Always fun to read jcs@'s write ups. I am seriously tempted to look into getting one of these as light, fanless alternatives to run OpenBSB on the move are few and far between. My current main laptop is not big at 11", but it clocks in at ~1.7kg and that makes you reluctant to carry it around everywhere.
Main downsides with the DM250 seems to be that you need a USB-C dongle for audio (they are tiny though) and that you can not hook it up to an external screen for better ergonomics and presentations. Still, small, means compromises are necessary, and I do not think the external screen is a deal break if one would consider the DM250 as a daily commute driver.
I have a DM250 that I bought a year ago that's been collecting dust because I couldn't get used to the UI/UX. It was imported straight from Japan so I'm pretty sure it's not the US model although I'll have to confirm that.
Customizing / tinkering with it has been difficult because it's a pretty niche product with not a ton of information online (at least on english websites).
Skimming this tutorial it seems like installing OpenBSD is a high-risk / high-reward type of thing. I'll have to look into further to see if it's worth it.
The list price appears to be ~USD 380, which is still a hefty saving compared to what they charge for the US model. There are of course software and hardware differences [3], but if it is primarily the hardware you are interested in, I see no reason not to at least consider importing one.
I'm running OpenBSD as a daily driver and one of its nicer point is not the security angle, but how simple and hackable it is, while still fairly capable in terms of hardware support. Linux may be more convenient, but its subsystems are too complex and not prone to quick modifications.
Main downsides with the DM250 seems to be that you need a USB-C dongle for audio (they are tiny though) and that you can not hook it up to an external screen for better ergonomics and presentations. Still, small, means compromises are necessary, and I do not think the external screen is a deal break if one would consider the DM250 as a daily commute driver.
I have a DM250 that I bought a year ago that's been collecting dust because I couldn't get used to the UI/UX. It was imported straight from Japan so I'm pretty sure it's not the US model although I'll have to confirm that.
Customizing / tinkering with it has been difficult because it's a pretty niche product with not a ton of information online (at least on english websites).
Skimming this tutorial it seems like installing OpenBSD is a high-risk / high-reward type of thing. I'll have to look into further to see if it's worth it.
[1]: https://pomera.us/products/pomera-full-suite-typewriter-for-...
[2]: https://kakaku.com/item/K0001457601
The list price appears to be ~USD 380, which is still a hefty saving compared to what they charge for the US model. There are of course software and hardware differences [3], but if it is primarily the hardware you are interested in, I see no reason not to at least consider importing one.
[3]: https://pomera.us/pages/support-help-support-pomera-dm250us-...
The afterdark screensaver is a real cherry on top.