Anyone else have no use for the mobile revolution?

[videogames101]

Lately the tech world (and as a specific example anandtech) has just been completely focused on low-power mobile devices of all form-factors.

I'm not sure if I'm alone, but I have absolutely no use for these devices and I'm having a hard time staying interested in much of the tech world because there seems to be so much emphasis in this area. I cannot read another smartphone review, because I just can't pretend to care anymore.

Personally, I use a desktop computer with multiple monitors for almost all of my computing. I carry a 15" laptop with an i5 for whatever computing I need throughout the day. I can't really imagine having anything slower and still being able to get anything done, even working on the 15" is a struggle. My mobile phone is a feature phone from 2010. I'm not sure what I'd use a smartphone for, when I always have a full computer (be it a laptop or a desktop) available to me.

Does anyone else feel the same way? I feel completely disconnected from the mobile space.

If you are into the mobile trend, what is your usage model for your smartphone/tablet/ultra-mobile device?

 

[Red Storm]

My Note 3 is my main computing device. I will sometimes use a Chromebook at home to type up a document or something, but that's rare. What do I need a big desktop with multiple monitors for? I'm not including the workplace as that is more job dependent and not personal choice.

 

[surfsatwerk]

My Note 3 is my main computing device. I will sometimes use a Chromebook at home to type up a document or something, but that's rare. What do I need a big desktop with multiple monitors for?

Pron

 

[Vdubchaos]

I feel the same as OP.

I have a S3 and hardly ever use it. But I also don't travel much, and that's about ALL that these devices are good for, travel.

OOPS, Toilet materials as well.

Outside of that, I couldn't care less. I also noticed that "new" devices don't really bring much to the table other than minor upgrades/improvements.

I also simply refuse to surf the web or type of Smartphones or our Tablet. It's a LAST RESORT hardware.

Desktop > Laptop > tablet/smart phone

Smartphone = nice to have when traveling

 

[videogames101]

My Note 3 is my main computing device. I will sometimes use a Chromebook at home to type up a document or something, but that's rare. What do I need a big desktop with multiple monitors for? I'm not including the workplace as that is more job dependent and not personal choice.

Can you be specific about what kind of computing you use your note 3 for?

Is it mostly web-based?

 

[blackdogdeek]

I have a 45 minute bus ride to and from the city every work day and I don't like carrying anything with me so while on the bus I use my smartphone (HTC One S on T-Mobile) to do any of the following:

1. Listen to NPR
2. Watch movies/tv shows
3. Listen to music
4. Read a book
5. Read the news
6. Play games

 

[techs]

Stevie Wonder.

 

[Red Storm]

Can you be specific about what kind of computing you use your note 3 for?

Is it mostly web-based?

Whatever I would use an electronic device for? Browsing the web in general, random google searches, shopping, recipes, maps and navigating, finding info on places, restaurants, movie times, hotels, flights, traffic, news and weather. Emails, texts, chat, video and phone calls, any other communication. Videos be it TV shows, movies, sports, and also music (often streamed to TV). Workout logs... just about everything. That's the whole point of the smart phone IMHO.

 

[TwiceOver]

I'm the other way around. I use my desktop at work, ya know for work and stuff, and that's about it. I have a desktop at home that I sometimes sit at and do the same crap I do on my phone just bigger and I have a laptop that collects dust. I don't want to carry a laptop with me everywhere. A 15" laptop, forget that boat anchor.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm only interested in mobile devices as a tool. I think it's great you can fit a computer in your pocket, but I'm not interested in using one extensively. I'm also not a fan of mobile O/Ss, and locked hardware. I'm still waiting for something good to be released.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

I'm immobile. Gimme a BIG screen please. and an order of chicken nuggets. thank you.

 

[xanis]

I use my smartphone (iPhone 5) extensively. I use it as my GPS, my camera, and main gaming device. I prefer my laptop for a lot of tasks, but my smartphone has replaced my main computer in a lot of areas.

 

[Zodiark1593]

The smartphone is more like an extension of my pc, I can move over videos and surf the web easily where I cannot have my laptop.

Now, I do a lot of cg rendering, and I can say that the desktop world has a very long way to go before there is enough compute power for me to say good enough. The mobile realm is unlikely to ever have enough compute to use as a viable workstation within the decade if not three.

 

[Mixolydian]

I have a tablet (iPad) that I use for "mobile computing" (i.e. sitting on the couch) but I only really use it for minimal web browsing. Tablets just don't feel comfortable for me. They are still very limited overall.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Personally I love having internet access away from home or work. I'm all for the mobile revolution.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I feel the same way. I see mobile devices as an accessory, much like a walkman was an accessory back in the day. Just because they came out with a portable tape player does not mean that you give up your home stereo and TV. I have a phone, but I still use my computer more.

The industry keeps trying to make mobile devices replace the PC, and I think it's really the wrong approach. They are convenient for quickly checking something if you are on the go, but nothing beats a proper workstation setup with keyboard/mouse and multiple monitors to do real work. Then there's this whole cloud crap. Even gaming consoles are now part of that. I hate having my devices connecting to some 3rd party server just so they can work. Especially with the NSA crap going on this cloud stuff is the worse tech idea ever. There needs to be more essence put on home servers instead of cloud.

Thankfully, this is where Linux comes in, it allows me to mostly get away from all the cloud stuff but the average joe wont know how to code their own web apps and stuff.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Default Anyone else have no use for the mobile revolution?

Quite the opposite. Since 2011 mobile takes up 80% of my allotted computing energy and dollars. The top three tech devices I desire (Galaxy Gear, Note 3, and Nexus 7) are all mobile devices, and the next laptop I buy will be a tablet (might never buy another desktop to replace the 2500K).

I do 90% of my web browsing on mobile devices, and it is my primary gaming platform.

I mean, I still have three desktop systems running at my house at all times. But they do their own thing kinda now, and I just lean on my primary hackintosh desktop when I need a re-encode or something else.

 

[PliotronX]

Used to be the same for me and while the PC is always my main productivity tool, I stare at my smartphone screen just about as equally as my PC. A side note, I can't ever go back to a single screen setup. But when I started college and work full time I am on the go a lot and my phone is invaluable
I only keep up on the tech side of it in general. I still know PC systems much better.

 

[Jodell88]

I use my phone as a phone, occasional web browsing, facebook, twitter and TV remote.

 

[rudeguy]

low powered phones?

My phone has a faster processor than my first computer and about ten times the memory.

My phone is my main computer. I use it to surf the web, browse forums, play games..its less a phone than it is a computer. I have computers in the house...the only get used when I need Flash.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Seriously, Android is a pretty capable OS taskwise. Hook up a bluetooth mouse and it feels like a desktop. I can run most of the apps I would want to run on there.

 

[dighn]

we are atypical in this regard. i do like how mobile gives you internet access anywhere, but if I have access to a full PC i always go for that. i think if you spent a lot of time doing technical work or even playing games on the PC, you just don't have the patience for the small screens and inefficiency input methods of mobile. most people though are perfectly fine with the limitations; their brains probably aren't even trained to use large screens and fast inputs anywhere close to their potential anyway.

 

[Jeff7]

- I have an alarm clock that sometimes thinks it's a Tracfone flip-phone.

- I have a tablet - an Asus EEP121. 1.33GHz i5 processor. It's the mutated offspring of a laptop and a portable tablet. 2.5lbs, so not a "lightweight" sort of tablet, and its battery life is about 2hrs under normal use. And it's impossible to use a 12" touchscreen to get anywhere near the speed or usability of a proper mouse and keyboard - or 27" monitors.
Still, it's a pretty nice tablet.



Though I might consider a smartphone if a plan for one drops to somewhere around $5/month. Aren't they usually in the range of $50/month with a 2 year contract?

 

[rh71]

I'm home full time and even I use my smartphone more than you'd think. Having the wifi connection anywhere in the house and the 4G for the few moments I step out is great. If anything, dependency on being "connected" is a bigger problem.

That said, I have my phone, I don't read reviews for the next big deal until this one becomes slow for whatever reason.

 

[Zodiark1593]

we are atypical in this regard. i do like how mobile gives you internet access anywhere, but if I have access to a full PC i always go for that. i think if you spent a lot of time doing technical work or even playing games on the PC, you just don't have the patience for the small screens and inefficiency input methods of mobile. most people though are perfectly fine with the limitations; their brains probably aren't even trained to use large screens and fast inputs anywhere close to their potential anyway.

Or, mobile platforms are just flat out too slow for such tasks.