Technology

[NorthernRaider]

There is no denying that modern technology is a vital communications and information system for preppers, and many of us embrace large parts of the technological revolution, Two way radios, GPS, Digital phones and ............. COMPUTERS.

Recently Light Speed has been raving about a tiny radio thingy that cost 3 quid its absolutely basic and I understood about 1% of what he was saying. but it did get me thinking about the ubiquitous computers most of use daily to access the interweb, check international news, buy stuff , chat with other preppers.

But equally nearly all of us are more than aware on the unreliability of normal windows / Ubuntu / fire fox etc PCS, viruses, scams, operating system faults, freezing, clashing programs. All of which are a vulnerability to our preps and a frequent source of grumbles from us.

So I thought could any of the communities young techno geeks recommend or suggest a SIMPLE and ULTRA BASIC, RELIABLE , tough and simple to use stripped down bare bones PC with a basic operating system that cannot be buggered up by malware. A self contained device than can surf the web, send E mails, store files type device that is the sort of basic tool you would want to set up in a remote African village that is rugged but simple enough for them or US in a post SHTF UK?

[Mortblanc]

Using one right now.

It's called a laptop.

Operates on windows 10, is wireless, reaches anywhere in the world off wifi signal, will recharge off solar.

It will even work off portable wifi through my phone.

It is protected from malware by the security program installed specifically to protect the system. My favored system is Webroot.

I am using it to communicate with you from 5,000 miles away and I just talked to a friend in a small village in Tanzania yesterday. He was using Tap-a-Talk on his smart phone.

Any good computer shop can set you right up.

[Lightspeed]

Hi Morty good to see you're on good form. Has it started getting cold over on your side of the pond yet?

Re NR's comment, I've been playing with some stupidly low priced and low complexity radio transceivers ( Transmitter & receiver in a single package) that are coming out of China.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIY-HAM-RADIO-...340wt_4806

These things will run of anything from a pp9 dry cell to a 12v supply. Simple as they are, I am getting fairly reliable daylight rage out to 200is miles. Pretty good fall back coms devices I think.

No takers to alternatives to normal Windows / apple PCs then???????

[NorthernRaider]

LS someone mentioned Chromebooks but I'm not familiar with them, but your research into low cost simple rugged almost idiot proof transceivers made me think there could be a place for a similar device as a Prepper PC. Utterly rugged, very basic, screen, keyboard, a device that does E mail, searches the web and allows access to forums and shops, perhaps with a basic word system, simple basic operating system nothing more, perhaps even 12vdc?? ideally the fixed basic operating system would be unchangeable so it could not be hacked, hijacked or infected like proper pcs and laptops are.

No video, no music, no audio, no extraneous junk, just a basic prepper comms pc perhaps even with its battery pack using conventional lithium btteries like AA or CR123s??

[Auto]

This sort of thing?
https://www.modmypi.com/

Don't know much about them but a couple of different computers here.

[NorthernRaider]

Hi auto, no not quite what I meant, Imagine a standard laptop say 13 inch screen, keyboard, 2 usb ports one for mouse, and for god knows what. powered up the device would have a basic word processor, a basic browser to search the web and an e mail system. just the absolute very basics to enable preppers to reach out if TSHTF and basic comms could be maintained

[Straight Shooter]

If there is such a product. i would like one ! very interested !

[NorthernRaider]

SS that's my thinking, there must (I hope) be a market perhaps for the African or South American market of a rugged very basic laptop that is so simple its not going to need updates or fancy software no fancy extra etc
One screen image no wallpaper choices, no fancy HD stuff

Modest processor no fancy quad core stuff
Access to basic E mail send and receive, no calendars etc
Google search with say ten favourites
Simple basic word processor
A file storage system for text docs and images

All stuffed into a durable case
and as cheap as possible.

The sort of thing you would get in the same sort of manner you buy a few UV5s for Em Comms or a budget PAYG cellphone to keep in your BOB.

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Conventional back up batteries like AA or CR123 and perhaps charged up via a small solar panel through a USB port???

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Like an adult version of something like this

http://laptop.org/en/laptop/index.shtml

[Mortblanc]

(22 October 2015, 19:23)Lightspeed Wrote: Hi Morty good to see you're on good form. Has it started getting cold over on your side of the pond yet?

Re NR's comment, I've been playing with some stupidly low priced and low complexity radio transceivers ( Transmitter & receiver in a single package) that are coming out of China.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIY-HAM-RADIO-...340wt_4806

These things will run of anything from a pp9 dry cell to a 12v supply. Simple as they are, I am getting fairly reliable daylight rage out to 200is miles. Pretty good fall back coms devices I think.

No takers to alternatives to normal Windows / apple PCs then???????

Once again, this message is brought to you via. the technology of a lap-top, operating wirelessly through a Wi-Fi cordless link from a device with countless mega bites of memory and capable of using CD Rom,coming all the way from Northern KY in the USA to 5,000 miles away in the UK.

It even has skipe, instant messaging, and all kinds of goodies that more than fill the description in the OP. Price is now so cheap even an old pensioner can afford one and it will fit into your day pack, duffle bag or even a business man's briefcase.

There are I pads available that do nearly the same. Each has been around for a decade. Why are you guys trying to reinvent the wheel?

As for the weather; Nights occasionally down to 0c, days still reaching 25-27c. Very clear and dry here. Winter will not set in until the end of November. We usually get a good snow around then.

[Devonian]

We used to use ruggedized Pocket PC's for use on sites and these ran on a special version of Windows known as Windows for Pocket PC, but over time the Pocket PC's have been discontinued and replaced by ruggedized smart phones and tablets.

So maybe something like this is what you are looking for, but there are plenty of other similar devices out there:

http://www.tuffphones.co.uk/tablets/ruggear-rg900.html