Other than Ubuntu, are any efforts being made to turn my phone into a "mobile desktop?"

[OrangeJuice]

sup guise

When I saw the ubuntu for phones hype video, I was floored. In short, the idea was to switch the GUI on the phone to a desktop GUI when the phone was plugged into a dock (to interface with mouse, keyboard, monitor, speakers), so that, when docked, the phone would function as the tower component of the desktop computer of yesteryear. In Ubuntu's case, it would obviously be Ubuntu's desktop, which is kind of underwhelming but nonetheless functional.

Since smart docks already exist that allow you to interface your android with a mouse / keyboard / monitor / speakers, it seems like there would already be some less ambitious efforts to make the phone functional as a desktop PC when docked. Further, there are Android desktops in production.

Are there any active efforts, other than Ubuntu, to make the Android Phone function as a proper desktop computer when docked?

 

[palmtree5]

Perhaps this? Never tried it myself

 

[SulkyAndroid17]

I don't believe running desktop Linux distros on android is anything new. I've never tried it myself as I don't really see the point. I have a phone to be mobile. I'm not about to carry around a 2nd screen. Once when I didn't have a hard drive I installed and booted Linux Mint from my phone's sd card. I think that's the closest I've come to this.

I've had this bookmarked for a while now. It has an installer app in the play store. As for getting this to work with a dock, I don't know.

 

[OrangeJuice]

Thanks guise! Pretty much what I was looking for; kind of disappointingly clunky, though.

@sulky, maybe i should clarify exactly what i was interested in. The objective would not be to install / dual-boot a desktop linux distro on a phone.

The objective would be for your phone's existing OS (in our case, Android, but it could be something else like Ubuntu Phone) to intelligently activate certain GUI tweaks if you *happened* to plug it into a big screen. Essentially the same as how many websites have mobile and desktop versions of their sites depending on how you're accessing it. An OS that would switch to a desktop-optimized GUI when you needed it and switch back when you unplug.

Eg, make the icons a lot smaller, automatically request desktop versions of sites, rotate all apps to a horizontal view, etc., if you had your phone docked. Add file menus at the top of the screen instead of accessing them from the "settings" button on your phone.

Right now, the hardware is all in place for this to happen, but it sounds like the software isn't there.

 

[funkylogik]

I like android being touch-based and tbh the only time i use our PC is to root android devices.
For my use, a keyboard and mouse are obsolete now.
I love the combination of android phone and tablet.
Sorry i know thats a bit off topic but what im getting at is, do we need a keyboard, mouse and monitor to compute nowadays?

 

[chanchan05]

@funky - depends on what you are doing I guess. Typing 10<< page reports is a PITA on a touch screen IMO. I can see about the mouse though. In any situation not related to PC gaming, a physical keyboard plus touchscreen seems the way to go.

 

[funkylogik]

Ah yeah. I didnt really think about typing lol. Probably because ive never used a computer for work and im faster at typing on my phone than a keyboard lol

 

[OrangeJuice]

with a mouse, you can:

-right click (faster than long-press)
-scroll with a wheel (faster than swiping if you're using a large screen)
-select text with pixel precision
-click on small buttons with pixel precision
-control a large screen that is out of reach, such as your tv or a projected image, without having to look down at your phone (assuming it's being mirrored)
-avoid the absurdity of your device thinking you wanted to swipe when you were trying to make a gesture or tap
-avoid the absurdity of your device thinking you were trying to do anything at all when your palm brushed the screen on accident

consider this as a thought experiment. if touch screen >>> mouse + keyboard, then windows 8 deserves recognition for its brilliance in revolutionizing desktop computing

 

[funkylogik]

Lol fair point mate

 

[Eugene]

I've been waiting for real Linux on a mobile device for a long time. My phone and tablet are more powerful than my laptop hardware wise yes both are limited to simple things. I was able to edit spreadsheets and such in 1999 on windows CE 2.9 and am just now getting to where I can do that today. The whole Apple model has set us behind at least a decade.
I'm very close now with apps like AndrOpenOffice and moving away from Google drive and such but it would be a lot simpler if I could just run straight linux.

 

[chanchan05]

More powerful that your laptop? How old is your laptop? A quad core Android processor is barely as powerful as a single core Intel Atom from 2010.

 

[Eugene]

They are both in my sig, I have a Latitude C400 with a 1.2GHz Intel Mobile PIII and an netbook with a 1.6GHz dual core atom and 2G ram (the D630 is my "server"). Both are still plenty useable, I'm running the latest LibreOffice, firefox, thunderbird, etc.

 

[dan330]

have you seen the padfone

PadFone 2 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

docks into a tablet.. and you can add kb and mouse via Bluetooth.
I hear that ATT will be the first to have it in usa

 

[Eugene]

It still runs Android and not full Linux though. My RAZR already has the android webtop if you want to buy a $300 dock (my netbook was $300 and runs Linux). Plus being on a carrier with no service anywhere won't help, a phone is useless if it can't make calls.

 

[DeadDude]

I'm very new, so forgive me if this is not possible.

Build.prop (right name?)
make a script to edit it or swap between two copies.
one copy standard phone tweaks.
other copy has computer tweaks (lcd density only one I know)

Activate to 2nd copy, reboot with BT, WiFi, display mirroring through mini hdmi on. Now its in Docked mode. Gotta run real fast? Pick it up and go. Not completely useless on tiny screen with mods. Reboot when possible to 1st copy (normal phone mode)

Is there a problem with this idea? Quick, dirty. Should work on everything.

(Its how the Dell Axim x51V did it back in the day, but not seamless)

 

[itsallgood]

This is an interesting conversation. I have the original Motorola Atrix 4G w/Laptop dock, that I still use today on a regular bases for work. (I have a S4 that replaced my Atrix 4G.) I hate the fact that it really never took off, because the concept is great. I think the problem was, with this kind of set up, one would be locked to a certain phone to dock the device, in order to run both android and linux at the same time. (This was one of the down sides to the Atrix 4G Laptop combo) The other thing is support from developers. I just don't see a big need for this type of technology right now with laptops, tablets and phablets being so popular right now. Not to mention price for such a set up. (Another thing that killed the Atrix 4G Laptop Dock combo.) As others have said, most people would prefer a touch screen, instead of a mouse. (Even though a mouse is more productive then a touch screen.)

So, my Atrix is still running Android 2.3 GB with no support whats so ever. But with the Laptop Dock it's still usable for surfing the net, streaming/watching movies, document production, checking my emails, transferring files from one flashdrive to another, streaming music, reading books, using Android apps on a larger screen and having a physical keyboard and mouse to navigate and type.

 

[Eugene]

Cost was the biggest issue IMHO. The webtop dock for my phone was the same price as my netbook and the webtop dock was still just Android where my netbook is a full linux install and has 1TB of storage.

 

[DeadDude]

All this talk makes me want to add USB Host to my Valiant.

Wish I had spare devices to tinker on... lol

 

[Shocky]

Makes you wonder why nobody has made a mini desktop based on mobile technology.

I know we have the mini PC's but they're tiny, something a little larger with allot more connections, allot more storage, maybe some better passive cooling with higher clockspeeds with no throttling.

Android or Windows would work.

 

[kate]

Makes you wonder why nobody has made a mini desktop based on mobile technology.
I know we have the mini PC's but they're tiny, something a little larger with allot more connections, allot more storage, maybe some better passive cooling with higher clockspeeds with no throttling.
Android or Windows would work.

Would this nettop computer be what you're looking for? I've heard of people installing Android on regular computers so this would be a good option and easy to carry around.

 

[DeadDude]

I think what they mean is a PC form factor but mobile chips inside...

As in, take my phone and give me all the standard PC plugs in the same package.

Take a new phone. Rip it open. Solder in HDMI plug and USB Host (with power), add printing direct... rig software to use new ports. Upgrade battery to size of original phone. Add heatsink and fans. Overclock it.
add water cooling
Overclock it.

Present to world.
Profit.

lol

 

[dan330]

as I understand it.. the big issues are power and heat.
mobile chips have constraints they have to work within.
limited of power (battery): can not eat up the battery fast
can not heat up to much: no one wants a hot phone in your hands or against your face.

these are not an issue for laptops/PC.
so end result.. mobile processing power can not compare to PC processing power.

 

[Shocky]

Would this nettop computer be what you're looking for? I've heard of people installing Android on regular computers so this would be a good option and easy to carry around.

Similar to that yes, but with actual mobile hardware like Snapdragon 800 or Exynos 5.

I suppose something like the HP and Samsung Chromebook with Exynos 5, but obviously in the form of mini desktop