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> Well yeah, smartphones lose most of their functionality without the existence of the internet Well no, pocket computers - which is what smartphones are - don

> Well yeah, smartphones lose most of their functionality without the existence of the internet Well no, pocket computers - which is what smartphones are - don't need an internet to be useful. Here's what they can do for you without an internet connection: - phone - SMS - mapping and navigation - media player - photo and video cameras - electronic book reader - calculator - torch - basic computing applications - sensor platform for audio/acceleration/gyro/barometric/temperature measurements - portable monitor for borescope - ODB scanner for cars etc. - ...and thousands of similar applications

moffkalast 3y ago
> mapping and navigation Where are you getting the maps if they're not being streamed on the fly? OSM in vector form takes up 2TB. > media player Of what media? The three included music tracks that came with it? > basic computing applications Installed from... CD-ROMs? > sensor platform for audio/acceleration/gyro/barometric/temperature measurements Used by the average person exactly once, when they go "neat" and never look at it again. Sure there's a lot of functionality left, but those of us that had early smartphones as kids but were poor enough to not have internet plans on them will tell you that you run into problems quickly. Assuming there is an internet link somewhere where you can download things every so often it's doable, but if an internet does not conceptually exist yet you're basically left at the Motorola SMS and snake game stage.
- hagbard_c 3y ago
  > Where are you getting the maps if they're not being streamed on the fly? OSM in vector form takes up 2TB. Upload them to the phone off-line from whatever source you happen to have. This can be anything from your internet-connected device at home to wifi at home to a DVD to wifi at the library to a computer at the library to a USB device to... > Of what media? The three included music tracks that came with it? Same as above. > Installed from... CD-ROMs? Well, it is getting repetitive but yes, as well as the other options shown above > sensor platform for audio/acceleration/gyro/barometric/temperature measurements Audio as a self-starting recorder, acceleration as a theft alarm, barometric as an altimeter, etc. You seem to confuse the absence of an internet connection on the device with the total absence of the internet. The one does not imply the other, it is perfectly possible to have what is in essence a disconnected PDA which you occasionally sync to the 'net or to whatever other source you want. All you're losing out on is live communications through the 'net but SMS works for much of what you'd want to use that for. You can compose and read email on the thing, just not receive and send it while on the move - sync it to some other device and voila, you're back in the times of PDAs. Those were quite useful and far less distracting than the current crop of smartphones.
- paulmd 3y ago
  my dude there were people figuring this out in 1930, let alone 80s era stuff that could potentially have access to DAT tapes and shit. Yes, by the early 80s there was preplanned route navigation available on transparency (have AAA print it for you in advance), by the mid 80s it was cassette tape, cdrom systems were available by the late 80s. https://ndrive.com/brief-history-gps-car-navigation/ https://ndrive.com/brief-history-gps-car-navigation/

moffkalast 3y ago

> mapping and navigation Where are you getting the maps if they're not being streamed on the fly? OSM in vector form takes up 2TB. > media player Of what media? The three included music tracks that came with it? > basic computing applications Installed from... CD-ROMs? > sensor platform for audio/acceleration/gyro/barometric/temperature measurements Used by the average person exactly once, when they go "neat" and never look at it again. Sure there's a lot of functionality left, but those of us that had early smartphones as kids but were poor enough to not have internet plans on them will tell you that you run into problems quickly. Assuming there is an internet link somewhere where you can download things every so often it's doable, but if an internet does not conceptually exist yet you're basically left at the Motorola SMS and snake game stage.

hagbard_c 3y ago
> Where are you getting the maps if they're not being streamed on the fly? OSM in vector form takes up 2TB. Upload them to the phone off-line from whatever source you happen to have. This can be anything from your internet-connected device at home to wifi at home to a DVD to wifi at the library to a computer at the library to a USB device to... > Of what media? The three included music tracks that came with it? Same as above. > Installed from... CD-ROMs? Well, it is getting repetitive but yes, as well as the other options shown above > sensor platform for audio/acceleration/gyro/barometric/temperature measurements Audio as a self-starting recorder, acceleration as a theft alarm, barometric as an altimeter, etc. You seem to confuse the absence of an internet connection on the device with the total absence of the internet. The one does not imply the other, it is perfectly possible to have what is in essence a disconnected PDA which you occasionally sync to the 'net or to whatever other source you want. All you're losing out on is live communications through the 'net but SMS works for much of what you'd want to use that for. You can compose and read email on the thing, just not receive and send it while on the move - sync it to some other device and voila, you're back in the times of PDAs. Those were quite useful and far less distracting than the current crop of smartphones.
paulmd 3y ago
my dude there were people figuring this out in 1930, let alone 80s era stuff that could potentially have access to DAT tapes and shit. Yes, by the early 80s there was preplanned route navigation available on transparency (have AAA print it for you in advance), by the mid 80s it was cassette tape, cdrom systems were available by the late 80s. https://ndrive.com/brief-history-gps-car-navigation/ https://ndrive.com/brief-history-gps-car-navigation/