zlacker

>>iBelie+(OP)
The exciting part of this to me is not the ability to run the same software on two devices, but the potential to run two 'kinds' of software on one single device.

This unlocks what is for me the most appealing computing fantasy: I have exactly one device to compute with. At home or work, I plug it into my dock, where it pairs to an eGPU/monitor, external storage, keyboard, and mouse, and is my desktop computer. There, I can access the 'pro' level apps we're discussing below.

On the couch or on the go, maybe I slide it into a bigger touchscreen with some extra dumb batteries, and it's now a tablet. Throw in a keyboard case, and now it's a laptop.

And if I'm sitting on the bus or walking to work, it's my phone, and I can edit today's lecture right there, or access all my files. Maybe I'm not firing up emacs or MATLAB, but it's still there if I needed to.

This, to me, is the fantasy of convergence. And considering we're now currently paying $4000+ for the trio of a laptop, tablet, and smartphone, I suspect one could create something pretty compelling and high-end and still feel like a bargain to many.

>>wander+cj
> $4000+

That's an excessive number. Great laptops can be had for under $1000.

Obviously, you could spend over $4000, but I don't think this is a reasonable number for most people. Even most 'computer' people. And who still buys tablets anyway?

>>linuxf+YE
iPad sales in 2018:

Q1 2018 13.17 million Q2 2018 9.11 million Q3 2018 11.55 million Q4 2018 9.67 million

I think a few people still buy them...

So if you spend $2500 on a MacBook Pro, $800 on an iPad, and then $1000 on your iPhone, boom, you're over $4000.

$4000 doesn't go very far.

>>hacym+4L
Sure, it doesn't go very far in the Apple ecosystem, but you can get a solid set of equipment for much less. For examine, a Thinkpad will run $500-1500 (depending on the model), a solid tablet can be found for ~$500, and plenty of decent phones are ~$500 (mine was $250). Altogether, that's <$2000 for a solid set of devices.