Building a Mobputer

Anyone who’s talked to me probably knows how much I struggle with not having everything in sync and instantly accessible. I’ve built so many apps over the years, but I end up stuck whenever I need something that lives in a different tool. Eventually, frustrated that I can’t “deliver” to myself, I give up and go back to what’s available.

That pattern kept repeating and I ended up with a graveyard of half-finished apps. It took time for me to accept that relying on existing tools isn’t such a bad idea and that I don’t have to build everything from scratch.

That’s why I started looking into various tools I kept coming across and figuring out how they could work together for my use case.

A few months ago, I bought a new device and set myself a goal: make it good enough to replace my computer. The requirements were very specific, probably only make sense to me, because everyone’s setup is different. I’m still working within some limits, of course, but for the first time, I’m so happy with what I can do with just a few inches... hehe

Anyway... Here are the requirements.

Adaptive device size

The size has to be variable. It needs to be both a phone and a tablet at the same time. I want a phone for day-to-day use, but a tablet when I travel, watch movies or work on hobbies that need a bigger screen. Why carry a laptop and worry about it getting stolen, broken or anything else that can go wrong? I just want it in my pocket.

System access and development tools

I have to be able to run a sort-of Linux on it. I want to access my files, my servers via SSH and my Git repositories. That’s exactly what I use it for.

I also want full control over the device, the ability to change the system theme, icons and anything else so it actually feels like mine. I’ve never liked the default look on any device. I’ve been tweaking things and even bricking phones since my first one, so that’s non-negotiable for me.

I also need to run scripts and generate files I can upload and access anywhere. My use case is mostly running open-source tools that produce real outputs I can reuse elsewhere, like optimized images or audio files that are immediately usable once they’re generated.

Audio, video and image work

The device also needs to handle music production, video editing, and general content creation. Music work usually needs a larger screen so I can precisely adjust effects at the right moments. This is also where I upload files I’ve processed with tools like Demucs to separate drums, vocals, and instruments.

Since I do a lot of photo editing, I need a good camera and solid zoom. I also need a large amount of storage and RAM. I’m the type of person who configures extra swap memory immediately just to make sure it doesn't choke.

Notes, data and syncing

It has to sync my daily notes across all my devices so I always have the latest version. I need those notes in plain text so I can edit them whenever I want. But it’s not just notes, I need to sync different types of files in general. It also needs Git access so I can work on my website directly from the device.

I need access to my health data because I build my own analytics tools. I’ve written apps that pull raw datasets from system apps (after getting the right permissions), so I can parse everything myself and extract real insights.

At the end, everything I do has to sync back to my computer so I can switch between them whenever I want.

I think that’s all. If I remember anything else, I’ll add it to the list. :)

In the next few posts, I’ll go through the ideas and how I set everything up.