Convergent devices versus multiple devices

thecapsaicinkid

Senior member
Nov 30, 2012
382
0
71
I love the idea of as few devices as possible, in principle at least. The reality is though that multiple devices of differing size seems to be less of a compromise and I can't see this changing any time soon. Everyone got excited when bendy screens were announced and the idea of larger devices which could fold smaller. This seemed pretty short lived as it became more apparent that, in the short term at least, this is more than likely just going to give us more durable devices and not some magical shrinking form factor.

I do not for example particularly like carrying around a phone and a small tablet but still find it preferable to a phablet. Nor am I in any hurry to buy a convertible laptop/tablet of any form.

Do you favour multiple devices and do you see this changing any time soon?
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
8,558
3
76
My idea of converging devices is that my smartphone is my phone, music player, portable game console, camera etc.. I don't really see devices like the Note 2 as a hybrid between a smartphone and tablet that tries to replace both so the user doesn't need a tablet and a phone separately, I see devices like the Note 2 simply as a "better" phone for people who really really use their smartphone actively versus sitting idle in a pocket most of the time. If I had a Note 2 I would still want a tablet.

I would however love a single convertible device to be my tablet, laptop, and with connectivity to monitor, mouse, and keyboard, a desktop PC.
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
I too would love a perfect single device one day. A phone that plugs into a tablet dock that can plug into a keyboard dock, where every form factor switch changes the OS to match.

But that is like 5 years away at minimum.
 

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
I too would love a perfect single device one day. A phone that plugs into a tablet dock that can plug into a keyboard dock, where every form factor switch changes the OS to match.

But that is like 5 years away at minimum.

uhhh...padfone?
 

MagnusTheBrewer

IN MEMORIAM
Jun 19, 2004
24,122
1,594
126
The theory of convergence is attractive but, the evolution of it is too painful to bear.

Bad OS'
Bad interfaces
Bad form factors
Bad quality of individual functions
Bad battery life
And, the HUGE ability for corporations to gather all the intimate details of your personal life.
 

saratoga172

Golden Member
Nov 10, 2009
1,564
1
81
For me the optimal convergent device is one that acts as my phone, I can get to work and dock it to display on a bigger screen and use peripherals with it, I can get home and put in a tablet sized dock of sorts and use it in that fashion.

The only it may not double as would be my gaming/design computer. I see that changing but it'd be a couple generations in.

The bionic I had was at the very early stages of convergent devices in that I could dock it in a laptop type device. Android wasn't ready for that type of use though. It was very novel and might work perfect for note taking, but not for a power user.
 

ilkhan

Golden Member
Jul 21, 2006
1,117
1
0
Even a 7" tablet is too big for me to carry around as an everyday item. Glass+phone, paired with a surface pro+docking station (with GPU) would be about perfect for me.
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,766
993
126
Multiple devices, I can get like 45 hours of audio playback from my iPod Touch. On a phone that isn't going to happen. Since I listen to a lot of music it works out better I carry a phone + my iPod
 

black0ut

Member
Feb 23, 2013
26
0
0
It would be awesome if everything would be a single device, but the problem is battery life. If I use my phone as a music player, I have to worry about not having enough battery to call/text, and that's something I don't want to think about. Hence, separate devices for calling and music.