TRUE old tech users, using today

[axur-delmeria]

Want to trying sharing an internet connection over IR in win98... something to tinker at

DCC via Parallel port would be faster IIRC.

[VintageUniverse]

I guess you could say that I am using TRUE old tech during this quarantine. Pulled out my fleet of older laptops and I am actively working on my X21 and others. In reality however, I have an Dell Inspiron 9400 that serves me well and was a daily driver with XP (yes, XP you heard that right) for a good while a couple years ago. I now use it often for burning media and transferring files. Once in a while, I go on the internet on it for small things. The Centrino Duo is still capable to an extent in the modern day from my experience at least.

[cadillacmike68]

My PC is a home-built mongrel with varying age.
Lian-Li PC-67 aluminium tower chassis from ca. 2004 (except mine doesn't have the side- and top-fans).

Motherboard and CPU last updated in 2010.
Motherboard ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 with an AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Label (unlocked) 3.2GHz CPU.
Never bothered to update the BIOS.
The monitor is a 19" HP LP1965 (5:4) Monitor with 1280x1024 resolution, from 2008.
Still runs like a champ with 8GB RAM on a 120GB Samsung 830 SSD with W7-Pro/SP1 64-bit, and a 1TB HDD for storage.
I could put in 32GB RAM, but who needs it?
W7 has not had any updates since 2016.
The only 'modern' part is a back-lit Tyrfing V2 88-Key RGB Tenkeyless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
The back-light colour is permanently set to a soft baby-blue.
I see no need to update/upgrade this machine any time soon.

I have something like that, six visible 5.25 HH bays, two visible 3.5 FH bays, 4 internal FH bays. It's ancient and I haven't powered it on since early 2004. It's basically a table for my land line phone now.

I think it has a Pentium MMX 266 CPU some Adaptec FW SCSI controllers, about six SCSI HDDs, two SCSI CDRWs and a combo 5.25 / 3.5 diskette drive. I had it set up to boot dos/win, OS/2 or RH Linux. It's the only thing I have that has a 5.25" FDD and that's the only reason I haven't trashed it.

[chowbear]

I usually use either my X200s or X201 to poke around on youtube and email after I passed my T480 to my mum. Although not as old, I also use an iphone 5 courtesy of my girlfriend!

[cadillacmike68]

We had BB Z10 phones for a while. They were nice, just about the right size, removable batteries. But the internal mic went bad on mine and people could only hear me if I was on speakerphone. We did Not want apple phones and we're not partial to google tracking every bit of flatulence we make with the phone, but ended up going to android base LG phones a couple yeas ago. I shut off nearly everything on mine including voice recognition - Don't want it listening. No alexa, etc. either for the same reasons.

Now every time I make a search, a day later spam emails show up..

[ajkula66]

Now every time I make a search, a day later spam emails show up..

I have been considering one of these but will wait a bit longer...

https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/

[MikalE]

My A31p is currently playing an album on iTunes.

Nena, Wilst Du Mit Mir Gehn

Sounds a hell of a lot better on the A31p than a T520!

[ajkula66]

Sounds a hell of a lot better on the A31p than a T520!

No surprise there.

[kfzhu1229]

Sounds a hell of a lot better on the A31p than a T520!

Well compared to the speakers on A31p the T520 speakers are basically just thin sheets of plastic and has no height for the sound to create any resonance! Therefore those speakers are passed off with Dolby atmos on by default to make it sound richer in a fake way

[atagunov]

Is Samsung Note 3 old?
Daily driver
Lineage OS
Should probably upgrade - Firefox sluggish on 3Gb RAM

[paninihans]

Hello there,
I'm using a T23 (SXGA+), T40p and T41p to play older games on Windows XP. We have a librebooted x200t as our living room computer and I use it daily (gnome 3 on parabola linux). It works just fast enough. In the evening, when sitting on the balcony I sometimes use my librebooted x60s to surf the web and read the news. It handles the job pretty well.
All of my IBM era ThinkPads run with the OS they originally came with from the factory. I usually install one popular game from that era on them, like Sim City (Classic, 2000) or LucasArts games.
Greetings,
John

[kfzhu1229]

Is Samsung Note 3 old?
Daily driver
Lineage OS
Should probably upgrade - Firefox sluggish on 3Gb RAM

As a daily driver probably yeah it is starting to age. These smartphones aren't exactly built to last in hardware too, the NAND chips on these things can degrade like the chips on an SSD and can eventually become too unstable.
That said I have the OG Galaxy Note still up and running but its sole purpose was to take notes in lectures. I have to constantly go back and fourth between inverted colours and regular colours to minimise the burnins.
The Note 3 is lucky it got a lot of custom ROM supports. Android 5 sucks. Even if you like the Samsung skins, going for the port ROMs from a galaxy S7 or Note 7 makes a world of improvement (The Galaxy Tab S uses the same chipset as the Note 3 and it got Android 6 so that's why the port roms are possible)

[ajkula66]

I just ordered a NOS Blackberry 9900 Bold. Not kidding.

I miss having a small unit with a proper keyboard for simple phone and text purposes. Blackberry Classic which I've been using since my previous 9900 died is a better device overall, but worse as a phone as strange as it may seem.

And after having to deal with Samsung Galaxy 9 as a work phone for some time now I really don't want any of that pie...

Supposedly, the Blackberry name has a new owner which is supposed to come out with a 5G unit sporting a classic keyboard in 2021. Very mixed feelings on my end about that combo...

https://www.techradar.com/news/new-blac ... ng-in-2021

[Eugor]

Well these may or may not qualify as old tech. I guess that depends on perspective.
M93p tiny circa 2013- I used it most of 2019 as my desktop until my daughter needed a computer when her x201 gave up the ghost. I donated it to her and she is still using as her home pc.
I replaced the tiny with an HP Z230 SFF ,circa 2013,workstation and I use it still today as a my primary office desktop.
I used an x220 both docked and mobile as my secondary office laptop/desktop in 2019, changed up to a T430 docked and mobile for my secondary office.
I have a T520 recently acquired for strictly offline use for database and calc use, Plus, I just like the dang keyboards of the xx20 and prior models
I have recently also acquired a T440p that I am getting souped up and ready as an eventual replacement for my T430.
These have all suited my needs quite well. I am not a gamer, unless you count the old analog pinball that knocks on wood when you get a free game, so these units all do well for my use.
Used to build all of my own pc's but found it more economical to scrouge up off lease, day old bread so to speak, business pc's and laptops for my needs.
Well, Long winded, but that is my story. And I am sticking to it

[atagunov]

I just ordered a NOS Blackberry 9900 Bold. Not kidding.

I used to borrow a Blackberry 10+ years ago when I was on call at night. That keyboard.. It was super-nice. Your message made me consider buying one too But no, I won't make peace with a small screen after Samsung Note 3..

I used an x220 .. changed up to a T430 .. I have a T520
These have all suited my needs quite well
recently also acquired a T440p

[ajkula66]

I used to borrow a Blackberry 10+ years ago when I was on call at night. That keyboard.. It was super-nice. Your message made me consider buying one too But no, I won't make peace with a small screen after Samsung Note 3..

Sadly, the 9900 that I ordered was badly damaged in transport so I'm still dealing with the Classic. Really not sure where I'm going from here, and that decision will have to be made shortly.

What I DID find out - and wasn't pleased with - is that Android-powered BlackBerry phones can NOT be rooted.

Back to the drawing board...

[shawross]

I would rather not have a "smart?" phone but I actually use one as a router. It gives me 40 GB for $25 AUD which is hard to beat.
I am using a Samsung Note 4 and I have recently purchased two with the last phone appearing to be brand new.

The Note 4 is easy to root but currently I am using it with Kit Kat and everything google removed. Installed old firefox browser with duckduckgo even though I don't browse from that phone.
Note 4 is 2014 which is "old tech" for a smart phone but it still uses LTE - A x3.

Two things I won't be doing is buying a 5G phone and getting vaccinated in my lifetime.

[ajkula66]

Two things I won't be doing is buying a 5G phone and getting vaccinated in my lifetime.

+ 1 and then some...

[TRS-80]

I am hanging on to my Galaxy s5 for dear life, as they were the last in the series to have (user) replaceable batteries. With LineageOS, it not only runs plenty snappy, but has been brought forward to the very latest versions of Android (not something you will ever see from any carrier).

George,

I have been following the GNU/Linux phone space quite closely for some time (I am also pretty involved with Single Board Computers, which are somewhat related).

I think you are smart to hold off on the Librem 5. I am sort of taking the same approach. I am really rooting for them to succeed, but I also keep reading a lot of nasty rumours that may very well turn out to be true. I guess we will see.

Pine are taking a quite different approach, selling their unit for a lot less (PinePhone) and letting the community largely drive development.

I would not say either of those are ready to be daily drivers, yet. However anything that either of them do benefits GNU/Linux phones in general. And I think we desperately need some competition for these 2 incumbents who essentially control the entire market. So I am very excited about the long term prospects for real GNU/Linux phones (and have pretty much given up on Android, which is a toy in comparison).

[ajkula66]

George,

I have been following the GNU/Linux phone space quite closely for some time (I am also pretty involved with Single Board Computers, which are somewhat related).

I think you are smart to hold off on the Librem 5. I am sort of taking the same approach. I am really rooting for them to succeed, but I also keep reading a lot of nasty rumours that may very well turn out to be true. I guess we will see.

Pine are taking a quite different approach, selling their unit for a lot less (PinePhone) and letting the community largely drive development.

I'm aware of the Pine and quite interested in it. That being said, I never "pre-order" anything, that's just the way that I am.

Neither of these phones, however, addresses my need for a physical keyboard...

[TRS-80]

Neither of these phones, however, addresses my need for a physical keyboard...

We might not see those (ever?[0]) come back in the way I think you are expecting, i.e., "built in."

However, there are actually quite a number of bluetooth and USB keyboards available, in a wide range of sizes and form factors, including some quite nice F/LOSS/H mechanical ones I have seen from small producers in group buys on Reddit.

Although at that point, it might be more convenient to just whip out some small netbook / PineBook / ThinkPad, etc. with a proper actual keyboard. I keep a ThinkPad mounted in my work truck for exactly such reasons.

I can only use my (touch screen Android) phone for jotting down the shortest of notes[1], or certain Android apps (Simpletask comes to mind) which are well designed expressly for a touch/phone interface. Unfortunately, Android is mostly a toy / media consumption device.

[0] Maaaaaaybe, if Linux phones catch on, there may eventually become a vibrant F/LOSS/H market for all sort of "not mainstream" devices, including phones with built-in physical keyboards. I have no hope of any such thing coming out of the current incumbent mass-market duopoly.
[1] In fact when I am on the go, or reading on my phone, I have a file called refile.org that I copy/paste things into, it is synced automatically with my other devices (with SyncThing), then when I open a device with a proper keyboard (desktop/laptop), the file is automatically opened and I can then "refile" the ideas / TODOs / information somewhere more appropriate, using a real keyboard and proper text editing tools (i.e., Emacs / Orgmode).

Which reminds me, does software count? I am an Emacs user for a few years now, and Emacs is pretty old, too.

[kfzhu1229]

Neither of these phones, however, addresses my need for a physical keyboard...

Well maybe blackberry might release another one of those with a physical keyboard some time soon, with another Chinese company's cooperation or something.
Though there are actually phones with official physical keyboard add-ons that you might not know. Phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S8 families had add on keyboards that slam on the bottom portion of the screen to give you a physical keyboard. But I don't imagine those keyboard feeling any good compared to the Blackberries...

I am hanging on to my Galaxy s5 for dear life, as they were the last in the series to have (user) replaceable batteries. With LineageOS, it not only runs plenty snappy, but has been brought forward to the very latest versions of Android (not something you will ever see from any carrier).

Although I have moved onto S7 being my secondary phone (yes I have to carry 2 phones in my pockets because one phone needs a suite of apps in the western world and another needs a suite of apps used in China), I still kept my Galaxy S5 in perfectly working condition.
I appreciate the plastic back and the removable battery on the S5. Though my Galaxy S7 has its screen replaced once before by myself (it came from my friend who became OCD with disinfectants and his cleaning attempt resulted in the disinfectant breaking the water seal and killed the OLED) so replacing the battery on that thing is extremely easy now.
My Galaxy S5 is using a Custom ROM too but a Samsung one - it's a Touchwiz 6.0 port ROM so that the phone works great but at the same time is every bit as Samsung as it can be. I needed it that way because I am a very long time Samsung Galaxy user.
Touchwiz 6.0 is actually some of the smoothest running Touchwiz ever released, with the Galaxy S5's hardware handling all system animations with no stutter at all and everything was so streamlined, yet everything is still fast, compared to the rubbish mix-match touchwiz version that Samsung updated the S5 to with its official version of Marshmallow. It also has lots of features that became standard in Android these days, such as floating window, split window multitasking (root access made it enabled to basically all apps), and scroll screenshot capture.
And mine has Exynos Octa, back when Exynos had a huge advantage for having 8 true cores
This is only bested by using OneUI rom on a Galaxy S7 (Exynos only).

[ajkula66]

Well maybe blackberry might release another one of those with a physical keyboard some time soon, with another Chinese company's cooperation or something.

Blackberry phones are produced by a Chinese company nowadays and have nothing to do with Canadian Blackberry which got out of cell phone business altogether.

Blackberry KeyOne and KeyTwo run Android and have physical keyboards but...I don't want Android unless I can root it/replace it and that's not an option with these.

[kfzhu1229]

Blackberry KeyOne and KeyTwo run Android and have physical keyboards but...I don't want Android unless I can root it/replace it and that's not an option with these.

Then maybe the Galaxy S7 and S8 lineups with their OEM add-on keyboards. Those surely can root - providing that you get one with the Exynos chipset (you could find a Canadian one for the S7 on eBay) as the US variants all have locked bootloaders due to "security concerns"

[TRS-80]

Touchwiz

absolutely_disgusting.jpg

No way man, vanilla AOSP all day!

locked bootloaders due to "security concerns"

Yeah, "security" my eye. It's all about control, lock in, planned obsolescence, be a good consumer and buy a new device every year or whatever (because their "business model" requires that), etc. Absolutely obnoxious behaviour on their part, IMO. I no longer reward such behaviour with my hard earned money.

I mean, we do an otherwise voluntary exchange, I give you money, you give me a device. So far so good. Now who's device is it? Is it mine? These companies really have the audacity to think they should continue to "own" a device that you already paid them for. Sadly, the vast majority people go along with this, which only encourages them to do it more.

This is why we can't have nice things!

[ajkula66]

Then maybe the Galaxy S7 and S8 lineups with their OEM add-on keyboards.

Way too complicated for my needs...

Sadly, the vast majority people go along with this, which only encourages them to do it more.
This is why we can't have nice things!

This. Times a zillion. But we've had ample opportunities over the past year to verify the fact that the human race is not that far from common sheep...

[kfzhu1229]

Yeah, "security" my eye. It's all about control, lock in, planned obsolescence, be a good consumer and buy a new device every year or whatever (because their "business model" requires that), etc. Absolutely obnoxious behaviour on their part, IMO. I no longer reward such behaviour with my hard earned money.

While I do support your argument, it's not planned obsolescence on Samsung's part if ONLY the USA Samsung Galaxy phones have locked bootloaders... The exynos Galaxy S7 does not, and in fact I am running a OneUI custom ROM there fully rooted with no problems. In fact even the Chinese version of Galaxy S7, which is also snapdragon has unlocked bootloaders, just custom ROM for those are scarce simply because so few of Snapdragon versions of the S7 have unlocked bootloaders.

Way too complicated for my needs...

If you want something that's real simple, perhaps try the refresh models of the older Nokia phones currently made by HMD global Oy. They don't run Android and they have a T9 keypad.

[ajkula66]

If you want something that's real simple, perhaps try the refresh models of the older Nokia phones currently made by HMD global Oy. They don't run Android and they have a T9 keypad.

Nokia was all I ever used in my younger years, so yes, these have been on my radar. But after more than a decade on Blackberry, I am spoiled by the keyboard...

Difficult I am. Never have claimed differently...

[axur-delmeria]

Some folks have played around with a BlackBerry Q10 keyboard and used it on their projects, but I haven't seen one that makes a standalone USB keyboard from it.

https://www.tindie.com/products/arturo1 ... oard-pmod/

https://blog.adafruit.com/2019/01/14/in ... ontroller/

[ajkula66]

This one seems promising, but once again...unless I can order it and get it delivered within a week it's a non-starter...

https://www.xda-developers.com/pro1-x/