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I recently found this project and I'm very excited about this DIY portable Linux computer trend and hope some of them graduate to mainstream. N-O-D-E recently

I recently found this project and I'm very excited about this DIY portable Linux computer trend and hope some of them graduate to mainstream. N-O-D-E recently announced one [1] and there is another RPi zero based phone project on Crowd Supply[2]. The reason I want a portable Linux handheld computer is, because the direction in which smartphones are moving towards is frightening to say the least. Smartphones are essentially mobile computers and for many parts of the world the first computing experience. COVID-19 situation has shown how mobile computing has been taken for granted and misery of those who have no access to it[3]. Can we imagine a computer manufacturer selling $2000 computer which will receive security updates for only 3 years if lucky, can't install alternate operating systems or software of our choice? Then why are we providing smartphone manufacturers with such privileges? With that unfair advantage they are dictating mobile computing for the entire world. I'm afraid it's just a matter of time, when this trend scale up and affects overall computing in general. [1]https://n-o-d-e.net/zeroterminal3.html https://n-o-d-e.net/zeroterminal3.html [2]https://www.crowdsupply.com/arsenijs/zerophone https://www.crowdsupply.com/arsenijs/zerophone [3]https://needgap.com/problems/149-remote-education-for-underprivileged-education-poverty https://needgap.com/problems/149-remote-education-for-underp...

claudeganon 6y ago
Ubuntu also seems to run perfectly fine on the GPD Pocket 2: https://davejansen.com/installing-ubuntu-18-10-on-a-gpd-pocket-2/ https://davejansen.com/installing-ubuntu-18-10-on-a-gpd-pock... https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32968851612.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32968851612.html
bluedays 6y ago
n-o-d-e seems to have the best designed project out of all of these. Like it looks like something I would actually want to buy. Though it does depend on the price. All of these hand-held devices look really attractive until you see the price. For instance, I love the design of the GDP Pocket, but that price keeps me far away.
- numpad0 6y ago
  RasPsion in red acrylic[0] is my favorite 0: https://images.app.goo.gl/sNcy4QBQwXDXmyVj7 https://images.app.goo.gl/sNcy4QBQwXDXmyVj7
  - williamtwild 6y ago
    Gives me an 80s vibe for some reason. Love it
1vuio0pswjnm7 6y ago
"... can't install alternate operating systems or software of our choice." That choice should include more than just "Linux". Many, nearly all "Raspberry Pi competitors", fail to offer that choice. Consider this one from a few days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24378758 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24378758 For me, the single most attractive aspect of the RPi was booting from SD card, no user data or user programs stored on the "device" (computer). Hence, I can run Linux, and/or BSD, and/or Plan9, etc. I can have a selection of different SD cards, each with a different OS. This is how I built systems for myself before RPi. Boot from USB, everything running in RAM, nothing necessary stored on HDD. However, when RPi alternatives are "advertised" and discussed on HN, the focus usually is solely on (non-bootloader) specifications and price. The option to run multiple OS is seemingly not a concern for any commenter and not a "target" in the manufacturer's marketing. The best computers for me have been development boards. The reason for this is simple. In most cases they are less biased toward one OS, namely Linux. I probably would feel differently if Linux was favourite OS and had no desire to run anything else. However, I do desire to run other OS, in addition to Linux. Need to have that choice. This "bias toward less choice" does not stop at the OS-level. Often I see bias toward certain high-level programming languages. This includes the example above from a few days ago. "WebAssembly and Javascript." When the RPi was first announced there was mention of "running Linux" and was suggested the device would geared toward Python programming. I feared the worst. Thankfully, things turned out differently.
- skykooler 6y ago
  I wish the Pi had a second sd card slot, so you could use it to write its own sd cards. (Though I suppose you could use a USB SD reader.)
  - 1vuio0pswjnm7 6y ago
    I pull out the SD card after boot. This is one of the benefits of running the system from RAM, instead of "disk".
- hashtagmarkup 6y ago
  If you have the choice to install "Linux", you have the choice to build your own operating system and install that instead.

claudeganon 6y ago

Ubuntu also seems to run perfectly fine on the GPD Pocket 2: https://davejansen.com/installing-ubuntu-18-10-on-a-gpd-pocket-2/ https://davejansen.com/installing-ubuntu-18-10-on-a-gpd-pock... https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32968851612.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32968851612.html

bluedays 6y ago

n-o-d-e seems to have the best designed project out of all of these. Like it looks like something I would actually want to buy. Though it does depend on the price. All of these hand-held devices look really attractive until you see the price. For instance, I love the design of the GDP Pocket, but that price keeps me far away.

numpad0 6y ago
RasPsion in red acrylic[0] is my favorite 0: https://images.app.goo.gl/sNcy4QBQwXDXmyVj7 https://images.app.goo.gl/sNcy4QBQwXDXmyVj7
- williamtwild 6y ago
  Gives me an 80s vibe for some reason. Love it

1vuio0pswjnm7 6y ago

"... can't install alternate operating systems or software of our choice." That choice should include more than just "Linux". Many, nearly all "Raspberry Pi competitors", fail to offer that choice. Consider this one from a few days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24378758 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24378758 For me, the single most attractive aspect of the RPi was booting from SD card, no user data or user programs stored on the "device" (computer). Hence, I can run Linux, and/or BSD, and/or Plan9, etc. I can have a selection of different SD cards, each with a different OS. This is how I built systems for myself before RPi. Boot from USB, everything running in RAM, nothing necessary stored on HDD. However, when RPi alternatives are "advertised" and discussed on HN, the focus usually is solely on (non-bootloader) specifications and price. The option to run multiple OS is seemingly not a concern for any commenter and not a "target" in the manufacturer's marketing. The best computers for me have been development boards. The reason for this is simple. In most cases they are less biased toward one OS, namely Linux. I probably would feel differently if Linux was favourite OS and had no desire to run anything else. However, I do desire to run other OS, in addition to Linux. Need to have that choice. This "bias toward less choice" does not stop at the OS-level. Often I see bias toward certain high-level programming languages. This includes the example above from a few days ago. "WebAssembly and Javascript." When the RPi was first announced there was mention of "running Linux" and was suggested the device would geared toward Python programming. I feared the worst. Thankfully, things turned out differently.

skykooler 6y ago
I wish the Pi had a second sd card slot, so you could use it to write its own sd cards. (Though I suppose you could use a USB SD reader.)
- 1vuio0pswjnm7 6y ago
  I pull out the SD card after boot. This is one of the benefits of running the system from RAM, instead of "disk".
hashtagmarkup 6y ago
If you have the choice to install "Linux", you have the choice to build your own operating system and install that instead.