Purism Librem 5. Another crowd funding fail? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 16, 2019, 11:25:42 pm
content: Imagine my shock.https://jaylittle.com/post/view/2019/10/the-sad-saga-of-purism-and-the-librem-5-part-1

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2019, 09:44:01 pm
content: The canary in the coal mine is that the people who have seen a few prototypes have gone very quiet. NDAs anyone?Early backers have not received anything and the announced shipping window has come and gone.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2019, 11:45:41 am
content: No mention of the reported over heating cpu.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2019, 01:53:09 pm
content: Too bad, I'd love to have a somewhat modern Linux based phone device, or even a 7" tablet. (Hacking/Rooting older tablets/phones isn't quite what I'm looking for)Pinephone might be a bit too under powered for me.

author: thinkfat
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 22, 2019, 03:01:45 pm
content: After my experience with the Pinebook, I'll be sure to stay away from anything with a pine cone logo for a while.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2019, 08:15:49 pm
content: Quote from: thinkfat on November 22, 2019, 03:01:45 pmWhy? What happened?

author: thinkfat
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 22, 2019, 08:43:49 pm
content: Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on November 22, 2019, 08:15:49 pmI didn't expect much from a $99 laptop, but in fact, it is utter crap. From the flimsy case to the pinched wifi antenna cable and the broken keyboard. It is not even worth the time to request a refund. Or to repair it. It's going to the parts bin. Maybe the screen can be salvaged.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2019, 09:03:19 pm
content: The Pinebook Pro looks to be much better, might make a great shop/garage PC for streaming music and light browsing.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 02:52:13 am
content: Quote from: thinkfat on November 22, 2019, 08:43:49 pmPlug it in and use it as a cat heat decoy.https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/8geoxs/when_you_have_to_give_your_cat_a_decoy_laptop_oc/

author: thinkfat
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 07:51:47 am
content: Excellent! Now, all I need is a cat...

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 06:55:51 pm
content: That's really too bad, I was really hoping for this phone to work out. I'm glad I waited it out and didn't back it though. I wanted to see how it does first. We really need a truly open phone that is actually built around privacy, just seems like a really hard thing to do I guess.Really I think the best bet is someone needs to come up with an equivalent of Linux, but make it run on existing phones. Kinda like how you can run Linux on a PC instead of Windows. Not an android respin but a totally new OS that is not tied to Google or any corporation, that you can use without an account or any kind of dependence on an outside company.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 07:22:20 pm
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on November 23, 2019, 06:55:51 pmEx employees are saying that the project was too reliant on new backers to propel delivery on the previous batch with it's cost over runs during early development.It's not surprising that the peeps who would want these devices would be sceptical.99 out of 100 people who wish they had this device in their hot little hands are also tainted with the resentment of being shafted too much by tech company shit-fuckery.

author: thinkfat
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 07:29:42 pm
content: When they announced they will be using an NXP i.MX8, a chip that wasn't even released at the time, from a vendor with no existing portfolio in the mobile market, because of their 'open' policy, I knew this was going to fail.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 10:15:13 pm
content: Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on November 23, 2019, 07:22:20 pmYeah seems like a egg and chicken situation. Making a phone is really expensive so you do kinda need the backers, but backers will be a bit skeptical at something like this working out. I know I was, because I considered backing it then decided I should wait to see how it works out first.There's also the skepticism and question of "is it REALLY more private? Or are they just saying this?". I would hate to buy this thing and it asks me to create an account the minute I turn it on.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2019, 11:21:01 pm
content: The simple ability to do 'apt update' or 'dnf update' on a cell phone or tablet would be most welcome!

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2019, 12:00:08 am
content: And be able to run regular Linux programs like SSH or rsync. Would be cool to be able to setup a cron job to backup your contacts to a local server for example.But really I would just be happy with a phone that is not so tied to cloud services and is not built around spying on everything I do.

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2019, 12:49:56 am
content: Quote from: thinkfat on November 23, 2019, 07:29:42 pmIt's not about it being open, it's about compartmentalization. The firmware for cellular modems is closed either way, but with a mobile phone SoC it has direct access to main memory.Wasn't the base i.MX8 originally supposed to be FD-SOI? (With the i.MX8M being bulk.) I distinctly remember that ... now only the much later announced i.MX8X still mentions FD-SOI. They might have bought a bit too much into NXP's optimism and got stuck with a half-assed redesign NXP needed to deal with the ridiculous FD-SOI delays.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2019, 07:12:36 am
content: QuoteHow can people possibly be so naive?And of course "reverse engineering faster WiFi/BT firmware" has two ways to interpret it:(reverse engineering) (faster (WiFi/BT firmware))(reverse engineering) ((faster WiFi/BT) firmware)

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2019, 04:53:29 pm
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on November 23, 2019, 06:55:51 pmYes, it was called BlackBerry OS10 which was a QNX microkernel operating system that ran all sorts of apps including an Android runtime if you wanted Android apps to work. I was one of the early adopters when the Playbook came out (which was running earlier version of QNX) on which I developed apps and then later ported and made new apps when it came out for the phone (Z10, etc). It was a slick OS that had huge potential!!!!The bottom line though as to why these OS’s are not going to make it is app stores. Even though BlackBerry had a fairly well populated store, developers for major apps (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc) did not see enough of a market share to bother maintaining and upgrading another ecosystem. Sure the code was almost the same and many of us even used the Android versions for a while and side-loaded then through Amazon AppStore (technically it was available legitimately on BB) and Google App Store (installed through a hack) and even APK’s downloaded from 3rd parties.But still, who is going to buy a phone like that??!!? I still love and use my BlackBerry OS10 devices and not the Android-based BlackBerry’s. Sadly few people have ever experienced OS10 and don’t realize how many modern gesture inputs were borrowed from it. No home button, no Android buttons, it was all gesture controlled like Playbook.That is the reason why a Linux phone also will not make it. As much as I would love to see an Ubuntu phone or something along those lines, it is not economically viable at this point. Only hard core experimenters will use it and imagine relying on a critical device like your phone getting out through what I’m sure the early Linux world went through (growing pains). If BlackBerry can’t make QNX work (I wish they would release the phone OS as open source) then what luck does anyone else have?Do yourself a favor and pick up a BlackBerry Z10 for cheap on eBay while you still can and experiment with it! They are the best deal you can come by... under $50 and it is underrated as to how much you can still do with them! Pop in any SIM, sdcard, connect to WiFi, Bluetooth, miracast, browse and superb email capability, predictive text, tons of amazing apps all free, side load APK’s, etc. Even use it as a remote BT mouse/KB for laptop when presenting, ftp file server, torrent downloader, etc. The cheapest fun and most value of usefulness for the buck you can buy!!! I have 2 Developer-only Red Z10’s and 1 Dev Alpha C prototype and 3 Playbooks.Also look for the Z30 and Passport... also great deals on these QNX devices.https://docs.blackberry.com/en/smartphones/blackberry-10-devices

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 26, 2019, 02:28:09 am
content: I had a Playbook and if I recall that too had to be cloud tied. You could not get past having to setup a Blackberry account.

author: thinkfat
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 26, 2019, 08:20:57 am
content: Quote from: Marco on November 24, 2019, 12:49:56 amUsing a separate SoC as application processor, away from the baseband - yes, makes sense though it's a considerable design burden (cost and complexity). Selecting a vendor who has no experience with mobile applications because of policy - that's a bad idea, especially if the arena is new tobothparties.

author: I wanted a rude username
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2019, 07:29:36 am
content: Backers have started receiving their phones.Ars Technica summarises it well: "you arenotplacing an early order for an existing retail product—you're getting in on the ground stages ofproducinga product."Overall: no, it's not a scam, but it still needs significant work to become useful. For instance, battery life is on the order of one hour.Here'sa particularly frank review from a Swiss backer.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2019, 08:10:16 am
content: Quote from: I wanted a rude username on December 04, 2019, 07:29:36 amThe last paragraph sums it all upQuoteI'd say a phone that shits the bed for simply entering your wifi info might just be the most private data device ever.Shipping a device to early backers that doesn't even connect to the internet has to be the world's biggest piss-take.Why do these backers keep apologising for this flying turd?

author: I wanted a rude username
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2019, 08:48:44 am
content: The expectations are different. It's hard to grasp unless you put yourself in the backers' shoes.Some people aredesperatefor devices that respect their privacy, and are willing to make accommodations. I understand them and wish them the best. The phone isn't ready for people like us, but with their support, one day it or its successors may be.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2019, 04:06:22 pm
content: I do hope they work all of this stuff out in the end. I'm still hopeful we might end up with an actual private phone on the market, that would be a nice thing. But it does sound like they should have done more testing and fine tuning before shipping.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2019, 08:15:00 pm
content: The phone was never intended for you. It was for the spooks all along.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 10, 2019, 08:55:57 pm
content: Quote from Todd Weaver on November 28:QuoteNone of the backers that I follow have announced via video or tweet that they received their device.Is it that..1) The American postal system is even worse than what we have here in Potatoland. (I hope not!)2) The backers have indeed received the phone and as it turns out, it's a brick.3) The Purism CEO is lying. (Highly unlikely)

author: donotdespisethesnake
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2019, 02:52:11 pm
content: Quote from: I wanted a rude username on December 04, 2019, 07:29:36 amRight, but that just sounds like BS. What exactly is it that you are "getting in on"? What you actually get, is a retail product - and a warm fuzzy feeling if you are lucky, if not a I've just been ripped off feeling. Therefore, exactly what you are doing is "placing an early order for anon-existing retail product". Which is exactly how scams work, so it is almost impossible to distinguish between a legit but incompetent startup and an out and out fraud.These new tech companies are quite clever at exploiting legal loopholes, and therefore gaining an unfair advantage over existing companies. Crowd funding platforms don't have to follow consumer protection laws, nor investor protection laws, so basically they are a law unto themselves. The law will catch up eventually.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 13, 2019, 09:48:49 pm
content: Some are showing up in the wild. If anything the device seems to operate as a very good USB charger tester.https://liliputing.com/2019/12/purism-librem-5-linux-smartphone-user-reviews-starting-to-come-in-its-a-mixed-if-optimistic-bag.html

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2019, 02:12:33 am
content: Warning. This guy fucking swears a little bit...

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2019, 05:06:49 am
content: Holy smokes! A unboxing/review.

author: bingo600
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2019, 09:32:46 am
content: I was looking forward to the Librem 5 , but jumped off the wagon when it got above $650.Too bad they went to $800 , could have been a nice challenge to Google/Apple./Bingo

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 08, 2020, 01:59:34 am
content: No news is good news.

author: angrybird
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2020, 11:11:54 pm
content: I ordered one. I hope it comes. However I still don't know which carrier I'll *actually* be able to use it on. I'm hoping that getting in early means getting in before the FBIfacebookCIAgoogleNSAamazon force them to install backdoors. Then I can look at bird memes in privacy. These nuthatch are so cute they should be ILLEGAL!

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2020, 09:43:54 pm
content: Quote from: dr.diesel on November 22, 2019, 01:53:09 pmA Linux tablet would be fantastic but I see zero chance of financing this on kickstarter. I just thing people grossly underestimates what is required to do stuff like this. This especially when it comes to software and hardware integration. You would simply need a large full time development team to get anywhere and even with a couple of hundred you would still be constantly trailing Apple and Samsung.

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 12, 2020, 09:57:28 pm
content: This one maybe?https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transformer?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bck-04092020update&utm_term=#/I have backed one.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2020, 10:06:00 pm
content: Nice video. Even this developer edition is much more of a phone than a Purism. Kinda highlights that the developers had experience developing hardware. By the ite my current iPhone dies this might be in a condition to be worth buying.Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on February 12, 2020, 01:42:05 pm

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 11:41:20 am
content: The pain of being obligated to talk-up this dead duck.

author: thinkfat
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 01:17:53 pm
content: I finally stopped at "I wish the cameras worked". It was painful already up to that point.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 28, 2020, 11:26:27 pm
content: It's too bad really. Would be nice to have a decent smart phone without having to be tied to the cloud, and with privacy actually being in mind by the makers, instead of spying.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2020, 09:08:34 am
content: Pinephone postmarketOS Edition Unboxing

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2020, 05:45:02 pm
content: Purism now getting into the phone carrier business.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 28, 2020, 03:30:28 pm
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on August 28, 2020, 11:26:27 pmYour best bet here is to Go Android with a modified ROM image. This is not ideal of course but is the only phone option I see that is half decent.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2020, 05:06:47 am
content: HEAD TO HEAD - The Librem 5 vs. PinePhone Manjaro Edition

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2020, 12:08:57 pm
content: And this guy..The first 15 seconds is all you need to see. Phone runs Line--ux.

author: JohanH
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 26, 2021, 09:45:04 am
content: I'm not sure you could call it a fail. Yes, in one respect, it took way too long to get the product. I received mine today that I backed in September 2017. At the time I was enthusiastic. I had recently stopped using Sailfish OS due to its issues. Now I'm too dependent on banking and messaging apps in Android, so I don't really know what to do with the Librem phone. Maybe keep it as a plaything. Or sell it. I like the whole concept and I'm all for free and open source software, but I'm also pragmatic and use tools where they are available.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2021, 11:26:21 pm
content: A $150 Linux Phone with Android App Support? Sony XA2 & Sailfish OS Xhttps://odysee.com/@WolfgangsChannel:d/a-150-linux-phone-with-android-app:0lbry://@WolfgangsChannel#d/a-150-linux-phone-with-android-app#0Quote

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 24, 2021, 08:13:38 am
content: Librem 5 Screen Reader