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osaga

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 11, 2012
454
170
Am I crazy or is this the future...

We all have two or three devices (ph/tablet/computer), each with their own hardware, and internet service. We buy new ones every couple years. But what if you only had to update one? And pay for one data service?

Smartphones are increasingly powerful. What if Apple sold a laptop that has an iphone dock up in it. You plug your phone into it and now you have a computer utilizing the phones hardware and internet to operate basic computing functions via an "OS lite" app. This would be popular in the developing world (think students in India) as a cheap, easy, and efficient computer. And it would draw people into the Apple ecosystem.

But Apple would never be able to sell such a product. There's little profit, and the experience would be mediocre.

So it'll be a company that doesn't seem to care about profits or mediocrity... Google. Sadly, Apple will miss out.
 
You can almost use Android like this now. The 2 key things are a file system that you can download and move any file you want without sandboxing. And the obvious mouse support.

Like you said its mediocre at best.

Also like you said it kills profit. If I had an iPhone powerful enough to replace my Mac that is thousands I wouldn't have spent.

However it would be nice if your cell phone carrier supplied all your data. So you had one unlimited plan that you logged onto on ALL your devices.

It would need to be extremely fast and unlimited though.
 
Ahh, Motorola already did it and with expectedly poor execution. It's a $500 "LapDock" with no real OS and you pay $20/mo extra for tethering. I'm surprised they even tried, seems idiotic

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20031251-1.html

They should do it again in 3 years, but for $150, no tethering, with all the OS force of android behind it, and slap a Google X project label on it. Leak it to the NY Times or something, and sell it in China, India, and south America.
 
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