Keepod

[Andy Turnbull]

Something I stumbled across the other day.

keepod.com/

It's a usb stick that contains a bootable android OS which means older, less powerful specced machines can still be used. Natty wee idea I thought, and given the amount of machines over the years I have gotten shot of when they have become a bit too slow, something I'd like to do in the future. Project is designed for the developing world, but you can buy one and gift it.

Andy

[Pinwig]

What a fantastic idea. The possibilities for that are endless. I see that being a good way to recycle old laptops. I wonder which version of android they're basing it on and how they'll handle updates. Android itself has got much more bloated and resource hungry in the last couple of years than the streamlined OS it used to be. You couldn't bung android 5 on any old PC and expect it to work.

[Andy Turnbull]

Not sure what version, I imagine it will be a couple of revisions behind.

I decided to order one and an old netbook, to see what it's like. Will let you know.

Andy

[legios]

Nice little idea. I think the idea of a simple, stripped down OS on a stick is fantastic - and their goal of bringing the information ecology (I hate the term "information economy" because it falls so far short) within reach of the whole world is a great idea. The more we can make knowledge available to everybody, the more interesting and useful things are going to result from it.

And speaking as an old grognard - the horrendous bloat of a lot of modern operating systems annoys me intensely so anything that is "stripped down" and "a few revisions behind" has a certain appeal. :-)

Karl

[Andy Turnbull]

Indeed.

I do miss the glory days when the maximum was being wrung out of relatively low footprint operating systems.

Amiga fanboy for life!

Andy

[Pinwig]

Amen to that. I stuck with my A1200 until it was way past being practical as a day to day computer. I resisted buying a PC for absolutely as long as possible.

Before that I used to produce Blake's 7 fanzines on an Acorn Archimedes, and it did it brilliantly.

[The Doctor]

SPECTRUMS FOREVER.

-Ralph

[Benn]

We used to make our Spectrum talk. Hours of fun.

[Andy Turnbull]

Atari 2600, Dragon 32, C-64, Amiga 1200 then eventually puttup a PC.

My order is being dispatched from Hong Kong, I suspect a customs reaming.

Bastards.

Andy

[Pinwig]

Atari 2600 > BBC B > BBC Master 128 > Archimedes A310, expanded the Arc to death > Amiga 1200, expanded that to death with student loans iirc and bought a CD32 thinking it was the future (wrong!), then finally a PC when I basically had to have one for work around 1998. Branched out into consoles when the PSX arrived, and that then went mad because for a time it was my job: PSX (chipped) > N64 > Dreamcast > PS2 > Gamecube > Wii > PS3. Slowed down a bit in recent years; I'm still playing a backlog of PS3 games.

[The Doctor]

My Gameboy Colour is still pulled out the cupboard from time to time. A good machine and still works fine after all these years.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

My A1200 while in the loft at the moment does get brought down every now and then.

Andy

[Andy Turnbull]

Keepods arrived, the refurb netbook has not yet arrived.

Will keep you posted.

Andy

[The Doctor]

Good to know.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Not sure when it will arrive, but will do a wee video if possible.

Might come in handy for yourself, when the pc starts to get a bit creaky.

Andy

[The Doctor]

It has been getting creaky of late. Old age.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Well, I have 5 keepods in total...

Andy

[The Doctor]

I just wish the name didn't sound like a urinary infection.

-Ralph

[legios]

Whereas to me is sounds like one of the possible pronunciations of "Qi-Pod", which would make it some sort container for life-energy...

Karl

[Andy Turnbull]

refurbed netbook arrived, will fanny around later with it. Got AA stuff to get sorted first.

Andy