The Docktop - A new approach to mobility
As I've written about many times - we are in the post PC era. Today new mobile devices run Hexa / Octa Core processors - have 2 - 4GB of RAM and some can support upwards of 256GB of storage.
Think about that for a second. In many cases that is more powerful than the PC or Laptop that you may have bought just a few years ago.
With more and more apps available for everything from buying a cup of coffee to performing enterprise business functions- for some - their mobile devices are their primary compute device.
But the reality is - many folks still also use or carry a laptop and/or tablet around as well as their phone. So you end up with multiple compute devices.
The challenge with just utilizing a mobile device is that sometimes you A) need to be able to use a larger screen and B) use a traditional keyboard.
Sure there are casting solutions out there like Chromecast, etc - but they are more focused for media playback than day to day usage and they still require a TV - so not very portable. Similarly there are BT keyboard solutions out there but they can be flimsy and not as productive.
At the Mobile World Conference in February - HP introduced the Elite X3 - an enterprise focused Windows 10 mobile device. The X3 leveraged a new capability in Windows 10 Mobile called Continuum - which allows the devices display to be extended to an external screen and effectively use your laptop/tablet and an extension of the mobile device. In fact Windows 10 Build 14316 just included the latest version of the Connect app - to support that functionality.
Along with the X3 - HP also demonstrated the Mobile Extender - a laptop form factor device that supports Continuum over wired or wireless connections has a 12.5" 1920x1080 screen, 47kWh battery and USB-C connectivity.
The goal was to provide the expanded display and keyboard functions while allowing the processing power of the phone to run it all.
Now another startup firm called Nex has recently met their IndieGoGo funding goals to produce a similar device called NexDock. Initially supporting Mini-HDMI connectivity and BT keyboard along with a 10K mAh battery and 14.1" 1366x758 screen, the $119 device is designed to support not only Windows 10 Continuum devices like the Lumia 950 - but also Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi as well as act as a secondary screen for traditional laptops.
So while not as sophisticated as HPs Mobile extender - the NexDock appears to be more open to multi-platform use cases at a low price point. Nex also mentions coming up with additional form factors, USB-C, higher screen resolutions etc - if they can reach higher funding goals.
But with both solutions - the focus here is utilizing the compute power, apps and extreme mobility of your mobile device to drive a larger screen/keyboard when needed.
This helps avoid two key challenges of supporting modern mobile computing.
First is the cost of procuring, managing and carrying multiple compute devices. With the lower cost of these extenders and the fact that they are benign devices that don't have CPUs, OS, etc it greatly reduces complexity and compatibility.
Second they can provide flexibility in what they are used for. One minute it can extend a Windows 10 Continuum device - the next it can support an Android phone or Chrome Stick.
Both devices will start to be come available in the June/July time frame and it's going to be interesting to see how well they are accepted in the market. Based on the excitement for the HP solution @ MWC and the funding responses for Nex, we may see this trend expand quickly to other mainstream vendors like Dell, Lenovo and even Apple & Google.
Now you still have to consider that you are running the Mobile versions of apps - which often do not have the full feature sets of their PC/Laptop cousins - but for many use cases that's enough and I suspect in the coming years that more and more features will come to the mobile versions of these apps as phones get more and more powerful.
As a road warrior who normally carries an ultrabook, tablet and phone with me - I can definitely see the potential use cases for these kinds of devices. When you also consider that you could effectively use these "docktops" as large auxiliary batteries to your phone as well - there is a lot to be said.
Bottom line is with both HP and Nex - they are dipping their toe in the water of this new computing paradigm - which has the potential to be the way you'll work in the future.
Think about that for a second. In many cases that is more powerful than the PC or Laptop that you may have bought just a few years ago.
With more and more apps available for everything from buying a cup of coffee to performing enterprise business functions- for some - their mobile devices are their primary compute device.
But the reality is - many folks still also use or carry a laptop and/or tablet around as well as their phone. So you end up with multiple compute devices.
The challenge with just utilizing a mobile device is that sometimes you A) need to be able to use a larger screen and B) use a traditional keyboard.
Sure there are casting solutions out there like Chromecast, etc - but they are more focused for media playback than day to day usage and they still require a TV - so not very portable. Similarly there are BT keyboard solutions out there but they can be flimsy and not as productive.
At the Mobile World Conference in February - HP introduced the Elite X3 - an enterprise focused Windows 10 mobile device. The X3 leveraged a new capability in Windows 10 Mobile called Continuum - which allows the devices display to be extended to an external screen and effectively use your laptop/tablet and an extension of the mobile device. In fact Windows 10 Build 14316 just included the latest version of the Connect app - to support that functionality.
Along with the X3 - HP also demonstrated the Mobile Extender - a laptop form factor device that supports Continuum over wired or wireless connections has a 12.5" 1920x1080 screen, 47kWh battery and USB-C connectivity.
The goal was to provide the expanded display and keyboard functions while allowing the processing power of the phone to run it all.
Now another startup firm called Nex has recently met their IndieGoGo funding goals to produce a similar device called NexDock. Initially supporting Mini-HDMI connectivity and BT keyboard along with a 10K mAh battery and 14.1" 1366x758 screen, the $119 device is designed to support not only Windows 10 Continuum devices like the Lumia 950 - but also Android, iOS, Raspberry Pi as well as act as a secondary screen for traditional laptops.
So while not as sophisticated as HPs Mobile extender - the NexDock appears to be more open to multi-platform use cases at a low price point. Nex also mentions coming up with additional form factors, USB-C, higher screen resolutions etc - if they can reach higher funding goals.
But with both solutions - the focus here is utilizing the compute power, apps and extreme mobility of your mobile device to drive a larger screen/keyboard when needed.
This helps avoid two key challenges of supporting modern mobile computing.
First is the cost of procuring, managing and carrying multiple compute devices. With the lower cost of these extenders and the fact that they are benign devices that don't have CPUs, OS, etc it greatly reduces complexity and compatibility.
Second they can provide flexibility in what they are used for. One minute it can extend a Windows 10 Continuum device - the next it can support an Android phone or Chrome Stick.
Both devices will start to be come available in the June/July time frame and it's going to be interesting to see how well they are accepted in the market. Based on the excitement for the HP solution @ MWC and the funding responses for Nex, we may see this trend expand quickly to other mainstream vendors like Dell, Lenovo and even Apple & Google.
Now you still have to consider that you are running the Mobile versions of apps - which often do not have the full feature sets of their PC/Laptop cousins - but for many use cases that's enough and I suspect in the coming years that more and more features will come to the mobile versions of these apps as phones get more and more powerful.
Bottom line is with both HP and Nex - they are dipping their toe in the water of this new computing paradigm - which has the potential to be the way you'll work in the future.
Comments
Post a Comment