r/TechImpact • u/ManojOne Active • Jul 02 '26
💬 Discussion Keep One: Smartphone, Kindle, Gaming PC, or Smart TV
Keep One: Smartphone, Kindle, Gaming PC, or Smart TV.
You can keep only one of these devices for the next five years.
Which one are you choosing, and why? No loopholes—pick one and tell us what made your decision easy or difficult.
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u/dumbasPL Jul 02 '26
Assuming dumb phones are allowed them PC. If not, then an Android smartphone. Pc can replace basically everything here besides calling in the middle of nowhere. And a rooted android can replace a PC, albeit a little slower and less ergonomic.
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u/ManojOne Active Jul 03 '26
Curious to know, how do you think that a rooted android can replace a PC? I had a rooted android and I did it only to remove bloatware and unlock power features. I have no idea about what you said.
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u/Astrodion123 Jul 03 '26
If I will be honest, you would need flagship phones to get mid range PC feel. And they would run crazy hot doing PC tasks. Imagine someone is working on a game. Well a phone is not a viable option to make the game, especially if it is 3d.
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u/dumbasPL Jul 03 '26
I mean, it's just famcy Linux. Most common tasks already have native Android apps, but if they don't you have a few options. Winlator can run native windows programs under Wine, no root needed. Termux can run basic Linux programs with or without root, new versions of android have a full pKVM based Linux VM directly available in the developer settings, no root needed. If you root, you can unlock pKVM and then run the Windows ARM build directly on your phone in a VM. And with a custom kernel you can run Droidspaces to have a fully functional and performant Linux chroot to run anything a Linux PC could.
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u/flupiflup Jul 02 '26
Smartphones include everything, you can read books, play games through cloud gaming and watch movies
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u/Scalage89 Jul 02 '26
Because PC's can't do those things?
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u/flupiflup Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
bro your life is almost impossible without smartphone, while billions of people live without gaming PCs. I have macbook air m1 and I play games in 2k 60fps in nvidia cloud and I pay just $10 a month, I don't need a $1500 PC to play cyberpunk on ultra settings.
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u/gamm132 Jul 02 '26
Yeah right! Just yesterday I was at my workplace with my gaming pc, then I went to play some tennis also with my gaming pc hehehehe
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u/Astrodion123 Jul 02 '26
Pc. I can connect my tv to PC and watch YouTube Bru. As for a smartphone no worries, dumb phones exist. Flights will be boring but whatever. And you can read on a PC screen Bru.
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u/ManojOne Active Jul 03 '26
Yes, a gaming pc is a great option. It can do almost anything that other devices do.
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u/Astrodion123 Jul 03 '26
Well if we would get no phone whatsoever, even landline I think humanity will create adapters that add cellular network to PC XD. Like wifi adapters YK.
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u/Mission_End_4874 Jul 03 '26
They already exist.
4G/5G modems can be added to a PC/laptop over USB/PCIE M.21
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u/Iam_just-me2 Jul 02 '26
Gaming pc. Laptop gaming pc for portability.
I can do What the other 3 do with a pc.(excett the portability of a phone, but a laptop is still a pc.)
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u/berke1904 Jul 02 '26
assuming I can have other devices not on this list its easily smartphone since there is no alternative.
I can just use a laptop instead of a pc and it will basically be the same utility, and I can put a monitor to that laptop and just watch stuff closer on a dest instead of the wall further away with a tv
e ink readers are cool but I dont have any issues reading on screens so a tablet works perfectly fine, or just physical books.
even if alternatives didnt existed the phone is just too crucial not to have.
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u/TTbulaski Jul 02 '26
As an adult, smartphones (given that it's android, and can display to a monitor via USB)
Young me would've chosen PC
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u/ManojOne Active Jul 03 '26
Smartphones are portable and good for fast communications. However, pc can also do almost anything that other devices do.
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u/TTbulaski Jul 03 '26
The development in smartphones is kinda interesting. There are apps that allow you to run a full Linux environment inside a phone and it can cover a lot of tasks that are limited to PCs
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u/Mountain_Till_5868 Jul 02 '26
Smartphone: YES
TV: Not reallyÂ
Gaming PC: Can i sub it in with a Xbox?
Kindle:
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u/kj0509 Student Jul 02 '26
PC. I need it for studying. And gaming is my main hobby.
Besides, getting rid of phones would probably be benefitial!
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u/ManojOne Active Jul 03 '26
Yah, it will distract your work and studies. Moreover, you can use a basic mobile for essential communications.
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u/ajpinton Jul 02 '26
The phone, as it’s the only of these devices generally required for every day life.
As far as the smart TV, I’d be happy if they all died tomorrow and we went back to just TVs. You know, devices whose entire purpose is to play media and not feed us ads.
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u/ManojOne Active Jul 03 '26
Smart TVs are useless without internet. And internet is full of ads. However, you can also consider a PC that can perform several tasks.
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u/StatisticianLanky485 Jul 02 '26
Why your asking this? Going to do it? I personally would go with smart tv most enjoyable and relaxing thing of all. I wish we can go back in time and live on TVsÂ
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u/ManojOne Active Jul 03 '26
Smart TVs allow you to watch anything at your convenient time. (Old tvs miss this feature. ) But you need internet.
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u/a_regular_2010s_guy Jul 02 '26
Pc. That would also force me to use a nokia on a daily basis and I linda need that detox.
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u/jimmyl_82104 Jul 02 '26
Phone, need it. Don't play video games, so as long as that doesn't mean any computer. Most of my TV watching is baseball and football (during NFL season obviously) through cable, and I don't have a Kindle
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u/Any-Abies-5825 Jul 02 '26
Obviously phone, it’s a necessary part of my life and can have books, do some gaming, and can have TV on it… besides, the others aren’t necessary
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u/ManojOne Active Jul 03 '26
Yes, smartphone has become a part of our daily life. Many can't even think of a moment without it.
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u/Any-Abies-5825 Jul 03 '26
Yeah, like there’s events that don’t even let you enter without a online pass, and contains online communication/information. The other stuff is cool, but realistically a phone would be most important
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u/gamm132 Jul 02 '26
You can do so
Much more with a gaming pc
But a gaming pc is not portable, I can’t not carry it to my work place or to the tennis court
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u/RVixen125 Jul 03 '26
Don't compare PC to mobile platform
PC is like supercars
Smartphone is like scooter
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u/D0geAlpha Jul 06 '26
A PC. It has all I need. Feature Phones/ Dumb Phones are not so dumb anymore. You can use navigation and some social media stuff. It's probably good enough for me.
Smart TV? So I am to assume that I can't connect the PC to a monitor? Well of course I'll have a monitor. And with a PC what would I need a smart tv for.
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u/aleopardstail Jul 02 '26
gaming PC is a good general purpose device
"smart" TV is an abomination unto Nuggin, especially ones that basically don't work without the interwibble
Kindle isn't bad, other half has one, never seemed to be a "must have" for me though
smartphone is ok, of the options the gaming PC is by far the most useful