Tech for Mustachians

[vand]

Let's talk tech, and how to do it on a budget.

Expensive options = Microsoft desktop, iPhone mobile

Cheap options - Linux distro + laptop, Android phone

*****

Personal experience - just replaced my dying phone with a $250 OnePlus phone. I am literally amazed at how much phone you get for the money. Put it side by side with my wife's iPhone which costs 3 times as much, and you'd be hard pressed to tell what is the better piece of kit.

Also made the long overdue switch to Ubuntu.  The biggest drawback is not having MS Office native, but if you can live with that, or if you have acccess to it from a work like most of us do then you can free yourself from the Microsuck scheckles forever. 

[Mr. Green]

LibreOffice for Linux is a pretty decent alternative to MS Office.

[BC_Goldman]

I was pretty stoked to find a copy of Office 2007 at Goodwill for $1. I've used one of the open source office suites a bit. Don't remember if it was Open or Libre but Libre feels like it was the one.

Completely agree with Android phones. I'm on a Moto G7 Power that I've had for at least 3 years now. Battery isn't as good but still get about 2 days for a charge.

My tech tip is using open source programs instead of the big guys whenever possible. While I still may use MS Office, I'm at least using an old version I got for cheap. I am steadfastly refusing to use SaaS products and won't lock myself into subscriptions for a program.

[Dave1442397]

I looked around for Microsoft Office, as I didn't want to pay for Office 365. I found a German site that sells MS Office 2022 for around $20. I was a little suspicious, but didn't see any red flags, so I ordered it. I downloaded and installed from the link they sent me, and everything worked. After a month of usage, I was asked to enter a product key to continue. I entered the key that the seller had given me, and it worked. I've been using it for a few months now with no issues.

I had MS Office 2016 on my old machine, but it was the 32-bit version, and when I tried installing it on my new 64-bit PC, it balked.

[ender]

Google docs/spreadsheets is free and for me has completely replaced any need of MS Office for 15 years now.

[chemistk]

Google docs/spreadsheets is free and for me has completely replaced any need of MS Office for 15 years now.

Data privacy aside, it's immensely practical to be able to pull up a sheet or document on any device with a browser. I frequently use Sheets and love the ability to quickly tweak a sheet on my phone and then go back later and make it look nice. I tried using Libreoffice years ago and could never get into a productive rhythm because of how similar it 'felt' to Office.

It definitely doesn't help that at work I am a very heavy MS office user. I think I had and probably still would have a hard time with all the inconsistencies between function placement. Out home PC is just a run of the mill midrange Dell and it's going to keep Win11 on it because I'm not nearly interested enough in learning how to load and use alternative OS's. We use the PC for browsing and light duty programs.

Our phones are both relatively inexpensive Android models - mine a 2021 Moto Edge and wife's a Pixel 6a that we got for an extremely good deal (Google offered $300 for her old 3a, making the 6a net $149). No need for flagship anything.

[mizzourah2006]

For me I just use a Chromebook outside of work. Google Sheets has everything I really need and if I really need to use a MS for anything I always have my work computer. I also have an older computer running Ubuntu, but I seldom need it. You can do almost everything on Google. Hell you can even program on Google now.

I buy my wife the Iphone because she prefers it, but usually get a couple of generations old.

I've had the Google Pixel's for the past ~3 years. I bought a used Pixel 3 XL in late 2019 for $250 and upgraded to a Pixel 6 in May for $425. With Google's Black Friday deal I just swapped my Pixel 6 for a Pixel 7 for $20. They gave me $479 on my 6 trade-in and the 7 was $499.

[MDM]

If any tool other than Excel (e.g., see Any Google Sheets knowledge? and Any LibreOffice Calc knowledge?) can automatically generate the various charts in the Case Study Spreadsheet, that would be good to know.

[Psychstache]

Our phones are both relatively inexpensive Android models - mine a 2021 Moto Edge and wife's a Pixel 6a that we got for an extremely good deal (Google offered $300 for her old 3a, making the 6a net $149). No need for flagship anything.

Yeah, Google offers some killer deals on the pixels when new gens roll out. We just traded my wife's 4a in for $250 in credit and got a 6a at $300 before the credit.

[GreenQueen]

For many years as a broke world-travelling vagabond translator, I used an old iPad (hand me down) with a bluetooth keyboard and whatever software was free for document creation. That worked really well. The tablets on the market now are so much more robust than back then, and I would do the same.

For example, I bought this recently for under $200 CAD for kid use after our ancient tablet tanked and it seems really functional.

VASTKING KingPad K10 10 inch Tablet, Android 10, 1920x1200 Resolution Octa Core Tablet, Up to 1.8Ghz, 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM, 13MP Rear Camera, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4G&5G Wi-Fi, GPS, Full Metal Body, Ash Grey

[cool7hand]

Cool tips. Thanks to everyone!

[HipGnosis]

Ditto for most of the above;
Used Dell w/ LibreOffice (Writer is in constant use) and a cpl browsers.
Refurbished or used Androids - favoring Motorolas* lately, was Samsung.   * - I have a Motorola that went thru an accident with me - it is now curved (phone, display and battery) and it still works!!

I also have an Amazon Fire HD tablet (8").  I bought it used (like new).   Then followed a website for installing APK's for the Google Play Store, for a HUGELY better selection of apps  (I researched this before buying the Fire).
I use it for recipes in the kitchen (w/ an amazon adjustable stand).  And for a time sink (more now that I'm Fire), including waiting rooms.   The vast majority of my apps were free.
Note:   The Fire doesn't have GPS, and I've come across a cpl apps that won't connect with Bluetooth without it (for unexplainable reasons).

Also; I have a DVR that uses an antenna (AKA OTA (Over The Air)).   I got the one I have because there's no subscription / fee for the program guide.  But the DVR has been discontinued and the guide is getting poorer and poorer.   I'm shopping for a replacement, but not liking what I'm finding...

[Psychstache]

Also; I have a DVR that uses an antenna (AKA OTA (Over The Air)).   I got the one I have because there's no subscription / fee for the program guide.  But the DVR has been discontinued and the guide is getting poorer and poorer.   I'm shopping for a replacement, but not liking what I'm finding...

If you want to set up/have a Plex Media Server and Plex Pass (you can do a one time lifetime option), you can get a Tuner and use Plex as the Program Guide and DVR.

[BC_Goldman]

I have a large scale project currently ongoing to digitize all my media onto a Plex server. This is being fuelled by acquiring Blu-ray movies and Tv seasons on DVD for $4 or less, and the occasional DVD for $2 or less. Unfortunately, it seems like we are acquiring them at a slightly faster pace than I am digitizing them.

[HipGnosis]

If you want to set up/have a Plex Media Server and Plex Pass (you can do a one time lifetime option), you can get a Tuner and use Plex as the Program Guide and DVR.

Thanks for that info.  I'm looking into it!!

[SpareChange]

I use a $200 celeron based chromebox I bought roughly 5-7 years ago. It's hooked up to a 50in tv. For mobile I have a Pixel 5a bought last year on cyber Monday I believe. No real complaints. I'll probably be replacing the computer next year. Not sure with what yet. Light user, obviously:). 

[NWGriot]

I use an LG V20 Android smartphone. Not only does it have an easily replaceable battery, it's also quite repairable. I've had it for almost 5 years now and I've repaired it twice already. They're going to have to pry it out of my cold dead fingers!

[daverobev]

Second hand all the way for me now, I think.

I'm still using Dell Latitude laptops from about 2013, bought off lease (first one - which was in the best shape) on Dell Refurb. Second one (bought on ebay) is on Debian, first one is still on Windows for work reasons but won't be for too much longer. I will not abide the level of tracking MS is trying to push being built into the core of the OS, it's just so wrong.

I find anything Android has a very short lifespan. I got very lucky with account sign up offers a few years back, so I'm still using a virtually free iPhone 6. Just replaced my wife's 6s which was, uh, more heavily used than my 6 has been with a 2020-ish refurb SE. Fingers crossed - but even if we have to replace the battery IMHO it'll be working just fine after an equivalently priced new Android would be flaky and slow.

Not that I like Apple, I just dislike them much much less than I dislike Google. I sincerely hope the EU forces them to open up, that for example 'proper' Firefox becomes possible on IOS, because the current setup is bullshit.

The improvements of new has been low lately I feel. Like, an i5 from 2013 isn't that much slower than an equivalent from 2018. I know Intel had a poor few years there. I'd much rather have a good quality second hand laptop than a flimsy POS new one.

[BicycleB]

For iphones (ha! not Mustachian, right?), the SE model is good value if you like a small phone - which I love. US$250 new when I bought it early 2022, no subscription commitment needed (I bought through Cricket, a US phone service provider). It felt like getting Apple quality for a price that most Androids couldn't beat. Mine has worked great so far.

Apple has, I think, quietly capitulated for years to the group of us who want a small cheap phone. According to first article linked below SE's "second generation" (I think 2020-early 2022) and third gen (mid 2022) are both based on iphone 8's design. My 2d gen SE reminds of my previous iphone 6, the phone I had from 2013 until 2022, but I'm no sophisticate and have never held an iphone 8. My family photography expert is impressed with the SE2's camera. The current iphone SE3, according to second link below, is the "last phone to combine a small screen and touch ID", another feature some people like very much. For better or worse it's modern enough to need earbuds / not have a phone jack.

Anyway, for a semi-affordable price you can get a new iphone any family member who wants the iphone label and can handle a small screen; it should be cheaper than the $750 iphone example upthread. Looking online, current prices new seem to be in $400+ to 500+ range. Shop for deals or buy used, I guess. For me this phone suits because it fits in my pocket, works smoothly, cost little up front, connects cheaply to my iphone-using family, and I think will last for a while. Fingers crossed!

Changes to this solid little model are apparently stalling out behind the scenes; maybe they'll keep making this for a while.
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/12/30/iphone-se-4-design-disappointment/

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-might-cancel-iphone-se-4-2023-i-am-glad-why/



 

[grantmeaname]

Used Dell Latitude Laptops have been my and my extended family's last 5-6 'new' PCs and the experience has been universally good. I've heard similar comments about ThinkPads but I have had so many poor experiences with consumer Lenovo and Motorola devices that I won't go near them.

I would add 1) Pi-Hole for network-wide ad-blocking, and 2) use a laptop with HDMI rather than a behaviorally manipulating streaming dongle for your media consumption.

[sonofsven]

I've been happy with my cheap Moto g power ( when I bought it off the list of "budget" phones I thought it was still crazy expensive).
Also I bought a cheap ($300 ish) Acer Chromebook to replace my cheap ($300 ish) ten year old Acer laptop. I fixed the Acer a few times, maybe spent $200 on parts, still cheaper than an Apple.

[valsecito]

My significant other and I  use used x-series Thinkpads. Trustworthy high performance low energy consumption laptop. We always keep a spare , so have de facto same business day replacement. We get them from a particularly cheap and reliable source. About 5€/month since 2016.

My dumbphones have cost me about 1€/month since 2010.

I'm working on home automation for our holiday home. Simple, reliable, standards based components. I've found esphome and the ecosystem of open hardware and free software around it quite amazing. For many, Home Assistant will fit that same category.

[jeninco]

For iphones (ha! not Mustachian, right?), the SE model is good value if you like a small phone - which I love. US$250 new when I bought it early 2022, no subscription commitment needed (I bought through Cricket, a US phone service provider). It felt like getting Apple quality for a price that most Androids couldn't beat. Mine has worked great so far.

Apple has, I think, quietly capitulated for years to the group of us who want a small cheap phone. According to first article linked below SE's "second generation" (I think 2020-early 2022) and third gen (mid 2022) are both based on iphone 8's design. My 2d gen SE reminds of my previous iphone 6, the phone I had from 2013 until 2022, but I'm no sophisticate and have never held an iphone 8. My family photography expert is impressed with the SE2's camera. The current iphone SE3, according to second link below, is the "last phone to combine a small screen and touch ID", another feature some people like very much. For better or worse it's modern enough to need earbuds / not have a phone jack.

Anyway, for a semi-affordable price you can get a new iphone any family member who wants the iphone label and can handle a small screen; it should be cheaper than the $750 iphone example upthread. Looking online, current prices new seem to be in $400+ to 500+ range. Shop for deals or buy used, I guess. For me this phone suits because it fits in my pocket, works smoothly, cost little up front, connects cheaply to my iphone-using family, and I think will last for a while. Fingers crossed!

Changes to this solid little model are apparently stalling out behind the scenes; maybe they'll keep making this for a while.
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/12/30/iphone-se-4-design-disappointment/

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-might-cancel-iphone-se-4-2023-i-am-glad-why/

And fits in a pocket. (I know you said that, but it's a primary driver for which phone I purchase: I frequently don't carry a bag, and I really need to be able to reliably stow my phone in a pocket while I'm biking around town.)

[dcheesi]

A while back I had a hankerin' for a travel laptop; something light enough to (want to) carry everywhere, but still capable enough to run serious applications occasionally. I was initially lusting after my wife...'s recently purchased mini-notebook that she uses for writing, but I just couldn't justify the cost.

Instead, I wound up dusting off one of her old laptops and fixing it up. Not only is it several years old, but it was a bottom-tier device even when she bought it. (This ended up being a blessing in disguise, as the temptation to upgrade the thing was restrained by a lack of easily replaceable components.)

Since the Windows installation on it was already dead-ish, I just reformatted and slapped Ubuntu on there. Came with Libre Office and a web browser in the standard install; a couple of extra (free) applications later, and she's good to go. Slow as heck to start up, but runs ok as long as I don't keep too many tabs open. (I did experiment with alternative lightweight Window-Managers etc., but I found my personal familiarity with the standard Ubuntu WM more valuable than the seconds and/or bytes of RAM saved)

Really came in handy this last trip, when I suddenly had the need to audit my financial accounts (the airline screwed up and threw a big bogus charge on my CC). It may not be sexy, but it's every bit as capable as a new bells&whistles mini-notebook, and for infinitely 90% less money (just remembered, I did have to replace the battery for a few bucks *shrug*).

[CatamaranSailor]

A while back I had a hankerin' for a travel laptop; something light enough to (want to) carry everywhere, but still capable enough to run serious applications occasionally. I was initially lusting after my wife...'s recently purchased mini-notebook that she uses for writing, but I just couldn't justify the cost.

Instead, I wound up dusting off one of her old laptops and fixing it up. Not only is it several years old, but it was a bottom-tier device even when she bought it. (This ended up being a blessing in disguise, as the temptation to upgrade the thing was restrained by a lack of easily replaceable components.)

Since the Windows installation on it was already dead-ish, I just reformatted and slapped Ubuntu on there. Came with Libre Office and a web browser in the standard install; a couple of extra (free) applications later, and she's good to go. Slow as heck to start up, but runs ok as long as I don't keep too many tabs open. (I did experiment with alternative lightweight Window-Managers etc., but I found my personal familiarity with the standard Ubuntu WM more valuable than the seconds and/or bytes of RAM saved)

Really came in handy this last trip, when I suddenly had the need to audit my financial accounts (the airline screwed up and threw a big bogus charge on my CC). It may not be sexy, but it's every bit as capable as a new bells&whistles mini-notebook, and for infinitely 90% less money (just remembered, I did have to replace the battery for a few bucks *shrug*).

I came here to talk about this very same process but you said it perfectly! I'm a reformed Windows user and do almost all of my work on a Dell I rescued from the scrap heap, running Ubuntu, Libre and a host of free apps that have replaced Adobe CC, as well as a bunch of other pricey software. The only reason we even have a Windows machine anymore is for kiddos gaming.

[dang1]

My Samsung Galaxy S9+ phone, bought used, still my daily driver; phone hardware holding up really well, runs pretty snappy - happy with it. I have a backup Samsung Galaxy S7 that’s also holding up well, solid: hardware-wise, though not as snappy as the S9, still plenty usable.

I hate sound notification. When I’m out and about, I’ll miss the vibrating notification with my phone in my pocket or bag, anyway. So, I have the Xiaomi Mi Band, $30 off ebay, on my wrist that vibrates when, if it's ever Simplisafe (hopefully never), or my wife is getting a hold of me. Happy wife, happy life.

For a larger screen, my HP Elitebook laptop – body takes the beating, keeps on ticking (cat likes to sit on it) - with Windows 10, bought used off ebay for like $150 couple of years ago now, works for me.

Everything's in the cloud: Google Drive – Google Docs mostly, Microsoft OneDrive, upload videos to Youtube, and photos to Facebook, restricted to private viewing, so don't use up cloud storage too much-  so, whether on my phone, personal laptop, or work desktop - pretty much all accessible. I use 44 GB of the 355 GB memory card in my phone, 94 of out 118 in my laptop – plenty of room locally for me. I do subscribe to Youtube music, so I only keep my current favorites songs in my devices.

Still keep my Delorme-branded, Garmin-provisioned Inreach SE satellite messenger in my everyday carry backpack; living in earthquake-country, an extra communication device.

For dash cam, I have an Android 3.3" Palm phone, sim-less, using the Autoboy dash cam app

Security is biggie in my SF Bay Area inner suburb neighborhood. Security cameras in the house not connected to an alarm company - a couple of old sim-less Androids – Samsung Galaxy S4s, Alcatels, even a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, using the free Alfred security camera app – gotta keep an eye on the cat, lol. The water-resistant outdoor cameras facing the street – a Eufy, and a Reolink (if one goes down, the other’s there) are non-subscription solid. Arlo Ultra stopped connecting, regretting getting it. For the inside my very small house: monitoring subscription for a camera, smoke and CO, with Simplisafe.

Roku plug on the rarely-watched TV with digital antenna. Netflix, Prime Video, Youtube Premium, primarily watch on my laptop or phone.