How to turn an Android smartphone into a desktop PC

[faniebraai]

Keep in mind only the S8 can do this. If you have an S7 or S6 sorry for you as I believe Samsung dropped MHL support for those devices.

Secondly if you need low latency the Chromecast is an absolute no go. One particular example is if you intend using the device along with Moonlight for game streaming from another gaming PC in the house. It's great that you can convert your phone into a powerful console and sit on the couch to game with a controller - except don't bother with a Chromecast.

You didn't read the article... this is in general, not related to the Dex

 

[faniebraai]

The article was confusing in that it proposed a general android solution to the Samsung DeX which is an entirely different kettle of fish - http://www.wired.co.uk/article/samsung-s8-dex

... for a start:

why did you find it confusing....? did you expect the dex, and it turned out to be something else? So because your expectations were misplaced, the article is at fault? LOL

 

[Skerminkel]

I did a brief test last night. Connected a wireless keyboard and mouse via a dongle and USB OTG cable to my phone and then casted it via a Chromecast 1 to my HD TV. I then opened a document in Google Sheets. I have not tried Sentio yet.

In principle it works. You can move around in the document with the mouse and edit the spreadsheet with the keyboard. Problems:

• The edges of the screen are trimmed. Presumably because the phone resolution is higher than the TV's.
• The mouse lag on the TV screen is excessive. You have to work very slowly. I guess people who use the squiggly pad (or whatever it is called) on laptops will not care. You can always use the phone screen as a touch interface anyway, but that remains slow.
• Sheets' mobile interface is limited. Not for highly productive editing. Maybe that will be solved by Sentio

Preliminary conclusion: technically it works, but the setup I tested is not for productive work.

 

[AlphaJohn]

When phones are powerful enough to run photoshop/illustrator, mail app, music app, and a browser with twenty tabs open, comfortably and all at the same time, only then will true convergence begin. Next will be the phones capability to also run latest games. Then the cutover from multiple interfaces will begin in earnest. It's just a time thing.

Check the Video I posted, Windows ARM with can do just that, plus run off a phone. (The CPU in that Vid is the exact same thats in my MI5) I know its still in development but when it is released I reckon we will see an uptake in Windows Phone's running it, esp seeing that you will be able to just plug phone into Screen and Go.

Full keynote talks about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONI0zfEnBPU

Google can get proper desktop like experience right now, if they allow you to switch to Remix OS (Build on Android) when you plug in a keyboard and mouse. Doubt that will ever happen as they are focused in splinting the devices.

But sadly I fear Google don't really care as they are on top. They will only wake up when the numbers start to hurt and then it might be to late.

 

[backstreetboy]

Google can get proper desktop like experience right now, if they allow you to switch to Remix OS (Build on Android) when you plug in a keyboard and mouse. Doubt that will ever happen as they are focused in splinting the devices.

But sadly I fear Google don't really care as they are on top. They will only wake up when the numbers start to hurt and then it might be to late.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Fuchsia
http://bgr.com/2017/02/16/google-andromeda-fuchsia-android/

 

[kianm]

Not gonna happen