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    Google is building its own DeX: First look at Android's Desktop Mode

    (www.androidauthority.com)
    442 points logic_node | 12 comments | 13 May 25 14:30 UTC | HN request time: 0.955s | source | bottom
    1. jasonlotito ◴[13 May 25 15:02 UTC] No.43973736[source]▶
    Pretty sure Windows Phone did this over a decade ago. I mean, say what you want about Windows Phones, but yeah, this was a thing.
    replies(4): >>43973767 #>>43973789 #>>43973800 #>>43973860 #
    2. nashashmi ◴[13 May 25 15:05 UTC] No.43973767[source]▶
    They did. The lumia had this feature. It also had a liquid cooling system. But the windows computer was quite limited. This was before they migrated to windows one core.
    3. buzzerbetrayed ◴[13 May 25 15:08 UTC] No.43973789[source]▶
    As someone who likely never would have bought a windows phone, I sure wish Microsoft would have stuck with it
    4. runjake ◴[13 May 25 15:09 UTC] No.43973800[source]▶
    I'm not aware of any Windows Phone implementation like this that existed commercially. Can you point me to it?

    The first modern thing like this that I can recall is the 2011 Android-based Motorola Atrix phone[1] that presented a DeX-like desktop (well before DeX!).

    It used an Ubuntu-based desktop. It was really, really good, but never got traction.

    1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Atrix_4G

    replies(3): >>43975957 #>>43976589 #>>43981434 #
    5. TowerTall ◴[13 May 25 15:15 UTC] No.43973860[source]▶
    It was called "Continuum" and was introduced with Windows 10 Mobile. Worked pretty smoothly but it couldn't run win32 application only the new modern UWP apps. Introduced 6 Oct 2015 alongside the Nokia Lumia 950/950 XL. Discontinued when Windows 10 Mobile reached end of support in Dec 2019.

    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/de...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Continuum

    replies(1): >>43978256 #
    6. rcmjr ◴[13 May 25 18:14 UTC] No.43975957[source]▶
    It did. I have the 950xl and the display dock. At the time, it was such an awesome feature that the world and how we work was not ready for yet. https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Display-Dock-Lumia-HD-500/d...
    replies(2): >>43976059 #>>43976222 #
    7. runjake ◴[13 May 25 18:24 UTC] No.43976059{3}[source]▶
    Freaking cool. I don't know how I missed/forgot this, having been so immersed in the Windows Phone world. Thanks!

    I feel like this is something that could spur Windows/Windows Phone adoption in modern times.

    8. lern_too_spel ◴[13 May 25 18:42 UTC] No.43976222{3}[source]▶
    Display connectors were a problem back then. Now you can just use USB C.
    9. ThrowawayB7 ◴[13 May 25 19:20 UTC] No.43976589[source]▶
    The HP Elite x3 had it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Elite_x3 . The phone came with a docking cradle with desktop ports.
    10. p1necone ◴[13 May 25 22:02 UTC] No.43978256[source]▶
    I remember when MS was pushing UWP apps hard. So many things needlessly handicapped. I'm glad they seem to have kinda given up on that now.
    replies(1): >>43979333 #
    11. mardef ◴[14 May 25 00:12 UTC] No.43979333{3}[source]▶
    UWP was limited because it was the subset that could run on PC, Xbox, Phone, and HoloLens. Being able to make one responsive app and deploy it across that ecosystem was pretty awesome.

    But when you kill the non-PC platforms, you're just left with a reduced capability version of windows apps

    12. ◴[14 May 25 06:19 UTC] No.43981434[source]▶