That headline is every buzz word to tickle a Lemmy user’s taint. I say that with all the sincerity in the world because I too want one.

The skeptic in me is a little suspicious, this sounds too good to be true. I've already been burned out from other crowdfunded projects where the company just dissapeared or simply couldn't deliver anything before running out of money. Like the Pandora.

Nowadays I only back projects from companies that have successfully released something before, so this will be a wait and see. If they can deliver I may buy one when it's released.

I hate how much this marketing works for me 

Is the whole bottom half just for a modular thingy. Could it just be a phone half that size, put a usbc on the bottom and some rails to accept an interlocking modular whatever.

I don't need it... I don't need it... I don't need it... I don't need it...

(M.2/NVMe, LTE and 5G, GPIO)

I don't....

(Planned support for LoRa, Meshtastic, and FPGAs)

I...

(Everything open source, useful for me at work, employer will pay for)

Sold!

It doesn't seem to be especially performant for games based on the videos they've put out, but a solid handheld with these specific features, and separate from my mission critical work android phone will hopefully be very useful.

We'll see on it's release, but it's very positive the growing appearance of modular open phones with Linux based OS. Meanwhile there is FairPhone from the Netherland as years ago released mature product, full modular, using LinageOS or e-OS

Just missing Bluetooth. But it's really cool! I guess you could plug in USB c headphones. Really like the HDMI port, could have done mini HDMI, but, regular size gives more flexibility. Edit: Oop it has Bluetooth, lost my money idk if I can stop myself from buying it

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mecha-systems/mecha-comet-modular-linux-handheld-computer

I'm a little confused, can this thing run standard linux cli packages?

I don't see the point of this.

A smartphone is literally a handheld computer with more capability than this. Save for game controls, there is very little that a touchscreen doesn't completely replace with full flexibility (besides, unless it's the size of a Gameboy, the vertical controller layout sucks).

This isn't a new concept either, as I'm pretty sure I've seen two phones and one whole laptop using this exact drop-in modularity gimmick. They all failed.

Ooooooo. I like it.

Modular computing always seems to fall victim to Moore's law/similar, everything core get so much better every 5 years, that by the time you want to refresh anything, it's usually time to upgrade the whole thing.

Periferals are nice but USB is already a multivendor connector standard and if the choice is 3d printing cases or trusting a vendor to exist in 10 years I'm betting on 3d printers for now.

Hope I'm wrong but this isn't the first time I've seen a project like this.

At the end of the day the n900 was the ultimate portable Linux machine, but it died because within 10 years you could do all of that on an android device AND have a decent phone too.

It will either fail, or be bought then cancelled by a big company like Google

Hey I've seen this before!

What's with the crappy, low end hardware?

Has it got mainline kernel support? Anyone working on that?

If not, it will be trash in approximately two years and I'd rather save the planet.

I thought the Mecha Comet wasn't a phone but apparently it has a 4G modem module. I am interested.

They are also active on the fediverse, tho the mention auto complete here isn't picking uo their handle. It's funny to see this posted here I was just talking about the Comet to my partner over breakfast today.

I wonder if you'd be able to use pmOS with it

USA? No thanks

Until there's a physical product on shelves, I don't trust that it's not vaporware.

Intro video with choppy renders, seems cool but also high potential for vaporware

Glad to see they're putting real effort into the hardware - I was worried that this was going to be just another "slap a RasPi in it and call it a day," but they seem to be promising some actual power efficiency.

Saw this the other day. It looks really cool. I hope it takes off.

This looks like a handy little guy, but I'm gonna wait until it's real.

I have pledged, can't wait. But the goal of the kickstarter is pretty low.

Does it have a cellular radio?

Every time I've seen a person involved wiþ þis project demonstrating a prototype at a conference it's been a Indian (I'm racistly guessing; could be any if a number of SE Asian countries). I've decided 2 þings from þis:

1. I'm giving a healþy amount of leeway for oddly phrased wording in þe campaign
2. I have an unusual amount of hope þat þeir going to "do it right."

A lot of stuff is designed in þe West and outsourced Eastward, and I've often seen overly optimistic expectations and eventual "supply chain issues" come up as reasons for delay and failure in Kickstarter. OTOH, one fairly complex project I supported which was entirely ideated and delivered from Hong Kong had a ton of communication problems, but it over-delivered on product and hit þeir schedules.

I have no illusions about people in general, regardless of country. But I have high hopes for þis project in particular, maybe specifically because it isn't a highly polished campaign. I'm hoping þat þey're correctly focusing efforts on product and not marketing, and in consequence are going to deliver what þey promise. Hardware-wise, I don't believe any part of it promises anyþing exceptional from currently available technology. No magic displays, no unbeatable battery life. Most of it looks solidly sourceable. It's just an unusual form factor, and þe swappable panels are innovative but don't require new technology.

I really hope þe project succeeds. It looks like it's being run by a bunch of young tech nerds, and boy am I in þeir corner.

So friggin cool, I'm immediately in