Dual screen phone
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timwhit
Hairy Aussie
Looks kind of clunky. I'll admit I only skimmed the review, but can it run a separate application on each of the screens and switch back and forth between them? Say web browser in one and GMail in the other? The screens also seem to be pretty far apart for using a single application and having it stretch across both screens.
time
Storage? I am Storage!
Yes, it can show any two apps (or two instances of the same app, eg two different web pages), or it can bridge them across both screens. As the review says, that's a huge help with maps, etc.
Not sure that the line down the middle is the issue that some seem to think - have you looked at a multi-monitor gaming setup?
Not sure that the line down the middle is the issue that some seem to think - have you looked at a multi-monitor gaming setup?
ddrueding
Fixture
It does look interesting. Not sure exactly how many times I would need the second screen. Perhaps once video phone tech shows up? Even my existing crappy phone does task switching very well. Maybe reviewing a document and writing an e-mail? I hate reviewing PDFs on my phone as it is; it just needs to have more pixels.
timwhit
Hairy Aussie
Running two apps at the same time would be very nice. I wonder if the phone is up to the task though? My Evo 4G has similar hardware specs and I don't know that it could handle this smoothly.
It might not be a problem for a game, but I think it would be annoying to read a document or article with a few mm gap in the middle.
Why didn't they add 4G to this? I use my 4G service daily and the speed boost is very nice, especially for streaming music with Subsonic.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
Errr .. wouldn't it be better to just use a real computer in the first place? You know, one with an actual screen? Wouldn't it maker more sense to .....
.... oh never mind.
Phones are for talking on.
.... oh never mind.
Phones are for talking on.
Tea
Storage? I am Storage!
^ or, in your case, they are for leaving in the glove box with the battery gone flat for months at a time just to make sure that no unimportant bugger (such as your mother or your best friend) can ever talk to you.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
So? It works for me.
Tea
Storage? I am Storage!
Bahhh ... you just enjoy being difficult.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
No. Phones waste time. If it's important, they can email.
Tea
Storage? I am Storage!
But you never read your email!
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
Why should I? I haven't got time to go through all that stuff. Chances are, if it's important, they will phone me.
Tea
Storage? I am Storage!
But you nev-
oh, I give up
you are hopeless
oh, I give up
you are hopeless
Howell
Storage? I am Storage!
I have Tea on ignore so these little diversions look even more schizophrenic. 
This must be what it's like watching it live.
This must be what it's like watching it live.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
I would like to make the case that a machine with a 1GHz CPU and something north of 256MB RAM would have been a desktop machine worthy of drool just 10 years ago, and having that computer in an SMP configuration would have been godly, especially when it's tapped in to an always-on 2Mbps internet connection. And that's where phones are today.
time
Storage? I am Storage!
I have Tea on ignore so these little diversions look even more schizophrenic.
You should try it with Tannin on ignore. It made me realize that Tea is actually Tannin's concept of what a wife would be like.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
Fair enough, Merc. I'd use it myself ...... just so long as you give it a proper 22" screen.
Oh, and a decent keyboard.
Oh, and a decent keyboard.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
I've had her on ignore for years, mate. Never seems to make any damn difference though.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Fair enough, Merc. I'd use it myself ...... just so long as you give it a proper 22" screen.
The whole point is to have access when one is not near those things.
Plus it's kind of nice to be able to reply to e-mail while taking a porcelain vacation.
timwhit
Hairy Aussie
Try to browse the modern web on a 10 year old computer, kind of sucks.
Tannin
Storage? I am Storage!
I'd have thought it would go OK, long as you give it a decent amount of RAM.
Let's see .... 2011 >> 2001 .... Thunderbird 1200C, 30GB hard drive, maybe an Athlon XP 1700 and a 7200 RPM 60GB drive if you were feeling extravagent. Yeah, I'd surf the web happily enough with that rig. Wouldn't be all that much slower than any laptop made today. But .... and it's a big but ... you'd need a lot more RAM than that system originally shipped with. 2GB and it would scoot along very nicely.
Merc is right, of course, but his ten year figure is a little out. Close though. Drooling for 1GHz and 256MB, that was more a 2000, early 2001 thing. After March 2000 you could just buy that 1GHz machine if you wanted it - they cost a lot at first, but the 900MHz Athlons were very nearly as quick and half the price.
Net result: off the top of his head with a casual comment, Merc is at worst about six months off the exact date - I reckon that's pretty good for an old fellah!
Let's see .... 2011 >> 2001 .... Thunderbird 1200C, 30GB hard drive, maybe an Athlon XP 1700 and a 7200 RPM 60GB drive if you were feeling extravagent. Yeah, I'd surf the web happily enough with that rig. Wouldn't be all that much slower than any laptop made today. But .... and it's a big but ... you'd need a lot more RAM than that system originally shipped with. 2GB and it would scoot along very nicely.
Merc is right, of course, but his ten year figure is a little out. Close though. Drooling for 1GHz and 256MB, that was more a 2000, early 2001 thing. After March 2000 you could just buy that 1GHz machine if you wanted it - they cost a lot at first, but the 900MHz Athlons were very nearly as quick and half the price.
Net result: off the top of his head with a casual comment, Merc is at worst about six months off the exact date - I reckon that's pretty good for an old fellah!
ddrueding
Fixture
Yup, if they were to give a modern phone HDMI out and bluetooth keyboard support, quite a few people could get away with it as their primary machine.
Will Rickards
Storage Is My Life
Except for the battery life, yes. The EVO fits your criteria I think (not 100% sure of bluetooth keyboard support).
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Well, that WAS an off the cuff comment, not meant to be taken with precision. But truthfully, the phones that are being released right now are shipping with 1.2GHz dual-core CPUs, which is close enough to the start of things in 2Q 2001 that I'd be comfortable with that shorthand.
They're not the same cycles per second, obviously. And the RAM workload between Linux or iOS is going to be different from desktop Windows. Linux has ALWAYS been better about RAM than Windows.
re: Modern web browser for an old machine, the best thing I've found to use is K-Meleon. Users get some of the "please upgrade your browser" messages meant for IE6 users, but stuff works.