My Pi runs on battery, auto launches dlplus, and uses a 3inch touch screen, Usage is as easy as turn it on, and shut off is *tap*tap*hit power switch* :D Super easy to use, and yes, it has much nerd cred, and yes it is portable, but it's much much larger than an android phone. Gonna need a cargo pocket to carry my RPi! And setup was definitely not plug-and-play simple. :P
One thing to watch out for with the Pi3 is the power draw. Apparently, that thing draws a lot more power than the previous models, so battery life might not be as good. I've got an old cheapy android phone (Moto E 2014) I'm going to have to try out. I tried out mcomm on my Nexus 6p, but didn't have much luck there. Personally, I'd prefer it on my non-daily driver, anyway. For Duane, I'd say for ease of use, go Android. The RPi can be a super easy solution, but only after someone sets it all up! :P ~Joe On Thu, Mar 31, 2016 at 8:32 AM, VANDEN BOSSCHE JAN < [email protected]> wrote: > > between a pi and an android phone.. I pick android. > > "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right > to say it." > (E.B.Hall on Voltaire) ;-) > > > the Pi has some issues > > 1) it has no safe on/off switch. you can't simply power it down! > > True, but not a real problem. A simple script and a connection between 2 > pins will take care of that. I'm going to build that. > > > 2) it is not portable. You will forever be tethered to a power source > > Yes, so what? I don't take my PDD with me either, and my headless > DOS-station wasn't particularly portable either. > > > 3) linux. You have to be linux savvy to use it. period. > > Not at all. Windows is the most-used OS of our time. All those people are > Windows-savvy? If you can make it work, and it does what you want, the OS > is irrelevant (speaking with 6 years of 1st-line PC-support in the fingers) > The RasPi as a TPDD emulator has to do ONE thing. Once you get it working, > you leave it be. > > On top of that: Android = Linux. > > > 4) needs a "non trivial' cable solution. > > USB to 9-pins-serial, 9-to-25 pin converter, null-modem cable (the last 2 > could be one piece) Yeah, kinda. > > > An android phone however... now that is convenient. > > * fundamentally portable > > True. But I would definitely not want to use my daily phone as a TPDD > replacement. For that, I want a dedicated peripheral. > > > * slick packaging, robust, durable, flexible etc. > > … and boring. Nothing is so uninteresting as an Android phone if you want > to show it off. People will think your Model T is a keyboard to your phone. > > > * built in connectivity options > > Have you seen the specs on the RasPi3? BT, WiFi, 10/100 ethernet… > > > * needs a wireless cable (IE BT) > > Kurt found a great BT serial module for ~25$ > > Ah, I missed that. Could you please re-post? > > > A cheap android phone can be easily obtained...we've only built about a > billion of those in this world. > > yes, but they only live about 18 months. (average) So watch out what you > buy. > > > Anyhow both are neat options. > > U R Right. They are. > But a RasPi will scream 'geek' more than a slick Android solution. Some > people just like the attention. ;-D > > Anyway, there are definitively enough alternatives for a TPDD. > > > > * |\ _,,,--,,_* > > * / ,`.-'`' ._ \-;;,_* > > * |,4- ) )_ .;.( `'-'* > > * <---''(_/._)--'(_\_)* > > *Jan Vanden Bossche @ work* > > > > > > > > > > *From:* M100 [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Stephen > Adolph > *Sent:* donderdag 31 maart 2016 13:42 > *To:* Model 100 Discussion > *Subject:* Re: [M100] Could you use a USB portable flash drive as an > alternative device to stores files on a Model 100 ? > > > > between a pi and an android phone.. I pick android. > > the Pi has some issues > > 1) it has no safe on/off switch. you can't simply power it down! > > 2) it is not portable. You will forever be tethered to a power source > > 3) linux. You have to be linux savvy to use it. period. > > 4) needs a "non trivial' cable solution. > > > > An android phone however... now that is convenient. > > * fundamentally portable > > * slick packaging, robust, durable, flexible etc. > > * built in connectivity options > > * needs a wireless cable (IE BT) > > Kurt found a great BT serial module for ~25$ > > A cheap android phone can be easily obtained...we've only built about a > billion of those in this world. > > Anyhow both are neat options. Both work. Both leverage (1) large scale > hardware manufacturing (2) large scale software development projects. Both > require talented people to do the custom work to bring it together as a > storage solution for M100. > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Mar 31, 2016 at 4:39 AM, VANDEN BOSSCHE JAN < > [email protected]> wrote: > > As far as I know, the answer is NO. It's not as simple as you hope it > would be. > > > > Because you have to realise that the Model T's are, by today's standards, > really primitive computers. There is not even a Disk Operatin System build > in. The only thing that even resembles a DOS, is the communication with a > TPDD. But even if it's dressed up as a disk system, it basically is a > communications protocol over a serial port with another serial device. > Actually, not like a common DOS at all. > > > > Integrating a disk - and of variable size - into that means that you have > to translate the commands from the rudimentary communication protocol of > the Model T towards file commands that apply to this disk/ram device. No > simple task if you have to do it all by yourself, i.e., if there is no > underlying OS to wich you can pass commands to. > > > > I have the impression that a lot of people didn't understand what an > engineering masterpiece NADSbox is/was. It translates the TPDD protocol and > creates its own disk-access protocol towards an SD-card, so that this can > even be read by other computers. Basically, he wrote a mini-DOS into a > purpose-build computer. There are not many people in the world who could > have done thàt, I think. > > > > On top of the software, there's the hardware. You need to get the signals > from a serial port, through the translating process, towards an SD-card or > a flashdrive. Again, that is not too simple, though there, luckily, you can > use industry standard components. But you still need a skilled engineer - > like Ken - to put it all together with the controller, the interpreting and > translating software, to make a working unit. > > > > The NADSbox did all this, custom made. The price was steep, > understandably, but it was still only the cost of the hardware, I don't > think Ken made any profit from it. > > > > Basically, to be able to use any modern storage via a Model T, you need a > computer in between to make it work. > > > > To avoid building the computing element from scratch, why not use one > off-the-shelf ? And that's where the Raspberry Pi comes in. This computer > is as powerfull as an iPhone. You have an operating system to handle disk > operations, and you have USB and SD-card ports. The only thing you need now > - and that's still easier said than done - is a link to the serial port of > the Model T, and the translating software. But because you are working in a > real computer, the translating software can be an adaptation of software > that already exists. Like LaddieAlpha. > > > > You see that, by using a Pi, you reduce software and hardware effort > considerably. > > > > I am working on using an old Pi as a TPDD. Just like with my DOS station, > I intend to write an article and post it to the Wiki. > > > > Everyone, feel free to correct any gibberish I might have mentioned above. > > > > * |\ _,,,--,,_* > > * / ,`.-'`' **._ \-;;,_* > > * |,4- ) )_ .;.( `'-'* > > * <---''(_/._)--'(_\_)* > > *Jan Vanden Bossche @ work* > > > > > > > > > > *From:* M100 [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Duane > Adrian > *Sent:* woensdag 30 maart 2016 14:45 > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* [M100] Could you use a USB portable flash drive as an > alternative device to stores files on a Model 100 ? > > > > I was wondering if you could use any USB Flash drive to save files. Maybe > have some software written for it so the Model 100 would understand it. > > > > I heard of the NADSBox and Raspberry Pi. But the NADSBox is expensive and > I am not sure if it is available anymore. > > > > As for Raspberri Pi. It is $35 dollars. I have even seen one for $15. Even > a CHEAP one for $5. But I am not a very technical person or software > programmer or hardware engineer. I am just a basic user and owner of a TRS > 80 Model 100. > > > > Any suggestions or opinions that I can get. > > > > Duane A. > > Rejoignez-nous sur Facebook - Volg ons op Facebook > > > > DISCLAIMER Pensez à l'environnement, n'imprimez cette page et ses annexes > que si c'est nécessaire. Ce message électronique, y compris ses annexes, > est confidentiel et réservé à l’attention de son destinataire. Si vous > n'êtes pas le destinataire de ce message, merci de le détruire et d’en > informer l’expéditeur. Toute divulgation, copie ou utilisation de ce mail > est dans ce cas interdite. La sécurité et l'exactitude des transmissions de > messages électroniques ne peuvent être garanties. Denk aan het milieu; druk > deze pagina en de bijlagen alleen af als het nodig is. Dit e-mailbericht > (inclusief zijn bijlagen) is vertrouwelijk en is uitsluitend bestemd voor > de geadresseerde. 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Dit e-mailbericht > (inclusief zijn bijlagen) is vertrouwelijk en is uitsluitend bestemd voor > de geadresseerde. Als dit bericht niet voor u bestemd is, wordt u verzocht > het te wissen en de afzender te informeren. Het is in dat geval niet > toegestaan dit bericht te verspreiden, te kopiëren of te gebruiken. We > kunnen niet garanderen dat de gegevensoverdracht via het internet veilig en > nauwkeurig is. > > > >
