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And use what? A Linux laptop we carry around with us? This is just letting them win. And if you think the forced pushing for control over what we can do with o

And use what? A Linux laptop we carry around with us? This is just letting them win. And if you think the forced pushing for control over what we can do with our computers will simply leave Linux alone, I don’t know what to tell you.

ndriscoll 1y ago
Handheld PCs like steam deck or legion go seem like a compelling value, at least if you were going to consider a phone in the $500+ price range. Maybe also something like the Mecha comet on the lower end. If you're in an area where banks require an app, you could then go for the absolute cheapest phone you can find (which can probably be years out of date since the whole exercise has nothing to do with security) and treat it as a single purpose device.
- vel0city 1y ago
  A gaming handheld isn't anywhere near as portable as a smartphone, and generally any general input complaints of a smartphone are even worse on such a device. They're great for gaming, OK for something like watching a movie on it, but otherwise they're pretty bad for even typing short things. And they're far from pocketable. My Legion Go is in its case in my backpack when I'm on the go. Honestly netbooks and ultra portable mini notebooks of yore were more portable and useful for a general on the go portable PC. The gaming handhelds are better from a gaming perspective with their far more powerful graphics power and built in controller grips but the general computing experience is pretty crap.
  - mycall 1y ago
    > And they're far from pocketable. If only fashion could redefine what pocketable means. It is very hard to beat a modern smartphone as a wearable device, but it can't be the end of evolution for wearable compute.
    - vel0city 1y ago
      I get that what is "pocketable" can change over time. After all, you go back in time to 2007 and show them an XL iPhone and they'd think you're insane to suggest people see these as pocketable. But these handheld gaming consoles are huge. They're pretty thick since they have larger cooling systems. They have moulded grips that make these bulbous protrusions on the sides. They have joysticks that stick out and catch on things. Meanwhile they're much more fragile than most mass market phones out there.
      - mycall 1y ago
        Backpacks are pretty popular these days, so I can imagine an online computer with all day battery running things.. especially with VR glasses for on the go (joysticks are out of the way for GPD win 5 or onexplayer g1)
- _aavaa_ 1y ago
  Can I fit it in my pocket? Can I make a call? Take a photo? The steam deck is great, but it’s not build for those things. And there is no reason to cede ground on entire form factors. This behaviour will not stop at phones (or tablets, or smartwatches).
  - ndriscoll 1y ago
    The Mecha Comet appears to be pocketable and comes with a camera. I haven't actually used a phone to make a call when out of the house for like 15 years, so the whole "mobile phone" part seems pointless to me. Actually pretty much the only reason I have a phone number is for MFA. Add a GPS module (ideally built in, but could be bluetooth), and it seems like it'd just be an upgrade over a phone. Anyway, there are also other Linux devices others have pointed out in the phone form factor like the pine phone, and tablet/notebooks from e.g. GPD. So the form factor is there, but you might need to look at things that are advertised as small computers with touch screens (because that's what they are). So "handheld PC", "pocket computer", etc.
otterley 1y ago
Or you could start a business making your own completely open phones. If there’s truly a market for that, you could become extremely wealthy.
- mathiaspoint 1y ago
  A truly open phone is just a pocketable Linux laptop with an LTE modem. These already exist, companies like GPD make them.
  - otterley 1y ago
    I’m not sure something with a form factor of half the size of a sheet of office paper would suit the market for a typical smartphone.
- _aavaa_ 1y ago
  “If there’s truly a market” monopolies, monopsonies, and anti competitive behaviour would never be a problem.
  - otterley 1y ago
    What is either company doing unlawfully that’s preventing a disruptive smartphone competitor from arising? Being a duopoly is not in itself unlawful unless either is taking active steps to prevent others from competing in the market.
noisy_boy 1y ago
> And use what? A Linux laptop we carry around with us? Even if you do that, it won't work in many cases because even in the government agencies, there are some that have gone app-only mode.

ndriscoll 1y ago

Handheld PCs like steam deck or legion go seem like a compelling value, at least if you were going to consider a phone in the $500+ price range. Maybe also something like the Mecha comet on the lower end. If you're in an area where banks require an app, you could then go for the absolute cheapest phone you can find (which can probably be years out of date since the whole exercise has nothing to do with security) and treat it as a single purpose device.

vel0city 1y ago
A gaming handheld isn't anywhere near as portable as a smartphone, and generally any general input complaints of a smartphone are even worse on such a device. They're great for gaming, OK for something like watching a movie on it, but otherwise they're pretty bad for even typing short things. And they're far from pocketable. My Legion Go is in its case in my backpack when I'm on the go. Honestly netbooks and ultra portable mini notebooks of yore were more portable and useful for a general on the go portable PC. The gaming handhelds are better from a gaming perspective with their far more powerful graphics power and built in controller grips but the general computing experience is pretty crap.
- mycall 1y ago
  > And they're far from pocketable. If only fashion could redefine what pocketable means. It is very hard to beat a modern smartphone as a wearable device, but it can't be the end of evolution for wearable compute.
  - vel0city 1y ago
    I get that what is "pocketable" can change over time. After all, you go back in time to 2007 and show them an XL iPhone and they'd think you're insane to suggest people see these as pocketable. But these handheld gaming consoles are huge. They're pretty thick since they have larger cooling systems. They have moulded grips that make these bulbous protrusions on the sides. They have joysticks that stick out and catch on things. Meanwhile they're much more fragile than most mass market phones out there.
    - mycall 1y ago
      Backpacks are pretty popular these days, so I can imagine an online computer with all day battery running things.. especially with VR glasses for on the go (joysticks are out of the way for GPD win 5 or onexplayer g1)
_aavaa_ 1y ago
Can I fit it in my pocket? Can I make a call? Take a photo? The steam deck is great, but it’s not build for those things. And there is no reason to cede ground on entire form factors. This behaviour will not stop at phones (or tablets, or smartwatches).
- ndriscoll 1y ago
  The Mecha Comet appears to be pocketable and comes with a camera. I haven't actually used a phone to make a call when out of the house for like 15 years, so the whole "mobile phone" part seems pointless to me. Actually pretty much the only reason I have a phone number is for MFA. Add a GPS module (ideally built in, but could be bluetooth), and it seems like it'd just be an upgrade over a phone. Anyway, there are also other Linux devices others have pointed out in the phone form factor like the pine phone, and tablet/notebooks from e.g. GPD. So the form factor is there, but you might need to look at things that are advertised as small computers with touch screens (because that's what they are). So "handheld PC", "pocket computer", etc.

otterley 1y ago

Or you could start a business making your own completely open phones. If there’s truly a market for that, you could become extremely wealthy.

mathiaspoint 1y ago
A truly open phone is just a pocketable Linux laptop with an LTE modem. These already exist, companies like GPD make them.
- otterley 1y ago
  I’m not sure something with a form factor of half the size of a sheet of office paper would suit the market for a typical smartphone.
_aavaa_ 1y ago
“If there’s truly a market” monopolies, monopsonies, and anti competitive behaviour would never be a problem.
- otterley 1y ago
  What is either company doing unlawfully that’s preventing a disruptive smartphone competitor from arising? Being a duopoly is not in itself unlawful unless either is taking active steps to prevent others from competing in the market.

noisy_boy 1y ago

> And use what? A Linux laptop we carry around with us? Even if you do that, it won't work in many cases because even in the government agencies, there are some that have gone app-only mode.