[PLUG] FOSS friendly PDA?

[Richard Owlett]

I've explored this issue in the past without finding something:
   in current production.
   meeting my non-negotiable specifications.
   satisfy enough of my preferences to be a good fit to how I do things.

This is a rewrite of some multiple posts to debian-user and adjusting 
phrasing that caused off topic responses.
I post here as:
   this group is not Debian specific,
   it will provide a different point of view.


I wish to enter/store data while away from home. The data will then be 
transferred to my laptop via a USB cable. [think a Palm Pilot in a 
smartphone physical form factor]

It must use a standard Linux (Debian preferred).
The manufacturer should ship with the Linux installed.
Android is *UNACCEPTABLE*!
It should NOT have cell connectivity.
If it has WiFi, I must be able to disable it.

When I looked a few years ago there were some open source hardware 
projects in the prototype stage but I don't recall any that reached 
production. [There was something similar based on Raspberry Pi which 
ended up too thick due to how screen was attached.]

Recently I was pointed to the PinePhone.
   https://www.pine64.org/pinephone
   https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/PinePhone
 
https://www.pine64.org/2020/01/24/setting-the-record-straight-pinephone-misconceptions

It meets my cell connectivity and WiFi requirements with a set of kill 
switches.
https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/PinePhone#Killswitch_configuration

I can see practical procurement problems.
The site hasn't updated to report on impact of Coronavirus.
There isn't any indication of any U.S. importer - I don't want to have 
the hassle of handling any duties or FCC type acceptance of the included 
RF components.

It does have a nice set of specs.

Any suggestions or survey articles I should read.

TIA