• andyburke@fedia.io
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    9 days ago

    You can order a Linux handheld n100 touchscreen for under $300. Technology is absolutely fun today.

    • Ulrich@feddit.org
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      9 days ago

      The point is the vast majority of mainstream technology is increasingly being targeted at exploiting users for profit, rather than just providing a product or service in exchange for money.

      • andyburke@fedia.io
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        9 days ago

        Ok, but the solution is super easy, low cost, and right in front of you. Pick up a Raspberry Pi if you want to go even cheaper. If you are uncomfortable with electronics, you can still piece together a bunch of cool stuff just using USB as your interface of choice.

        Also, 10" mini racks are cool.

        Lots of cool stuff happening in tech if you look outside of the big corporations.

          • andyburke@fedia.io
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            8 days ago

            Maybe we disagree on the kinds of technological problems society needs to solve. 🤷‍♂️

            • Ulrich@feddit.org
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              8 days ago

              Okay, picture this:

              You have an employer. Like a wild number of employers they require you to sign up and use an account with the largest and most exploitative corporate surveillance system in existence. Not only that, but to ensure that you’re able to use their products and services the employer requires you to install and use a browser from said corporate surveillance system because other browsers don’t implement non-standard features and functions they made up?

              How’s your RPi going to fix that?

              Or maybe a billionaire buys up one of the largest media platform in existence and uses it to manipulate an entire country into letting a convicted felon become President, along with further enriching himself to the tune of 100 billions dollars.

              How’s your RPi going to fix that?

              • andyburke@fedia.io
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                8 days ago

                By helping eject from those systems. There’s lots of cool open source projects based on all sorts of different hardware. And you can self-host some bits and pieces of your digital life if you really feel motivated to.

                I don’t know if it’s much help but I never said it would solve all the things you seem to want it to. There are some alternatives out there for people feeling trapped by big tech, I’m just trying to share a small piece of that.

    • pixelapoc@lemmy.ml
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      9 days ago

      Can you share a link? I haven’t come across an n100 handheld yet, or maybe I’m looking in the wrong places.

    • barsoap@lemm.ee
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      8 days ago

      Running vanilla linux on that kind of device is silly, kernel-wise android has very sensible features and ui-wise it’s not even a competition.

      Now, getting lineage (or similar) on a phone that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg for comparatively potato hardware, like the Fairphone, that’s another issue.

      Or how about a steam deck with an m.2 slot for a cellular modem. Also, headset, because I’m not going to hold that thing to my ear. But still, android compatibility is an issue: The reason I even have a shoddy smartphone is to use things like public transit and package delivery apps.