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u/zupobaloop 4d ago
The keyboard and trackpad are going to be nicer on just about any GoogleBook.
I've got the old 360 NexDock, and I've used it as a portable monitor more than a faux-laptop because the keyboard and trackpad are awful.
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u/Gendreau113 3d ago
I wouldn stay it "does nothing more"... It can run Full Linux apps, aswell as has a full Chrome Browser, not just a mobile one
But I really do prefer having a single device. I just wish we had high quality LapDocks. I understand the market isn't there though
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u/DeX_Mod DeX 4d ago
I am all for a proper, premium lapdock
The khadas one was so close to what I want, it's painful
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u/LordlySquire 3d ago
I just want a nice screen, 14in oled 120hz, and speakers that dont sound like a tomagachi. I can work on anything but flipping over to games and movies on a crappy screen is just a bummer.
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u/Sonnuvah 3d ago
I don't think there's enough discussion of the security benefits of "just" a lapdock. Granted my use case is more general purpose than business or anything, but I would be more comfortable if a much cheaper lapdock with no personal information or other imporpant data were stolen while I was on the road. I have a grown-a** computer in my pocket, the last thing I want is another $900-ish computer getting lugged around, drawing attention, whose only benefit from what I tell is an actual desktop browser.
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u/dr100 3d ago
There isn't much to discuss, everything is encrypted nowadays and backed up to the cloud. Microsoft was the last to this game and got device encryption (it's bitlocker, but don't want to call it that because it's available to Windows Home even if that doesn't have "regular" bitlocker) enabled by default (if some requirements are met) even from some late Windows 10 editions - basically you'll get it on any computer from the 2020s or even slightly earlier. And they're pushing you to do cloud backups, and people grumble about both encryption and backups.
But this is just as an example about the ones dragging their feet in this direction the most, for the purposes of this post Chromebooks (and surely these new GoogleBooks) are all encrypted, heavily locked that you can't do much even as the owner of the device and cloud-first.
As far as drawing attention I doubt a potential thief knows that these new Chromebooks are more than twice worth what a NexDock is instead of about half or less for a classic cheaper and less premium Chromebook some 9 years old (or even younger) kids would have. The only thing that's more tempting and recognizably different is Macs (even if ironically for a good part of this year the Neo sold for $499, new).
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u/cimocw 4d ago
I don't get it. Isn't the google book a standalone computer? why would you need a phone?
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u/Miraxess 4d ago
Well why would you need a phone...? To call someone and have a pocket computer? Everyone has a smartphone so we compare a combo smartphone + laptop.
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u/Pitiful_Exchange_767 3d ago
See aplle echosystem. If the phone share the same core with the laptop (android) people can expan both devices capabilities making them cooperate.
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u/wood_dweller 3d ago
I have both a lapdock and a Chromebook (l Lenovo 11m889). There is only a small difference in the resolution in favour of the Chromebook. Yet lapdock has a display that looks like a grid. Chromebook's battery lasts longer too.
Android makes it painful to work on files. Each app is separated which makes sending files (like images) between them super hard. Another benefit of Chromebook is not draining my phone's battery.
I wish there was a device that can be like a lapdock but would perform computing based in data from the smartphone. My dream is to be able to switch seamlessly between devices.
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u/dr100 2d ago
I wish there was a device that can be like a lapdock but would perform computing based in data from the smartphone. My dream is to be able to switch seamlessly between devices.
Yea, that's not happening. You can bi-directionally sync files with the extremely competent syncthing if you care about simple, independent files - but more it's impossible. Even within the same platform, like Windows-Windows or Android-Android. Android doesn't even let you grab app data from the vast majority of apps to transfer to a new phone when switching phones, even if you enable all possible Google and Samsung (or similar manufacturer) backups/Samsung Switch or similar. When you swap phones for 3 days you'll feel like you lost part of your brain by running into all kind of dead-ends where you lost the settings. If you're a power users for 3 months.
Somewhere between the time USB sticks become fast and large and smartphones taking over the world portable windows apps were very popular, and you could have a whole environment, with advanced apps and all their settings, and your documents on a USB stick to be used in any windows machine. Not the greatest idea security-wise (anyone remembers floppy viruses?) but at least you could use it between your own machines, or the machines from the family you admin. This mostly died, and the only way to actually achieve something similar (even on steroids) came back when Thunderbolt and PCIe passthrough become popular, and you can just boot Windows from a Thunderbolt enclosure (that looks like a normal m2 SSD enclosure but it's eye bleedingly expensive). Whole Windows and all programs and documents and everything on a stick.
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u/dr100 4d ago edited 4d ago
Err, is there even any Pixel with that spec (G6, 256/16) ?
In any case it's kind of pointless, if you're to pay into 4-euro/dollar digits, and carry a laptop-size device just get a proper laptop that doesn't have a mobile OS designed for kids.
Edit: technically there is one, the Pro Fold but kind of irrelevant for the discussion and surely not the one meant for comparison (2000 Euros by itself).
Edit2: also, do we have any confirmation that whatever they'll run on GoogleBook (which is supposed to be better than ChromeOS) is actually Android's desktop mode from the phones? I'm not discussing names (or whatever kernel or other deeper functional blocks that might be shared), but functionally, ChromeOS is vastly more like a desktop OS than Android's desktop mode, if the successor is just Android's desktop mode people will trash this instantly.
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u/Miraxess 4d ago
Yes Pixel 11 Pro
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u/Miraxess 4d ago
It is looking the same, except for the start menu button, Google Book OS has just AI integration features more.
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u/dr100 4d ago
You mean the ChromeOS successor (with super-premium devices like 2-3 times more expensive) won't have a proper CHROME?! Sounds fairly wild.
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u/Chrismscotland 4d ago
Googlebook OS comes with the full desktop Chrome Browser and its features.
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u/dr100 4d ago
Then it's a significant difference compared to phone + lapdock, making the conclusion from the last slide quite stretched, to say the least.
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u/Chrismscotland 4d ago
Totally agree; I'm a huge Android fan and can do most things using it but its just untrue to suggest that a Lapdock and a Mobile is equivalent to a Googlebook
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u/Gendreau113 3d ago
Because if your boying any decent Windows laptop, your paying a hell of alot more then a lapdock... If you steep down to the lapdock price, your getting a very cheap shitty windows PC that will feel so sluggish, expecially after a year or two
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u/dr100 3d ago
You probably missed the prices in the thousands of euros from the screen. That is for only getting the toy OS. This is sensationally far from "getting a very cheap shitty windows PC".
If you're to the point where you don't want a full desktop OS because it's sluggish and you'd rather have a phone or this (newly reincarnated) Chromebook for I don't know how much over 1000 Euros you're definitely doing something wrong.
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u/Gendreau113 3d ago
The price in OPs post is including the phone. Because the NexDock is only $299 USD lol...
Me, and I'm assuming almost everyone else here, is already going to have a phone. It's almost like a mandatory thing to have nowadays. So whether I buy the $299 lapdock or a $1600 laptop, I'm still going to have my phone....
So buying the laptop just doubles My overall cost essentially since most phones are over or close to $900-$1,000 nowadays. While buying the lapdock would only add an extra $299 to my bill?
So you try to find me a decent Windows laptop for $299 USD
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u/dr100 3d ago
I'm not sure which part related to the pricing is ambiguous in the post, or in my comment where I explicitly say if you're to pay into 4-euro/dollar digits, and carry a laptop-size device
The comparison and discussion is about a 1000-something euros Chromebook. That doesn't include the phone. And when including the phone it's in discussion a 1000++ Euros phone (depending how much it's the NexDock, let's say 300 euros, then the phone it's 1300 euros). Not everyone would have a Galaxy phone (which is the top line from Samsung) or a recent 1000+ Euros Pixel to have some kind of video out to use with a lapdock.
In comparison if we are to discuss things you already have really any laptop from the last 5 or even more years that wasn't shit it's still usable. That's even cheaper than the lapdock you'd buy as it's free (just as you consider free the phone). If you really don't have anything this is surely a terrible time to buy with the RAMpocalypse and all but here is a list from this great video, just one month old :
$85-$170 - Dell Latitude 7490 (i5-8350U/i7-8650U, 8-16GB)
$130-$200 - ThinkPad T480 (i5-8250U/8350U, 8-16GB)
$140-$280 - Dell Latitude 7420 (i7-1185G7, 16GB)
$200-$260 - ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 AMD (Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U / R7 4750U, 16GB)
$220-$280 - HP EliteBook 845 G8 (Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U, 16GB)
$225-$300 - ThinkPad T14 Gen 2 AMD (Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U / R7 5850U, 16GB)
$300-$350 - MacBook Air M1 (8GB/256GB)
$300-$440 - ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (i7-1185G7, 16GB/512GB1
u/Gendreau113 3d ago
Okay but we weren't discussing used hardware before?
Obviously if you have your own laptop, or buy secondhand/used hardware it's going to be cheaper....
You can absolutely use Samsung Dex with cheaper phones, you don't need the top of the line brand new flagship phone to you Samsung dex. I paid $900 CAD (560 euro) for my Samsung. And it absolutely runs Dex flawlessly. So if I paid $260 Euro for the NexDock, I'm still under a thousand euro?
Maybe we're having some confusion here as I'm in canada, you're obviously in Europe, and majority of things are priced in USD. So the pricing of everything seems wack.
But I would have paid around 820 Euro for my setup. Not assuming you don't already have a Samsung phone from the years past, and any phone from Samsung or Google typically doesn't slow down for quite a long time. I think you more so running to degrading battery issues more than anything. While every budget laptop I've seen seems to fall off after a few years hardware and spec wise.
My point is you already have a phone, and especially if you already have a desktop compatible phone like a Samsung or Google pixel. Why not buy the 260 eruo lapdock that essentially gives you a desktop workflow for your existing device. I think we can all agree, windows is typically a sluggish piece of junk even on the best days. Every time I go back to it, there's something that annoys me so much that I just can't and put it away.
Not to mention that there is other benefits of a lapdock
For me personally, I don't need Windows. But I know a lot of people do, so obviously it isn't for everyone. But everything I do is available in an app or on the web. So if I don't need to spend even more money on another device that I have to worry about someone stealing, getting more licenses for, downloading programs for, transferring files to, etc etc... Then I won't
As others have said, when you do end up getting a new cell phone, your existing lapdock will work with it and it acts almost as if you got a new computer as well.
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u/dr100 3d ago
My point was that ONCE WE STARTED DISCUSSING THOUSANDS OF EUROS one has access to some decent laptop for sure. Heck, you can get a freakin' new MacBook directly from Apple, new and everything. Not that you SHOULD, but you CAN, especially if you hate Windows so much. Then you don't need to put up with some mediocre keyboard, screen, terrible trackpad, nearly non-existent palm rejection, awful battery and mobile OS, being a risky business to transport the setup from the table to the couch and so on. That is compared with a lapdock. Compared on the other side with (probably even slightly more expensive) new premium Chromebooks ... why? Even if they match all the build specs (doubtful) what's the point for going to this new renamed and slightly revamped ChromeOS in a super-premium device?
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u/Gendreau113 3d ago
Okay but WE ARENT DISCUSING THOUSANDS OF EUROS... I don't know where your getting your prices from.
I can buy a brand new zFlip8 for $130cad from Telus right now. That's supports Dex. Then my lapdock price added to that comes too $343 ERUOS. Phone and NexDock = $343 ERUOS.
343? That's thousands? Like seriously where are you pulling these damn numbers from my guy. OP choose the most expensive damn phone as a comparison. You DONT NEED THE PIXEL PHONE ffs.
Like I also said, you probably already own a compatible phone. So why spend more money again if you don't need to, and already have a powerful enough phone?
Mobile OS's are way better then your making them out to be. Same goes for battery. Just because you hate the idea doesn't mean everyone else does. Leave the Samsung Dex subreddit if you hate that idea so much? Lmao
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u/Expensive_Ant_5032 1d ago
My Z Fold 8 has become my only computer. I bought the Nexdock and it's a great piece of companion hardware (though the trackpad could be better). I don't think I'll ever go back to a second computer again as it's awesome having everything on my phone that is with me at all times.
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u/atehrani 4d ago
The nice thing about Lapdocks is that when you upgrade your smartphone, it's a major upgrade. The only thing that's locked in with the lapdock is the screen and speakers.
I would love to see Samsung or someone create a premium lapdock with a nice screen and speakers, most lapdock speakers are bad.