@cliffwade i do have an android phone but my main phone is a nokia 3310. it's indestructible (dropped a lot), lasts 3+ days on a six year old battery and can be used one handed(i walk with a cane). does ereader, games, mp3s, mp4s, notes, spreadsheets and is a much more comfy phone to make calls on as it's smaller and less fragile.
@RL_Dane@cliffwade java apps.can be found online. quite limited but work well enough.
albite for ereader
gbjotpad for notes
microcalc for spreadsheets
jmirc for irc
mobile zx for zx spectrum emulator
jmec64 for c64 emulator
skb for sokoban game
diggerme for digdug
gauntlet fkyumr for gauntlet clone
80s pinball
1943
zork
snake
tiledrop - tetris clone
asteroids - asteroids clone
5ud0ku - sodoku clone
boggle - boggle clone
solytare - solitare game
I could optionally log in to my Google account on my work profile (which is inactive most of the time), but that means that ALL Google apps on that profile know who I am.
You could still use the same Google apps on a degoogled ROM and enjoy 90% of the functionality you have now*, but yes, sidestepping all of their little hooks does take some effort.
*And still derive some benefit from having a degoogled ROM
It has a lot of cool security features, but it's a little overkill for me.
If I understood the guts of Android better, I might be able to make an informed opinion on whether or not their sandboxing makes it safe enough to run full Google apps and services, but for now, I'll mitigate by mostly not using Gapps (on Calyx).
I also prefer using MicroG to actual google services, sandboxed or no.
@cliffwade My wife and I have been using Android since 2010 (Froyo), mainly because we like the freedom it offers (compared to the 'walled garden' of Apple), both in software and hardware.
Install it on pretty much anything, root it, hack it, customize it to ones hearts content, make it ones own.
Apple reminds us too much of services like Compuserve, back in the day.
A walled garden that it cost an obscene about of $$$ to access that, via other means, was virtually free.
Aside: Sigh ... A small part of my old nerds heart misses dial-up BBSs.
P.S. We won't talk about the 'old phone' drawer with, amongst many others, an HTC G1 in it. 😁
If you look around, there are some BBSes you can access today via TELNET, especially if you use a BBS-oriented telnet client like SyncTerm (which has full ANSI color support, a DOS font, and even support for throttling your connection to a set baudrate).
@cliffwade I don't use a 'smart' phone, so 'other'. Currently just use a basic calls and text mobile phone, but I may switch over to using a landline phone plugged into a 4g modem.
@cliffwade Mostly I've just yet to find a use for them. Anything I could/would use one for is easier to do on a laptop.
I have had an android tablet a couple of times, but after playing with them a bit they just ended up sitting in their box for a year or so, then got sold off.
I did use a pocket computer for a bit in the '90s, when I didn't have a desktop or laptop, mostly just for keeping notes and schedules.
@RL_Dane
Using Phosh. It's pretty basic, but I found Plasma Mobile to be slower and also -- and this is just a feeling -- trying too hard, if that makes sense. @cliffwade@rebelrebel62
@cliffwade I am part of the micro-percentage that uses a Linux phone :3 I also own ios devices and use android containers for certain apps on my linux phone
@cliffwade Pinephone Pros are good, if you more want to just try Linux on a touchscreen platform, the Pinetab2 just came out for a pretty great price point, and while its software is still immature, eventually it'll be quite capable I'm sure, though Pine has stated repeatedly that they mainl want devs buying the pinetab2 for now
@cliffwade I like to openness a bit more actually. The ability to customise things like ringtone, keyboard layout and how apps interact with each other. Plus Google assistant and maps are a great combo.
@cliffwade I use Android but I wish I had another option. I usually only text and call on my phone. Nothing else really. I wanted to get a PinePhone since it's exactly what I need and want, but TMobile won't allow it on their network. I argued for ages with them and gave up.
@RL_Dane@cliffwade according to the stores manager, they'd occasionally send a ping/request data and if it's not an approved device/doesn't match their records, it gets its access cut off
@RL_Dane@cliffwade I probably could do those things but at the end of the day the inconvenience is just greater than what I'm willing to deal with. TMobile is also really the only affordable one right now, for me anyway
@jcrabapple@RL_Dane@cliffwade Sprint never had a problem with it, but when TMobile absorbed them, they did. They also forced me to buy a Galaxy A32, when my Galaxy S10e worked fine, just doesn't support 5g (which rarely works well). TMobile is a garbage company
Cricket is owned by AT&T now. You might look at them.
I used them in 2009 and they were abysmal, but that was the old network (T-mo, I think), and the old owners.
@cliffwade I also use them both fairly extensively, but iOS ends up taking majority of my workloads and the one I gravitate towards taking with me (if i'm not going to carry both)
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