logoalt Hacker News

karlgkktoday at 5:49 PM4 repliesview on HN

We were fine without it, we can still be fine without it.

Nothing is stopping you from buying an mp3 player, a small point and shoot, and running Linux on a 12 in ultra portable.


Replies

to11mtmtoday at 8:42 PM

> a small point and shoot,

Actually the Point and shoot market has largely dried up, even the 'fancier' point and shoots.

Apple did a very smart thing, using Sony BSI[0] and Stacked[1] Sensors in their phones.

As the 'Camera Snob' in the family my Brother recently asked me to help look for a small point and shoot for his wife for their child's events, and I was shocked at how few options there are compared to a decade ago (And how little most have improved since!)

To be clear, the 'ILC' (what many might think of when they think of when they say DSLR) market has continued to advance and the tech is better than ever, but the simple built-in lens point and shoot market has gotten very small outside of certain markets.

[0] - Back Side Illumination, basically a way to build the sensor that allows more light to hit it, but has some yield implications

[1] - Stacked sensors is again another sensor-build optimization, but it allows for faster readout of the full sensor with less rolling shutter, makes 'computational photography' feasible.

terriblepersontoday at 6:20 PM

Lots of things are stopping me. Like needing a smartphone to read a menu at a restaurant, or replace a lost credit card.

show 3 replies
lukantoday at 5:58 PM

Why would I want 3 or more devices, when I want one device capable of it all and under my control?

show 2 replies
type0today at 6:42 PM

And how would I make calls with it?

show 1 reply