> On Jun 21, 2020, at 00:47, (Janina) wrote: > > ... I wonder if asking an Android phone to serve this function is > more an academic exercise than a practical one at this point? > > I say this because I'm just now in the process of buying my next > (natively) Linux computer, and it's quite small. It comes pretty close > to the size of an Android phone. So, I suspect it might be the easier > path of practicality is the point. ... There are a number of small systems showing up on the market these days. I think this is great, but it doesn't really address the use case I have in mind (a pocket-sized computer with instant-on capability). The issues include integration, cost, size, weight, and instant-on capacity. The Intel-based systems tend to be pricier than the RasPi ones, but all of them cost at least a few hundred dollars. Adding an internal UPS is going to raise that by at least another hundred dollars. Also, someone will have to engineer and fabricate the add-on UPS board, battery, etc. A retired Android cell phone, in contrast, will already have a built-in UPS and can be found for well under $100. For a poor (e.g., third-world) blind user, these may be critical issues. Size and weight are also important. The mini PC systems fit nicely on a desktop, but none of them will fit into a normal pocket. Carrying one around would thus require something like a backpack. Some users would be OK with this, but I think most would not. So, this is a serious practical question, rather than an academic exercise. If we could find a way to put usable portable computers into the hands of blind users around the world, that would be a major contribution. Also, I think the effort might lead to useful enhancements in at least some of the mainstream Android distributions. - Rich Morin _______________________________________________ Blinux-list mailing list Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list