Wanted: A Smart Standardized Dock

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://gdgt.com/discuss/smartphones-dumb-docks-proposal-if-there-was-c3y/?utm_source=gdgt+newsletter&utm_campaign=d5b5743a33-Newsletter+/+2011-01-26&utm_medium=email' target='_blank'>http://gdgt.com/discuss/smartphones...tm_medium=email</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"There is, of course, one big problem with that vision: it only works if every phone is compatible with every dock. There's no point in carrying around just your phone if the likelihood that the place you're headed is going to have a compatible dock is small. So I'd like to propose that somebody (yes, it should probably be Google) put together a standard webtop OS and dock connector so that we can use any phone with any dock."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1296079751.usr7.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>For a long time I've wanted to see smartphones have the ability to dock and become "full" computers. It makes sense - why carry a laptop, a tablet, and a smartphone: Carry 1 with a small external screen it can connect to, and have docks at your desks, and you're all set. Seems easy, however my fear is that as OEMs start to say "Yea, sounds good" they do exactly what the writer above fears: proprietary docks. Come on all, standardize and make a great product that actually changes how I work, instead of complicating it!</p>

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I remember the Foleo. Do you?

[Sven Johannsen]

I remember the Foleo. Do you?
Yes.

Consider this. I can buy a laptop dock that offers USB ports, ethernet, sound and even video, that hooks up to my laptop via a USB port. (e.g. | ACP51USZ | by Targus (http://www.targus.com/us/productdetail.aspx?regionId=7&sku=ACP51USZ)) So why can't this be done with Smartphones? It involves the drivers, but beyond that we are talking about the same USB standard found on laptops...except that smartphones are client ports not host ports, today. Back in the day there was a PPC or two that had host hardware that folks hacked drivers for and hook keyboards to. Doesn't sound that tough to me. Just how much extra would you pay fo the option?

[Chris Hordley]

Yes.

Consider this. I can buy a laptop dock that offers USB ports, ethernet, sound and even video, that hooks up to my laptop via a USB port. (e.g. | ACP51USZ | by Targus (http://www.targus.com/us/productdetail.aspx?regionId=7&sku=ACP51USZ)) So why can't this be done with Smartphones? ...Doesn't sound that tough to me. Just how much extra would you pay for the option?

Less than for a new netbook or tablet. I have been thinking this for a while. Some things synch or nearly do and others don't and I use my phone a lot. I just want it to have a bigger screen sometimes.