And whose fault is it exactly? Those things have more than enough power to run a full GNU/Linux distribution, complete with IDE and all.
There are a few easy (yet deal-breaking) problems. We don't have docking stations like laptops do, and I bet the driver support for GNU/Linux is crap. Then there's the mismatch between desktop peripherals and a tiny touch screen.
The hard problem is the weakness of the CPU. Right now, we're kinda set back 12 years. We could imagine the docking station providing some co-processor, even additional RAM, or something that gives the phone more processing power when docked. Solve that with a standard docking interface, and you just turned phones into ultra-portable desktop computers. (Oh, and don't forget to invent a virtual machine that can be efficiently implemented in hardware. Something like asm.js or SPIR-V might be a starting point.)
> I can write any app I want for my iPhone, and I can share the source code with others, and they can then install it on their phones...
Don't everyone is supposed to pay something like 99$ a year for the privilege?
I don't see the point. If your docking station needs a coprocessor, why not just use a desktop? I think that mobile use vs. desktop use cases are so different, that two devices make sense.
> Don't everyone is supposed to pay something like 99$ a year for the privilege?
Developer Program Membership is no longer required. As of XCode 7, all you need is a (free) Apple ID to sign software for your device. You do need a paid membership for access to App Store distribution and for integrating services like Apple Pay.
> If your docking station needs a coprocessor, why not just use a desktop?
So I can carry my environment with me.
All with my OS, my custom keyboard, my own special vimacs… My email and favourite web pages are the same on the move and on the desk. I want to take quick notes while on the move, and organise them when I settle at home. I don't want to worry about synchronisation. I want backups of course, but that can be automated each time I have a fast connection.
Do do that, there are 2 problems to overcome: the first is storage: we need our phones to carry several terabytes of data. Thankfully with the new stacking flash memories, this should be achievable.
The second is processing power: it can be low while on the move, but we gotta achieve desktop performance at home. I don't see how we could avoid the need for co-processors in this case.
And whose fault is it exactly? Those things have more than enough power to run a full GNU/Linux distribution, complete with IDE and all.
There are a few easy (yet deal-breaking) problems. We don't have docking stations like laptops do, and I bet the driver support for GNU/Linux is crap. Then there's the mismatch between desktop peripherals and a tiny touch screen.
The hard problem is the weakness of the CPU. Right now, we're kinda set back 12 years. We could imagine the docking station providing some co-processor, even additional RAM, or something that gives the phone more processing power when docked. Solve that with a standard docking interface, and you just turned phones into ultra-portable desktop computers. (Oh, and don't forget to invent a virtual machine that can be efficiently implemented in hardware. Something like asm.js or SPIR-V might be a starting point.)
> I can write any app I want for my iPhone, and I can share the source code with others, and they can then install it on their phones...
Don't everyone is supposed to pay something like 99$ a year for the privilege?