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If I could plug an iPhone into a thunderbolt/USB4 dock with dual monitors, keyboard, mouse and it threw up full fat, administrator access MacOS on the screens -

If I could plug an iPhone into a thunderbolt/USB4 dock with dual monitors, keyboard, mouse and it threw up full fat, administrator access MacOS on the screens - I would be the owner of an iPhone Pro That's a no brainer, it would be my work computer. With my MBP, I already offload all compilation/language server/development processing to a remote computer with a 5900x - so all I need is a client that can run most apps (browser, code editor shell, etc) fairly quickly That goes for Android phones too - except with a Linux distro rather than MacOS

ianbutler 4y ago
Samsung tried this with their DeX mode and I was deeply saddened it didn’t catch on more.
- schappim 4y ago
  I suspect this is more a software ecosystem problem.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- wolpoli 4y ago
  The only other party that's capable of pushing this kind of functionality onto the industry is Google, and Google does not have HDMI out on any of their current Pixels. Perhaps it's intentional to prevent Android from competing in the same market as Chromebook.
- doix 4y ago
  I actually had to use DeX in an "emergency" and I was impressed how well it worked. Connected to the work VPN, connected to my workstation via VNC and got some work done. Everything "just worked", I was shocked at how smooth the entire experience was.
- ccouzens 4y ago
  It's still there. It's not past tense. My phone only supports outputting to one external screen (unless you count mirroring or the phone's screen) The most obvious limitation to me is none of the browsers really adapt to being on a desktop (middle click open new tab, multiple windows, dev tools).
  - apatheticonion 4y ago
    Is it "Desktop mode" as in Android on the desktop - or is it Desktop Linux (like KDE or Gnome) backed by some distro flavour?
    - ccouzens 4y ago
      Android on the desktop. The only desktop exclusive app is the shell itself. Otherwise it's all the same apps as you'd be using in phone mode. The shell is Samsung's own thing. But it works well enough- it has a start menu like launcher. It has floating windows (like every mainstream desktop os), but if you launch too many older apps disappear. You can switch windows with alt tab, using the window list at the bottom of the screen or clicking behind your current window.
skavi 4y ago
Samsung Dex keeps on getting better. Which is surprising because no one uses it.
- Jemm 4y ago
  Possibly because Samsung has a terrible history of making products that only work on one version of their product.
ris58h 4y ago
Desktop mode is already available on Samsung, Huawei and Motorola phones.
- apatheticonion 4y ago
  On their latest handsets?
  - ccouzens 4y ago
    Samsung have had theirs for years, but only on their higher end handsets
laserdancepony 4y ago
I liked and used Windows Continuum on my Lumia 950 XL back in the day, but sadly Windows Mobile was killed not long after. It allowed Windows Store apps to run like they would on a regular desktop Windows 10. I had a tiny but surprisingly heavy duty USB-C dock.

ianbutler 4y ago

Samsung tried this with their DeX mode and I was deeply saddened it didn’t catch on more.

schappim 4y ago
I suspect this is more a software ecosystem problem.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
wolpoli 4y ago
The only other party that's capable of pushing this kind of functionality onto the industry is Google, and Google does not have HDMI out on any of their current Pixels. Perhaps it's intentional to prevent Android from competing in the same market as Chromebook.
doix 4y ago
I actually had to use DeX in an "emergency" and I was impressed how well it worked. Connected to the work VPN, connected to my workstation via VNC and got some work done. Everything "just worked", I was shocked at how smooth the entire experience was.
ccouzens 4y ago
It's still there. It's not past tense. My phone only supports outputting to one external screen (unless you count mirroring or the phone's screen) The most obvious limitation to me is none of the browsers really adapt to being on a desktop (middle click open new tab, multiple windows, dev tools).
- apatheticonion 4y ago
  Is it "Desktop mode" as in Android on the desktop - or is it Desktop Linux (like KDE or Gnome) backed by some distro flavour?
  - ccouzens 4y ago
    Android on the desktop. The only desktop exclusive app is the shell itself. Otherwise it's all the same apps as you'd be using in phone mode. The shell is Samsung's own thing. But it works well enough- it has a start menu like launcher. It has floating windows (like every mainstream desktop os), but if you launch too many older apps disappear. You can switch windows with alt tab, using the window list at the bottom of the screen or clicking behind your current window.

skavi 4y ago

Samsung Dex keeps on getting better. Which is surprising because no one uses it.

Jemm 4y ago
Possibly because Samsung has a terrible history of making products that only work on one version of their product.

ris58h 4y ago

Desktop mode is already available on Samsung, Huawei and Motorola phones.

apatheticonion 4y ago
On their latest handsets?
- ccouzens 4y ago
  Samsung have had theirs for years, but only on their higher end handsets

laserdancepony 4y ago

I liked and used Windows Continuum on my Lumia 950 XL back in the day, but sadly Windows Mobile was killed not long after. It allowed Windows Store apps to run like they would on a regular desktop Windows 10. I had a tiny but surprisingly heavy duty USB-C dock.