Handset cohabitation: Ubuntu for Android [LWN.net]

Handset cohabitation: Ubuntu for Android

Posted Feb 23, 2012 22:50 UTC (Thu) by jmorris42 (guest, #2203)
In reply to: Handset cohabitation: Ubuntu for Android by zyga
Parent article: Handset cohabitation: Ubuntu for Android

> in a window of the same size as your android screen is

Ok, so half credit for that then. At least you can get at info locked away in an App even if it can't take advantage of the larger screen like a tablet could.

Still not sure what I think about this whole notion though. If you have to be docked to run the Ubuntu apps why not just have a real desktop CPU and let it get access to the phone info and/or connectivity when it is connected via USB or even WiFi? You lose the slow flash drive and the pokey low power ARM chip and gain a big 'ol x86_64 with a fast HDD or SSD and a smoking (bottom end integrated Intel graphics competes well with most SoC phone graphics) video card.

I mean, lots of points for cool factor, just not sure how many points for utility. If the dock can be really inexpensive and phones get a little more capable (which of course they will) it might work for some basic infoworker level desktop tasks but what workplace is going to give those people a state of the second smartphone with an LTE contract? Really? Just not seeing the labor demographic being targeted. Cheap Dell desktops and either basic smartphones... or better just call their existing phones and don't hand out phones at all vs state of the art smartphones and wireless data contracts with enough transfer to think about desktop replacement use?

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Handset cohabitation: Ubuntu for Android

Posted Feb 23, 2012 23:35 UTC (Thu) by dlang (guest, #313) [Link]

> I mean, lots of points for cool factor, just not sure how many points for utility. If the dock can be really inexpensive and phones get a little more capable

I think it's a given that phones are going to get a lot more capable

as for the dock being inexpensive, for my tablet, all I need is a HDMI cable and a keyboard (either USB or bluetooth), how much cheaper do you need to be?

the other advantage is that if you use your android device as your computer, you can use a public dock without any real worries about malware stealing or destroying your data (yes, someone can make a malicious keyboard or mouse, but that's a targeted attack on a particular physical location, not something in the same class as what can happen to a public use desktop machine)

Handset cohabitation: Ubuntu for Android

Posted Feb 24, 2012 6:26 UTC (Fri) by AndreE (guest, #60148) [Link]

How about the convenience of buying one $600 dual or quad core machine that doubles as your phone and your desktop?