• BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
    3·
    2 years ago

    I think they serve different (though related or overlapping) purposes.

    Briar started (IIRC) as a Bluetooth-only comm tool, and they’ve done a great job expanding what it can do (think it does Tor now?). Briar is not battery friendly, and the devs will tell you so. I don’t consider it a daily driver, but rather for specific circumstances. I keep it around just-in-case.

    SimpleX is more of a daily driver since it’s a more conventional IP networking app, though it’s a little battery hungry too.

    • EngineerGaming@feddit.nl
      1·
      2 years ago

      My main concern wit Briar is that it would be of not much use without a smartphone (I meant the internet-less features in particular). I would not trust sensitive things to a smartphone. I wonder if soemthing like that could be doable with an Android VM or Waydroid with a laptop’s bluetooth…

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
        1·
        2 years ago

        Maybe. Check out Android Subsystem for Windows. It’s essentially an Android VM though you don’t have a launcher/home screen. You just see the apps in your task bar like any windows app. I run it on an older laptop, it’s a touch slow but works well enough.

        https://github.com/MustardChef/WSABuilds

        • EngineerGaming@feddit.nl
          1·
          2 years ago

          Windows is as much of a spyware as an average smartphone though, so not much of a point.

          Edit: I should try it in Waydroid then.

          • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
            1·
            2 years ago

            Lol, true. I just assume most people are using it.

            I’m working on getting away from it, been stuck on fining a OneNote replacement.

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
        3·
        2 years ago

        Yea, it’s a different tool. And it’s still early days.

        I don’t use SimpleX as a daily driver, yet. But it has a lot potential. Just glad to see another tool out there, and the devs seem really earnest (I worked with them a year ago while testing the app).

          • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
            2·
            2 years ago

            Lol, welcome to the club!

            God how I despise SMS, and I can’t get anyone off it, even if other options are easier to use than SMS, much more robust, faster, more flexible, etc.

            There are a couple messaging apps that are self-hostable (like I believe SimpleX is). Litewire is one. At some point I plan on hosting one myself, and preconfigure accounts for friends/family to make it even easier for them. Maybe that will get them on board.