Pyra as a Phone

[Askarus]

Go home you freak

Maybe we'll see a mod some day. One camera instead of the logo and one to the inside (inside the hinge)

 

[Swordfish II]

If you are an average sane person, not like me, that wants to use your Pyra as a replacement to your smartphone you will probably expect a camera, or you miss out on some of the basic functionality you want when you are "upgrading". It makes perfect sense to me to have a camera (or two) if you plan to use this device in those ways. Why carry a smartphone so you can have a camera if you are using your Pyra as a smartphone? That defeats the purpose of the Pyra in those instances.

I would challenge those people to put their Pandora up to their ear, with the screen open after dialing a number on the keyboard...good luck holding that comfortably. The speakers would be covered if the lid was closed, same with the mic, and if you can hear so can everone else. If using an ear piece via Bluetooth you still have to pull it out and dial. Plus the Pandy is kind of a brick (it would remind me of one of those 80's cell's) and the Pyra is slightly bigger.

Phone functionality would be a neat parlor trick, but for all but the most adamant it wont pass muster as the sole cellular device.

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Reasons why a camera would be nice:

1: Bar-code/QR-Code scanner
2: Augmented Reality
3: Chatting (Skype/Firefox Hello)
4: One device for everything. I hate to carry much stuff with me.

That camera of course would not make brilliant pictures. It's more for things you see somewhere you want to keep/remember. Things like an advertisement you see, some funny things, some handwritten notes you want to copy ...

Sooo it is easier to carry around a brick than a slim cellphone, oh and you would also have to have a Bluetooth ear piece as that is the only decent way to use the Pyra as a phone.. Oh yeah and you would need to make sure you have both the ear piece and the Pyra, two devices to replace a single phone, and don't forget to charge them!

It is easier to haul said brick out of your bag and put it back to take pictures or Skype than it is pull your tiny, slim, light, cell phone out of your front pocket and slip it back in?

Cmon, you guys are really trying to force this... If it is about the cool factor ok fine, but don't act like it is more efficient, cause it really isn't.

 

[Askarus]

I would challenge those people to put their Pandora up to their ear, with the screen open after dialing a number on the keyboard. The speakers would be covered if the lid was closed, same with the mic, and if you can hear so can everone else. If using an ear piece via Bluetooth you still have to pull it out and dial. Plus the Pandy is kind of a brick (it would remind me of one of those 80's cell's) and the Pyra is slightly bigger.

There are 2 things I don't understand:

1: Why is it a problem to hold the Pyra in opened state to your ear? It's big and looks strange but that's it.
2: Why not use loudspeaker everywhere. Seriously, I don't understand why that's a problem for so many people.
If I'm talking to someone (in the bus for example) everyone can hear what we're talking about. But if I'm doing a phone call no one may listen to it? Why is it so secret?
And by the way, for secret stuff you can still use the strange looking version.

Sooo it is easier to carry around a brick than a slim cellphone? It is easier to haul said brick out of your bag and put it back to take pictures or Skype than it is pull your tiny, slim, light, cell phone out of your front pocket and slip it back in?

Cmon, you are really trying to force this.

No it is not. And I like the size of my smartphone.
But I would not want to miss all the Laptop features the Pyra offers. Mostly I have to carry my Pandora and my smartphone with me if I'm doing serious stuff.
The smartphone is a lot more comfortable for a short walk or so but Pyra as phone is better for serious things.
Especially because of the 2 full SD-Card slots. I want to have all my stuff with me (music...)

And BTW: I plan to use the Pyra as my phone. I'll sacrifice the camera, no doubt.

 

[Swordfish II]

There are 2 things I don't understand:

1: Why is it a problem to hold the Pyra in opened state to your ear? It's big and looks strange but that's it.
2: Why not use loudspeaker everywhere. Seriously, I don't understand why that's a problem for so many people.
If I'm talking to someone (in the bus for example) everyone can hear what we're talking about. But if I'm doing a phone call no one may listen to it? Why is it so secret?
And by the way, for secret stuff you can still use the strange looking version.
.

1. It is awkward as hell and you will be very likely to drop it
2. Don't be that asshole. Seriously don't. You talking to someone casually face to face in a bus is quiet enough that most people wont be able to tell what you are saying and you wont be disturbing them. You screaming into the microphone to be heard with speakerphone as the speakers boom the response disturbs everyone.

No it is not. And I like the size of my smartphone.
But I would not want to miss all the Laptop features the Pyra offers. Mostly I have to carry my Pandora and my smartphone with me if I'm doing serious stuff.
The smartphone is a lot more comfortable for a short walk or so but Pyra as phone is better for serious things.
Especially because of the 2 full SD-Card slots. I want to have all my stuff with me (music...)

And BTW: I plan to use the Pyra as my phone. I'll sacrifice the camera, no doubt.

I understand serious stuff. But on the day to day normal, non-serious, you are looking to replace a Lexus (cell) with a dump truck (Pyra) and calling it an upgrade. The dump truck has its uses, heavy loads, etc but damn if it isn't tiring to drive all the time when you could just be cruising around in a nice lexus.

You do what you want with it, and I hope you are happy with it. I know I will be, I just don't get trying to force hardware into a role it wasn't designed for and would actually be harder to use.

 

[rygD]

I would challenge those people to put their Pandora up to their ear, with the screen open after dialing a number on the keyboard...good luck holding that comfortably. The speakers would be covered if the lid was closed, same with the mic, and if you can hear so can everone else. If using an ear piece via Bluetooth you still have to pull it out and dial. Plus the Pandy is kind of a brick (it would remind me of one of those 80's cell's) and the Pyra is slightly bigger.

Phone functionality would be a neat parlor trick, but for all but the most adamant it wont pass muster as the sole cellular device.

Those Bluetooth headsets that sit on your neck are pretty popular here right now. I usually stick with the wired headsets that look like earbuds with a mic in the line, although I do have other wired and Bluetooth options. Even if someone does want to hold the Pyra up to their head or use it like a speakerphone I don't see how these choices relate to the camera. For me, if the Pyra ever gets a simple interface for calls and texts and doesn't drop off the network too often I think it will serve my needs fairly well. I see no reason that this wouldn't be true for most people, except when it comes to things requiring a camera or using it by itself for calls and not using it as a speakerphone.

 

[Swordfish II]

Those Bluetooth headsets that sit on your neck are pretty popular here right now. I usually stick with the wired headsets that look like earbuds with a mic in the line, although I do have other wired and Bluetooth options. Even if someone does want to hold the Pyra up to their head or use it like a speakerphone I don't see how these choices relate to the camera. For me, if the Pyra ever gets a simple interface for calls and texts and doesn't drop off the network too often I think it will serve my needs fairly well. I see no reason that this wouldn't be true for most people, except when it comes to things requiring a camera or using it by itself for calls and not using it as a speakerphone.

I am saying that in all aspects, the Pyra is a worse phone than a phone. Even with a camera it would still be a worse phone BECAUSE it isn't a phone and doesn't work as smoothly or easily as a phone. The people that want the camera want it because: phone. We are all saying it is a bad phone all around (but great laptop/gaming replacement) and we all wouldn't use it that way so no need for a camera.

I have no idea how you could possibly think any aspect of using the Pyra as a phone is EASIER than just using an ACTUAL cell phone instead. Even if you are carrying both.

 

[rygD]

I am saying that in all aspects, the Pyra is a worse phone than a phone. Even with a camera it would still be a worse phone BECAUSE it isn't a phone and doesn't work as smoothly or easily as a phone. The people that want the camera want it because: phone. We are all saying it is a bad phone all around (but great laptop/gaming replacement) and we all wouldn't use it that way so no need for a camera.

I have no idea how you could possibly think any aspect of using the Pyra as a phone is EASIER than just using an ACTUAL cell phone instead. Even if you are carrying both.

A smartphone in general is worse than a dedicated cell phone is worse than a POTS phone connected to a landline. Your opinion does not change how people will use their Pyra. Some of those that want to use a Pyra as a phone, ya know, what we are discussing in this thread, would be able to use a camera in the same ways they do with a smartphone or feature phone if they had one built in, or as an add-on.

A smartphone is barely a phone. It is a mini tablet that can make calls. Some can barely be used as phones for various reasons. The Pyra is a mini laptop that will have phone capabilities included. I don't really see how it could be worse than a smartphone since it essentially IS a smartphone, just in a clamshell with extra physical controls and other goodies. Maybe if I install Android on it you will understand better.

 

[Swordfish II]

A smartphone in general is worse than a dedicated cell phone is worse than a POTS phone connected to a landline. Your opinion does not change how people will use their Pyra. Some of those that want to use a Pyra as a phone, ya know, what we are discussing in this thread, would be able to use a camera in the same ways they do with a smartphone or feature phone if they had one built in, or as an add-on..

Nope, Nope and Nope. A dedicated cell phone and a smartphone are roughly the same volume, and a smartphone's tradeoff with a dedicated cellphone is minute. POTS you cannot take with you at all.

A smartphone is barely a phone. It is a mini tablet that can make calls. Some can barely be used as phones for various reasons. The Pyra is a mini laptop that will have phone capabilities included. I don't really see how it could be worse than a smartphone since it essentially IS a smartphone, just in a clamshell with extra physical controls and other goodies. Maybe if I install Android on it you will understand better.

I don't see how you can say carrying a literal brick around is easier than a wafer thin smart phone.
Or holding a brick up to your face is easier than holding up a light smart phone.
Or dialing on a nice large number pad with one hand is harder than pulling a brick out of your back pack, using two hands to open said brick, trying to hit those awkward number pads on the Pandora all the way at the top while holding it with two hands, then having to use an awkward speakerphone, or having to charge and carry a completely separate Bluetooth earpiece. Yep that sounds SO much easier than a phone.

I pull out and use my Pandora/Pyra when I will need an actual computer or want to game. I am not in the mindset to force it into a role it will do poorly, and be cumbersome and awkward while doing it.

But hey, to each their own

 

[Haraldur]

1. I carry around, daily, a Pandora and a candy-bar style mobile phone. I want to exclude the phone.
2. As I use the Pandora as a music player, earphones are semi-permanently attached and around my neck. I would just need to use an earphone-microphone combo instead (why would I need Bluetooth?).
3. I do not use the phone very often -- few calls, few texts, pay-as-you-go -- but am expected to have one to be contactable. Some minor inconvenience for (answering) phone calls is barely worth considering.
4. If I abandon the phone once I get a Pyra, the only function I have lost is the camera, I think. It, too, is used infrequently, but it is nice to have when I want it*.

*It is, in fact, broken, for the last few months, so I already live a camera-free life. Still, it would be nice to have one.

 

[rygD]

Nope, Nope and Nope. A dedicated cell phone and a smartphone are roughly the same volume, and a smartphone's tradeoff with a dedicated cellphone is minute. POTS you cannot take with you at all.

As much as you change what you are talking about this discussion seems pointless. Are you talking about cameras, making calls or the size of the device? Dedicated cell phones are MUCH smaller than most smartphones. The dedicated ones I have had have always, from my first in 00 or 01 to the one I think I have in a drawer somewhere, have all been much smaller than my current Photon Q. My first one was probably closest, since it was thicker, a flip phone, and had an external antenna. My most recent one is about half the size of the Photon Q, and the Photon Q is tiny compared to most modern smartphones I see, although it is much thicker due to the keyboard. That goes away as soon as you add a case, and with some cases you start to approach to approach Pandora/Pyra size. I have one that, when in the case, is closer to the size of my Pandora than my dedicated cell phone, and that is several years old. The average top end smartphone in recent years is even larger.

From a strictly making calls view, you can't beat POTS unless the lines go down or whatever. A dedicated cell phone has days/weeks of standby time, so as long as you can get a signal, don't spend all day on calls, and charge it once in a while you can always make a call. Smartphones have tons of problems. I recall hearing of an iphone (I think) where the location of the antenna gets blocked by your hand when holding it and trying to make a call, whichsome claimed interfered with the signal. I tried to help someone with their flagship phone that would sometimes lock up for minutes or more at a time, so they couldn't make calls while it was locked up. I could mention many more examples. I completely forgot about how bad some touchscreens are, especially when it comes to dropping it. A broken touchscreen may not work at all. My dedicated cell phone has gone through things that would leave a smartphone in several pieces, yet I can still make calls with that phone, which is smaller than any smartphone I have ever held and lasts a week or two per charge.

I don't see how you can say carrying a literal brick around is easier than a wafer thin smart phone.
Or holding a brick up to your face is easier than holding up a light smart phone.
Or dialing on a nice large number pad with one hand is harder than pulling a brick out of your back pack, using two hands to open said brick, trying to hit those awkward number pads on the Pandora all the way at the top while holding it with two hands, then having to use an awkward speakerphone, or having to charge and carry a completely separate Bluetooth earpiece. Yep that sounds SO much easier than a phone.

I pull out and use my Pandora/Pyra when I will need an actual computer or want to game. I am not in the mindset to force it into a role it will do poorly, and be cumbersome and awkward while doing it.

But hey, to each their own

Again, you are now talking about a completely different thing in this post than we were previously discussing. If you want to play the size thing, we can do that. Imagine someone wants to have their Pyra with them. Imagine this person doesn't carry a purse, but does carry a small wallet, some keys, a tiny flashlight, a pocket knife, a pen, and a notebook in their backpocket. You now have someone that carries what I carry.

Now this person wants to carry their Pyra with them. This takes up a whole pocket. Unless they are wearing cargo pants, the only place they have left for a smartphone is their back pocket, or I suppose they could swap the pockets and put the smartphone up front and the Pyra in the back. Either way, they are now carrying more than just their normal stuff. Pyra alone is still smaller than Pyra and a smartphone, and if you only need the Pyra why carry a smartphone?

An additional concern would be sitting on whatever is in your back pocket, or someone stealing it. You are much better off with a case if you are shoving a smartphone in your pocket, and I doubt one of those big screen thin ones would last a day with me if not in a case before I broke the screen or snapped a chunk of it off.

I don't know why anyone would hold a Pyra up to their face. This wouldn't be how I use mine, as I would have my wired headset already connected since I will be listening to music. Since I would still need to pull a smartphone out of my pocket and poke around on the screen to make or answer a call I don't really see any difference with adding the step of opening it (which I often do with my Photon Q to turn the screen on anyway since I have to enter a password that is over a dozen letters to unlock it). Bluetooth isn't much different. With the ones I am familiar with you can just push a button to answer, but to make a call you have to pull the phone out and fiddle around with it, just like the Pyra.

Most people I have watched making a call with a smartphone use 2 hands, just as would be needed with the Pyra, one to hold and one to poke the screen. Most of the time they are using a number they have stored on the device, although this could just be the people I know. The benefit is actually with the Pyra here (assuming we get a decent interface) since you can use nubs for mouse control, or the keyboard, or the touchscreen (fingerprints on the screen suck, so you can always use a stylus too).

I prefer not to hold a cell phone/smartphone/Pyra up to my head at all (hence my preference for wired headsets), but if that is what you are into, cool. You can have faceprints to go along with the fingerprints all over your screen. Most smartphones do the phone part poorly imo, and tend to be about dead whenever I would need to make a call unless chargd a few times throughout the day, which is a bit impossible if you are outside.

But hey, to each their own.

 

[Swordfish II]

Are you talking about cameras, making calls or the size of the device?

I have maintained the same position the entire time:

You want a camera so you can use it as a phone. It is a shitty phone, due to size, shape, weight, speakers, microphone, software, key location, phone abilities... everything. Nobody but you three even WANTS to use it as a primary phone for the reasons I have posted about 20 times. It isn't even designed to be used as a phone (only mobile data).

All of that factors into why there is no camera, and why nobody really cares if it doesn't have a camera and doesn't fulfill the roles of a phone.....it is not intended to replace a phone.

Hopefully you guys wont get into a car accident trying to "dial" your new "phone" with both hands while driving.

I still think this whole "I want to use it as my primary phone" is simply so you can pull it out and show off.

 

[rygD]

Once again you do not pay attention.

I do, however you keep changing what you are discussing.

I have maintained the same position the entire time:

Actually, you haven't. First you said a camera is stupid, then you said a Pyra would suck for making calls, then you said a Pyra is too big (for what I still don't know, unless you only plan to use yours at home).

You want a camera so you can use it as a phone.

No I don't. Pay attention. I do NOT want a camera, ever, at all, in my other devices. If I want to use a camera I will use a camera.

Nobody but you three even WANTS to use it as a primary phone for the reasons I have posted about 20 times.

Pretty sure you are mistaken. Either way, you saying a Pyra is a shitty phone will not change my mind about using mine as one. I don't like carrying more stuff if I don't need to.

Yet here you are talking about how it is a wonderful phone, even better than an actual phone, so much more convenient and easy.

Hell yeah, it is! I can play real games the right way, do office and other typical computer tasks, and I can use it for calls and texts (if I want to be reached and turn 4G on). This is everything they wanted for the N-Gage plus much more. A cell phone isn't very important to me, so if I can get that functionality another way I am all for it.

Hopefully you guys wont get into a car accident trying to "dial" your new "phone" with both hands while driving.

I never answer or make calls while driving. That is stupid. Why would anyone do that? I do sometimes pull over if I really need to make a call or send a text.

I still think this whole "I want to use it as my primary phone" is simply so you can pull it out and show off.

Yep, the trees and birds are impressed and think I am sexy when I do stuff like this. I think you overestimate how much I use a cell/smartphone. I have neither made nor answered a call in the last 3 months. For texts, which I send and receive quite a bit on some days, a Pyra is much better than a smartphone lacking a keyboard. I suppose I could carry a keyboard to go along with my smartphone and Pyra, because...I dunno why, I don't think like that.

As for showing off, if it is anything like it is with my Pandora, people will think it is a DS. Not sure how using a DS/palmtop/smartphone/anything is showing off, but what do I know. If I am going to have it for games and computer tasks I don't see how using it for texts or calls is "showing off" anymore than using it for those other things. Maybe I just like attention (hint: I don't, I prefer people not bother me, talk to me, or even look at me).

Edit: I guess you edited your post while I was replying, so I will respond to the stuff I missed.
I agree, a Pyra was not designed to be a phone, and that was not really a consideration when it was being designed. Most people don't use their smartphones to make calls as much as they do other things, take a look next time you are around a large group of people (there will most likely be some/many staring at their smartphones doing anything other than experiencing life).

A couple other things I wanted to say:
My reason for supporting a camera add-on is that this is something that is missing that is present in a wide variety of devices, including smartphones, handheld consoles, and laptops and tablets, yet it is missing from the Pyra. I want people to be happy with their Pyras, and to be able to use them how they wish, even if that is different from what I want or how I plan to use mine.

Edit again: disregard the tow truck thing. I misread a word when rereading the post after it was edited. Sorry for any hurt feelings, or anyone that was offended. My best regards to the dog, though.

 

[edgex004]

I am completely in agreement that the Pyra will not be as good of a phone as a dedicated smartphone. But:

- I want to use Pyra as my phone simply because I have noticed that I rarely use my phone and would like to leave it behind altogether. I make more calls from my computer than I do from my phone.

- Even if the Pyra isn't as good of a phone as a dedicated phone, it should make do and then I can leave behind a device I rarely use in favor of the one I use all day.

- I always have wired earbuds plugged in, so I can just use those to talk. I don't intend to hold the thing up to my head.

- I plan to swap my SIM into a more compact phone if I need to go somewhere where it is impractical to take the Pyra, like a wedding or something. That is the beauty of having a choice: If the Pyra doesn't work for something, you can always switch back. I have the same old smartphone that I never upgrade because I have my fun with the Pandora. I can always hold onto that and switch back and forth at will.

Hopefully you guys wont get into a car accident trying to "dial" your new "phone" with both hands while driving.

You should not dial while driving no matter how nice your phone is...

 

[Haraldur]

I need a phone. I do not need a good phone.

A camera would be nice to have.

 

[Askarus]

I mainly write SMS with my phone. I'm rarely using it for calls.
And the calls are not urgent/important. So I don't have to do them in crowded areas. The few calls I have to do in non silent places can be done the "ugly" way.

I have a HTC Desire Z because of it's Physical keyboard.
Pyra will have a better keyboard and is a lot more responsive (Desire z has 1GHz and 512 MB RAM. That's not much for Android).
A Phone with no Keyboard is no option for me.

So for me the Pyra is a lot better than my Phone.
I use it for (in that order):
1: SMS
2: Web browsing
3: Music
4: Work on the Go
5: E-Mail
6: Call someone
7: (Last would be the Camera)

So isn't the Pyra a lot better than a Smartphone for me?
In my opinion lots of people use their Phone mostly for text messages (SMS, Facebook, Whatsapp, E-Mail) and therefore the Pyra's keyboard is a great upgrade.

 

[Caine]

I don't even own a mobile phone.

It happens that people need to reach me or the other way around, but it is rarely a real inconvenience. That said, for those rare occasions using the Pyra as a phone will be a solution. One thing is for sure, I am not going to purchase a closed device which hampers my freedom for these rare incidents.

A good camera addon would be very useful as it allows me to quickly capture information into the inbox of my GTD system [getting things done] which I will migrate to the Pyra. Yes, I also realize most people use their phones for this.

While the ship has sailed on the hardware design, I am still interested in seeing mods and/or addons that can fill the gap that is left by the omission of the camera.

 

[Askarus]

Sooner or later one of these cheap Mini Wifi Cameras should work.
That should do it for me.
Maybe hack it into the case...

 

[ThinkPad]

All the USB ports are on the back right?

So it will be nice to have a small male USB camera + flash on a single tiny module attachable to one of the USB ports on the back.

I can easy see this as an official accessory.

something like this, but with Xenon or LED flash on it, and male USB strait on its back instead of sideways.

 

[erico]

...
I still think this whole "I want to use it as my primary phone" is simply so you can pull it out and show off.

Not quite, my note II only has 3g and it has been that way for the past 5 years. I rarely need to take or make a call, all my bizz and social communication happens by text or recorded audio.
I see no difference on the way I use my note II compared to how I would use a device like Pyra, sure the note is more portable but sure it does a lot less then Pyra.

Yesterday I received a 40 mins. biz call by landline phone and it was horrible to hold a phone to my head all this time. I just don´t see myself doing it anymore whichever be the phone.

Either I´m alien or I think it is a tendency to quit using phones as we learned ages ago, holding whatever to your head was something needed back then that has no place in this world anymore IMHO.
A Pyra would be a perfect communication device for me (with a camera).

I know views are different and I see your point of view, but it really works out for me and is not show and tell.

ps: yesterday I went to a party at a friends house, his band was playing. Within the crowd, there were 2 persons shooting the show with tablets.

 

[ThinkPad]

Here is the visualization of the attachable USB Camera.
(5000 Hours in MS PAINT - Achievement Unlocked!)