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What are some portable devices that smart phones haven't replaced? (lemmy.world)

submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

213 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've been very stressed lately and have been doing some window shopping to calm down. I'm interested in gadgets, but a lot of things can just be replaced with apps. I realize a phone won't replace very large appliances like refrigerators or washing machines so I'm trying to scope my question to portable devices. So what are some portable devices or gadgets that their specialization hasn't been replaced by smart phone apps? Extra points if they're super useful and reliable.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 5 days ago (2 children)

I'm posting these separately so people can argue about specific devices.

A calculator is still better than a phone in a lot of cases. I haven't yet met a financial advisor who uses their phone instead of a calculator. It's often the same issue as with keyboards: touch screens are simply vastly inferior to tactile keys. Few people are willing to carry keyboards around with them, but for those who use calculators a lot, for many it's worth having a portable, dedicated device.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Yeah definitely, I use an HP-49 emulator on my phone for like whenever I want to do just some quick calculation or only have my phone, but I always have an actual HP-49 in my bag because just having real buttons is so much nicer even if everything else is the same

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

RPN gang taking over

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

Technically the 49 is algebraic by default but I don't think I've done a single operation in that mode

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago

I did machining inspection for a while and would be dealing constantly with hundreds of data points. Using the table functions on my TI-84 was a godsend. Everyone was writing answers down and transcribing when I joined.