What do you actually use your Pinebook for?
#1
Hello all. 
I thought it would be interesting to ask what people use their Pinebook for?
There seem to be a fair few tech savvy people and coders. Are there any more casual users like myself?
I just wanted a cheap laptop that ran Ubuntu.
it will be interesting to get a feel of what people use their machines for.
#2
Not as much as I had hoped for. The keyboard (or more correctly the lack of the quote and backslash/pipe key on the right side) is kind of disappointing. When I look at photos of the 14" Pinebook the " and | keys are where I would expect them, but for some reason they removed/moved them on the 11".

I do a fair bit of Linux stuff, and writing blogs, I find myself going back to my Chromebook to do the writing because of the poor key placement of the 11" keyboard on the Pinebook.
#3
I just really wanted some ARM single-board computer in a laptop casing with low power consumption (and hence a good battery life), which would run Linux and had a good portability (thin, light, compact) and reasonable price tag. Performance was not much a concern for me. I saw a lot of options (was looking for something like that for almost 10 years, since I found about OpenPandora). And finally, when I found about 11.6" Pinebook (which was roughly in beginning of this year), I instantly thought it was a type of device I was looking for. Unfortunately, at that point of time, production of 14" model was running and it was uncertain, whether there would be a new 11.6" batch.

But eventually, production was restarted and I got my 11.6" Pinebook.

While I'm a coder, I don't use it often for programming (even though it's keyboard is decent, it's not perfect for reasons mentioned by cvmiller). I usually use it for working via SSH on remote machines (it makes a really nice portable terminal for that), reading various tech docs, articles etc. via browser. And in my free time, I also use it to play some games, like NetHack, GNU Backgammon, Simon Tatham's Portable Puzzle Collection.

I'd say it's a really great device, when you know it's strengths.
#4
I use it for Browsing the net, coding Python and LISP. I have coded 32-bit assembler on a RSPI , I might try 64-bit Assembler on the Pinebook, if I can find a good book. Its a great non-WinTel laptop!
#5
I use mine for on-the-go programming when plugs are luxuries. I find you can easily maintain power to the Pinebook with a mobile phone battery pack, which is decent. I keep some low-power projects onboard for no internet situations, and my intensive projects I use AWS Cloud9.

I'd like to use it more, but the bam-bam keyboard is rather frustrating. I'm also apparently too cold-blooded for the trackpad to work.
[ PHP Developer | Pinebook 1G | About me ]
#6
I have a 14" and a 11" with the HD display. I use them as cheap, inexpensive day to day workhorses. Nothing too complex, mostly Office stuff, a bit surfing, things like that. I would love to use them as MAME machines as well - like I do with the Raspi - but unfortunately, there is no GPU support. And no DRM. Which is a bummer.
So I use them less than I should have and all that's left is the fat that I don't lose a sh!tload of money, should they get lost, stolen or broken.


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