I have revived my Galaxy Nexus!

[The_Chief]

SUCCESS!

After much tinkering (and a new battery), I was able to revive Ginny, my Samsung Galaxy Nexus!

Why would I do this? Well, for the same reason I brought my Motorola Droid back to life in 2019 (actually, that was for my "Decade of Android" YouTube video): just for the memories.

Since it has no updated network credentials, it's a digital time capsule and just as it was when I turned it off ten years ago. Check out the headline on the News & Weather Widget... which was killed off YEARS ago...

 

[AugieTN]

12 years old. It's almost a teenage. You know nickdalzell will want to buy it

 

[The_Chief]

I'm SURE he'll want to buy it because it's older tech... NOT because it's almost a teenager. Words matter when Feds are watching!

 

[olbriar]

I'd love to revisit my HTC Droid Incredible! It was such a solid device. So solid that it became a loaner and was pressed into service by my kids between phones. The third time was the charm... it never came back home.

 

[AugieTN]

I never thought I would get use to an onscreen keyboard, after using Palm phones and their keyboard for years, I still wonder what was behind HP buying Palm and dissolving it. They did absolutely nothing with Palm. Someone was behind it who was afraid of Palm in the market place.

 

[The_Chief]

I can only speculate (which is easy), but perhaps HP bought Palm and liquidated it as "revenge" for Palm having killed off the Handheld PC running Windows CE (I had one in the mid 1990s, ran great and apparently they got even better).

Hewlett-Packard was deeply invested in the HPC market: then this PALM thing comes along, with computer stuff AND mobile phone stuff! It was smaller and more portable than the HPC, which died with little fanfare. The Handheld PC didn't get nearly the respect it deserved as a vital business tool.

 

[dave907]

Samsung in Early 2023 killed off the weather widget/ app on devices running Kitkat and Lollipop. Marshmallow, Nougat and Oreo still work for their Accuweather app/ widget.

 

[Windroid]

So long as it can connect to your country's cellular network, it's still useful as a backup phone. But can a modern Android be installed onto it (via a custom ROM)?

 

[The_Chief]

No way can a phone with such limited resources run a modern version of Android. In fact, it's not even connected to our Wi-Fi because its credentials are so old. The phone topped out at 3G, which has been shut off in the US.

 

[Windroid]

No way can a phone with such limited resources run a modern version of Android. In fact, it's not even connected to our Wi-Fi because its credentials are so old. The phone topped out at 3G, which has been shut off in the US.

Not even Android Go?

 

[The_Chief]

I look forward to the results of your experiments, I don't have time for that. Have fun!

 

[Windroid]

I look forward to the results of your experiments, I don't have time for that. Have fun!

I don't have that model, so I can't experiment. Pluss it wouldn't be that much of an experiment: A modern Android Go has been released for that phone (as a custom ROM), or it has not.

 

[nickdalzell]

12 years old. It's almost a teenage. You know nickdalzell will want to buy it

Oh I would if I could use it. Unfortunately it's only good for a small tablet since all the stupid carriers shut down any chance of it ever connecting to their networks for stupid reasons I still hate. I'm stuck with a modern phone with no backcourse since that happened. And I'm still struggling with adapting. I would use my HTC Thunderbolt or a Nokia N95 if it were possible.

3G was shut down before VoLTE became mandated around my area, so unfortunately I was unable to try out a Palm WebOS phone. Would have loved to see and feel its unique skeuomorphic UI, but as for what killed it, I am not sure. It lives on in LG's smart TVs but it's a shadow of its former self (doesn't even look like WebOS anymore, just another flat UI borrowing cues from all the other smart TVs) and sadly LG never even tried to bring it to more budget smartphones before EOLing the smartphone venture entirely. I had hopes of a more modern WebOS phone when I heard of them buying it out. I still got two LG TVs running the platform, but their apps all stopped working less than a year later (well, except Netflix--I'm convinced it never dies no matter how far behind on updates it is--oldest device that I got that still worked was still running Netflix from like 2009.)

Futurists including some on this forum and others love making fun of me over liking old things, but I will never understand that. Old things work, and last longer. There's also something to be said about keeping things out of landfills and not supporting more slave labor in making new ones that don't really do anything that couldn't be done in 2010. I'm typing this on a 2007 laptop running Windows 7 and Firefox ESR 52. I could also type this on Internet Explorer 8.

 

[Windroid]

Oh I would if I could use it. Unfortunately it's only good for a small tablet since all the stupid carriers shut down any chance of it ever connecting to their networks for stupid reasons I still hate. I'm stuck with a modern phone with no backcourse since that happened. And I'm still struggling with adapting. I would use my HTC Thunderbolt or a Nokia N95 if it were possible.

3G was shut down before VoLTE became mandated around my area, so unfortunately I was unable to try out a Palm WebOS phone. Would have loved to see and feel its unique skeuomorphic UI, but as for what killed it, I am not sure. It lives on in LG's smart TVs but it's a shadow of its former self (doesn't even look like WebOS anymore, just another flat UI borrowing cues from all the other smart TVs) and sadly LG never even tried to bring it to more budget smartphones before EOLing the smartphone venture entirely. I had hopes of a more modern WebOS phone when I heard of them buying it out. I still got two LG TVs running the platform, but their apps all stopped working less than a year later (well, except Netflix--I'm convinced it never dies no matter how far behind on updates it is--oldest device that I got that still worked was still running Netflix from like 2009.)

Futurists including some on this forum and others love making fun of me over liking old things, but I will never understand that. Old things work, and last longer. There's also something to be said about keeping things out of landfills and not supporting more slave labor in making new ones that don't really do anything that couldn't be done in 2010. I'm typing this on a 2007 laptop running Windows 7 and Firefox ESR 52. I could also type this on Internet Explorer 8.

I usually have a mix of old and new computers. A few years ago, my laptop was a 10-year-old MacBook Pro. I had to install Linux on it so that it would have an operating system that still got updates. Next to it on my desk was my new iPhone, I needed a more modern smartphone for an app I wanted to use.

Currently: I'm using a new Surface Go (a tablet-laptop hybrid, running Windows and Android), an iPhone that's a few years old, and a 10-year-old iPad. I've been wanting to repair my MacBook Pro, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. It will not be my primary computer, I like my Surface better, but it's still a laptop computer that can run a modern operating system and modern software.

 

[nickdalzell]

I got a collection of various laptops from a vendor mall booth a few months ago. Many of them business-grade Dells and one field-dell rugged laptop, and three others given to me by a coworker who was going to toss them. Some run Windows 7 Pro, one runs Windows XP (I never liked XP that much) and I got a desktop that runs Vista. It's a struggle keeping them working today, which often involves custom network hacks like a Raspberry Pi running a custom script that redirects calls from the old browsers to desired websites, so one can still use YouTube from IE 8 or Firefox 3, for one example. Right now only the Dell Vostro 1700 is active. I keep the rest for other purposes, many backups, one for wintertime YouTube viewing.

I won't give up skeuomorphism without a fight! Unfortunately network shutdowns have forced me to carry a phone that looks exactly like all the other phones in the wild, and one that's not particularly desired by myself. Thankfully I was able to make it imitate convincingly an iPhone 3GS in the UI department. I would have tried Android 2.3 but not enough apps and themes exist to make it consistent enough. AOSP Music for example stops playing when the screen is locked since Android 12. But I at least got my slide to unlock back. I have really missed it. The Android 2.3 lockscreen which was similar can't be installed on a modern phone (depends on being in the system and I can't root a modern phone)

I won't run modern software. It looks dystopian and washed out. It feels like work. You just want to get stuff done and immediately close it. When I look at my Vista machines' Windows Mail app (which I use for my email) I can't imagine how anyone tolerates looking at the Gmail web interface at work. Heck, just looking at Windows 10's UI makes me depressed and makes my eyes hurt. "Modern?!" maybe if you consider Tandy DeskMate or Amiga WorkBench 'modern'. Personally I hoped flat UI had died with the invention of the 3D accelerator card in the 1990s, but here we are revisiting it, and worse yet, it hasn't become worn out to people in over a decade. I dunno, to me flat UI is a byproduct of '80s computing and serves no purpose today.

 

[Windroid]

I got a collection of various laptops from a vendor mall booth a few months ago. Many of them business-grade Dells and one field-dell rugged laptop, and three others given to me by a coworker who was going to toss them. Some run Windows 7 Pro, one runs Windows XP (I never liked XP that much) and I got a desktop that runs Vista. It's a struggle keeping them working today, which often involves custom network hacks like a Raspberry Pi running a custom script that redirects calls from the old browsers to desired websites, so one can still use YouTube from IE 8 or Firefox 3, for one example.

I won't give up skeuomorphism without a fight! Unfortunately network shutdowns have forced me to carry a phone that looks exactly like all the other phones in the wild, and one that's not particularly desired by myself. Thankfully I was able to make it imitate convincingly an iPhone 3GS in the UI department. I would have tried Android 2.3 but not enough apps and themes exist to make it consistent enough. AOSP Music for example stops playing when the screen is locked since Android 12.

Why not just install Linux on them, or something?

 

[nickdalzell]

Because even Linux has gone the Flat UI look. And theming it is a total pain in the arse. Plus why invoke chaos when what I have works for me? If it ain't broke and all that. If there was an operating system that was even nicer looking (as in skeuomorphism still being developed) that can beat Windows 7, sure. But everyone is amping up the whole flat paradigm that I hate.

 

[Windroid]

Because even Linux has gone the Flat UI look. And theming it is a total pain in the arse. Plus why invoke chaos when what I have works for me? If it ain't broke and all that.

There's wisdom in the saying "It it's not broken, don't fix it". But it is broken, but you had to fix it by running custom network hacks through Raspberry Pis.

If it's just a hobby you enjoy, that's one thing. But I don't think your approach is practical, if the goal is to make those old laptops useful computers. You said yourself: It's a struggle keeping them working today. In my opinion: You're trying to save a sinking ship. I think you'd be better off installing a modern operating system onto those computers, and making the best of modern software. Not all modern software is so bad. The desktop version of Vivaldi is an old-school browser that still has an e-mail client (for example). And isn't there some non-flat UI for Linux?

And there's one more factor to consider: How many of those old laptops do you have? If you have lots of them, maybe you should give some away. Whoever you give it to will probably want to use modern software on it.

 

[nickdalzell]

It's a struggle but far better than giving into the eye strain of a 'modern' flat UI mess that is modern OS. I just refuse to give up.

If I wanted to, I could avoid the Raspberry Pi's and just use something like Pale Moon (still developed for Windows 7) or a more modern version of Firefox Quantum, only I wanted to use period correct software instead. I also hate Firefox Quantum for reasons I won't bring to this thread.

I also don't want to encourage continued consumption and disposal. So I keep these computers going. I don't **need** a modern machine to check email, browse AF, or view YouTube.

I hate and I will reiterate hate modern software. They ALL use Flat UI. ALL of them. Vivaldi included. Also, running modern software with a Core2Duo and 2GB RAM is painful. I already had that adventure running Windows 11 on the eMachines that now runs Vista, and only then it was an experiment to see if it could run an 'unsupported' OS.

Linux is not only flat (many using Material style UX) but now many distros are dumbed down and don't allow root logon or text only boot with X being optional. As I've stated in other threads, because of morons we can't have nice things. The last Linux distro I could use without issue was VectorLinux 6. They haven't made a distro like it since, not even later versions of VectorLinux cut the mustard.

I keep many of everything, from TVs, to computers, to tools, to fans, to VCRs, stereos, everything. It's called 'backups'. and my intention is to never have to buy anything new ever again, having gotten everything I'd ever need for a lifetime. Smartphones, unfortunately I have not yet succeeded on making buy for life yet. I'm still working on that one. If this laptop fails, I got many more available and never need to spend more money later. I'm set for life on every other front.

 

[Windroid]

I also don't want to encourage continued consumption and disposal. So I keep these computers going. I don't **need** a modern machine to check email, browse AF, or view YouTube.

No argument there. I'm not the fan of old software that you are (or rather, I'm not a fan of putting the time and effort needed to make old software functional in the modern world). But old hardware, that's another matter!

Part of the reason I bought my Surface Go is that, being an x86 system, it won't be stuck on an outdated operating system in five or ten years. Assuming it doesn't break: It may well remain my primary computer for ten years, or longer.

 

[nickdalzell]

I have a hard time considering a Surface anything as old. To me old is like 30 years later. Although the Dell I'm currently using is considered 'Vintage' to me it's still lightly used. a little over a decade isn't old by any stretch of the word. Vintage belongs on a 19th Century Victrola phonograph, or a oil lamp, or a horse and buggy. Not a laptop from 2007.

Perhaps my definition of old isn't relevant in today's 'dystopia' but I was raised by my great grandparents who lived like it was still 1959. I get most of my stubbornness and love of vintage from them.

For myself, something is not 'obsolete' until it ceases to do what I ask of it. Obsolete is a term applied mainly to things that no longer get support, but for me it's a term for functional obsolescence. The only chance that happens to this machine is when it fails and cannot be repaired.

 

[dave907]

Oh I would if I could use it. Unfortunately it's only good for a small tablet since all the stupid carriers shut down any chance of it ever connecting to their networks for stupid reasons I still hate. I'm stuck with a modern phone with no backcourse since that happened. And I'm still struggling with adapting. I would use my HTC Thunderbolt or a Nokia N95 if it were possible.

3G was shut down before VoLTE became mandated around my area, so unfortunately I was unable to try out a Palm WebOS phone. Would have loved to see and feel its unique skeuomorphic UI, but as for what killed it, I am not sure. It lives on in LG's smart TVs but it's a shadow of its former self (doesn't even look like WebOS anymore, just another flat UI borrowing cues from all the other smart TVs) and sadly LG never even tried to bring it to more budget smartphones before EOLing the smartphone venture entirely. I had hopes of a more modern WebOS phone when I heard of them buying it out. I still got two LG TVs running the platform, but their apps all stopped working less than a year later (well, except Netflix--I'm convinced it never dies no matter how far behind on updates it is--oldest device that I got that still worked was still running Netflix from like 2009.)

Futurists including some on this forum and others love making fun of me over liking old things, but I will never understand that. Old things work, and last longer. There's also something to be said about keeping things out of landfills and not supporting more slave labor in making new ones that don't really do anything that couldn't be done in 2010. I'm typing this on a 2007 laptop running Windows 7 and Firefox ESR 52. I could also type this on Internet Explorer 8.

I'm using a 2014 era PC running Windows 8.1

 

[nickdalzell]

Windows 8 is the very thing that started the whole flat bandwagon. It should have properly flopped and we'd have even more amazing UI by now. Instead we're revisiting the DeskMate and WorkBench era. It's a touch of irony that by the time we get screens capable of amazing 3D graphics, we're drawing a UI that's more befitting to a Tandy 1000.

I don't know if people just forgot history or not, but flat UI is hardly modern. I don't know if anyone even remembers that flat UI design was done back in the 80s with Windows 1.x, DOS, ProDOS (Apple), early MacOS (black and white too), or the myriad of PDAs that utilized a monochrome, flat dot-matrix UI that carried into the early 1990s (including the original BlackBerry Pager (RIM 900), Tandy Zoomer, Palm Pilot, and the first 'smartphone' the IBM Simon.

 

[Windroid]

For myself, something is not 'obsolete' until it ceases to do what I ask of it. Obsolete is a term applied mainly to things that no longer get support, but for me it's a term for functional obsolescence. The only chance that happens to this machine is when it fails and cannot be repaired.

Yes. The best example of that would be video-games, because those almost never become obsolete. A video game from the 70s or so, such as pong, can still be played today.

I have a hard time considering a Surface anything as old. To me old is like 30 years later. Although the Dell I'm currently using is considered 'Vintage' to me it's still lightly used. a little over a decade isn't old by any stretch of the word. Vintage belongs on a 19th Century Victrola phonograph, or a oil lamp, or a horse and buggy. Not a laptop from 2007.

Perhaps my definition of old isn't relevant in today's 'dystopia' but I was raised by my great grandparents who lived like it was still 1959. I get most of my stubbornness and love of vintage from them.

It's all relative. My iPad and Kindle Fire are both "older" than my 10-year-old MacBook Pro, because my MacBook can run a modern version of Linux. My iPad and Kindle are running iOS 12 and Android 5. They're on borrowed time, if I want to use them with modern software and websites and all. In other words: My iPad and Kindle and far closer to becoming obsolete than my MacBook.

For a more extreme example: Even a new Motorola smartphone is "older" than my 10-year-old MacBook, because the Motorola smartphone will stop being able to run modern software effectively long before my MacBook.

Compare that to the pocket-watch I've had since I was a child. It needs new batteries, but other than that, it will do what it was built to do until it breaks. It will not become obsolete.

 

[dave907]

Yes. The best example of that would be video-games, because those almost never become obsolete. A video game from the 70s or so, such as pong, can still be played today.

It's all relative. My iPad and Kindle Fire are both "older" than my 10-year-old MacBook Pro, because my MacBook can run a modern version of Linux. My iPad and Kindle are running iOS 12 and Android 5. They're on borrowed time, if I want to use them with modern software and websites and all. In other words: My iPad and Kindle and far closer to becoming obsolete than my MacBook.

For a more extreme example: Even a new Motorola smartphone is "older" than my 10-year-old MacBook, because the Motorola smartphone will stop being able to run modern software effectively long before my MacBook.

Compare that to the pocket-watch I've had since I was a child. It needs new batteries, but other than that, it will do what it was built to do until it breaks. It will not become obsolete.

I have a Tab S 10.5 running Kitkat.