumption. Geary, MegaPixels (the camera app), Phosh (one of the few window managers), the modem firmware, and more are mostly shared between all the distros. Doubly so for upstreamed SoC firmware, battery efficiency improvements, and more that I'm sure I'm overlooking. Frankly, it makes me question anyone who says desktop Linux is divided because we have options - at this point, it's more like there…

Asking for clarity since I'm one month into my Linux journey: Are you saying that most of the distros are really just more surface level changes rather than deep "divisions"? I've been struggling to understand.

Mostly. There are a half dozen different desktops to choose from. Same for ways to package software. Most of what a distribution does is make some choices and configure it. Most distributions learn from each other in some way. Most distributions fix things upstream so that other distributions can take advantage for their useful changes.

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#198
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> right now it is a toy for nerds I have some standards for my toys though. If it’s sold as a phone, it should actually work as a phone (even a shitty one). If they were selling it as a mini linux computer with integrated screen I wouldn’t mind so much.

That's how I'm seeing this - as a mini linux computer with the ability to make calls and send text messages at some point in the future. Just a linux computer with a cellular modem sounds amazing to me, tbh.

Then buy any of the 3 billion Android handsets. Most average $100 and were out of beta in 08'.

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#199
post #196

Mini Ask HN: The comments here seem to say that PinePhone and friends are not ready to be daily drivers or even occasional drivers. I think that's fine. However, I do want to support these people and their work. I also need an ARM machine to do tests on (for portability of software and such), so I'm thinking of buying this Pro version. Yes, I'll spend a lot more than I need to, but I really want to support them. So q…

A Raspberry Pi may be more useful for your ARM build server related tasks, as the PinePhone runs on battery, has only one USB C port, etc. If you are developing applications for the PinePhone or other mobile viewports, then absolutely the PinePhone is for you.

The battery and port is a fair point. Thank you.

Re: PinePhone Pro Announced

#200

Mini Ask HN: The comments here seem to say that PinePhone and friends are not ready to be daily drivers or even occasional drivers. I think that's fine. However, I do want to support these people and their work. I also need an ARM machine to do tests on (for portability of software and such), so I'm thinking of buying this Pro version. Yes, I'll spend a lot more than I need to, but I really want to support them. So q…

Instead of a phone, pine64 makes a lot of other computers designed more for what you want. They are cheaper and have cases that make it a lot easier to use for what you want. (I'm typing this on a pinebook pro laptop from them)

The only reason to buy a phone vs something else from them is the phone donates a bit of money to some other project. But you can directly donate to KDE or whatever and get the same result.

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