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Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

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Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#61

Post by exe34 »

loup-vaillant wrote: post #22

> When was the last time you felt your smartphone really couldn’t cope? Every day since a couple years now. > I struggle to recall the last time an app jerked and juddered into life. I don’t. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t that way at first. It’s just that over time my phone just slowed down. Purging it of its data and unused software did nothing, I just had less and less available memory over time, and maps grew sl…

> It’s just that over time my phone just slowed down

iPhone? They throttle the CPU to make the battery look like it's not dying.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#62

Post by agallant »

amelius wrote: post #35

The irony is that an iPhone is more a Personal Computer than any PC ever was.

More personal in terms of use case, sure. And it performs computations - but it's pretty clear most mobile devices are not really your computer, when push comes to shove.

So, it's hard to call it a PC at the end of the day IMO.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#63

Post by peterldowns »

llm_nerd wrote: post #43

How doesn't this article mention the Atrix? https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/motorola-atrix-4g-att https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/03/motorola-atrix-the-u... This was precisely the target of the Motorola Atrix. They sold a netbook-like "shell" with a monitor and keyboard, and when you plugged the Atrix smartphone in it became an Ubuntu webtop device.

Maybe because the Atrix is from 13 years ago? They mentioned the Dex, a much more recent product with the same goals.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#64

Post by olyjohn »

amelius wrote: post #35

The irony is that an iPhone is more a Personal Computer than any PC ever was.

I disagree. Smart phones are too locked down to be personal computers. Sure they do "computing things" but you're only allowed to do what they want you to do. They're so limited, I can hardly even repurpose and old phone to do simple things.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#66

Post by add-sub-mul-div »

amelius wrote: post #35

The irony is that an iPhone is more a Personal Computer than any PC ever was.

What does this mean? With a personal computer I can do anything I want, for my own benefit. With an iPhone I can do what Apple gives me permission to do, subject to what benefits them.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#67

Post by cosmic_cheese »

exe34 wrote: post #61
loup-vaillant wrote: post #22

> When was the last time you felt your smartphone really couldn’t cope? Every day since a couple years now. > I struggle to recall the last time an app jerked and juddered into life. I don’t. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t that way at first. It’s just that over time my phone just slowed down. Purging it of its data and unused software did nothing, I just had less and less available memory over time, and maps grew sl…

> It’s just that over time my phone just slowed down iPhone? They throttle the CPU to make the battery look like it's not dying.

The reason for throttling after battery health dips below a certain point is to prevent the SoC from creating spikes in power demand that the battery is unable to service (which becomes progressively more likely as the battery degrades) so the phone doesn’t crash at inopportune times.

Back in the mid-2010s when I was broke and getting by on a worn out hand-me-down iPhone I would’ve loved to have that feature. It really sucks when your phone dies in the middle of a business call at 40% battery thanks to one of those aforementioned spikes.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#68

Post by vinni2 »

llm_nerd wrote: post #43

How doesn't this article mention the Atrix? https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/motorola-atrix-4g-att https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/03/motorola-atrix-the-u... This was precisely the target of the Motorola Atrix. They sold a netbook-like "shell" with a monitor and keyboard, and when you plugged the Atrix smartphone in it became an Ubuntu webtop device.

And the Ubuntu touch https://www.ubuntu-touch.io/

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#69

Post by eigenspace »

mitthrowaway2 wrote: post #29
eigenspace wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better camera is the only reason to buy a new phone. If you don't want that, you can just buy a 5 year old or more phone and be just as happier.

What about security updates?

There's also lots of modern budget phones that are using 5 year old processors, shitty cameras but modern OS support.

Re: Unless my phone can be a PC, I don't want to keep paying for extra performance

#70

Post by add-sub-mul-div »

jmkni wrote: post #5

With USB-C, surely we are at the point where we can plug our phones into a hub with a couple of monitors attached and get a proper desktop environment?

With respect to hardware only, perhaps. But the OS is still locked down compared to a real desktop OS and the apps are simplified for touch interfaces, and designed for content consumption first and production second.
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