Pyra why ?

[Bosbeetle]

I think I "sold" the pandora by using it in public and will do with the pyra again. Still remember that a guy's jaw dropped open when I started libreOffice on my pandora during a lecture at a symposium (to check the presentation I had to give), later he was boasting about it to his friends/coworkers "and then he opened up this DS like thing with a keyboard and started LibreOffice,, hehe I was standing in that group and had to admit it was me..."

I must say that probably all the others thought I was playing games when I was making notes Or programming small ideas in R.

 

[levi]

There are a number of office apps you can run on your android device these days, including a presentation mode. If you just want to check a presentation and make small edits, I'd have though they might allow that.

 

[Serenity]

How do you explain to others why you spend up to 760 € on this 2 x 1,4 ghz ARM Brick instead of a "normal" Notebook for less whit more power?

You don't need to explain someone, for what you are spending your money.
Just answer, that you are a Fanboy. That's not an insult...
I also don't see any use for the Pyra and that's the reason, why i didn't buy it. I am using a RG350 for mobile emulation and use it only for long travels.

I also bought a 2000€+ Bow with full equipment and now, I don't use it anymore. Maybe I will do it again, but is currently not in plan.

Just have fun with your pyra!

 

[TrashyMG]

I spent a ton more on my recent Commodore Amiga craze, no need to justify what makes you happy.

 

[λ the β-Redex Reducer]

What I like about the Pyra:
- No IME
- Libreness to a large degree
- Good controls for gaming and working
- Lot's of memory
- Portability

What I dislike about it is:
- Not fully libre (but being fully libre is extremely hard nowadays, even the Librem 5 cannot fully manage it and they come the closest)
- No camera
- No USB-C
- No infra-red

I have to see how much I really like it when I get it.

 

[Binky]

I suppose the first point for me is software usability. I have a mainstream (though 'old') smartphone, and I am constantly frustrated by deliberate, systemic design choices. My Pandora is much better, and I'm hoping that a Pyra (with Debian) will be better still.

Second, I don't like the state of the consumer electronics industry, and see supporting open projects and independent firms like ED's as a way of nudging it in the right direction.

Third is privacy and data security. While I haven't the time or skill to do detailed security audits, I'm pretty sure that at least of some of the spyware on my phone is still running (no matter how many services I disable). I think there is much, much less spyware on my Pandora.*

The biggest downside of open mobile devices is a lack of compatibility with mainstream applications, in my view. Granted, those applications are typically rotten, but I'm not willing to become a FOSS-hardliner hermit just yet!

*Edit: I betcha there's at least one application pinging 8.8.8.8 to detect an internet connection, and am quite sure Google keep logs.

 

[Bosbeetle]

There are a number of office apps you can run on your android device these days, including a presentation mode. If you just want to check a presentation and make small edits, I'd have though they might allow that.

Probably but they dont have a keyboard, and I was talking about 2013

My phone has a keyboard but it just doesnt work as nice as the pandora having to work in portrait, I tried teamview stuff on my phone during a trip and I miss a lot of keys and stuff that just naturally works on the pandora. Come to think of it the pandora is just awesomesaus hope the pyra will as well.

 

[netcat]

i have no clue why i really want a pyra
i guess i just think it's a cool device
i am not looking forward to setting it up just right
i am not looking forward to download apts
i don't want to game on it, really
i just want to hold it, actually

what it really means is i have the possibility of being a complete nerd away from my desk (i don't use laptops)
man my back hurts..

 

[ClockworkCoder]

I never really thought about the Psion connection before, but I like the idea of a modern device with a classic old-school approach to design.

It does seem odd to me that "modern" (consumer) devices are designed around the idea that people are apparenly scared of actual tactile buttons. I guess that's effectively the Google effect, as these devices are either Android or attempting to copy and/or compete. It was only Blackberry who were attempting to hold on to the keyboard in a small format.

Pyra brings that old excitement back, and I feel that as part of an active community, we're effectively a voice against anti-competitive consumer devices. It's also exciting to own a handheld device that I feel that I actually _own_ and can do anything with. I no longer wish to own any device that dictates what I can or can't install on it, or decides how I should interface with it.

 

[PowerGod]

It was only Blackberry who were attempting to hold on to the keyboard in a small format.

I have spoken with different people that wanted to convince me that the android virtual keyboard is better and faster than the Blackberry one...
It's impossible for me to accept this, to access so many keys in an Android keyboard you'll have to switch the layout different times, this way many keys that are a single press on the Blackberry, becomes two presses on Android, it's simple math.
So, they just constantly keep telling that pressing 4 keys is faster than pressing 2 of them...

I will not even try to explain all the excuses they also find out when I tell them that a virtual keyboard just shrink the display surface, limiting it's use.

 

[Bosbeetle]

I have a BlackBerry priv as my current Android phone... Guess Im a tactile kind of person.

I love how the keyboard is also touch sensitive and you can scroll on it and double click on it to select text. Virtual keyboards can't compete.

 

[docbroke]

What you guys are talking about ?

Android keyboard has full ABCD... etc, in standard QWERY format,. It is much more than you need to type LOL and there are EMOJIS. What else you need in an android phone...?

 

[adhrain]

I needed a unix/linux (open) machine that could be with me always and everywhere, with the possibility to upgrade it and change the battery or other parts. In essence the pyra is what all the people would have in their pocket if the pocket-pc/smartphone/tablet market hadn’t gone totally crony capitalism wrong.

 

[johnicboom]

I needed a unix/linux (open) machine that could be with me always and everywhere, with the possibility to upgrade it and change the battery or other parts. In essence the pyra is what all the people would have in their pocket if the pocket-pc/smartphone/tablet market hadn’t gone totally crony capitalism wrong.

Yeah, adhrain hit the nail on the head for me. Add to it the fact that ED cared about things like where the materials were sourced from and tried to get as much as he could done in Europe. I really appreciate my devices having as little slave labor involvement as possible.

Of course it's going to cost more to consider and do those things, and I'm so happy to have the option to pay for that. I wish there were more options for ethical computing, but I do my best to support it where I can.

All of that, plus, there's something about this community that I was just drawn to, even before pre-orders opened. I felt like I belonged with you all, and I'm just a regular schmuck user, not even a programmer. Maybe I need to change that...

 

[benoitb]

Form factor, built to be maintainable as long as possible.
What are the competitors, really ? GPD is the closest but build to make sure you buy the next one 2 years later.

 

[ClockworkCoder]

Yep, definite +1 for longevity/maintainability.

It may be fashionably cool, but it's not designed to be tomorrow's landfill.

"Planned obsolescence" - what an obscene concept...