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Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

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Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#231

Post by teawrecks »

ElCheapo wrote: post #46

Can we stop with this absolute fantasy about PCs that "fit in your pocket"? The medium is the message, the form is the functionality. Smartphones have been "pocketable PCs" for more than a decade already, but are dumbed down because their inputs and outputs are limited. You can't type effectively, your screen is small, your battery is limited. Would you want a command line interface on your Smart TV using only a remo…

Can we stop with the normal HN cynicism? Let people try stuff. If you don't like it, that's ok, keep scrolling.

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#232

Post by btw0 »

hwbehrens wrote: post #211

Are there any devices that fit the bill of an "anti-laptop"? I despise working on tiny ( It seems silly that most of the volume and weight of the device I carry around daily are totally unused, and that most of the tradeoffs it makes are irrelevant to me, but most small desktop machines are either too large or too slow (to meet a price point, presumably?). None that I know of is designed to operate from a single Thun…

Mini PC with a portable display is an idea replacement for laptop.

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#233

Post by freedomben »

ElCheapo wrote: post #46

Can we stop with this absolute fantasy about PCs that "fit in your pocket"? The medium is the message, the form is the functionality. Smartphones have been "pocketable PCs" for more than a decade already, but are dumbed down because their inputs and outputs are limited. You can't type effectively, your screen is small, your battery is limited. Would you want a command line interface on your Smart TV using only a remo…

Android phones have mostly been this for years. most of them don't have the physical keyboard built in obviously, but you can buy all sorts of different pocket-sized keyboards[1] that often include a touchpad, and can plug in via USB OTG (which can be a wireless receiver) or through bluetooth. Add an app like Termux and I could (if I had to) live on the thing.

[1]: I used this one for a while: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D2BG6R5/ref=ppx_yo_dt...

[2]: This one is awesome too with android TV: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WJGSXT8/ref=ppx_yo_dt...

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#234

Post by stonogo »

ElCheapo wrote: post #69
stonogo wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My whole family uses essentially a TV with GNOME running on an attached micropc. We use something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Android-Gimibox-Wireless-Keyboard-Pro... Works like a Wiimote. We don't have to limit functionality, we just launch a web browser and have the streaming services on the bookmark toolbar. None of our visitors have ever had problems operating this system, even ones who have never heard of…

Your set up works because you tailored both the hardware and the software to make up for the shortcomings of the devices. Normally a TV remote doesn't have a full fledged keyboard attached to it, so many applications become borderline unusable. What you did is enhance the inputs of your device and this opened up many more possibilities. You also tweaked the software from its ootb configuration to make operations smoo…

Yeah, we browse all the time on it. Especially IMDB. I'm not sure what part of "it works fine" is confusing you.

> None of these devices attempt doing something similar. They offer less options than normal computers and their desktop is left unchanged.

They have swappable SoCs at their cores, including available on-board FPGA, and the existing product ships a customized Sway UI by default. They are far more configurable than other laptops. One person already modified her mainboard to include a different charging circuit and added an ergonomic keyboard. You have gone from pessimism to outright misinformation in pursuit of your argument. Ask yourself whether you're here to discuss the topic or just win internet debates.

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#235

Post by ElCheapo »

pessimizer wrote: post #162
ElCheapo wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your set up works because you tailored both the hardware and the software to make up for the shortcomings of the devices. Normally a TV remote doesn't have a full fledged keyboard attached to it, so many applications become borderline unusable. What you did is enhance the inputs of your device and this opened up many more possibilities. You also tweaked the software from its ootb configuration to make operations smoo…

You're just making things up. Your "heavily customized UI" is bumping up the font sizes by a couple of points.

Try "bumping the font size up" in Thunderbird and tell me how nicely it scales on your TV

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#236

Post by MikusR »

vladvasiliu wrote: post #136
ElCheapo wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're being extremely vague about the things you are using your GDP for. Nothing you've written strikes me as something that couldn't be achieved with a proper I/O module attached to a smartphone.

I think the point is this: > Smartphones have their on OSes, UX, applications, etc. The point of projects like GPD Win or the one linked above is to run the same programs, OS, etc as you'd run on a regular laptop or a desktop PC. Sure, an Android device could probably be hacked to do that. But most Android devices are usually locked-down, whereas the GDP & friends make it a point to be open. I guess we should probabl…

DEX was and still is a thing. There newer were plans to remove it. The only thing that was abandoned was the full Ubuntu VM support. But majority of that capability can be replicated with termux

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#237

Post by freedomben »

rjsw wrote: post #156
ElCheapo wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is the presence of an antenna in any way demonstrative of the general purpose computing capabilities of the N900 as opposed to "not pocketable PC" Androids? I believe that if I were to attach a USB radio module to my phone I could write an Android app to make use of it as a trasmitter.

The point of the FM transmitter was to be able to use the N900 with a car head unit to play music from the phone.

Oh wow, that's a badass feature. I'm legit impressed (this is not sarcasm)

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#238

Post by MikusR »

mastazi wrote: post #95
ElCheapo wrote: post #46

Can we stop with this absolute fantasy about PCs that "fit in your pocket"? The medium is the message, the form is the functionality. Smartphones have been "pocketable PCs" for more than a decade already, but are dumbed down because their inputs and outputs are limited. You can't type effectively, your screen is small, your battery is limited. Would you want a command line interface on your Smart TV using only a remo…

> Would you want a command line interface on your Smart TV using only a remote? How about XFCE? Or GNOME? No Yes. After struggling with every single type of Smart TV platform (Google TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV). I settled for a Linux HTPC that I control with a Logitech K400. I finally found what I needed and I'm never going back to looking for crappy apps on some semi-empty store. Walled gardens are really sad. You…

You didn't even list the two most popular platforms LG WebOS and Samsung Tizen.

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#239

Post by TheRealPomax »

hwbehrens wrote: post #211

Are there any devices that fit the bill of an "anti-laptop"? I despise working on tiny ( It seems silly that most of the volume and weight of the device I carry around daily are totally unused, and that most of the tradeoffs it makes are irrelevant to me, but most small desktop machines are either too large or too slow (to meet a price point, presumably?). None that I know of is designed to operate from a single Thun…

Sounds like you're looking for a modern iPad, which is basically just a laptop without the laptop parts.

Re: Open Source PC That Fits in Your Pocket

#240

Post by guenthert »

kratom_sandwich wrote: post #132

Let me add this to my list - Has any of these made it ever into the hands of customers? I believe the only device that actually came out is the Cosmo Communicator ( https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/cosmo-communicator ) There's also Lisperati1000 - https://www.reddit.com/r/cyberDeck/comments/lbu4di/my_shiny_... Devterm - https://www.clockworkpi.com/devterm Popcorn Pocket - https://pocket.popcorncomputer.com/ Teenyserv…

I can neither see clockwork's nor platecom's website -- they demand that I upgrade my Chrome browser (which I can't -- Chromebook Pixel here). Why would they restrict their market? Apple.com happily shows me their content ...
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