Anyone else underwhelmed by the new phones at CES?

sarge78 said:
Yep, but they've never been productive like a laptop (no mouse, still some lag, native phone res etc)
I think this Citrix client is based on the ubuntu build not Android? It's proper desktop software, like firefox 3.6/file explorer etc. :eek:
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Nah, there's a Citrix Receiver for Android. It IS basically cut-down Linux, it can't have been hard to convert. Maemo and PalmOS can run many Linux desktop applications natively, Android is only marginally less powerful than them.

There's plenty of other remote access-type software, including a few free ones (don't use one myself, but other forum members have mentioned using them frequently). There's even a few for good ol' Windows Mobile 6, so in theory I could do that even with my ancient Universal, with all its 36MB of RAM!:D

I only ever use a virtual desktop at work + a laptop for connection, so this is massive for me (i.e. a proper laptop replacement)
I'll be stuffing my home PC in a cupboard somewhere and sticking a dock on my home/work desk, the Atrix will be the only 'computer' I'll see/touch for weeks on end! Brilliant! :) (and something to stream content to the lounge... I would put a dock there too but no one else could use it without me + phone calls/emails during a movie = bad! :p)
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I totally agree, it's a massively big deal, but what I was saying is that Android phones can already do that, that's why I said that dual core isn't necessary just yet. Remember, it's the remote PC that does all the work when you do that, the phone just displays the screen! :)

What rocks about the Atrix is that little display dock and the fact that they went to all the trouble to make a "desktop GUI" for Android, because, let's face it, you'd get very tired very quickly trying to work a Windows or Linux computer using only a touchscreen and a virtual keyboard! :p
 
sarge78 said:
The other phones won't be any different regarding specs/performance/software/form factor, so what are you guys expecting for your next phone? Just more bling? :D or stock Android/WP7?
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Personally I'm waiting for the current obsession with thinness to pass so manufacturers can focus on better fundamentals: better screens, bigger batteries! I don't think the ~1 day most of us get from our phones is good enough (and I reckon the battery life of Blackberries is one of the reasons RIM is still selling so many of them!). I'm hoping that when Samsung and LG finish their new plants and the current AMOLED shortage ends we'll see more phones with screens like the SGS's, which should help improve battery life too.

I also think that HTC have proven you can make a good keyboard with hard-topped keys with decent travel (rather than the flat rubberised man-nipples that Motorola tried to hawk us with the Droid) without adding too much bulk to a phone, and I'm hoping more phones will get a "+keyboard" version of them released.

And yes, I am kinda hoping for some new form factors too - I think RIM made a bold step abandoning their tried and tested form factor and copying the Pré's slide-out portrait-oriented keyboard, and I'm hoping a few Android manufacturers will swallow their pride and shamelessly plagiarise it too! :p

And in non-Android related stuff I'm waiting to see what MS do with the upcoming WP7 patch and whether Nokia (or anyone else for that matter!) will finally announce a Meego handset!
 
^ Yeah, there's tons of stuff to look forward to :D + MeeGo does look good (tempted to install 1.1 on my netbook :))

Webtop isn't a "desktop GUI" for Android, it's a Linux desktop OS app/thing (possibly a cut down ubuntu according to firefox 3.6?) That's why you can stick any USB mouse, keyboard in the dock (+ any usb peripheral with linux drivers... I wish... :p)
Oh and output any res to a monitor via hdmi, max 1920*1200. (Not the qHD res upscaling/mirroring used for Androids desktop view/Android apps)
I've been using phone VPN clients since the 1st gen iPhone (just quick checking/start/stop stuff at work) and they're all limited by the phones input/output/native res etc. This is completely different, it really is a laptop experience... (for VPNs anyway the full laptop OS 'dock boot' is a good few years away)

Actually yeah, it's almost like running MeeGo for handsets then booting MeeGo for laptops when docked? (still running the handset OS) Awesome stuff!

Edit: I could be completely wrong about webtop, it's not gospel by any means... feel free to mock :D
 
sarge78 said:
Webtop isn't a "desktop GUI" for Android, it's a Linux desktop OS app/thing (possibly a cut down ubuntu according to firefox 3.6?) That's why you can stick any USB mouse, keyboard in the dock (+ any usb peripheral with linux drivers... I wish... :p)
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I don't understand, you saying the phone dual-boots between Linux and Android? So do the various Android apps that you can still use while docked run natively under Linux, or is there some kind of virtualisation thing?
 
manveruppd said:
I don't understand, you saying the phone dual-boots between Linux and Android? So do the various Android apps that you can still use while docked run natively under Linux, or is there some kind of virtualisation thing?
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Yes, it's essentially running Linux and android at the same time. When webtops running there's a tabbed android window (scaled qHD to the native monitor res) along with full res Linux OS, no idea how atm. It's netbook slow but still amazing considering everything its running (its a freekin phone!!) + There'll be huge scope for optimization, either officially or through hackers :p

Engadget has a good new overview vid here http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/09/motorola-atrix-another-look-video/

My only reservation... android 2.2 with qHD... native android apps will be laggy on this unsupported res and a few will have black bars (check out nfs shift, that should be flying...) Motorola need to announce a firm date for 2.3, sooner the better.
 
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