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Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

charlieharrington.com

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Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#41

Post by dTal »

I got a GPD Micro PC a couple months ago and I'm in love.

It's a magical size - exactly small enough to slip into a back pocket like a chunky phone, and exactly large enough that it's actually practical to use desktop software on it. It's ergonomically first-rate - I've done CAD work on it. And it's durable too - I've dropped it several times already and it's barely even scratched.

It's also unlocked a class of activity I didn't know was possible - long-form writing while out walking. I can get 50wpm with great tactile feedback on the tiny keyboard. It's all in on thumb typing, and having struggled with a Cosmo Communicator for a year I can absolutely say that that is the correct decision for a mobile device. The vast majority of the time there's no handy surface nearby.

Now that I essentially have a laptop on me at all times, phones hold no appeal for me anymore. None. This is the class of device I've always wanted. All it really needs in order to replace a phone completely is a cell modem which can wake it from suspend, and ideally the standard "mobile" sensors such as GPS, cameras, and gyros. And waterproofing, I guess.

Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#42

Post by codetrotter »

AussieWog93 wrote: post #35
codetrotter wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple already made it possible on macOS to run x86_64 software on their ARM computers, with Rosetta 2. Any company with enough resources could do the same if they felt so inclined. And if Apple wanted to, Apple could make Rosetta 2 run on iOS devices. For now they want to keep them mostly separate, and are more about running iPad apps on macOS than the other way around. But there is nothing stopping Apple from runnin…

>Apple could make Rosetta 2 run on iOS devices From what I understand, M1 Macs have specialised hardware that allows them to emulate x64 with good performance. It's not just software.

Was not aware of that. But either way in that case they can do something similar in the hardware for future iOS devices, if they wish to.

Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#43

Post by aftergibson »

dTal wrote: post #41

I got a GPD Micro PC a couple months ago and I'm in love. It's a magical size - exactly small enough to slip into a back pocket like a chunky phone, and exactly large enough that it's actually practical to use desktop software on it. It's ergonomically first-rate - I've done CAD work on it. And it's durable too - I've dropped it several times already and it's barely even scratched. It's also unlocked a class of activ…

Quick question, what about the Cosmo didn’t work that worked on the GPD Micro? Was the keyboard problematic on the Cosmo?

Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#44

Post by lotsofpulp »

andrepd wrote: post #31
axiolite wrote: post #19

It was around 2000, after buying a Cassiopeia E-100 that I realized a keyboard makes any computer massively more usable. With that I bought a Psion 5MX, used it great success, and never considered a device without a physical keyboard again. Switched off to Nokia Communicators, then several Android Sliders. All worked great. I was always the guy in the conference room who could login to servers and look-up info, despi…

It's a shame and a contradiction how the smartphone market has ballooned for the past few years yet choice is smaller and smaller. How can it be that there are 100s of smartphone models out every year yet every single one has the same form factor? You cannot even get a phone smaller than the phablets of 6 or 7 years ago, let alone a phone with physical keys...

The technology is so complicated that costs in design/patents/royalties/manufacturing make it unfeasible to produce anything without economies of scale. Coupled with insufficient number of buyers willing to pay a lot, the potential profit margins are so low it simply is not worth the risk reward ratio.

Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#45

Post by arc-in-space »

paraknight wrote: post #5

I've been saying this for ages — the future setup is going to be phones as a singular device. When you get home, you'll dock it to be able to use your peripherals or extra monitors. Phones will become even more powerful, but even then anything heavy can be done in the cloud or at the network edge (with minimal latency thanks to 5g, see cloud gaming). OSs will become more convergent (Windows tried it, Huawei's doing i…

> anything heavy can be done in the cloud or at the network edge (with minimal latency thanks to 5g, see cloud gaming)

It's interesting that people often handwave latency like this as if it was a solved problem. As instructed, I have seen cloud gaming: it's an unmitigated disaster, held back by mere trifles such the limits of information travel speed imposed by our physical universe.

Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#47

Post by Multicomp »

I've been looking around at old sharp zaurus organizers and psion mx5 devices for the use case of offline portable word processor that can save text files to eventually go to PC via CF / SD card. for this years nanowrimo.

Most psions are 300 bucks, i can't justify that though i love the idea. And the 15 buck zaurus organizers either only have a 30 character 'memo' function or are so old they only run DOS and have to sync via serial cable.

Anyone have any suggestions on a palmtopish machine with qwerty keyboard that can write txt or rtf files to an sd card and can be had for 100 or less on ebay?

I'm currently resisting trying to hack a Smart Response XE and instead trying to put a pi zero w and a 1.3" inch screen and battery into the front margin of a Unicomp Model M and just viming my way to victory whilst syncthing makes the file magically appear on my pc whenever the device is on home wifi, but an integrated device would be more pocketable. the model m word processor is more for taking over long writing sessions where i currently lug an actual wheelwriter around. this small device would be even more portable, sitting at the beach, in the car etc.

Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#48

Post by [deleted] »

Multicomp wrote: post #47

I've been looking around at old sharp zaurus organizers and psion mx5 devices for the use case of offline portable word processor that can save text files to eventually go to PC via CF / SD card. for this years nanowrimo. Most psions are 300 bucks, i can't justify that though i love the idea. And the 15 buck zaurus organizers either only have a 30 character 'memo' function or are so old they only run DOS and have to…

[deleted]

Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#49

Post by Zababa »

eloisant wrote: post #12
paraknight wrote: post #5

I've been saying this for ages — the future setup is going to be phones as a singular device. When you get home, you'll dock it to be able to use your peripherals or extra monitors. Phones will become even more powerful, but even then anything heavy can be done in the cloud or at the network edge (with minimal latency thanks to 5g, see cloud gaming). OSs will become more convergent (Windows tried it, Huawei's doing i…

No I don't think so. To be able to dock it you need a screen and keyboard (or a laptop-style "shell"). That means you need a device that takes just as much space as an independent device but can't be used unless you plug your phone to it. The only benefit is a slight lower cost - but then you need to make sure your phone is powerful enough so a cheap Android is out of the picture. You've been saying this for ages, an…

> The only benefit is a slight lower cost

Not only that, but having a single source of truth for your files, OS and things like that.

Re: Smart Phone, Dumb Terminal

#50

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

eloisant wrote: post #12
paraknight wrote: post #5

I've been saying this for ages — the future setup is going to be phones as a singular device. When you get home, you'll dock it to be able to use your peripherals or extra monitors. Phones will become even more powerful, but even then anything heavy can be done in the cloud or at the network edge (with minimal latency thanks to 5g, see cloud gaming). OSs will become more convergent (Windows tried it, Huawei's doing i…

No I don't think so. To be able to dock it you need a screen and keyboard (or a laptop-style "shell"). That means you need a device that takes just as much space as an independent device but can't be used unless you plug your phone to it. The only benefit is a slight lower cost - but then you need to make sure your phone is powerful enough so a cheap Android is out of the picture. You've been saying this for ages, an…

Years ago I had a similar thought to parent, only without the dock. I figured phones would have micro projectors to throw a display on any convenient wall and a laser keyboard[0] to throw onto a table.

These days I no longer think that'll happen largely because the kinds of things people want a desktop computer for are really much better served by an actual computer, while mobile users have adapted to not even wanting a desk.

[0] https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0531/2285/9174/products/im...

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