The PlanetPC XR Series is a compact desktop computer with an ARM-based processor, Ubuntu Linux software, plenty of ports and storage options. There’s also an unusual touch panel on the front that can be used to control some of the PCs functions or display information. There’s just one catch: it’s unclear if you’ll ever actually […]
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24 Comments on PlanetPC XR is a Linux mini PC with a touchscreen display and ARM processor (crowdfunding)
PlanetPC XR is a Linux mini PC with a touchscreen display and ARM processor (crowdfunding)
24 Comments on PlanetPC XR is a Linux mini PC with a touchscreen display and ARM processor (crowdfunding)Planet Computers makes smartphones that look like pocket computers thanks to their QWERTY keyboards that are (just barely) big enough for touch typing. And they function like pocket computers thanks to support for both Android and Linux software. Now the UK-based company is branching out by launching a line of compact desktop computers. The PlanetPC […]
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Lilbits: HoloLens 3 canceled, Astro Slide smartphone with a keyboard now shipping and more
6 Comments on Lilbits: HoloLens 3 canceled, Astro Slide smartphone with a keyboard now shipping and moreThe Astro Slide is a smartphone that you can also use like a tiny laptop thanks to a QWERTY keyboard that slides out from behind the display. Designed for touch-typing and inspired by the Psion line of handheld devices, the keyboard is quite different from the thumb keyboards found on BlackBerry-style devices or even modern […]
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Crowdfunded Astro Slide phone with slide-out keyboard, Linux support should ship in 2022
18 Comments on Crowdfunded Astro Slide phone with slide-out keyboard, Linux support should ship in 2022The Astro Slide is a smartphone with a 6.39 inch AMOLED touchscreen display, a MediaTek Dimensity 800 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 4,000 mAh battery and support for wireless charging. But those aren’t the features that make this phone unusual. It also has a physical keyboard that slides out from behind the […]
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Lilbits: Color E Ink, Huawei’s new laptops, more trouble for Huawei, and Linux phones
The upcoming Astro Slide 5G from Planet Computers is a smartphone with a 6.5 inch touchscreen display and a slide-out keyboard that lets you use it like a little laptop. First announced last year, the phone has been available for pre-order through crowdfunding and we learned last week that it’s now expected to ship in June. […]
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Crowdfunded Astro Slide 5G smartphone ships in June, has a physical keyboard, and promises Linux support
1 Comment on Crowdfunded Astro Slide 5G smartphone ships in June, has a physical keyboard, and promises Linux supportThe Astro Slide is a 5G smartphone with a 6.5 inch display and a physical keyboard that slides out from behind the screen, allowing you to use the phone like a tiny laptop computer. It will ship with Android, but the plan is to also make GNU/Linux distributions including Debian and Ubuntu Touch available for […]
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Planet Computers Astro Slide 5G smartphone coming in June (following a spec change and pandemic-related delay)
21 Comments on Planet Computers Astro Slide 5G smartphone coming in June (following a spec change and pandemic-related delay)Planet Computers has been making smartphones with physical keyboards, unlocked bootloaders and support for Android or Linux software for a few years. I went hands-on with the Gemini PDA at CES 2018 and the Cosmo Communicator at CES 2019. Now the company is getting ready to ship its third phone. Planet Computer introduced the Astro […]
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Cosmo Communicator’s Linux OS gains new cover screen features
The Cosmo Communicator is what you’d get if you crossed a smartphone with a pocket-sized laptop computer. Unfolded it looks like a tiny laptop with a keyboard inspired by the design of the classic Psion Revo PDA. Fold it and you’ve got a smaller cover screen that you can use for phone calls, notifications, or […]
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Planet Computers Astro Slide is a 5G smartphone with a slide-out keyboard (crowdfunding)
7 Comments on Planet Computers Astro Slide is a 5G smartphone with a slide-out keyboard (crowdfunding)All the major smartphone makers gave up on physical keyboards years ago. But a handful of smaller companies are keeping the dream alive — and the new Astro Slide smartphone from Planet Computers is the third phone from the company that not only has a QWERTY keyboard, but also a laptop-like design. That said, while […]
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Cosmo Communicator can now dual boot Linux and Android (smartphone/handheld PC)
The Cosmo Communicator is a smartphone that looks like a tiny laptop thanks to a design that includes a backlit keyboard that’s just (barely) big enough for touch typing. First unveiled in late 2018, the Cosmo Communicator began shipping to backers of a crowdfunding campaign late last year… but one promised feature was missing at […]