this post was submitted on 10 May 2024
71 points (77.1% liked)
Technology
59578 readers
3661 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related content.
- Be excellent to each another!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Approved Bots
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
What I hate about it is it's a replacement of something better which could exist in the same role of a mobile computer for normies (like Star Wars datapads?), but, well, bigger and more convenient to actually work than a phone role PDA.
I'd want a device with a color e-Ink display (non-touchscreen or at least not requiring using the touchscreen), with repurposeable physical buttons around (small screens showing different pictures depending on what the button must be used for? or maybe Sony-style abstract emblems used differently by different applications), and those should have sufficiently deep travel, one that can survive a 1 meter fall, with a few interfaces normal for laptops (a few USB ports, HDMI, Ethernet, 3.5 jack, microSD would be good), an LTE modem, an SSD or NVME inside, and a good battery.
I'm fine with it being kinda fat. Some rubber parts to protect against falls may mask it for those who think that's against aesthetics.
And it should run Linux.
Guess Apple is not the company to address with such wishes, but the funny part is that in general iPad is kinda in the same niche as what I'm describing. Just much less useful.
I got a PineTab2 for under $200 that has treated me well. No e-ink or symbolic buttons, but it runs Linux and the included cover has a keyboard.
I usually use it as a dummy terminal with a Bluetooth mechanical keyboard.