"Marshall London" Smartphone from the Amp Company


Is it just me, or is this a crap idea? I mean, Marshall don't do phones. So, either they haven't in any way been involved in making this phone, meaning they basically have a whatnot noname phone with tolex, brass and an extra headphone socket bolted on in an attempt to just fool people with the brand...

...or they actually tried to create a phone. In which case it'll be horrible, because they don't know how to do that.

And yes, I have the same misgivings about that "Commodore" phone. Or that "Apple" phone. But I digress...
Well, I'm pretty sure they had help from professional Smartphone-makers. ^^" I mean, if "we" can make an Pandora/Pyra why shouldn't it be possible that Marshall makes an Smartphone?
Actually Apple is way better in providing updates to their phones... in case you havent noticed.
I've heared of that. But most people use Android-based phones, I guess because they are cheaper and have more apps than Apple products. I also guess the majority doesn't care about Updates on their phones. The heck, even on the PC many people don't care about updates, that's the problem. ;)
 
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Looks sexy. But I think they should rather have done some kind of pocket dsp with effectsrack and recording abilityinstead of an outdated smartphone.
 
This brings me to a related question, though: Is there anywhere one can get a decent smartphoney thing with a slide-out qwerty keyboard anymore? I'm supposing all answers, if there are any, will point to obscure chinese gadget sites so that's ok. It just amazes me that the idea of a pocket note-taking, email-sending, text-entering device with actual proper text-entry hardware seems to be such a difficult concept?
 
^ The closest I know about would be Jolla with the keyboard addon. The addon itself sits quite nicely on the phone, but the typing feel of the keyboard is terrible.
 
This brings me to a related question, though: Is there anywhere one can get a decent smartphoney thing with a slide-out qwerty keyboard anymore? I'm supposing all answers, if there are any, will point to obscure chinese gadget sites so that's ok. It just amazes me that the idea of a pocket note-taking, email-sending, text-entering device with actual proper text-entry hardware seems to be such a difficult concept?
I guess slide is out, there are still the Blackberrys of course with fixed keyboard. But I'm not really deep into the current Smartphone scene, maybe there are still decent ones with convertible function.
 
This brings me to a related question, though: Is there anywhere one can get a decent smartphoney thing with a slide-out qwerty keyboard anymore? I'm supposing all answers, if there are any, will point to obscure chinese gadget sites so that's ok. It just amazes me that the idea of a pocket note-taking, email-sending, text-entering device with actual proper text-entry hardware seems to be such a difficult concept?
All of the new ones I know of had fairly poor reviews and were not so great.  I currently use a pair of Photon Qs that I got cheap on ebay due to broken motors.  They are decent enough for everything I have thrown at them (including a couple of events where more than a safe amount of water was involved) and not massive.

In the future I want to use a Pyra for those purposes.  If that doesn't work out for me I am watching Fairphone and Project Ara.  I will probably need something else (like a Pyra) for text input for the new Fairphone, however someone will probably release an Ara keyboard.
 
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I lament the passing of the Pocket PC ( or did they call them "handheld PC" I can never remember which is which ) era- that's why the Pyra/Pandora are so sacred. They are the only worthwhile revival of a form factor that the mass market has abandoned.


I've tried Bluetooth clip-on slide out keyboards before ( I still have a couple somewhere ) but they tend to suck. Without a hinge they're perpetually stuck at the wrong angle.
 
Well, there is neo900. It's only Pandora level hardware, but at least it is developed by Dr. Schaller, too.
 
Actually Apple is way better in providing updates to their phones... in case you havent noticed.
And Google is pretty good at updating Android on Nexus phones, Apple just doesn't let anyone else use their OS.
 
This brings me to a related question, though: Is there anywhere one can get a decent smartphoney thing with a slide-out qwerty keyboard anymore? I'm supposing all answers, if there are any, will point to obscure chinese gadget sites so that's ok. It just amazes me that the idea of a pocket note-taking, email-sending, text-entering device with actual proper text-entry hardware seems to be such a difficult concept?
I really want a passport.

http://global.blackberry.com/en/smartphones/blackberry-passport/overview.html
 
This brings me to a related question, though: Is there anywhere one can get a decent smartphoney thing with a slide-out qwerty keyboard anymore? I'm supposing all answers, if there are any, will point to obscure chinese gadget sites so that's ok. It just amazes me that the idea of a pocket note-taking, email-sending, text-entering device with actual proper text-entry hardware seems to be such a difficult concept?
I really want a passport.

http://global.blackberry.com/en/smartphones/blackberry-passport/overview.html
The keyboard looks kind of narrow (which is why I never wanted a blackberry).  I like that they centered the spacebar, but all the missing keys would be even worse for me than what I currently have, and which is really only useful for texting, and most email and web stuff.  If you get one let us know your thoughts after you have had it for a little while.
 
This brings me to a related question, though: Is there anywhere one can get a decent smartphoney thing with a slide-out qwerty keyboard anymore? I'm supposing all answers, if there are any, will point to obscure chinese gadget sites so that's ok. It just amazes me that the idea of a pocket note-taking, email-sending, text-entering device with actual proper text-entry hardware seems to be such a difficult concept?
I recently "upgraded" from a Palm Pre 2 to an Android smartphone. Fuck me, Android is awful in comparison to webOS, and I REALLY miss that real keyboard - I make so many typos while texting now :(

I'm seriously thinking of going back to it, but I do like the size of modern smart phones.

I'd love a webOS device the size of an iPhone - with the power to boot, of course. But there's no way on earth I'd get a Blackberry - unreliable crap.
 
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Fuck me, Android is awful.
Truth! It's amazing what compromised dross people will put up with so they can set animated manga boobies as the wallpaper and use a shitty GUI that's basically productivity kryptonite but makes them feel like Neo. See: Linux as a desktop OS.


Oh and all the pre installed shovelware and terrible alternate launchers that necessitate replacing your firmware with a cooked ROM right out of the box. Freedom is great as long as you don't mind someone else using it against you.


Also... The irony of people saying Apple is evil while shovelling all their data into Google's bottomless advertising forge is not lost on me.


Ultimately all OS's kind of suck, which is why I tend to use them all in moderation.


Does anyone else remember the Motorola A1000?
 
Hey, nothing against Mangas and Oppai!  :rolleyes:

Well, I will accept every (mobile) OS as long as is responsive and fast and good usable. And I must say, the current (Desktop) Experience of my old Pandora is nothing of that. Slow, unresponsive, everything takes ages... It's surprisingly slow compared how fast games can be even on old CC Pandoras. And AFAIk the Angstrom Linux on the Pandora was already the most stripped down version available for mobile usage.

That's why I'm still sceptical about how good the Pyra OS (full Debian) really can be.  I never used Android or IOS but from a buddy I have seen how "smooth" an OS (iOS) can react, even with ressource wasting animations and blingbling.  So at least Google and Apple do something right with their mobile OS systems. We wil lsee how good or bad Win 10 will be if it's released on mobile devices.

Again, I will not bash any OS just for principels, I take everything that does what it should and is FAST and doesn't require text input to work best (just in case if you want to bring the "almighty terminal" Argument ;) )
 
Haha I have nothing really against manga :D I am rather partial to the almighty terminal, but it definitely shouldn't be required!
 
I use android, because, well, convenience... and some things it does pretty well, especially if you only have 1 hand free... but boy oh boy am I ready to drop it at the first chance. Some seemingly 'simple' things are so frustrating. I hate hate HATE when it tries to make my life easier by doing things automatically or by simplifying things.


But if there is an Apple device in the same room as me, i feel contaminated.
 
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