I’m totally fine with tinkering. I honestly just want to use the phone for it’s camera and nothing else. Even the PinePhone Pro has bad camera quality? I can setup my PineTime smart watch to answer calls and communicate via my PineBuds.

I just don’t want to weird my boss out by pulling out an actual camera in order to take photos. Any pictures I take with the PinePhone Pro, I can just send to my laptop over Bluetooth and then text/email him the photos on there.

Thanks for your response! I have two more question. If I had a PinePhone connected to my GNU/Linux laptop via Bluetooth, could the PinePhone show calls I receive on my laptop without the phone needing WiFi? I would communicate by using my bluetooth headphones. I want to rely solely on Bluetooth for answering calls from my PinePhone, without needing Wi-Fi.

I’m basically asking if there’s a way to make my laptop forward notifications to my PinePhone via Bluetooth?

Also, is the camera quality on the regular PinePhone good enough to send to my boss without it looking too bad?

I’m thinking about using the PineTime watch and connecting it to my GNU/Linux laptop via Bluetooth. I use Dino-IM for calls/texts on my laptop, wondering if there is a way to answer calls from my watch. I also bought the PineBuds to go along with it. If I can, great, I wouldn’t even need a cell phone.

I honestly just love the killswitches. As for poor security, what do you mean by that? Would it not be safe for just texting / calling? I’m planning on using this phone for work.

I work in IT and need to be reliable via phone calls / texting, what’s your experience? I use JMP.chat, so I would need to use some XMPP app that supports that. Texting / calling is all I do on my phone, I do everything else on my laptop. Also, how is the camera quality on the Pro? Is it good enough to send to a clear picture to my boss of something he wants to see? I ordered the PineTime watch too to go along with everything.

It was more of a personal reflection for myself, rather than saying gaming is a waste of time universally. I see how you interpreted it that way, I should’ve phrased it a bit better.

How is it not both? Passive government surviellence can lead to targeted attacks.

Open source is not enough. It needs to be entirely free software. I recommend buying a Libreboot laptop from before 2009, they can fully disable/remove the IME and have a 100% free BIOS firmware (anything supported device with a Core Duo processor basically).

I mean, sure, but to be honest, I think most people just browse the web. They open Google Chrome, and that’s basically all they know. Some don’t even know what OS they’re using. I would say that’s at least 40% of computer users. I think they’re just unaware that there are other options, like the ones I listed above. Honestly, it’s not their fault; Libreboot and GNU/Linux aren’t mainstream yet. I really don’t see why you would need a powerful machine unless you’re a gamer or work in computer graphics, etc.

You’re not wrong, but for those who don’t use their machines to make money in these fields, think about the freedom you’ve lost. Consider all the things that make you who you are, being entirely known by someone you never consented to give information to. I just think it’s sad that most people don’t care, but I do, and I will keep fighting for it.

I gave up gaming, I stopped wasting time and started getting more done. It really just gives me the freedom to do other things. When people say “user freedom,” it’s not just about the software; it’s about having control over one’s life.

There is a sort of hidden beauty in free software. It might seem boring, but that’s kind of the point! Go outside, read books, enjoy life, and live in the moment. I encourage everyone to do the same.

I would go on eBay and buy a Libreboot machine from 2009 and prior (X200, T500, etc.) These systems have 100% no blobs in the firmware and can have the IME fully disabled. I use these as my daily and I’m fine.