4 ms·

If it’s not cheap, then what differentiates it from a $150 Linux laptop and $30 dongle

by karlgkk 5mo ago

fc417fc802 5mo ago
That's exactly my point! It's a low to midrange computer with extremely high portability including a grayscale display. Where else are you going to get that functionality combined as a single unit?
- mitthrowaway2 5mo ago
  A steam deck maybe?
- bspinner 5mo ago
  See the Mecha Comet
- karlgkk 5mo ago
  I have a $140 Lenovo education market laptop I got from their site, new. It doesn’t have a built in Ethernet port but I taped an L shaped usb dongle to the back. I use it as a terminal mostly. So I feel like if this costs more than $400, it’s DOA
- Dylan16807 5mo ago
  Considering this is 6.1 inches wide and 1.6 inches thick, I think I'd be happier with a GPD that's 6.8 inches wide and 1.0 inches thick. And I can put the screen into grayscale mode if I want?
  - NoSalt 5mo ago
    When you say "GPD", are you speaking about these? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPD_Win https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPD_Win
    - Dylan16807 5mo ago
      Moreso the entire company and its variety of models, but yes. Especially when running Ubuntu. I think they have two models of the size I mentioned right now, one around $600 and one more expensive.
- fidelramos 5mo ago
  I've been eyeing the MNT Pocket Reform for a while: https://shop.mntre.com/products/mnt-pocket-reform https://shop.mntre.com/products/mnt-pocket-reform
- radlad 5mo ago
  A mobile phone?
  - fsflover 5mo ago
    There are not so many running mainline Linux with all free drivers.
    - rasz 5mo ago
      Chip intended for this thing is also heavily blobbed. Even the creator lists "Push vendors to open up their existing closed-source code and ditch binary blobs entirely." as one of the goals as if small niche gadget had any chance of erven nudging the needle. We are talking Rockchip, company mired in numerous GPL violations with latest nuking their github repository early this year.
      - fsflover 5mo ago
        And yet a smartphone running an FSF-endorsed distro does exist, so it's possible: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Librem_5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Librem_5. Not free of firmware blobs though.
- sourcecodeplz 5mo ago
  Smartphone

If it’s not cheap, then what differentiates it from a $150 Linux laptop and $30 dongle

by karlgkk 5mo ago

If it’s not cheap, then what differentiates it from a $150 Linux laptop and $30 dongle

That's exactly my point! It's a low to midrange computer with extremely high portability including a grayscale display. Where else are you going to get that functionality combined as a single unit?

mitthrowaway2 5mo ago
A steam deck maybe?
bspinner 5mo ago
See the Mecha Comet
karlgkk 5mo ago
I have a $140 Lenovo education market laptop I got from their site, new. It doesn’t have a built in Ethernet port but I taped an L shaped usb dongle to the back. I use it as a terminal mostly. So I feel like if this costs more than $400, it’s DOA
Dylan16807 5mo ago
Considering this is 6.1 inches wide and 1.6 inches thick, I think I'd be happier with a GPD that's 6.8 inches wide and 1.0 inches thick. And I can put the screen into grayscale mode if I want?
- NoSalt 5mo ago
  When you say "GPD", are you speaking about these? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPD_Win https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPD_Win
  - Dylan16807 5mo ago
    Moreso the entire company and its variety of models, but yes. Especially when running Ubuntu. I think they have two models of the size I mentioned right now, one around $600 and one more expensive.
fidelramos 5mo ago
I've been eyeing the MNT Pocket Reform for a while: https://shop.mntre.com/products/mnt-pocket-reform https://shop.mntre.com/products/mnt-pocket-reform
radlad 5mo ago
A mobile phone?
- fsflover 5mo ago
  There are not so many running mainline Linux with all free drivers.
  - rasz 5mo ago
    Chip intended for this thing is also heavily blobbed. Even the creator lists "Push vendors to open up their existing closed-source code and ditch binary blobs entirely." as one of the goals as if small niche gadget had any chance of erven nudging the needle. We are talking Rockchip, company mired in numerous GPL violations with latest nuking their github repository early this year.
    - fsflover 5mo ago
      And yet a smartphone running an FSF-endorsed distro does exist, so it's possible: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Librem_5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Librem_5. Not free of firmware blobs though.
sourcecodeplz 5mo ago
Smartphone