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You can connect a bluetooth keyboard to an iPhone, and attach an external display using an adapter, or even wirelessly by connecting to an Apple TV. Then you ca

You can connect a bluetooth keyboard to an iPhone, and attach an external display using an adapter, or even wirelessly by connecting to an Apple TV. Then you can use it like a desktop, for writing or coding or whatever. But people don't do that. Because the experience is shit. Smartphone apps are great because they are specifically made for a very specific use case (eg. passive browsing on a small touchscreeen, or messaging, etc). Nobody wants to do software development while waiting in line at the supermarket. So people use desktops or laptops for coding. You have a faster CPU, more battery, a real keyboard.... And phones aren't as locked down as you say. I can write any app I want for my iPhone, and I can share the source code with others, and they can then install it on their phones... Sure, all the code signing stuff is a nuisance, but it makes downloading apps safe for non-technical users.

loup-vaillant 11y ago
> Because the experience is shit. And whose fault is it exactly? Those things have more than enough power to run a full GNU/Linux distribution, complete with IDE and all. There are a few easy (yet deal-breaking) problems. We don't have docking stations like laptops do, and I bet the driver support for GNU/Linux is crap. Then there's the mismatch between desktop peripherals and a tiny touch screen. The hard problem is the weakness of the CPU. Right now, we're kinda set back 12 years. We could imagine the docking station providing some co-processor, even additional RAM, or something that gives the phone more processing power when docked. Solve that with a standard docking interface, and you just turned phones into ultra-portable desktop computers. (Oh, and don't forget to invent a virtual machine that can be efficiently implemented in hardware. Something like asm.js or SPIR-V might be a starting point.) > I can write any app I want for my iPhone, and I can share the source code with others, and they can then install it on their phones... Don't everyone is supposed to pay something like 99$ a year for the privilege?
- jakobegger 11y ago
  I don't see the point. If your docking station needs a coprocessor, why not just use a desktop? I think that mobile use vs. desktop use cases are so different, that two devices make sense. > Don't everyone is supposed to pay something like 99$ a year for the privilege? Developer Program Membership is no longer required. As of XCode 7, all you need is a (free) Apple ID to sign software for your device. You do need a paid membership for access to App Store distribution and for integrating services like Apple Pay.
  - loup-vaillant 11y ago
    > If your docking station needs a coprocessor, why not just use a desktop? So I can carry my environment with me. All with my OS, my custom keyboard, my own special vimacs… My email and favourite web pages are the same on the move and on the desk. I want to take quick notes while on the move, and organise them when I settle at home. I don't want to worry about synchronisation. I want backups of course, but that can be automated each time I have a fast connection. Do do that, there are 2 problems to overcome: the first is storage: we need our phones to carry several terabytes of data. Thankfully with the new stacking flash memories, this should be achievable. The second is processing power: it can be low while on the move, but we gotta achieve desktop performance at home. I don't see how we could avoid the need for co-processors in this case.

loup-vaillant 11y ago

> Because the experience is shit. And whose fault is it exactly? Those things have more than enough power to run a full GNU/Linux distribution, complete with IDE and all. There are a few easy (yet deal-breaking) problems. We don't have docking stations like laptops do, and I bet the driver support for GNU/Linux is crap. Then there's the mismatch between desktop peripherals and a tiny touch screen. The hard problem is the weakness of the CPU. Right now, we're kinda set back 12 years. We could imagine the docking station providing some co-processor, even additional RAM, or something that gives the phone more processing power when docked. Solve that with a standard docking interface, and you just turned phones into ultra-portable desktop computers. (Oh, and don't forget to invent a virtual machine that can be efficiently implemented in hardware. Something like asm.js or SPIR-V might be a starting point.) > I can write any app I want for my iPhone, and I can share the source code with others, and they can then install it on their phones... Don't everyone is supposed to pay something like 99$ a year for the privilege?

jakobegger 11y ago
I don't see the point. If your docking station needs a coprocessor, why not just use a desktop? I think that mobile use vs. desktop use cases are so different, that two devices make sense. > Don't everyone is supposed to pay something like 99$ a year for the privilege? Developer Program Membership is no longer required. As of XCode 7, all you need is a (free) Apple ID to sign software for your device. You do need a paid membership for access to App Store distribution and for integrating services like Apple Pay.
- loup-vaillant 11y ago
  > If your docking station needs a coprocessor, why not just use a desktop? So I can carry my environment with me. All with my OS, my custom keyboard, my own special vimacs… My email and favourite web pages are the same on the move and on the desk. I want to take quick notes while on the move, and organise them when I settle at home. I don't want to worry about synchronisation. I want backups of course, but that can be automated each time I have a fast connection. Do do that, there are 2 problems to overcome: the first is storage: we need our phones to carry several terabytes of data. Thankfully with the new stacking flash memories, this should be achievable. The second is processing power: it can be low while on the move, but we gotta achieve desktop performance at home. I don't see how we could avoid the need for co-processors in this case.