Laptop (cell phone) in my pocket?

[Michael Butash]

  I think android is the way to go, I'm patiently waiting for verizon to
get off their arse and get one.  Particularly samsung seems to be about
the coolest versions with something like the "bigfoot" phone with amoled
display and qwerty physical keyboard if/when it comes out here:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/11/is-this-t-mobiles-samsung-bigfoot-with-android-amoled-and-qwe/

  Android offers all the linux you need, with hackability that I would
expect - with or without google's endorsement of hacks.  The real apps
seem to have begun trickling out, so that's where my next phone money is
waiting to be spent.  Get a move on verizon!

  I had a crackberry with my last job, and earned a new respect for
them.  I didn't like the fact all the apps are for-pay, but what it
offered was the best email support I'd ever used.  I'd used BB back in
'99 when they first had their pages, and they still seem to represent
the best alternative for a "buisness-centric" person requiring email
messaging.  Web browsing was utter crap however, basically just annoyed
me whenever i was forced to use it.  Phone was solid, email excellent,
google maps was decent, but I didn't find much else great about it other
than it's ability to suck money out of you if you want other apps.

  I've used windoze mobile phones for a few years (aku 2 through 6.0
software), and it's painful trying to find a version that actually 1)
works with all promised features and 2) doesn't require a daily reboot
like it ran a Windoze ME kernel on it.  Installing apps to replace
broken microsoft functionality just made the system that much more
unstable.  I got so sick of the bugs and quirks chasing my tail to make
it work upgrading roms I went the other way and got a dumb, simple phone
that does nothing more than make calls and text (samsung juke, nice
*simple* phone with mp3 player).  For my mobile internet fix, I ended up
just getting a mini-pci verizon data card and shoved it internal to my
laptop.  I couldn't recommend anyone buy a WM-based phone anymore,
especially if you have to interface linux with it at some point.

  I had an ipod touch that did everyone once jailbreaked except play
music (at least loading from linux - no physical windows here).  I was
so annoyed by their DRM and blatant *walled garden* approach I dismissed
an iPhone, and gave away the ipod.  Texting or email was rather painful
as well.  It had more of a "stupid teenage fad" than an
"enterprise-ready laptop replacement" feel than I cared to deal with.  I
can live without iFart and lack of any linux client support, thanks.

  Everything else for phones seem like its just media and cellco cartels
pushing to sell you music, gps, ringback tones, and other crap no one
really needs..

-mb


On Sun, 2009-07-05 at 16:25 -0400, kitepilot at kitepilot.com wrote:
> Thanks to everyone for the input.
> I want to clarify that what I mean by "keyboard" is a full blown computer 
> keyboard, I can't really see myself typing iptables rules from a Blackberry 
> keyboard...   :)
> Thanks!
> ET 
> 
>  
> 
> kitepilot at kitepilot.com writes: 
> 
> > So my Treo 650 died.
> > Good.
> > I hated the $%#!@ thing and I will most likely not buy another Treo (unless 
> > it runs Linux).
> > Treo I could, Ericsson NOT!  
> > 
> > Anyway...
> > With all the new phone capabilities, I was waiting for my "dream phone" to 
> > materialize (Neo FreeRunner from openmoko.com) to ditch the Treo, but it 
> > seems that it won't happen...   :(  
> > 
> > So now I am on a crunch and I need help to find a phone...
> > My simple "specifications" are:
> > I want a phone that I can attach a real keyboard to and open up an SSH 
> > session using either WiFi or the the cellular network.  
> > 
> > In short, I want a "Laptop in my pocket"  
> > 
> > AND!
> > (Important AND)
> > I will not buy a Micro$haft phone!
> > (In fact I will not buy ANYTHING Micro$haft unless it is a LEAST-AND-URGENT 
> > resource)  
> > 
> > Finally, I am stuck at the moment with AT&T, but I would like something that 
> > I can plug anywhere.
> > Any ideas?  
> > 
> > Considering the Iphone, at least it is Apple...   :)
> > Thanks!
> > ET
> > ---------------------------------------------------
> > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
> ---------------------------------------------------
> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
>