Single Purpose Devices - reclaiming control over your technology (lemmy.world)
from kadup@lemmy.world to newcommunities@lemmy.world on 19 Jul 21:01
https://lemmy.world/post/33196596

Hello Fediverse!

I’m happy to announce the Single Purpose Devices community on Lemmy, a place for discussion, sharing of ideas and recommendations about the growing trend of single purpose devices: rather than relying on a smartphone that brings you anxiety and demands attention, how about going back to the days of carrying a MP3 player, a notebook and pen and a beautiful camera?

While people join this movement for a variety of different reasons, from reclaiming digital privacy, to mental health, to evading anti-customer repair policies and malicious software updates, we can all share our own experiences and tips. See you there!

#newcommunities

threaded - newest

FundMECFS@quokk.au on 19 Jul 21:08 next collapse

Alternative link
!singlepurpose@lemmy.world

frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml on 19 Jul 21:10 next collapse

I use a few

  • Raspberry Pi alarm clock
  • Raspberry Pi for music, packed with stored playlists
  • Videophone thing for meetings
Whitebrow@lemmy.world on 19 Jul 21:27 next collapse

Similarly - PiHole

jol@discuss.tchncs.de on 19 Jul 21:27 collapse

I wonder if using a whole computer for in the spirit of a single purpose device. Seems a bit overkill.

frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml on 19 Jul 21:31 next collapse

Pi Zero is barely a ‘whole computer’ – that phrase overestates the situation

jol@discuss.tchncs.de on 19 Jul 21:34 collapse

Ah well, a Pi Zero I suppose is less overkill.

frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml on 20 Jul 12:43 collapse

There was some science-fiction writer in the mid 20th century argued that each household would have one humanoid robot. Because, he said, if you have a robot vacuum and a robot lawnmower etc. you’d need multiple computers, and that’s overkill.

Sounds silly in hindsight because a ‘whole computer’ turned out to be cheap and small, and it’s not a big deal to have multiple.

SkyNTP@lemmy.ml on 20 Jul 11:26 collapse

Is the objective to “reclaim control over your technology”, or is it to be a single purpose device? I can think of a lot of single purpose devices loaded with subscriptions and telemetry, and just as many general purpose computing platforms without that crap that let you be in control.

Coelacanth@feddit.nu on 19 Jul 21:31 next collapse

I still use my old iPod from like 15 years ago.

HubertManne@piefed.social on 19 Jul 22:07 next collapse

Its funny because I only have a smarphone for when im working but I have found it as a handy camera. So I think it might be worth it as long as you don't use it for stuff you can do on your laptop. Its like you have to use it minimally. Like not using it for social media or games will cause you to barely use it. or it least it does for me.

Phenomephrene@thebrainbin.org on 19 Jul 22:25 collapse

I just opened my new discman earlier today. Still kind of newfangled since it has a rechargeable battery as opposed to needing double A's, and can read mp3's from a micro SD card. Wouldn't be surprised if it has a flux capacitor somewhere in there too. Back in my day... gradually nods off while muttering

Libb@piefed.social on 20 Jul 09:14 collapse

Wouldn't be surprised if it has a flux capacitor somewhere in there too

Wasn't the last (working) one destroyed in a train accident somewhere in the 80s? Not that I'm old enough to have first seen this movie back when it was released. Absolutely not.