there are a lot of options for keeping people connected that dont require a phone like matrix, xmpp and a much bigger etc. so if someone wanted to ditch their phone and only use their linux laptop, would that be possible?? thank you!!
Probably yes, unless you are using any services that require authentication tokens to be sent via SMS/MMS. I also haven’t used any authenticator software on my laptop, but I know that they at least exist in the form of Authy, for example.
Personally I prefer to have 2 authorized devices in case one or the other fails, but admittedly the risk is rather low and it’s more a thing of convenience. I’d manage to get to the nearest store and have my system restored from backups within a few hours regardless.
You would still need a internet source, but yeah. The hardest part would be getting a virtual phone number that qualifies for receiving account text messages when necessary. Or using apps that inherently tie themselves to a phone number.
Google voice works for most important things. I use it for my bank and venmo.
Unfortunately, that’s one that got banned for a few services. Obviously not all, good to hear it still works for some, but for others you enter a gvoice number and it tells you it’s not eligible. (At least it did, maybe something has changed and they’re working again, it’s been a while since I tried it.)
You’re going to look like a doofus holding your laptop to your ear, but it’s totally doable.
I mean you could easily get a cheap cabled headset to use with it.
What time is it at Regular Nerd’s house? Twelve o’clock! Twelve o’clock! Twelve o’clock!
There’d be a few times it would be really inconvenient.
For example some concerts only allow tickets from the Ticketmaster app, not even a printed ticket. Though possibly showing the ticket on the laptop would work but then I’m not sure they’d let you bring a laptop into a concert.
I think thank pads still have the option to take sim cards so yes
We only ever think, but maybe we should stop to thank from time to time. That’s where our ne ThankPad Edge comes in.
Traveling is going to suck.
If you are driving places, you are going to fall back to using a map or maybe a GPS device if they still sell them. If you are going to places with paid on-street parking, paying may be more difficult as cities have started shifting to a mobile way to pay, so bring your laptop.
A lot of rail and airline ticketing is now done through phones, with some airlines making you pay for a printed ticket. And if anything goes wrong, these companies have pushed a lot of customer service to mobile.
If you don’t have a car, that means your best luck is a taxi. That might work in some cities, but don’t expect it to be as fast or convenient. Also load up on mass transit schedules, since a lot of transit agencies have gone to an online only posting of schedules.
