It's a phone ... but what is it?

Gardiner puplished a new video. This time he spoke why Librem 5 and Pinephone are no Linux phones or smartphone. He described in his words what Purism said about “Linux computer in phone form factor” or something similar.

All nothing new to us. But Purism’s description is a bit too long. How could we call it in one word? Mobilcomputer? Pocketcomputer? I personally like Libhandy since the old mobile phones without touch screen where called Handy in germany (sounds like “liberate the phone”). Maybe Lib(re)phone?

Any other thoughts? :grin:

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I always thought after so-called “smartphones” came on the scene, calling them phones never made much sense, since a lot of people rarely actually use them as a phone. I elaborated on this point in this post: https://puri.sm/posts/the-general-purpose-computer-in-your-pocket/

So I’ve taken to using “general purpose computer in your pocket” myself. If that’s too long a phrase here are a few other suggestions:

  • computer
  • mobile computer

I don’t really like “Linux phone” because Android smartphones meet that definition too.

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Well… there is’ pocketputer’…

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Isn’t it obvious, Pokécom.

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I already read this before and it was always called in such a long phrase. Who would call it this way in daily use? It is more a description then a general device name.

Computer is too unspecific (even if it could be used in everyday language), because there are so many computers you cannot just move around.

@morgan: Friends of me will love this, but only if Pokémon runs on this device. :sweat_smile:

well, there’s handheld pc… which is “PC” just because “handheld” is now mostly occupied by mobile phones.

Just please don’t throw your Pokécom on the ground…

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I think “handheld computer” works pretty well, as “PC” has all these other interpretations.

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I mean, I’m down with reviving PDA or PocketPC

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The Librem 5 GPC or General Purpose Computer.

The Librem 5 GPC can work as a phone or computer. Get one today!

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Oh yes I remember now that discussion.

How about a twist on the spelling - The L5 is a handheld commputer.

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How about simply “handy”? Or “handy computer”? A little easier to say than “handheld computer”.

and lappy, desky :slight_smile:

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Tricorder?

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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

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Nope

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I think the GPC was a good direction. In a way, this is improved PC as “L5-class devices” are more personal and they are GPC. Only way to get more personal is to integrate with it (cybernetics). In the bigger picture, it’s also a controlled/controllable data device, so Personal Data Controller/Communicator - PDC. For more information, see here.

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Communicator?

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In The Expanse sci-fi series, they call them “hand terminals”, which I was going to call my Evergreen. So maybe “Handyterm”?

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