Hwkb competitors
 

I wish my N900 lasts forever, but it's wise to do some research about the competitors.

The most important thing for me is a comfortable hardware keyboard. I really lose my cool when I have to cope with all those on-screen keyboards.
I can give up much but I won't give up the hwkb.

Is there anything reasonable with a good hwkb out there in the market? (other than our N9x0s)

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Only if you build one yourself. http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=95650

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

I use a BlackBerry passport, 3 row keyboard with the rest as on screen. I quite like it :)

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

There is also Blackberry Priv: http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_priv-7587.php

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Samsung actually made this keyboard attachment for the Note 5. Don't know how well it worked but apparently the screen adjusted size when you attached it. Personally, I've gotten used to on screen keyboards and use a phone with a larger screen to have sufficient visual space. I need a large screen anyway so adding a hwkb would make it too cumbersome. Hackers keyboard gives you all they keys you most likely will need (tab, Ctrl..). I actually change keyboards depending on application. Hard to do with a hwkb! Regardless, adding a hwkb would be a fun project to try.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...C&Q=&A=details

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Keyboard its little loud but take a look at Motorola Photon Q.

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Yep, we have the Priv. This may be theoretically an option once it gets cheaper (it's a new device after all)

<edit> Priv will have a locked bootloader and extra systems to yield the device unrootable. And you can't chroot GNU/Linux without root access, AFAIK</edit>

A quick search yields Motorola Photon Q is unbuyable.

BB10 OS was officially declared dead (RIM said they won't develop it any further and stick to Android). So BB Passport seems a dead-end device.

How big is the impact of a BT keyboard on the battery life?

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Well, on my note 4 the battery lasted about 1 or 2 days, before the i used the bt keyboard.
Now it's about the same. However i keep the BT keyboard off when i'm not using it.

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

And did you manage to bind some keyboard shortcuts, something like ctrl+s, ctrl+a?

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Yes the shortcuts works by default

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

In last month there was 3 on allegro: 1 with unfinished sim mod (I bought it), with broken lcd and one fully functional with sim mod. Additional there are few Photons on ebay.

There is also almost usable Sailfish port for Photon Q so I think for now it's the only recommendable device with hw keyboard and some kind of linux system. I know it's not that polished like n900 but still I am wondering why there is almost zero interest in this device here: in center of linux/hw keyboards followers.

There is also ancient HTC Desire Z but with only 512MB RAM.

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Yep, and any recent Android will lag as hell as it's Android.

Just found out BlackBerry plans to issue BB Rome, hw kbd bar. Hope they won't hard lock it just as they locked Priv.

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Ergo: you're effed if you want a HWKB phone?

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Urm, it's Blackberry that's one of their main selling points.

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

Basically. No sensible hwkb phone since 2011 or 2012. I guess Motorola Photon Q was the last, with 4.3" display. You won't get anything bigger

You mean that anecdotal privacy?
Do you suggest that when they release new Android phones, they'll be hard locked too?

Re: Hwkb competitors
 

I wouldn't say that bb10 is completely dead, devs from crackberry doing great job supporting it.

You probably should take a look at passport in person, it's really good device, and with dead-or-alive status of the platform you may grab a good deal on it.

P.S. It's bulkier than it seems on photos.