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Comment by untog | Hacker News Reader

Have you ever needed access to an editor, language, database backend, etc. when you happen to be without a laptop?

Honestly? No. I can't imagine the agony of trying to type out a SQL query on my phone. I have a Macbook Air, which is light enough for me to carry around with me the vast majority of the time- it's great.

If I wanted something smaller I would perhaps get a tablet with a keyboard (or a netbook, if they weren't all terrible)... but doing any meaningful work on my phone? No thanks. I can barely bring myself to type out a reasonably-sized e-mail on mine.

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If a keyboard is important to you, the Droid 4 actually has a great one. Using it with the Terminal android app is a breeze.

However, the rest of the phone sucks, so I can't recommend it.

Honestly, I prefer my Droid 4 keyboard to the vast majority of laptop keyboards. I can't begin to describe how convenient it is to have an SSH client with a genuinely good keyboard right in my pocket at all times.

Yeah, the MBP keyboard is not really a fair comparison, but I definitely think the little D4 keyboard is far superior to most PC laptop keyboards, especially the compact ones.

Haven't tried the Droid 4, but the Droid 3 is fine, and the keyboard perfectly serviceable in a pinch.

Note that, for terminals, it benefits hugely from knowledge of escape sequences.

its an absolutely EPIC tool.

I use my phone right now for sshing into my home machines and getting analytics, benchmarks, error logs, making spot changes to files, editing users and groups, etc. If you have a smartphone with a foldout keyboard, you're set. The possibility of me being able to do this with urxvt and emacs running on the phone is just awesome. Interacting with postgres on the cli with my phone is a dream as well. Obviously writing out huge statements is a pain, but you're generally just running one liners through to find some info.

I guess I can't see the need to do any of those things on a bus, or on the street. It's extremely rare that I would have to do something that couldn't wait for an hour or two until I'm either at work or home.

Which keyboard would you recommend, I have a Galaxy Nexus, and use to for emergency ssh sessions when I dont have access the computer.

Hacker Keyboard. It will let you send keystrokes via the keyboard instead of needing connectbot.

unless you meant an actual bluetooth keyboard, then its just a matter of foldable vs fixed and what you like more. My dad uses this:

http://www.quill.com/android-keyboards/cbs/283296.html?cm_mm...

for his nexus 7. Works out pretty well.

If you can carry that, you can carry a light notebook =/

I have one of those keyboards and it's huge -- bigger than my Nexus 7. I've played around with a bluetooth mouse and that keyboard on my Nexus 7 but it still doesn't seem that great for doing real work.

I think you are right, but just in the current context.. but the way this little mobiles beauties are just getting the same power as our pcs or notebooks.. its just use as a phone when on street, and in home or office.. just plug a keyboard, and a bigger screen.. and there it is.. a computer.. and now for the hardcore stuff :)

I use prompt app on my iPhone all the time!

https://itunes.apple.com/es/app/prompt/id421507115?mt=8

The dang keyboard covers the terminal on the phone and ipad. I must be missing a setting.

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