It’s all about convergence.
Isn’t it about time we had one device that can be a mobile phone, laptop, tablet and PC all at the same time? If you really think about it, mobile phones these days are about as powerful as full fledged PCs were a couple of years ago. Why then, do we need to buy four different devices, when you have all that processing power in your phone?
The ASUS PadFone
If you really think about it, your mobile phone could easily power most of your computing devices. But what about the form factor, you ask? It’s too impractical to have a 7″, 10″ or 24″ mobile? We’ll, you don’t need a phone that big. All you would need is a dock for different devices. So, that’s one powerful smartphone to act as your processor and then a simple dock for your laptop, tablet and PC.
The advantage to such a device is multifold. One, if you ever felt the need to upgrade your hardware, you could simply get a new phone and you’d have four faster devices. That goes for the operating system too — one upgrade is all you need. A second advantage is that you would have your data all the time — no more having to copy files from a PC to laptop to phone — it’s all in one place. Let’s not forget the huge cost benefit as well. It will surely be cheaper buying a laptop pod than a full-fledged laptop.
Of course, while I state this, I can hear all the arguments against it in my head. Why would PC and Laptop manufacturers want to sell less computers by creating such a device? Mobile phones will never be as powerful as PCs. I won’t be able to play Diablo 3 on a mobile phone when it releases, and so on. And of course, when I suggested such a device a few years ago to David Reeves, ex CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, he said, “What if you lost your phone with all your data? It would be the end of your world.”
In reply to the naysayers, cloud backups are easily available for data. Phones will get more powerful and with processors getting smaller and smaller, one day you’ll easily be able to play the likes of Diablo 3 on your phone (if Blizzard eventually releases it).
A glimpse of the future is already here. Recently, ASUS announced the PadFone, a mobile phone that can be placed in a tablet dock to be used as a tablet device. The Motorola Xoom comes with a similar capability where it can be placed on a special laptop dock to function as a laptop. All steps in the right direction. Steps that will hopefully lead to the Pad-Phone-PC-Laptop.
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