Re: [ARMini-support] Wifi on ARMBook?
- From: A Rawnsley <rcomp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <armini-support@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2020 11:26:54 +0100
In message <Mailbird-f25e570d-87b0-4ba3-a597-6c16b0d12ac2@xxxxxxxxx>
"Garry Taylor" <taylor.garry@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thanks for the replies, I guess the short answer is that there is no
timeline for wifi on this machine. I'll stick with it for a bit, but I
feel a desktop RISC OS machine might be a better idea for me anyway, as I
find the screen too small anyway, and the trackpad is a horror.
Hi Garry,
Thanks for your message.
The reason there is no timeline on Wifi is that whilst it could,
theoretically, be grafted onto the current TCP/IP implementation, it would
be very hacky, and need to be replaced when the TCP/IP stack (which is 20
years old) is overhauled. This is "work in progress" at RISC OS
Developments, and ARMbook helps with that.
However, this is a sizeable amount of work, and wifi is work on top of
that. Any guess to timescale would be (effectively) a lie, since we just
don't know at this stage. All I can say is that we're doing what we can,
but there are a lot of hurdles.
Since I'm struggling to find you on our database, I'm thinking perhaps you
bought your ARMbook elsewhere. I know that the discussion about whether
to buy desktop or laptop is a conversation I have with most people who buy
direct, and I rarely recommend a laptop as a "primary" machine. That's
not because there's anything wrong with using an ARMbook for that (I can
think of a number of people for whom it is their main machine), but RISC
OS is still, first and foremost, a desktop computer OS, and the ARMbook
allows you to take that on the move, but with caveats (that I like to
explain to avoid mis-representation).
Indeed, I often surprise people around the world, phoning to discuss their
order/enquiry!
Regarding the touchpad, there are, in fact, two revisions of touchpad in
the Pinebook range. One (older) supports tap-to-click, whilst the newer
ones remove that. Whilst you might think that the older ones are
therefore better, I genuinely find it "pros and cons". As long as you
understand the newer ones are best used two-handed (one for movement, one
for click), I have a slight preference for the newer pads, because I can't
accidentally tap/click on things, or "palm click" when typing.
I've never cared for the "gestures" and "multi-touch" features on some
laptop touchpads - I always end up accidentally zooming etc when I didn't
mean to, and so prefer those features off.
That being said, I always prefer mice to touchpads! This is doubly true
for users who aren't used to pads, or with limited eyesight or other
physical problems, because I often find (on ALL computers) people have
mis-dragged things with pads (often into the recycle bin!).
One thing I would stress is to look at how you're using the laptop, and
what it is being used *for*. Try out "big mode" when typing etc, and
switch back'n'forth as needed (right-click display manager). Adjusting
brightness/lighting and physical arrangement may also help.
Another recommendation is to consider the docking kit we sell, if you're
mostly using it on a desk. Instead of having lots of flying leads into
your laptop, this setup (based on a nice USB3 hub with charing as well as
data ports) allows you to have your peripherals docked and powered neatly.
For example, having a wireless mouse, backup drive and net connection in
this way is a neat way to expand the functionality of your laptop with
minimal cabling.
Finally, whilst the wispy approach should be fairly neat, if you're mostly
using it on a desk and don't want to run new cabling, consider things like
wifi extender plugs (or powerline networking). Both allow you to combine
wired and wire-less networking in interesting ways (as they usually have
both wired *and* wifi capability). Plugging a wifi-extender plug into a
socket near your laptop, then plugging into the dock-setup mentioned above
is quite a neat way to wifi your way into other rooms.
As I say, it is horses for course, really - look at how you use the
laptop, what you do with it and so on.
I will add that we expect to launch a new lower-cost, non-laptop system
later in the year which may suit your needs better (ie. be a nice
complement to an ARMbook), so perhaps consider having a discussion with me
closer to Christmas? Alternatively, we have the rest of our desktop range
available now, from mini.m to Titan/TiMachine.
Best wishes,
Andrew
--
R-Comp
22 Robert Moffat, High Legh, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6PS
Tel: 01925 755043 Fax: 01925 757377
http://www.rcomp.co.uk
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