From 4bb4b10b4121f360facf027a74532491689d5c9c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: alex Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2026 19:42:28 +0100 Subject: Move pocket computers to blog website --- blog/content/notes/index.gmi | 1 + .../notes/tech/gadgets/pocket-computers.gmi | 38 +++++++++++++++++ hardware/pocket-computers.org | 49 ---------------------- 3 files changed, 39 insertions(+), 49 deletions(-) create mode 100644 blog/content/notes/tech/gadgets/pocket-computers.gmi delete mode 100644 hardware/pocket-computers.org diff --git a/blog/content/notes/index.gmi b/blog/content/notes/index.gmi index e4e60625..fc971e87 100644 --- a/blog/content/notes/index.gmi +++ b/blog/content/notes/index.gmi @@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ Notes about some books I like: => tech/gadgets/about-headphones About headphones => tech/gadgets/x12 Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 +=> tech/gadgets/pocket-computers Pocket computers diff --git a/blog/content/notes/tech/gadgets/pocket-computers.gmi b/blog/content/notes/tech/gadgets/pocket-computers.gmi new file mode 100644 index 00000000..a31970ef --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/content/notes/tech/gadgets/pocket-computers.gmi @@ -0,0 +1,38 @@ +# Pocket computers + +In 2011, I started using a Blackberry Bold 9780, until 2014. The usable keyboard made me think that a device like this could replace laptops and desktop computers. Together with a functional browser and the trackpad (which allowed using mobile-unfriendly websites), the Bold was a great device for me. + +The Blackberry Classic I used 2015-2017 was the pinnacle of this idea, together with a prescient gesture interface and many great UI innovations which have been since lost. + +The Blackberry KeyONE I used 2017-2021 was the last device I used that had this greatness. + +Since then, I believe the loss of physical keyboard phones means that some uses of the smartphone have disappeared. + +=> https://www.bringbackblackberry.com/ + +## Current devices + +=> https://www.unihertz.com/products/titan-pocket Titan Pocket (owned) + +* The keyboard feels worse than a Blackberry +* The keyboard has deteriorated with age (some keys require extra pressure to activate, meaning typing is painful) +* The keyboard software is insufficient for writing in Spanish and Catalan + +=> https://www.clicksphone.com/communicator Clicks Communicator +=> https://www.clicksphone.com/powerkeyboard Clicks Power Keyboard +=> https://keyphone.tech Keyphone +=> https://www.lilygo.cc/products/t-deck T-Deck +=> https://www.lilygo.cc/products/t-keyboard T-Keyboard +=> https://beepy.sqfmi.com Beepy +=> https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-cardputer-kit-w-m5stamps3 Cardputer +=> https://mecha.so/comet Mecha Comet +=> https://www.tindie.com/stores/zitaotech ZitaoTech refurbs keyboards, but they seem to be permanently out of stock. +=> https://linkapus.com/ The Q25 project is a project to put an Android phone inside a Blackberry Classic shell. + +## Obstacles + +### Communication platforms without an open API + +The main use of a pocket computer with a physical keyboard would be communication. Unfortunately, many communication platforms I use are closed, so I can only use them with an Android (or similar) device. If this was not the case, using devices with other operating systems would be more feasible. + +Although I do not use WhatsApp a lot (I use mostly Telegram), living in Spain it is unavoidable. I hope that the DMA will allow me to send messages to WhatsApp users through something that has an API, the DMA does not seem to be effective as of now. diff --git a/hardware/pocket-computers.org b/hardware/pocket-computers.org deleted file mode 100644 index 4a71eabb..00000000 --- a/hardware/pocket-computers.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,49 +0,0 @@ -* Pocket computers - -In 2011, I started using a Blackberry Bold 9780, until 2014. -The usable keyboard made me think that a device like this could replace laptops and desktop computers. -Together with a functional browser and the trackpad (which allowed using mobile-unfriendly websites), the Bold was a great device for me. - -The Blackberry Classic I used 2015-2017 was the pinnacle of this idea, together with a prescient gesture interface and many great UI innovations which have been since lost. - -The Blackberry KeyONE I used 2017-2021 was the last device I used that had this greatness. - -Since then, I believe the loss of physical keyboard phones means that some uses of the smartphone have disappeared. - -See also . - -** Current devices - -*** [[https://www.unihertz.com/products/titan-pocket][Titan Pocket]] (owned) - -- The keyboard feels worse than a Blackberry -- The keyboard has deteriorated with age (some keys require extra pressure to activate, meaning typing is painful) -- The keyboard software is insufficient for writing in Spanish and Catalan - -*** [[https://www.clicksphone.com/communicator][Clicks Communicator]] -*** [[https://keyphone.tech/][Keyphone]] -*** [[https://www.lilygo.cc/products/t-deck][T-Deck]] / [[https://www.lilygo.cc/products/t-keyboard][T-Keyboard]] -*** [[https://beepy.sqfmi.com/][Beepy]] -*** [[https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-cardputer-kit-w-m5stamps3][Cardputer]] -*** [[https://mecha.so/comet][Mecha Comet]] -*** Others - -- [[https://www.tindie.com/stores/zitaotech/][ZitaoTech]] refurbs keyboards, but they seem to be permanently out of stock. -- [[https://linkapus.com/][Q25 project]] is a project to put an Android phone inside a Blackberry Classic shell. -- Clicks keyboard (for iPhone, Razr, other Android phones) is [[https://programming.dev/post/36053940/18895789][apparently good, even for non-ASCII languages]]. - -** Obstacles - -*** Communication platforms without an open API - -The main use of a pocket computer with a physical keyboard would be communication. -Unfortunately, many communication platforms I use are closed, so I can only use them with an Android (or similar) device. -If this was not the case, using devices with other operating systems would be more feasible. - -*** WhatsApp - -Although I do not use WhatsApp a lot (I use mostly Telegram), living in Spain it is unavoidable. -I hope that the DMA will allow me to send messages to WhatsApp users through something that has an API, the DMA does not seem to be effective as of now. - -*** Slack -*** Discord -- cgit v1.2.3