4 ms·
> Generally it's a commercial failure because it turns out that isn't something most people want. What the people definitely didn't want was the performance of
by close04 2y ago
> Generally it's a commercial failure because it turns out that isn't something most people want.
What the people definitely didn't want was the performance of 2011 smartphone for desktop. The use case didn't fail, that device failed because the limits at the time made the phone desktop impractical. And I remember it not being a stellar smartphone either.
But every smartphone also failed until they didn't fail anymore because they were good enough. Phones today have astounding levels of performance so they can easily serve as desktops.
Starting the discussion from impractical attempts made "ages" ago (in tech terms) is a nice bit of historical trivia but not an indictment of the "phone desktop" idea. It's like starting every discussion about EVs with how early 20th century EVs failed because people don't want EVs.
- codedokode 2y ago> Phones today have astounding levels of performance so they can easily serve as desktops. Can you play Cyberpunk with desktop quality on it?
- close04 2y agoI can't play Cyberpunk with desktop quality on my desktop :(.
- fauigerzigerk 2y agoI don't think performance is the only problem. The software is at least as much of an issue. What kind of software environment do you expect when you connect your mouse, keyboard and 22" screen to a device where everything is geared toward touch input on a 6" screen? It's not an unsolvable problem and I do think there is demand for it if done right. But it's not a solved problem either.
- close04 2y agoThe iPad is a perfectly usable machine with keyboard and mouse, and it's quite popular so that's a good general model to aim for. Even running some remote desktop (thin client mode) could be a great feature and productivity boost. > it's not a solved problem either Never said it is. But we can't use one experience from the baby years of the smartphone to proclaim what won't work or won't have demand today. If we never try to solve a problem, especially because "it didn't work on the first attempt ages ago", then we'll never solve a problem.