Comment by JacobJans | Hacker News Reader

Comment by JacobJans | Hacker News Reader

This post reminds me of a running line of thought that's been going on in my head for quite some time: "Single Purpose Devices."

The main disadvantage of most computing devices is that they offer too many options; making them mentally unwieldy. A "single purpose device" is created to support just one purpose. The Kindle is perhaps the most famous example; it practically created an industry. Sure, it can do more than just present books, but everything is designed to support reading.

Ideally, there would be a "computer", where every aspect of it was designed to teach computer programming.

I often fantasize about a device designed solely for producing new writing. It would have a nice screen, and a nice keyboard, but only a very very limited web-browser, and would sync with Google Docs, Office, or something similar, so that you can do the more advanced stuff elsewhere.

Such devices are about empowering the user to go down a specific path; one they choose as soon as they start interacting with the device.

Kindle -> Reading

Typewriter -> Writing

Hammer -> Hitting things

"Power to Basic" -> Learning to program

I know I am lucky to have this setup, but I keep 2 laptops and 2 tower computers or 4 separate computers. 1 for biz, 1 for downloading and email, 1pc for gaming, and 1 for activities best kept in private browsing..

Very interesting. What kind of software do you have on the computers? Is there anything, beyond the physical separation, that supports the purpose of each device?

(Maybe something as simple as physical location, color, a "sticker", or something else altogether.)

Only software on the machines are strictly for what I am using them for. I have a router with a harddrive if I do download something and want to put it on another machine, but I don't remote desktop into them or anything. Each computer is on a separate desk, own monitor and mouse and keyboard. I just like it separate and not complicated. Keeps work stuff super focused and clean, for me. I could network them more if I wanted to, but gets the job done.

> Keeps work stuff super focused and clean, for me.

That's exactly why I find this setup so appealing; it really works with the natural tendencies of our minds, as opposed to constantly presenting us with a situation where we have to choose not to do one of the many distracting options just a twitch of the finger away.

Dumb phone -> Talk and text, no camera, no browser, cheap and readily available. Please?

Device -> Purpose

iPhone -> sell apps & subscriptions

Android phone -> sell ads / harvest user information

The Nokia 3310 is about as close as you'll get I think.

Bought one. Physically removed the camera. Still has a browser and and app store, not to mention a builtin facebook app that can't be removed by the user. And the price point is around $60.

There's no reason for a bare-bones dumbphone to have any of that shit, or for it to cost more than $20.

I really like the idea of ditching my smartphone for a dumbphone, but giving up Google Maps would be rough. Knowing the fastest way to get from point A to point B (including public transportation!) is genuinely really useful.

do it and re-discover the art of getting lost!

And how to navigate a city on your own.

I grew up in the intermediate period between widespread desktops and finally getting a smartphone.

I just wrote down Google Maps directions and the general description of places I needed to turn on a piece of paper.

The Light Phone 2 comes to mind: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/light-phone-2. It's not available yet, and I've heard some complaints that it has too many features. But, it aims to be a middle ground between a smart phone and a completely dumb phone.

I recently bought one for like 14€. In a supermarket. Calls, SMSs and little more.

Are you lamenting the fact that there's no such thing or that it's not more widespread?

The second one. In the US they're a little hard to come by. Sure you can order something online. (There's a whole niche market of tiny dumbphones that don't claim to be made for prisoners, but are designed to be easily smuggled inside body cavities.) But their retail presence here is almost nonexistent.

Also, it's much more difficult to find one if you insist on a particular carrier. For example, the popular line of Blu dumbphones (which still have cameras) operate on 2G-only GSM, and don't work with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, or Boost (i.e. all of the major providers). You have to use something like StraightTalk or Simple Mobile (i.e. prepaid discount service, similar to Tracfone) to make them go.

Something seems off about learning general-purpose programming on a single-purpose device. How would you run your programs?

Pretty clearly it has to have a way to run the programs you enter as you're learning to program. Otherwise it's a lousy device at teaching programming.

Or have I missed your point?

Yes, learning programming because that's what you do on the learning-programming-machine is a great way to convince people that learning programming is a waste of time.

You learn programming so you can do the things you want to do. Handicapping the device handicaps the whole project.

On the other hand, if your machine is able to run the programs you write, then it isn't a single-purpose device.

I think you're confusing purpose with functionality; they're not the same thing. Designing with a single purpose in mind determines the needed functionality; it does not limit it. Instead, the purpose supports the design decisions in relation to functionality.

Many terminal-based programming environments allow you to run code - you essentially just need a REPL, but there are more sophisticated environments that could still be considered 'single purpose'

Single purpose doesn’t mean non-programmable, it just means designed with a particular use case in mind (in this case, programming).

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