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If you haven't already, please consider the Pyra. It's a full Linux desktop in a phone-ish format and supports SIM cards for voice calling and text. https://py

If you haven't already, please consider the Pyra. It's a full Linux desktop in a phone-ish format and supports SIM cards for voice calling and text. https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/pages/pyra/ https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/pages/pyra/

agentdrtran 10y ago
You suggest using that monstrosity as a phone?
- jahbrewski 10y ago
  It looks ..worse than the phone I used 8 years ago https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_enV2_(VX9100) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_enV2_(VX9100).
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- rocky1138 10y ago
  Yes, of course. I don't remember the last time I made a voice call, so I don't care at all about that functionality. Really, all I care about is receiving SMS.
  - kleiba 10y ago
    I suppose the concern is more regarding the clunkiness of the design, as in, "it doesn't fit in my jeans pocket", not so much the functionality. Like you say, "phone" today is really just a moniker for "tech device I always carry on me".
    - rocky1138 10y ago
      Yes, this is a concern for most people, but the GameBoy used to fit perfectly into my pockets, so I really don't care.
  - dpark 10y ago
    This looks like a rehashed Casiopeia. (Actually the Casiopeia looks considerably sleeker in comparison.) This is the clunkiest-looking device I've seen in a long time. At some point can we acknowledge that shrinking a laptop to be palm-sized doesn't make for a good form factor? A tiny keyboard and a resistive 720p 5" touchscreen sounds like a terrible experience. The picture shows it literally rendering a standard desktop UI as if that's appropriate for a pocket device. Also, does this thing even receive SMS? The page makes no mention of phone support. http://www.pdastock.com/Casio-Cassiopeia-A-21-651.html http://www.pdastock.com/Casio-Cassiopeia-A-21-651.html
    - rocky1138 10y ago
      A full Linux desktop screen wouldn't be used for long periods of time. The ideal situation is that we, as hackers, can build our own mobile UI free from the clutches of Apple and Google, and that you can just plug it into HDMI anywhere you are and get a full computer, which is something you can't do with any phone currently. To your question regarding SMS, there are already people working on it. A Vim plugin sounds especially delicious. https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/how-to-send-receive-sms.76736/ https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/how-to-send-receive...
      - mmagin 10y ago
        By full computer, you mean something of 'low-end chromebook' spec. Usable mobile power management and thermal design isn't really going to achieve what you get with a good laptop or desktop.
        rocky1138 10y ago
        Very true! This hardly holds up to, say, a CAD$600 laptop. But, it'll be very handy to take traveling around the world or to visit my parents/nephew to play some Minecraft.
        TylerE 10y ago
        You want a free-as-in-freedom portable device so you can play a closed source Microsoft product?
djsumdog 10y ago
Interesting. The photo looks kinda bulky, but it's pretty zoomed in. I guess it's more DS sized?
foota 10y ago
That's like the phone equivalent of the F-35
mike-cardwell 10y ago
That page implies good battery life: "A 6000mAh battery means you have a companion that will be there for you, through use and at times other devices have given up long ago." But if you look deeper you find on their wiki: https://pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Battery https://pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Battery "Everyday work load: 8 hours (without any power management features, tested on prototype April 2016)" 8 hours? This is a toy. Why is their headline figure "6000mAh" instead of "8 hours"? Because they know it's shit.
- cheiVia0 10y ago
  It's in your own quote - it was on a prototype, without any power management features. Once power management features are enabled, it will last longer.
- _wmd 10y ago
  I guess you have little experience with embedded bring-up, "without any power management features" is a fairly whopping qualifier, and quoting battery capacity is a far more useful indicator for a prerelease device. I've been on projects where the dev builds would last 30 minutes on battery right up to days before initial factory run
devereaux 10y ago
Extremely interesting. Please tell us more about the LTE capabilities. Is it provided by a removable board? Which bands are supported?? Based on https://www.dragonbox.de/en/45-pyra https://www.dragonbox.de/en/45-pyra it only supports B17 and AWS, which makes it mostly a AT&T compatible device I wish it would support other bands, B25 for sprint (which has cheaper LTE plans) Also, the wifi chipset is known. Can you run a hostapd?
- rocky1138 10y ago
  You probably know more than me. Here's what I could find on the wiki. https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Modem https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Modem and https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=WiFi https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=WiFi

agentdrtran 10y ago

You suggest using that monstrosity as a phone?

jahbrewski 10y ago
It looks ..worse than the phone I used 8 years ago https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_enV2_(VX9100) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_enV2_(VX9100).
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
rocky1138 10y ago
Yes, of course. I don't remember the last time I made a voice call, so I don't care at all about that functionality. Really, all I care about is receiving SMS.
- kleiba 10y ago
  I suppose the concern is more regarding the clunkiness of the design, as in, "it doesn't fit in my jeans pocket", not so much the functionality. Like you say, "phone" today is really just a moniker for "tech device I always carry on me".
  - rocky1138 10y ago
    Yes, this is a concern for most people, but the GameBoy used to fit perfectly into my pockets, so I really don't care.
- dpark 10y ago
  This looks like a rehashed Casiopeia. (Actually the Casiopeia looks considerably sleeker in comparison.) This is the clunkiest-looking device I've seen in a long time. At some point can we acknowledge that shrinking a laptop to be palm-sized doesn't make for a good form factor? A tiny keyboard and a resistive 720p 5" touchscreen sounds like a terrible experience. The picture shows it literally rendering a standard desktop UI as if that's appropriate for a pocket device. Also, does this thing even receive SMS? The page makes no mention of phone support. http://www.pdastock.com/Casio-Cassiopeia-A-21-651.html http://www.pdastock.com/Casio-Cassiopeia-A-21-651.html
  - rocky1138 10y ago
    A full Linux desktop screen wouldn't be used for long periods of time. The ideal situation is that we, as hackers, can build our own mobile UI free from the clutches of Apple and Google, and that you can just plug it into HDMI anywhere you are and get a full computer, which is something you can't do with any phone currently. To your question regarding SMS, there are already people working on it. A Vim plugin sounds especially delicious. https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/how-to-send-receive-sms.76736/ https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/how-to-send-receive...
    - mmagin 10y ago
      By full computer, you mean something of 'low-end chromebook' spec. Usable mobile power management and thermal design isn't really going to achieve what you get with a good laptop or desktop.
      - rocky1138 10y ago
        Very true! This hardly holds up to, say, a CAD$600 laptop. But, it'll be very handy to take traveling around the world or to visit my parents/nephew to play some Minecraft.
        TylerE 10y ago
        You want a free-as-in-freedom portable device so you can play a closed source Microsoft product?

djsumdog 10y ago

Interesting. The photo looks kinda bulky, but it's pretty zoomed in. I guess it's more DS sized?

foota 10y ago

That's like the phone equivalent of the F-35

mike-cardwell 10y ago

That page implies good battery life: "A 6000mAh battery means you have a companion that will be there for you, through use and at times other devices have given up long ago." But if you look deeper you find on their wiki: https://pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Battery https://pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Battery "Everyday work load: 8 hours (without any power management features, tested on prototype April 2016)" 8 hours? This is a toy. Why is their headline figure "6000mAh" instead of "8 hours"? Because they know it's shit.

cheiVia0 10y ago
It's in your own quote - it was on a prototype, without any power management features. Once power management features are enabled, it will last longer.
_wmd 10y ago
I guess you have little experience with embedded bring-up, "without any power management features" is a fairly whopping qualifier, and quoting battery capacity is a far more useful indicator for a prerelease device. I've been on projects where the dev builds would last 30 minutes on battery right up to days before initial factory run

devereaux 10y ago

Extremely interesting. Please tell us more about the LTE capabilities. Is it provided by a removable board? Which bands are supported?? Based on https://www.dragonbox.de/en/45-pyra https://www.dragonbox.de/en/45-pyra it only supports B17 and AWS, which makes it mostly a AT&T compatible device I wish it would support other bands, B25 for sprint (which has cheaper LTE plans) Also, the wifi chipset is known. Can you run a hostapd?

rocky1138 10y ago
You probably know more than me. Here's what I could find on the wiki. https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Modem https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=Modem and https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=WiFi https://www.pyra-handheld.com/wiki/index.php?title=WiFi