Congratulations. What a great video, very well explained, organized. The script is very interesting, well written. The video editing is professional; very striking.
holy shit, never seen such an effective intro (the music choice was superb) like i rarely get pulled into the video like this (i was going to just turn it on and off to have it in history for later but after the intro i had to watch it)
Well the problem is that a small operation like this can't order a custom display module from Sharp, and the back of these is silvered, it doesn't have a removable lightbox. Besides not all memory LCD types can even fundamentally be converted to backlight. Frontlight is perhaps an option.
@@SianaGearz That entirely depends if Sharp wants to develop new products. They might do a few low yield production runs with small orders to offset development. You don't know unless you talk to them.
@@goiterlanternbase "just change the screen" and get a fraction of the battery life. It lasts for as long as it does *_because_* the screen is nonbacklit. Transflective displays take virtually zero power because they only need to reflect light rather than producing it. As in, the Nice!View takes 10 *_micro_* amps and is 160 x 68 at 1.08". Using some quite possibly wrong napkin math, that'd mean a single AA battery could power it for years, even *_decades_* . (2500mah->2500000microamphours->/10->hours->/24->days->/30->months->28.9351... years.) This is the equivalent of looking at a book and saying "ha! can't believe they cheaped out on the backlight here and went with some shitty display technology made of wood". The display is fine, you're just a vampire.
@@robonator2945 I know man. I was born right into that area, when these screens where suddenly everywhere😁 And than came the color ones and the more detailed ones and every time, the batteries either got larger or lasted less time. But i get it. This feeling of depth is somewhat annoying and we all knew immediately that there must be something better🤗 Sadly eInk is still about 3 times more power hungry, so we are stuck with the UX of reading newspaper, held about an inch underwater🤗
i was on the mailing list for over a year and a few months & still no developments. someday hopefully there will be an acceptable linux pocket terminal.
I know I would have to resist to buy a device like this one because I already know I would stop using it after a few weeks but I love the nostalgia vibe it brings to me when I was discovering Linux (2.0 at that time I think). Maybe it's due to the colorless terminal or the simplicity of the device :)
Debian 2.0 came out in '98. Are you referring to just the kernel? No specific distro? I bought the Debian CD form a vendor's desk(imagine that!) because it could boot up, before (and for many distros after) you had to boot from 3.5 floppy, and copy files to hard drive. I love the OPTION of a monochrome terminal, but as a daily driver? ugh
@@halfsourlizard9319 While that's technically true, virtually everyone uses Linux to refer to any mainline distribution shipping with the Linux kernel, GNU utilties/tools, etc. There is very little real value in pointing out this technicality, except in a purely educational respeect.
A very cool device. Exactly the kind of thing I seem to collect. I'd definitely go for the color screen version, and it seems as though it may be worthwhile to have a slightly thicker case that allows for a higher capacity battery. I have a Lilygo 'T-Deck' and with a reasonably sized case, and having to move the internal speaker, I was able to squeeze an 8,000 mAh battery into it. Which lasts for a *very* long time. Thanks for the video.
I was once sitting in a waiting room at a hospital high on pain killers with a killer kidney stone when I got an email about a critical failure of one of my Linux systems. I only had my iPhone on me so I had to set up a VPN connection & figure out how to SSH into the system to find out what was wrong. Turns out the system had run out of space due to a log not being truncated. I cleared the log and restarted the services. Still, this would have been so much nicer to use.
Bugger Beepy! Just look at that beautiful Palm Tungsten C on your bench! "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." I would love for you to do a video of the Tungsten C, please! Thank you.
Eh. Palm made some really cool stuff back in the day. But realistically Palm's PDAs were far less multipurpose than this machine is capable of being. Not to mention that developing software for them is quite challenging by modern standards and some things are just not practical (or even possible on them).
if ppl are interested in this they might find termux interesting too. its the same thing but its an app for your phone. great for emergencies if u need to ssh to your server or something
Can't decide which display would have been better for this, but let's just say that this non-backlit screen makes way more sense for a handheld that doesn't really rely on intense graphics and that can be remotely accessed, makes more sense compared to a gaming handheld. So there.
As long as you don't mind black&white (and maybe gray?), so 2-3 shades of grayscale, it's certainly possible to play games on one of these. Of course, it would probably need to be developed for the Beepy specifically unless it's a very old game.
You are one of the few lucky youtubers to get it. No one of us regular people can find or buy one. Always not in stock. I waited for months and nothing. This is probably an "only for few privileged youtubers" gadget.
It would be really cool to see a version of this (or a competing product) that uses the keyboard, form factor, and square aspect ratio of the Blackberry passport. As many software problems as that phone had, the keyboard and text-centric form factor made it one of my favorite mobile device experiences to date, and taking those elements from it and using them in a Linux pocket computer like this one would be an instant purchase for me (provided it didn't share the few crippling issues this device has).
honestly with modern 3d printing the barrier to make something like that is dramatically lowering. You could use basic micro-switches and resin-printed keycaps (though you'd probably need to find some way to economically paint them in or something) to make a completely custom keyboard formfactor. You *_might_* even be able to use multi-material FDM printing for it, though I'm not certain on that.
with all those pins on the edge of the pcb near the screen i bet you could hook up some low power leds to light up the display and 3d print a new top case with a bezel to hide them wish i could get my hands on one the blackberry keyboard is top tier
So I’m new and trying to learn. This looks like a blackberry but it’s a computer right ? What could this be used for ? It also got me thinking. Has anyone found a way to make a sidekick work powered by modern tech ?
Ooh, I didn't know about the V2 at all👀 I was just browsing around the net about the beepy because I was so close to getting one last year, but I ended up not pulling the trigger. If the V2 comes out this year though... I'm running to get mine
I like the base concept, but I would like to have the option of a capacitive keyboard over a tactile keyboard at that size, I have trouble maintaining speed on a tactile keyboard of that scale, compared to a full size keyboard or my phone's software keyboard, It's always felt tiring and clunky on my fingers no matter the device. They can probably put a printed vinyl on a trackpad with firmware to act like a keyboard as a solution for people like me, that might make it a device seller for me.
This reminds me of the PocketChip, which I swill own after all these years. Sadly the RAM has gone bad, so it's also bricked... Hopefully Beepy V2 will be better
Or you just use a phone with termux Edit: I see a lot of comments defending beepy and talking down termux and I'm tired of the notifications so I made this. I in no way dislike beepy or termux. Both definetly have a place. I just mean that termux is a great way to get a "linux" terminal with a better resolution on the go if you don't have the resources to get a beepy and you could alwys use a 3rd party keyboard.
It worries me that the website to order them, the BB keyboard is blurred out. Does this mean they wont be shipping the next models with those keyboards?
I think it’s because they get these keyboards as old stock blackberry keyboards from various sources. Some of them from English speaking parts of the world but some of them not, and have weird characters on them. I think they blurred the keyboard because the one they used in the product photoshoot had some weird characters on it and they didn’t want it to be representative of the product you’re getting.
If you guys can find a blackberry key2 thats basically what this is but classy whereas this is like hobbyist if that's more your thing, also has more power too and a cellular modem, they're getting harder and harder to find
I bought one, after like less than a day the power chip got cooked can't turn on anymore I complained, after *a few months* they sent a new one, the power chip cooked itself again and even faster than the last one
How did you even get this? I signed up for the waitlist back when this was still called the beepberry and I haven't even gotten an email that it's available yet.
I have a SQFMI watchy and have found the company frustrating to deal with as a maker. Questionable documentation, the first version being more a beta with broken features, then afterwards opaque hardware versioning that effects how you program for it, etc. It's cool to see the playdate screen in something else, but I would never trust that hardware manufacturer to come up with something wholly functional.
They sound a lot like many Linux software projects in the 00s: hobbyists just doing their thing, not realising how much extra responsibility and workload comes with making their work public. I guess the use of a Pi could be taken as a yellow flag (if not a red flag); Pis have never been the most open or best value hardware and it's worth shopping for other options.
@@eekee6034 best value? What are you comparing to? Libre boards have been more "open", but more expensive, Orange Pi zero and Geniatech zero might be alternatives, but where else, for less, are you going to source wholesale numbers of boards? The only options for an entire computer are cheap China products, and you won't find better quality there. For a niche project like this you're talking nonsense. And China chip-makers are going bankrupt in the thousands, so expect even less alternatives in the future.
@@squirlmy Well, to be honest, it's old info. Sometimes I forget how old my memories are. The Pi 4 was the first good Pi, there were plenty better alternatives before it, especially when the first Pi launched. I didn't know how many chip-makers are going bankrupt, so maybe it's a good thing the Pi range is so popular. As for wholesale though, it was buying retail which was harder before the Pi. Some parts seemed to be only available singly in expensive dev kits, though that was starting to change.
"Smartphones are boring, Beepy is fun".......(Me thinking in my head) "I like fun"
(in my head)"don't like the sound of booster converter chips self-destructing. Not fun"
You adjusting the light angle to show off the keyboard topology... You're an underrated creator.
Congratulations. What a great video, very well explained, organized. The script is very interesting, well written. The video editing is professional; very striking.
holy shit, never seen such an effective intro (the music choice was superb)
like i rarely get pulled into the video like this (i was going to just turn it on and off to have it in history for later but after the intro i had to watch it)
My 6 year old Garmin fenix has a colour memory-in-pixel display, and they didn't have any trouble implementing a backlight.
Well the problem is that a small operation like this can't order a custom display module from Sharp, and the back of these is silvered, it doesn't have a removable lightbox. Besides not all memory LCD types can even fundamentally be converted to backlight.
Frontlight is perhaps an option.
@@SianaGearz That entirely depends if Sharp wants to develop new products. They might do a few low yield production runs with small orders to offset development. You don't know unless you talk to them.
@@PaulSpades It's Sharp, they don't talk to you. The bureaucratic layer is too thick.
Informative video, thanks! And sick music in the intro, I like your choice
Nice LG TV on background.. love it
Remembering me of childhood, when i used it with ps1
4:30 A backlit keyboard, but not a single light source for the display🤣👍
you coul make your own screen light. it's an open source project after all
@@nuclearnyanboi Thats fine, but you not seem to get the humor of the developer🤣
Btw. Just change the screen.
@@goiterlanternbase yea lol
@@goiterlanternbase "just change the screen" and get a fraction of the battery life. It lasts for as long as it does *_because_* the screen is nonbacklit. Transflective displays take virtually zero power because they only need to reflect light rather than producing it. As in, the Nice!View takes 10 *_micro_* amps and is 160 x 68 at 1.08". Using some quite possibly wrong napkin math, that'd mean a single AA battery could power it for years, even *_decades_* . (2500mah->2500000microamphours->/10->hours->/24->days->/30->months->28.9351... years.)
This is the equivalent of looking at a book and saying "ha! can't believe they cheaped out on the backlight here and went with some shitty display technology made of wood". The display is fine, you're just a vampire.
@@robonator2945 I know man. I was born right into that area, when these screens where suddenly everywhere😁
And than came the color ones and the more detailed ones and every time, the batteries either got larger or lasted less time. But i get it. This feeling of depth is somewhat annoying and we all knew immediately that there must be something better🤗 Sadly eInk is still about 3 times more power hungry, so we are stuck with the UX of reading newspaper, held about an inch underwater🤗
This is the kind of stuff people used to carry to hack in the early 2010 movies
I have the colour version you mentioned at the end of the video. I highly recommend it.
Where can I find the color version?
Link please?
@@rollotomasi1832 Do you have a link for this?
color beepy discord link invalid for me
Subscribed. Great video, great music. Well written script!
i was on the mailing list for over a year and a few months & still no developments. someday hopefully there will be an acceptable linux pocket terminal.
what are you looking for in one? Im making one and want to know what people think it should have
Thanks or the warning about the "self destruct" chip.
I know I would have to resist to buy a device like this one because I already know I would stop using it after a few weeks but I love the nostalgia vibe it brings to me when I was discovering Linux (2.0 at that time I think). Maybe it's due to the colorless terminal or the simplicity of the device :)
I know! I get that feeling when I set up a new raspberry pi. This device definitely scratches that itch.
Debian 2.0 came out in '98. Are you referring to just the kernel? No specific distro? I bought the Debian CD form a vendor's desk(imagine that!) because it could boot up, before (and for many distros after) you had to boot from 3.5 floppy, and copy files to hard drive. I love the OPTION of a monochrome terminal, but as a daily driver? ugh
@@squirlmyLinux literally *is* (only) the kernel.
@@halfsourlizard9319 While that's technically true, virtually everyone uses Linux to refer to any mainline distribution shipping with the Linux kernel, GNU utilties/tools, etc.
There is very little real value in pointing out this technicality, except in a purely educational respeect.
Looks like a reincarnation of the PocketCHIP!
Yeah! I had a PocketCHIP. Unfortunately it had a terrible screen, even worse keyboard and was really slow. Love these concepts though.
A very cool device. Exactly the kind of thing I seem to collect. I'd definitely go for the color screen version, and it seems as though it may be worthwhile to have a slightly thicker case that allows for a higher capacity battery. I have a Lilygo 'T-Deck' and with a reasonably sized case, and having to move the internal speaker, I was able to squeeze an 8,000 mAh battery into it. Which lasts for a *very* long time.
Thanks for the video.
I was once sitting in a waiting room at a hospital high on pain killers with a killer kidney stone when I got an email about a critical failure of one of my Linux systems. I only had my iPhone on me so I had to set up a VPN connection & figure out how to SSH into the system to find out what was wrong. Turns out the system had run out of space due to a log not being truncated. I cleared the log and restarted the services.
Still, this would have been so much nicer to use.
The color one looks pretty cool. Hope it starts to ship
Bugger Beepy! Just look at that beautiful Palm Tungsten C on your bench! "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." I would love for you to do a video of the Tungsten C, please! Thank you.
I’ve been wanting to do a video on it. It’s so cool.
@@sn0ren Oh that would be a singular treat and pleasure for everyone!
Eh.
Palm made some really cool stuff back in the day.
But realistically Palm's PDAs were far less multipurpose than this machine is capable of being. Not to mention that developing software for them is quite challenging by modern standards and some things are just not practical (or even possible on them).
bro this is a fucking video. good damn job! I love your style here!
Word!
if ppl are interested in this they might find termux interesting too. its the same thing but its an app for your phone. great for emergencies if u need to ssh to your server or something
The problem is not getting a terminal in a mobile device, the problem is that mobile device doesn't have a physical keyboard
@@huntermirrorand also that a mobile device is usually not as repairable, upgradable, or extendable. This is just more fun.
The two killer features of this device are the hardware keyboard and a desktop OS. You missed both.
@@eldino specifically wrt "desktop OS" -- i.e., "a normal GNU userland instead of that bizarre nonsense Google uses for Android"
Holy shit! This looks amazing. How did I not know this exists? TTY + Ed in my pocket‽ Yassss 🤯
So happy to be first. Love everything you do!
Can anyone tell me the cost of it ?
I think what I really want is kind of a hybrid between this and a Clockwork uConsole.
Can't decide which display would have been better for this, but let's just say that this non-backlit screen makes way more sense for a handheld that doesn't really rely on intense graphics and that can be remotely accessed, makes more sense compared to a gaming handheld. So there.
As long as you don't mind black&white (and maybe gray?), so 2-3 shades of grayscale, it's certainly possible to play games on one of these. Of course, it would probably need to be developed for the Beepy specifically unless it's a very old game.
The blackberry has returned from beyond the grave.
Aw, man! I got all excited. It's exactly what I've been looking for, for use with packet radio.
You are one of the few lucky youtubers to get it. No one of us regular people can find or buy one. Always not in stock. I waited for months and nothing. This is probably an "only for few privileged youtubers" gadget.
I bought it used from someone else because I was tired of waiting too 😅
@@sn0ren I can't find anyone selling it, no results on ebay and on google. you're lucky for finding one bro. Have fun with it.
Check out the Beepy discord, sometimes people are selling in there. That’s where I found one for sale.
Sounds cool! I'd be happy with even a front light
Oh no, my home budget... Next toy I want, and it will be decorating my drawers :-)
Yep. So many projects like this end up as fancy drawer decorations.
The issues seems not impossible to fix DIY, I like it. If I can replace my mobile for it I'll do it...
It would be really cool to see a version of this (or a competing product) that uses the keyboard, form factor, and square aspect ratio of the Blackberry passport. As many software problems as that phone had, the keyboard and text-centric form factor made it one of my favorite mobile device experiences to date, and taking those elements from it and using them in a Linux pocket computer like this one would be an instant purchase for me (provided it didn't share the few crippling issues this device has).
honestly with modern 3d printing the barrier to make something like that is dramatically lowering. You could use basic micro-switches and resin-printed keycaps (though you'd probably need to find some way to economically paint them in or something) to make a completely custom keyboard formfactor. You *_might_* even be able to use multi-material FDM printing for it, though I'm not certain on that.
with all those pins on the edge of the pcb near the screen i bet you could hook up some low power leds to light up the display and 3d print a new top case with a bezel to hide them wish i could get my hands on one the blackberry keyboard is top tier
Good idea. They are GPIO pins so you could also control it from software.
So I’m new and trying to learn. This looks like a blackberry but it’s a computer right ? What could this be used for ?
It also got me thinking. Has anyone found a way to make a sidekick work powered by modern tech ?
i loved to shine and holographic shell.
great video, you've earned a new sub!
If it has calling support I'm ditching my phone immediately! This is cool and fun!
Ooh, I didn't know about the V2 at all👀 I was just browsing around the net about the beepy because I was so close to getting one last year, but I ended up not pulling the trigger. If the V2 comes out this year though... I'm running to get mine
What I really want is a barebones cell phone with blackberry style keyboard for texting.
That would be cool too. It’s too bad that no one are really making new phones with physical keyboards anymore.
@@sn0ren My first phone was a Palm Pixi.. I used it for many years until Verizon refused to reactivate it. RIP qwertyphones
I had a Nokia e61 for a while. It was great!
omg i see that palm tungsten c!
This has been on my "want but not buying" list for a while.
I like the base concept, but I would like to have the option of a capacitive keyboard over a tactile keyboard at that size, I have trouble maintaining speed on a tactile keyboard of that scale, compared to a full size keyboard or my phone's software keyboard, It's always felt tiring and clunky on my fingers no matter the device.
They can probably put a printed vinyl on a trackpad with firmware to act like a keyboard as a solution for people like me, that might make it a device seller for me.
You sonofabish... I'm in! What a fun piece of tech.
Dwarf fortress in the pocket. Nice.
I you don’t have a life but this.
This is what computers will be like in 1990.
Where do you, guys, get those blackberry keyboards? Just curious about the moment no keebs would be available some day :)
Was so hyped to buy one but so heartbroken when you said it was pulled :( can't wait till it's back
Awesome video and love the mods!
> Creates a Linux handheld micro-PC
> Display only clearly visible outdoors in direct sunlight
This reminds me of the PocketChip, which I swill own after all these years. Sadly the RAM has gone bad, so it's also bricked... Hopefully Beepy V2 will be better
Pine64 has a phone that's meant to be hacked and run any Linux distro you want
what's the price difference, though?
@@squirlmy I don't know how much a Beepy is 🤷♂️
Let us know when Pine64 actually *SUPPORTS* their own products.
DON'T BUY FROM THEM.
@@Armand79th Explain?
@@NicksStuff$80
I like small computers too.
Suddenly i missed my old blackberry phone :'(
I remember there was gameboy emulator that was using terminal buffer for graphics.
So maybe you can run your gameboy games on Beepy?
if only it would ever come back in stock so I can fucking order one.
Or you just use a phone with termux
Edit:
I see a lot of comments defending beepy and talking down termux and I'm tired of the notifications so I made this.
I in no way dislike beepy or termux. Both definetly have a place. I just mean that termux is a great way to get a "linux" terminal with a better resolution on the go if you don't have the resources to get a beepy and you could alwys use a 3rd party keyboard.
Depending on use case, that'd work. For some, the beepy is a great device.
I don’t like touch screens :(
@@sn0renI hate touching my screens 😫😫😫
But you like barely accurate and small keypads?@@sn0ren
This physical keyboard is much more accurate than any touchscreen keyboard.
Isn't it possible to use BlackBerry Display as well?
It worries me that the website to order them, the BB keyboard is blurred out. Does this mean they wont be shipping the next models with those keyboards?
I think it’s because they get these keyboards as old stock blackberry keyboards from various sources. Some of them from English speaking parts of the world but some of them not, and have weird characters on them. I think they blurred the keyboard because the one they used in the product photoshoot had some weird characters on it and they didn’t want it to be representative of the product you’re getting.
If you guys can find a blackberry key2 thats basically what this is but classy whereas this is like hobbyist if that's more your thing, also has more power too and a cellular modem, they're getting harder and harder to find
Can it run pine and do text messages? I'd almost... Palm OS, oh hell yeah.
Text messages can be done through beeper
@@fangleone7566 tnx
lora meshtastic?
My Sharp Zaurus is 100% linux, made in 2000. I'm running the Hentages custom ROM on it.
Can it be used as a Bluetooth keyboard?
Es posible instalar ese SO en una Blackberry?. Help
How much?
Yah, we vant zee pancakes, Lebowski!
Danish sunshine is probably an oxymoron. 🙂
very cool thing, but absolutely useless, because all required stuff I can do from my phone
bro we use the same wallpaper!!!
Can i torrent on this thing?
Makes me want to bust out my Agenda and play with it. :)
I’m feeling strong @Posy vibes
This is like saying any American is giving Tom Cruise vibes because they have the same accent
Who?
@@sn0ren This youtube guy who talks about liquid crystal displays, segmented displays, and mouse cursors. the stuff that matters that most ignore.
I really want one but I know I won't use it since I don't really do much programming anymore... Still a very cool device!
I bought one, after like less than a day the power chip got cooked can't turn on anymore
I complained, after *a few months* they sent a new one, the power chip cooked itself again and even faster than the last one
Man that sucks. I saw someone do a mod with a few wires that makes it possible to power from usb, bypassing the battery.
blackberry much, pretty handy
you can use beeper project with it to run all your social media messages that comes with beeper project with it
couldn't someone flash the bms or something as a workaround?
Well they should fix those problems; like have 80 column color lcd and a fast charge circuit.
I just TERMUX for that... In colour
Or take my 6 hours batt pocketchip
I'd love an eink display on the back
I wish we could buy these easily
How did you even get this? I signed up for the waitlist back when this was still called the beepberry and I haven't even gotten an email that it's available yet.
Yeah I got tired of waiting and bought it used from someone else.
I want to buy one of these and bring it to Brazil
They’re not widely available yet it seems.
I was thinking "oh, it can't be that bad," but yikes! Those are a nasty pair of problems it has.
This is so cool
Did they add GSM hardware?
I already know where to do the port of Blendersito xD
I need to know what that first song is, it’s so catchy!
Things like that - ZISO
I have a SQFMI watchy and have found the company frustrating to deal with as a maker. Questionable documentation, the first version being more a beta with broken features, then afterwards opaque hardware versioning that effects how you program for it, etc.
It's cool to see the playdate screen in something else, but I would never trust that hardware manufacturer to come up with something wholly functional.
It's too bad because the concept is awesome
They sound a lot like many Linux software projects in the 00s: hobbyists just doing their thing, not realising how much extra responsibility and workload comes with making their work public. I guess the use of a Pi could be taken as a yellow flag (if not a red flag); Pis have never been the most open or best value hardware and it's worth shopping for other options.
@@eekee6034 best value? What are you comparing to? Libre boards have been more "open", but more expensive, Orange Pi zero and Geniatech zero might be alternatives, but where else, for less, are you going to source wholesale numbers of boards? The only options for an entire computer are cheap China products, and you won't find better quality there. For a niche project like this you're talking nonsense. And China chip-makers are going bankrupt in the thousands, so expect even less alternatives in the future.
@@squirlmy Well, to be honest, it's old info. Sometimes I forget how old my memories are. The Pi 4 was the first good Pi, there were plenty better alternatives before it, especially when the first Pi launched. I didn't know how many chip-makers are going bankrupt, so maybe it's a good thing the Pi range is so popular.
As for wholesale though, it was buying retail which was harder before the Pi. Some parts seemed to be only available singly in expensive dev kits, though that was starting to change.
Reminds me of a BlackBerry😮
Haha! It's hard not to with the BlackBerry logo on the keyboard!!! The keyboards are re-purposed BlackBerry keyboards, so that's no coincidence.
Cool video thx🎉
Såååehh.. Er der andre danskere herinde :P
I have been on the waiting list for more than two years, but still no response...
I NEED IT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa
New here can someone explain to me what I can do with this device in a way i would understand
I dont think I will be able to see that small font
Thanks to these videos they are sold out and hard to get, I’m just saying