Flashback: the post-post-PC era

17 April 2022
Tablets tried to kill the PC. Then smartphones tried. Now the tables are turning and PCs are running smartphone software.

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Kangal, 18 Apr 2022Windows10 Mobile when it used Continuum, it was running the... moreEven if continuum ran apps natively, wouldnt they only have the features of the mobile version? Windows on arm seems better here, they already have office, photoshop, edge etc for arm with the desktop features.

    kek, 17 Apr 2022This Post-PC era is like the "Year of Linux" joke... moreIf they allow Mac OS on the iPad it would be EXTREMELY useful overnight. Or something similar to Mac where you can install Mac apps, have a desktop and run any browser of your choice.

      I'm not sure if this was clear or not, but the hypthetical 8" Chrome OS tablet that I want, I would carry everywhere, but not in cases where I feel a laptop is needed. Currently I don't carry any of my laptops everywhere and none of my tablets everywhere. The laptops are too big to make sense to always have them and the tablets just aren't useful enough to make sense to always have them since they rarely provide more than a phone other than a larger screen or pen support. The Duet is an exception, but it's too large to carry everywhere and too slow even if it was smaller.

        Pumpino, 17 Apr 2022"Tablets with keyboards are just bad versions of lapto... moreI'm not contradicting you just missed my point. Tablets with keyboards are bad versions of laptops because they make the worst tradeoffs. Even the most powerful tablets, the M1 iPads have an operating system that can't even run any browser engines other than Safari, the file browser is junk, etc. A laptop will allow for more productivity in most cases when comparing devices at similar price points.

        The second part regarding the 8" Chrome OS tablet is my bigger problem with tablets as a whole. We generally wind up with these 10", 11" and 12" tablets that don't make sense to carry over a laptop. A smaller tablet slots itself better in between phones and laptops, but a 10" or 11" tablet winds up being just as cumbersome to carry around as a laptop away from home. IMO full size tablets (large tablets) are a waste of space. Smaller tablets could fill the gap if they are useful enough but they're mostly underpowered or run iOS. Chrome OS is an operating system that provides a lot of functionality even with lower specs. You have a first class web browser (not Safari), you have a Linux container and you have Android apps.

        My other tablet is an A15 iPad Mini 6, it's fast, but not super useful. It'll close my terminal emulator app in the background if I don't use it for a few minutes.

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          • Diogene7
          • 3g5
          • 18 Apr 2022

          I am very interested by getting the option to use my smartphone as a mobile light workload computer that I always carry with myself.

          I would always have with myself my personal environment, with my own softwares and my own data that I could access through the « mobile device mode » or through « desktop mode » if at my destination point, I have access to a monitor, keyboard, mouse or a Windows laptop, Mac computer, or an Android or iOS tablet.

          It would be kind of having access to an improved « guest user » account because I could be at a friend’s, my office, a client office,…, I would be able to use my own personal environment with my own softwares and my own data.

          For this to happen though, I think there is still a need of some improvements in terms of wireless docking with improved latency in wireless casting (WiGig / 802.11ay), wireless charging at a reasonable distance (Airfuel wireless charging),…

          Really, really looking forward for this to happen !!!

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            • Anonymous
            • uJD
            • 18 Apr 2022

            Well, for Dex to be of any use, you need to attach monitor .. keyboard and mouse.

            There is simply no one device by itself able to do everything.

            And on top of that.. that's the issue with software. Will you cut a steak with a plastic knife?... Maybe if you are in a pinch or a casual.. but professional will one a dedicated device, suited for the job.

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              • Anonymous
              • 63x
              • 18 Apr 2022

              YUKI93, 17 Apr 2022Since I got myself a used Samsung Galaxy Note8 a few weeks ... moreI can believe this. I always hear people saying that something like DeX or Android Desktop Mode will disrupt the laptop and tablet sales, but look at where we are right now. If anything, laptop sales keep on increasing day by day. It does show that "smartphone as a PC replacement" is far from reality. I do like that kind of feature, but there's no way I'm going all Android.

                YUKI93, 17 Apr 2022Now that we have Windows on ARM, there is no need to develo... moreWindows10 Mobile when it used Continuum, it was running the Windows Apps natively.
                What it was doing was basically DeX, but changing the UI so your phone became like a Mini PC/Intel NUC. That was the right way to do it. Windows RT/Windows on ARM are inferior varients. And MS is making the same mistake with Windows11.

                Any App that was made for Windows10 Pro could be installed on your phone, it could be run like your phone was a proper PC. Some Apps had two UI modes, so you could use it in Phone Mode as well.

                MS should have fleshed out their SDK decade ago, and made a fresh cut for legacy support. So they should have axed DoS, 32bit, and x86_64 ages ago. Made a unified system, with a familiar Graphical Language, but the UI scales and differs depending on the screen size. Then released a competitive device against the likes of the iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S1. And for people who require the Backwards Compatiblity they could have released Windows10 "Pro" as a separate purchase for x86 only devices. And slowly over a period of a decade they could have weaned people off legacy support. So when time came for Windows20 they could have made it run much leaner, cleaner, and efficiently.

                  sohail shafayat, 17 Apr 2022That's what I'm talking about, it's still a ... moreIf you took the HP Elite X3 (Windows10 Mobile)/Continuum or Samsung Note 9 (Android 9/DeX).... and you took these relics from 2016/2018 back in time to 2003 when we had Windows Xp (Service Pack 1), AMD Athlon64 and Intel Celeron processors and laptops.

                  Well, people would've been wowed by how advanced the software is in there, nevermind the usecase and hardware! So what you're saying is abstract and wrong. I work with a headset/mic, webcam, barcode, numpad, keyboard, mouse, dual large monitors and an office chair. All of that is hooked to the Mini PC. I could do the work on a laptop but it would be far less efficient. A smaller tablet even moreso. And a phone would make it virtually impossible to get work done in a timely manner.

                  So the idea of a "post-PC" is incorrect to think about the processor, or software, or even just the UI alone. There is the interactivity of it. That is a whole different challenge and conversation. So until then, PCs will have a useful place in work and society.

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                    • Anonymous
                    • PZs
                    • 18 Apr 2022

                    i realize that everyone has their own preferences

                    i was introduced to computer in the form of intel 8088 10 Mhz, 640KB ram, cga 4 colors, and 5.25 inch floppy 360 KB running ms and pc dos 2ith epson lx800 dot matrix printer ... well ... kids nowadays will think that how can a human live on that kidd tech?

                    by inserting diskette dos to boot, then remove the diskette and insert apps diskette, and so on by insert and removing diskettes, i can print out bulletin, playing games, doing spreadsheet and word processing, its practically limitless

                    so, in todays computer, i only prefer windows, because i can freely managing files and installations, i always download offline installations, i always play offline games so i can hex-edit the file containing the money

                    in short ... full customization is highly required for me doing work in computer, and only unix based and windows still offer that

                    apple os ... no matter how advance ... sorry to say ... it doesn't offer full customization ... so completely no use for me

                    windows pocket pc i use on hp ipaq is beautiful ... it gets useless when they upgrade into windows mobile

                    windows pocket pc feels like full windows pc core on mobile phone ... its like ... full engine of carrier ship to be fitted into leisure yatch

                    windows mobile feels like ... redesign leisure yatch engine simplicity to be fitted to carrier ship and force the simplicity of leisure yatch to perform critical mission on carrier ship

                    that is why windows mobile fail ... also all smartphone os fails up until now ... they force the simplicity

                    the true os is full scale unix and the simpler version is windows, because, computers are not for faint hearted, computers are extremely complex logical machinery, therefore it requires full complex customizations and require human to deeply study its operation ... anyone who just want to quickly use the computers and expecting glamourous result ... they live in dreams

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                      • mXr
                      • 18 Apr 2022

                      I still have using my Sony vaio Pro z series super thin , i7, 8gb ram

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                        • yalim
                        • JhE
                        • 17 Apr 2022

                        ms office is a dealbreaker. most people already purchased one on PC and have to buy another license to move on another device.

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                          • Anonymous
                          • 0T8
                          • 17 Apr 2022

                          Windows,mac,ubuntu and that's about it. Anything else doesn't get proper support from app companies.

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                            • Ramsey
                            • xf0
                            • 17 Apr 2022

                            ARM is not more expensive than x86, if anything, is cheaper.

                            According to Intel site, the 1135G7 (i5) has a price of around 309USD. (1242 SC, 4174 MC on Geekbench 5)
                            https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/208658/intel-core-i51135g7-processor-8m-cache-

                            Mediatek Dimensity 9000 has a price of around $110 per unit, and its cheaper than the $130 of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. (Dimensity scores 1274 SC, and 4410 in MC in Geekbench 5).

                            Even with discounts, there's no way Intel's chip is cheaper than Mediatek's.

                            They can only keep pace with competition because of lack of supply from TSMC (similar problem with AMD chips), and lack of enough software support for ARM on Windows limiting demand.

                              Anonymous, 17 Apr 2022I am 38 years old. I had my first PC when I was 15 (Cyrix 6... moreIt's called being burned out. You can confirm if that's your case if you manage to find a new hobby which excites you. If not, it has nothing to do with technology and everything to do with your mind.

                                YUKI93, 17 Apr 2022ARM chipset is more expensive than x86-x64 CPU and not user... moreThese people have no idea about a computer! They think that corresponding some emails and media consumption is everything, plus running some weird apk apps and games! This is one of the reasons to the failure of windows mobile OS. Ignorance!

                                  YUKI93, 17 Apr 2022If a Linux smartphone like PINE64 PinePhone can run FOSS de... moreThat's what I'm talking about, it's still a PC & a desktop OS, not an android or ios device, and still no POST-PC era. That pocket pc is still inconvenient to run Adobe programs, rather you need an additional large screen if you are a professional Adobe creator, plus you need a desktop environment. So, post-pc era is a far cry!

                                    YUKI93, 17 Apr 2022Now that we have Windows on ARM, there is no need to develo... moreThey had andromeda/windows 10x, but they decide to discontinue it. Most people who are responsible for Microsoft mobile division are clueless on Anything Outside America, their only inspiration is iPhone.

                                      TheGalaxy, 17 Apr 2022Smartphones already replaced PCs. Everybody has a phone, bu... moreARM chipset is more expensive than x86-x64 CPU and not user-upgradable, so it's far from the future. Also, not everyone would like to replace their main device every year or two.

                                        Kangal, 17 Apr 2022It's a little pointless having a phone convert into a ... moreI don't agree about your first sentence. Foldable smartphones are still far from mainstream and beyond reach for most people, so having an idea like the ASUS Padfone series still make sense. After all, you don't have to carry the tablet all the time or just leave it at home.

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