:-O~~~ (bounce) (woot) (cheer) (dance) :D

https://store.planetcom.co.uk/collections/devices

I'd lost hope of ever finding a modern mobile with a keyboard.

Then I discover these and they can run full GNU/Linux too.

\o/

hooray! I am genuinely happy for you. Got no interest in having one of these at all though. Which one will you get? They look a fair way behind the 'current' Android version for whatever that's worth.

Been using Hacker's Keyboard since forever.

I'm not fussed by Android version since I don't intend to be running it.

I need to investigate how close the "planned support" for non-Android OSes is for the most recent device (Cosmo), but I'm also wondering whether a wifi-only Gemini will actually do everything I need.

And I really want to figure that all out right now and order already, but I need to be disciplined and get on with other things at the moment. :'S

What device have you been using lately for this sort of stuff?

What use is GNU/Linux on that sort of device?

> What device have you been using lately for this sort of stuff?

What sort of stuff?

My smallest screen and keyboard combo is the Thinkpad x201 which is five times heavier and nine times larger.

Not being Guybrush Threepwood means I can't carry it in my pocket.

> What use is GNU/Linux on that sort of device?

What use is running a full OS instead of only half of one... ?

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

Do you have a smartphone? If so, which phone? If not, when was the last time you did, and what model?

What use is running an OS that isn't well designed for a device with such a form factor?
I would expect it to be a real pain to use and quite unproductive, and for someone with your specific requirements of functionality, I doubt it would meet them.

Considering you've waited so long for a suitable device, I imagine you'll be waiting for just as long to find an OS that meets your requirements. Is Sailfish daily driver ready?

I have a OnePlus 2.

> What use is running an OS that isn't well designed for a device with such a form factor?

:?

Debian doesn't care about the hardware size/shape/layout, nor a 2:1 screen resolution.

Sailfish is specifically advertised by Jolla as being supported on the Gemini PDA.

> Considering you've waited so long for a suitable device, I imagine you'll be waiting for
> just as long to find an OS that meets your requirements. Is Sailfish daily driver ready?

The roots of Sailfish go back fifteen years - three years before Android - why wouldn't it be ready?

I have yet to decide whether I'd be running Sailfish or Debian.

Debian doesn't care, but the programs are generally developed for a laptop or desktop sized screen. Let's say 10" and above. My guess is UI and UX will not be smooth or really all that usable. Touchscreen for a PC-like UI on a screen that small? Can't imagine it would be nice.

I'd honestly love it to be fantastic, it would be great to see. But I think it being a "Just Works" device is unlikely.

And on Sailfish, length of development time is slightly irrelevant. If there's not many people using it then it's unlikely to progress and improve. I realise mass market OSes are dumbed down somewhat, but I doubt a no market OS will be so great.

It feels like you're inventing problems based on misconceptions about what you think I want.

I would get one of these devices even without touchscreen functionality.

Anything that doesn't work close enough to the way I want, I'll replace and/or fix.

You'll replace and/or fix hardware issues?

Fair enough, I'm probably making up my own use scenario here.
What would be your use scenario for it? Genuinely curious as to what you'd use it for and how much use you'd get out of it. Especially when primarily using a full OS.

I really liked my past keyboard smartphones, I think I've owned 3. With one probably still being the favourite phone I've ever owned - Sony Ericsson Xperia X1.

When I had my G1, I would easily jot down things when they occurred to me, and could admin servers without half the screen being obscured - I can't do those with current devices.

What I've never been able to do is quickly prototype ideas to check their feasibility, or simply run scripts and applications written in any language I wanted.

I noticed that Planet Computers (the company behind the Gemini/Cosmo) are planning a 5G slider device for next year - likely to be popular amongst people who don't like clamshell but still want a keyboard...

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transformer

 :-|

Another with 5 rows

https://linuxgizmos.com/privacy-focused-smartphone-runs-lineageos-or-ubuntu-touch/

Indiegogo. Hmmm.

Got one of those dumb arse curved edge screens though. :&

Still nice to see the successful proliferation of these devices, proving there is a market for them.