Indeed. Even before this the Nokia N900 could run a Debian desktop.
I found Samsung DeX to be usable, if a bit awkward at times. By far the most annoying limitation was being limited to Android and not being able to install more powerful software. Termux is stuck on a version in the Google play store because apps may not longer be published using some features Termux requires.
Years ago Microsoft did try the other way around - making Windows into a touch/mobile interface - but made both the desktop and mobile experiences a bit worse. Several linux-based projects are attempting to bridge the gap there, but they are often limited by compatible hardware and a lack of openness mobile device component manufacturers exhibit.
Google and Apple have very little economic incentive to open up their ecosystems. It really shows comparing how open Android used to be in comparison to how it is now.
The Nokia N9 had potential too for this, but was limited by the Micro-USB port. It’s funny, the phones have been “ready” for this idea, but it’s the external lapdock part that seems to be the blocker. USB-C gets us closer, but the NexDock is pretty bad — poor battery life, poor screen quality, bad touchpad. Sadly it’s just too niche I think. By the time a small run lapdock with high enough quality exists, it’s now competing price wise with real laptops with much greater performance…
HP made a really nice dock for their Windows phone back in the day. Many people still use them with DeX, the right hardware version can do it. I wish they still made them.
> Termux is stuck on a version in the Google play store because apps may not longer be published using some features Termux requires.
The Google Play Store version was considered deprecated long before the feature issues; You should use the F-Droid version instead: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.termux/
I found Samsung DeX to be usable, if a bit awkward at times. By far the most annoying limitation was being limited to Android and not being able to install more powerful software. Termux is stuck on a version in the Google play store because apps may not longer be published using some features Termux requires.
Years ago Microsoft did try the other way around - making Windows into a touch/mobile interface - but made both the desktop and mobile experiences a bit worse. Several linux-based projects are attempting to bridge the gap there, but they are often limited by compatible hardware and a lack of openness mobile device component manufacturers exhibit.
Google and Apple have very little economic incentive to open up their ecosystems. It really shows comparing how open Android used to be in comparison to how it is now.