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Comment by djyaz1200 | Hacker News Reader

Apple needs to do one thing to reassert their dominance for the next decade... allow users to easily connect iphones to displays and keyboards. Iphones easily have enough CPU to run a simple desktop for the average email/websurfing/video consuming public. Why even buy a desktop or laptop if you could just plug in your phone and have all your documents/programs right there along with high speed internet. No brainer.

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I don't think they're even that far off given Bluetooth connectivity and AirPlay. There are some OS things to tweak: I've definitely noticed UI issues using a keyboard with an iPad, for example. But then again, the size of a laptop is no longer much larger than the IO devices: screen, keyboard, and trackpad. Advantages of having a single device is likely data and configuration, or possibly separation of domain, such as work and home. If this is largely sync'd, how much use will there be for these separate devices other than form factor?

Agree, lighting ports on iOS devices also offer a lot of flexibility. Apple's processors also offer far more power than is needed to just run a phone. They seem to be converging towards this.

Im pretty doubtful iOS would be pleasant as a desktop without significant work. Try using iOS in a simulator for a few days on fullscreen and see if youd really want to buy that.

The large iPad Pro is close to fullscreen 12/13" laptops.

It all depends on the workflow, if one mostly uses 1-2 apps fullscreen it can fly.

>Apple needs to do one thing to reassert their dominance for the next decade... allow users to easily connect iphones to displays and keyboards.

They might do that, but it's not that high on user's priorities by any long shot.

Phone/tablet use has surpassed desktop use, and most of it happens on the go, on the sofa, on the bus, on the restaurant, and in other such places where no displays and keyboards make much sense.

For a niche, yes, they would be great (writers working on the coffee shop typing on their iPhone etc) but not for any majority of people, and not for Apple to "reassert their dominance".

Oh, you mean like this? (Only with an iPhone vs. a MacBook) http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2008/01/timely-a...

Apple has been thinking about something like this for a long time.

Sounds like the Motorola Atrix 4G from way back: http://img-3.newatlas.com/motorola-atrix-4g.jpg?auto=format%...

Yep, like that only (as you point out) using a phone instead of a laptop.

Microsoft already does that with Windows 10 [1]. They also let you run (almost) full desktop apps from the phone, including Office.

This is extremely cool. The problem is, nobody really needs that.

[1] http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/Continuum

That doesn't seem like an Apple-like solution to me at all. Their answer to this sort of seamless computing is Continuity. Leveraging their deep hardware and software integration to develop technology that transitions tasks and context across devices, not all-in-one devices.

I think the touch bar in the new MBPs is evidence Apple really isn't interested in bringing touch to macOS.

Given that, I think a giant screen running iOS is less than 4 years away. Related: I don't think macOS is long for this world.

They're clearly going that way. I just wonder why they haven't "allowed" iOS devices to connect to external displays yet. Maybe when/if they get a usb-c connector.

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