Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock
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One of my biggest concerns is the wear and tear on the phone. New USB is way better than old USB, but I still do a lot to avoid wearing out the critical connector on my phone. We use a $75 impedance charger in the house often for that reason, too. I want to do things to reduce the chances of breaking or wearing that out, not increase them. My Phone is $800, my Chromebook is $179. The last thing that I want to do is do anything negative to my super expensive phone, just to manipulate the $179 Chromebook / Sentio range appliance.
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@penguinwrangler said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
Dex
Well, I didn't know anyone had something like that, but yes. I might actually get a Samsung now.
They were free if you bought your Galaxy S9 from Samsung during their promotion.
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@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@penguinwrangler said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
Dex
Well, I didn't know anyone had something like that, but yes. I might actually get a Samsung now.
They were free if you bought your Galaxy S9 from Samsung during their promotion.
Well crap....
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For personal use:
I really like the size of the Asus GL502vt. It's a very thin 15.6" laptop, excellent for anything I want to do from web design, programming, to gaming. At home, this thing basically stays docked unless I'm traveling. So when I'm not at my laptop or it's too inconvenient to use it, my phone works great in that case. But sometimes, I may be on my phone and have the need to do a lot of typing or need a larger screen to see more text clearly. (i hate typing on a phone and try to keep it minimal) In those cases, a 12" Chromebook is perfect... I can use that for the purpose, and keep using my phone as needed.
That Sentio thing just doesn't provide me with any benefit in my use cases... first the cost, second my phone will need to be docked, and my phone will not really be free, and third... more battery for all devices if they aren't tied together.
I'd much rather just have the Chromebook by itself, my laptop by itself, my phone by itself.
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@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
One of my biggest concerns is the wear and tear on the phone. New USB is way better than old USB, but I still do a lot to avoid wearing out the critical connector on my phone.
This is the reason I will never buy a device that uses micro-USB ever again. Since my last two phones have been USB-C, no wear at all, full snap-in every time the whole life of the phone.
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@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@penguinwrangler said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
As a laptop configuration, I don't see much value in it because at the price they are offering a Chromebook would be a lot better. Now if they had a small dock that would hook up to two external monitors and a regular keyboard or mouse. I might then be interested.
Like the Dex does for $99.
@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
For example, me. I hate the lack of power of a chromebook and despise track pads and chiclet keyboards.
This is carried on with the Sentio. Chromebooks offer high power, at high cost. The Sentio does too, but requires you to spend even more on phones to do that. And it has the same track pads and chicklet keyboards.
Chromebooks can use full keyboards and mice just like the Sentio.
Right. My keyboard/mouse section was actually meant as an individual solution, apart from the chromebook or Sentio. It could be used with these as well, sure, but it brings me back to "What is the problem you're trying to address?"
Okay, but we are discussing the Sentio here. And whether or not it has something to bring to the table.
Alright, to address this directly then:
From what I've read and researched on the Sentio (Not extensive), it looks like it is attempting to come at this from almost a thin-client perspective. With a Sentio, you wouldn't have to worry about updates on another device, you can use the 4G from your phone when you don't have wifi, and if it breaks, you wouldn't have to worry about reconfiguring when you get a new one.It looks like the main idea is unification of devices. I don't know about you guys, but synchronizing settings between programs that I use at work and at home can become somewhat of a hassle. I might have programmed a shortcut in MobaXterm at home, and went to use it at work and realized I didn't have it configured yet. That's a bit worse when we're talking about new computers starting from scratch. It's always a mild undertaking to ensure my personalization of devices gets synchronized across the board. Especially when work is not BYOD. I have two phones on my hip right now- work and personal. Work settled on Apple (I was very unhappy, but that's a different story) and I run an android. Windows PC with a Linux VM. Winows PC at home with a Pi running CentOS at home. Then, work laptop. Home laptop died and I haven't replaced it yet.
This seems to be the beginning of trying to answer "What if you only had to worry about one device for everything, and what if you could take it with you?"
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@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@penguinwrangler said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
As a laptop configuration, I don't see much value in it because at the price they are offering a Chromebook would be a lot better. Now if they had a small dock that would hook up to two external monitors and a regular keyboard or mouse. I might then be interested.
Like the Dex does for $99.
@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
For example, me. I hate the lack of power of a chromebook and despise track pads and chiclet keyboards.
This is carried on with the Sentio. Chromebooks offer high power, at high cost. The Sentio does too, but requires you to spend even more on phones to do that. And it has the same track pads and chicklet keyboards.
Chromebooks can use full keyboards and mice just like the Sentio.
Right. My keyboard/mouse section was actually meant as an individual solution, apart from the chromebook or Sentio. It could be used with these as well, sure, but it brings me back to "What is the problem you're trying to address?"
Okay, but we are discussing the Sentio here. And whether or not it has something to bring to the table.
Alright, to address this directly then:
From what I've read and researched on the Sentio (Not extensive), it looks like it is attempting to come at this from almost a thin-client perspective. With a Sentio, you wouldn't have to worry about updates on another device, you can use the 4G from your phone when you don't have wifi, and if it breaks, you wouldn't have to worry about reconfiguring when you get a new one.It looks like the main idea is unification of devices. I don't know about you guys, but synchronizing settings between programs that I use at work and at home can become somewhat of a hassle. I might have programmed a shortcut in MobaXterm at home, and went to use it at work and realized I didn't have it configured yet. That's a bit worse when we're talking about new computers starting from scratch. It's always a mild undertaking to ensure my personalization of devices gets synchronized across the board. Especially when work is not BYOD. I have two phones on my hip right now- work and personal. Work settled on Apple (I was very unhappy, but that's a different story) and I run an android. Windows PC with a Linux VM. Winows PC at home with a Pi running CentOS at home. Then, work laptop. Home laptop died and I haven't replaced it yet.
This seems to be the beginning of trying to answer "What if you only had to worry about one device for everything, and what if you could take it with you?"
I feel like this will extend to basically having a pocket computer. Take it home, plug it into monitors. On the go, cell phone and a laptop-like dock, like Sentio. Take it to work, plug it into monitors.
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@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
Alright, to address this directly then:
From what I've read and researched on the Sentio (Not extensive), it looks like it is attempting to come at this from almost a thin-client perspective. With a Sentio, you wouldn't have to worry about updates on another device, you can use the 4G from your phone when you don't have wifi, and if it breaks, you wouldn't have to worry about reconfiguring when you get a new one.You don't worry about updates on Chromebook, either. But you DO on your phone. So this is a negative, not a positive, IMHO. It seems like all their "benefits" are smoke and mirrors. They sound good till you think about them.
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@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
It looks like the main idea is unification of devices. I don't know about you guys, but synchronizing settings between programs that I use at work and at home can become somewhat of a hassle. I might have programmed a shortcut in MobaXterm at home, and went to use it at work and realized I didn't have it configured yet. That's a bit worse when we're talking about new computers starting from scratch. It's always a mild undertaking to ensure my personalization of devices gets synchronized across the board. Especially when work is not BYOD. I have two phones on my hip right now- work and personal. Work settled on Apple (I was very unhappy, but that's a different story) and I run an android. Windows PC with a Linux VM. Winows PC at home with a Pi running CentOS at home. Then, work laptop. Home laptop died and I haven't replaced it yet.
This I get some, but Chromebooks focus on this too. So two things approaching the same problem in two ways.
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@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
This seems to be the beginning of trying to answer "What if you only had to worry about one device for everything, and what if you could take it with you?"
And the answer for me is...
I REALLY don't want to be dependent on just one device. And I don't want to have to take everything with me all the time.
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@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
This seems to be the beginning of trying to answer "What if you only had to worry about one device for everything, and what if you could take it with you?"
And the answer for me is...
I REALLY don't want to be dependent on just one device. And I don't want to have to take everything with me all the time.
You could still have redundancy with one device. Keep a spare.
As far as taking everything with you... What all are you taking with you?
Phone and laptop? With the concept that they seem to be envisioning, it wouldn't change that at all, per se. It would just all run from the same system.
Data? Data should be backed up in some form or another. Even with sensitive data, there are solutions for that.@scottalanmiller said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
It looks like the main idea is unification of devices. I don't know about you guys, but synchronizing settings between programs that I use at work and at home can become somewhat of a hassle. I might have programmed a shortcut in MobaXterm at home, and went to use it at work and realized I didn't have it configured yet. That's a bit worse when we're talking about new computers starting from scratch. It's always a mild undertaking to ensure my personalization of devices gets synchronized across the board. Especially when work is not BYOD. I have two phones on my hip right now- work and personal. Work settled on Apple (I was very unhappy, but that's a different story) and I run an android. Windows PC with a Linux VM. Winows PC at home with a Pi running CentOS at home. Then, work laptop. Home laptop died and I haven't replaced it yet.
This I get some, but Chromebooks focus on this too. So two things approaching the same problem in two ways.
My concern wraps back around to power. Then, once that is resolved, because I feel like there is something out there that does solve this, then we move over to compatibility. Then it becomes a contender against Windows, Mac, and Linux. The reason I don't run linux at home right now is due to some compatibility that caused issues the last time I tried. I adamantly want to check into that again, but that was where it was left off. Mac.. I'm not a fan of apple at all. Windows is the de facto standard. This actually displeases me more than anything, but that is a different discussion.
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After seeing the site. I think it is looking to solve a problem that doesn't exist.
If I have to carry around a fake netbook, I may as well carry a real one. And I don't have to dock it to the side of the screen.
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@wrx7m said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
After seeing the site. I think it is looking to solve a problem that doesn't exist.
If I have to carry around a fake netbook, I may as well carry a real one. And I don't have to dock it to the side of the screen.
That sums up my feelings. There's no problem being solved, what I have today is better in every way from what I can tell.
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@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
This I get some, but Chromebooks focus on this too. So two things approaching the same problem in two ways.
My concern wraps back around to power.
Power meaning performance, not battery. Sure. But neither the phone nor the Chromebook have much power, but both probably have more than you imagine. basically, if the phone is good enough, the Chromebooks are good too. Of the Chromebooks don't cut it, the phone won't either. Chromebooks come with some serious power if you want (up to i7 and 16GB RAM) but those are pricey.
Although as an IT person or developers, I find even entry level Chromebooks (maybe not the 2GB models, but the modern 4GB one with OP1s) are powerful enough for essentially any IT task.
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@fiyafly said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
You could still have redundancy with one device. Keep a spare.
That's not a single device. Now it is two devices that I have to keep PLUS the attachments to make them useful. Instead of my spare being $180, now my spare is $800. And now my spare is useless when not in use instead of being a useful secondary form factor.
I think this line of thinking shows how bad the single device / Sentio approach is in reality. We start doing insane things to make the appearance of convenience viable.
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Canonical already tried this and gave up... I'm curious to see if this succeeds. Honestly, I think it'll fail. This is even clunkier.
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I kinda like the idea, but I hate the way they mount the phone. It looks really cheesy.
But for $129 i think it's a not a bad price
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@irj said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
I kinda like the idea, but I hate the way they mount the phone. It looks really cheesy.
But for $129 i think it's a not a bad price
For a few dollars more, you can get an whole Asus Chromebook, no phone required.
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@irj said in Sentio, an Android Laptop Dock:
I kinda like the idea, but I hate the way they mount the phone. It looks really cheesy.
But for $129 i think it's a not a bad price
It was $150 when I looked, which seems awful given the $179 price of a great Chromebook.
