PicoCalc being used as a main computer

Does anyone here use the PicoCalc as their main computer, so like no laptop or PC, just the PicoCalc?

Or is that something of the future, after some new hardware mods from the community and stuff.

I am going to say upfront that using a PicoCalc as a main computer is unrealistic. It is possible, I have a Luckfox Lyra in one of mine and as a long time Linux user and command line junkie I can say it is about as usable as a computer from 1990. However, in the modern era of smartphones and $200 laptop computers, the PicoCalc fails as a real computer on every single front. This is a classic case of the wrong tool for the job.

Lol no but currently spending MUCH more time on it than my PC :thinking:.

3 Likes

If I were seriously thinking down this line, I would probably look at designing a Personal Information Manager (PIM), rather than building a desktop replacement. A PIM narrowed down to just 3 or 4 useful functions, say an MP3 player, Address Book and Note taking App. All of these are doable in PicoMite Basic or MircoPython, wrap them all up in a single app, put a cool retro UI on it, and then I think you would be on to something.

Main computer? No. I use a Core i9 to read email, surf the Web, edit photos and watch videos. I do use the PicoCalc more than any of my programmable scientific calculators (I have 26 of various brands), however. I’m in search of the perfect handheld machine. The HP-71B is the closest I’ve come to but it’s very slow and not portable when using an 80x24 display. The PicoCalc would be a perfect programmable calculator if I could interface it to a small printer. MMBasic is a wonderful implementation that has all the features I need in a BASIC other than user-defined records.

3 Likes

I have been currently working on an OS for the PicoCalc, to make it more closer to an everyday computer. :slight_smile:

1 Like

I ordered a PicoCalc for it to serve as a portable Forth machine, so I could take zeptoforth with me wherever I go. I had always dreamed of having a zeptoforth cyberdeck, and the PicoCalc is just it.

Note that I have no illusions of it replacing my PC’s though – even with the Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 W I will put in it there is no way it will ever support a modern web browser. (Even if I put a Luckfox Lyra in it I bet it would be overwhelmed by any non-trivial usage of Firefox.)

However, for doing things like mathematical calculations (aside from ones that need bignums) and doodling with turtle graphics it should be perfect (and much faster than my slow Numworks calculator running MicroPython). Also, with zeptoed I have a half-decent text editor available to me so I can edit text (both code and non-code) wherever I am.

theoretically, you can do it with uconsole + cm5, but still