Smart-Phone as Computer?

[One Awesome Inch]

Anyone using their smart-phone as their sole computer?

I recently found I can hook up an external keyboard and mouse using a female usb to micro male end.

Just thinking it might be the best way to minimize power use.

Would you even need a 'house battery' if it only draws 2100 mAh?

Keep in mind this will see heavy use. I would like to be able to use it for 8 hrs at a time at minimum. It will be my sole source of entertainment (besides books) and when I am not on the web, I'd like to use it to play music to drown out the noise outside the van.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Before I gave up the Sprint (expensive) plan, I use the Android most all the time.
Now, I use it as a pocket computer (insurance card & lots more), and with wifi pretty often.
I thought about a mini keyboard, but never got one.

Never noticed any problem keeping charged back when we took the van camping before we got the RV and sold the van.
I have no factual info to back this up, but should be ok.

 

[offroad]

Android or iOS (iPhone) you have to practice. I could get by with either and using only library free computers when needed. Others can't.

 

[Lucky mike]

when they make a smart phone with a 12" screen I might try it.......I cant see the screen otherwise

 

[minimotos95]

just for general web browsing, sure, I use my gingerbread android phone all the time for web browsing, video and music streaming. USB car chargers don't draw more then a few amps so if your starting battery is big enough to spare some juice I don't see a problem charging a phone a few times without charging the starting battery(I have done this a few times on a small civic battery). the math on how many times you can charge the phone is going to depend on your particular battery and how much power the starter needs to start the motor.
as always a house battery is the safest way to go.
there's also alternative USB chargers like solar, AA, AAA, hand crank, etc.

but for anything like office applications or video production a computer is the only way to go.

 

[kyonu]

You could always get a usb-to-vga or hdmi adapter, get a monitor, keyboard and mouse (using a powered USB hub) and hook em all up. Works just like a laptop, and would only cost about 150 bucks.

 

[caseyc]

Ever try to create an Excel spreadsheet on a small phone screen? Or a Powerpoint presentation? Although maybe not impossible, it would be quite a challenge. I can easily create a simple Word document on a smartphone, unless it's something extensive like an employment resume. For some tasks, it's way better to use a mouse with the ability for right and left clicks to highlight, copy, paste, etc. Even though my smartphone has a relatively large 5.5" screen and even has a stylus pen for additional functionality, it's just a pain in the @ss to do something that should really be done on a laptop or desktop computer.

 

[offroad]

Get a hdmi adapter for your phone. That will make it big screen

 

[Zil]

A smart phone will not replace a computer at this time of their development.

 

[offroad]

Zill - not true. 90% of computers use browsers. You can get most done with a browser.

 

[kyonu]

Zill - not true. 90% of computers use browsers. You can get most done with a browser.

No, only people who know how to use browsers can get anything done with a browser. I think Zil means in regards to high-quality video editing and the like.

With my $.02, Android can do most anything. it can playback high-end HD video, 7.1 surround sound, browse at the same speed as a computer, etc.

I use my nexus5 for almost anything work related, it's just too small to be productive. I work IT, and I can look up Active Directory information, modify it, add to it, work on Exchange servers, etc--all through my android. It's definitely possible to get by. Gaming can be hard, or anything else requiring a lot of video memory--but that's about it.

Also, using Google Chrome for work is a godsend. It's so fast now, and you can use it to remotely connect to other PC's, use it to auto-notify you with gmail or text message, etc. It's a computer all in itself.

 

[akrvbob]

To me it is entertainment versus productivity. If you want to produce something, then no, it won't do. If you just want entertainment, it will be great by itself,

Of course nothing is that black and white, but as a broad idea I think it's valid.
Bob

 

[David]

When I first started I used my Tacoma truck for 3 months and I used my phone most of the time. Now if I'm using my data or my deep cycles have a low charge then I use my tablet tethered to my phone. If my house batteries are fine which is almost always and I'm near wifi, I use my laptop.

 

[jwilds73]

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the Smart Dock while I don't use it as my sole computer. I have used it when traveling for work, I hooked it all up to the hotel's tv and never paid for TV or internet in the room. I find it functions quite well as a computer. Also for those that would use it for entertainment, coupled with a bluetooth controller and some emulator's you've got hours of entertainment.

Here is a video review of the Smart Dock

I bought this keyboard to use with it because it had a touchpad built in http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126315

And this powered USB hub http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817404046

Further you'd want a stereo to RCA cable to hook up the sound to the TV or use a bluetooth speaker. I found in the hotel that the volume was limited on the TV so hooking up the cable and bluetooth speaker (on nightstand next to bed) helped me hear better.

 

[caseyc]

Ahhh, another gadget freak...like me! I feel sorry for you, joke! I also have a Samsung Note 2 along with a bunch of accessories including an HDMI cord to mirror to a large screen television. Simply stream Netflix movies from my phone mirrored directly to the TV! As for Bluetooth portable speakers, I have LOTS of those too, haha!

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the Smart Dock while I don't use it as my sole computer.
And this powered USB hub http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817404046

 

[SternWake]

I've had a smartphone for a little over 2 months now, and it has significantly reduced the amount of battery power I use nightly. anywhere from 7 to 25 amp hours less each overnight.

But I cannot stand typing into the Smartphone. The talk to text transcriber is not good enough. I can type on a laptop faster than the time it takes me to go back and fix the mistakes.

CaseyC, how much Data is used streaming a Movie on Netflix?

I used only 80MB of Data last billing cycle, 300 texts and 230 minutes and my bill was $24.81.

Cant believe I was paying AT&T 70$ a month for a feature phone. Good riddance to that plan, and phone.

 

[caseyc]

You might already know this, but try turning your smartphone sideways so that the virtual keyboard is larger horizontally which makes it easier to type. You may have to enable automatic screen rotation on your phone if it's not already set that way. Also, your phone might have keyboard settings so that you can enlarge the key buttons to make it easier to type. Finally, if none of those things work, you might explore paying for a 3rd party app for a better keyboard. I've paid for more than several different keyboards over the years, and I can tell you that some are positively better than others. My favorite keyboard is the one where the numbers are always on top of the letters so that I don't have to manually press the stupid symbol key for numbers to show up. As for Netflix streaming, I've never looked to see how much data is used because I have unlimited grandfathered 4G LTE through Verizon. One day before starting a Netflix movie, I will try to remember to check the data usage first prior to the movie, and then checking again after the movie to see how much data was chewed up. You only used 80MB, as in Megabytes? As in LESS than a Gigabyte??? Unreal. I go through Gigabytes and Gigabytes each month like I go through bacon and eggs. My data usage is somewhere between 10 to 25 GB per month. I actually watch more short YouTube video clips versus Netflix movies that last for hours. I get bored easily so I can't stand watching a boring movie for 2 hours. But I can easily watch a short 5 to 10 minute YouTube video if it's interesting. I also download music, and sometimes stream Pandora free music, but again, I haven't monitored my data usage since I have an unlimited plan. I'm paying Verizon $102.00 per month for my plan which doesn't exist anymore. If I didn't have Verizon, I'd probably choose the TMobile unlimited plan which is something like $80 monthly. Or if I really want to go cheap, I could also choose the unlimited $60 monthly plan from MetroPCS, but unfortunately coverage is rather spotty outside metropolitan areas. I will not give up my unlimited Verizon plan unless one day Verizon cancels my unlimited plan.

I've had a smartphone for a little over 2 months now, and it has significantly reduced the amount of battery power I use nightly. anywhere from 7 to 25 amp hours less each overnight.

But I cannot stand typing into the Smartphone. The talk to text transcriber is not good enough. I can type on a laptop faster than the time it takes me to go back and fix the mistakes.

CaseyC, how much Data is used streaming a Movie on Netflix?

I used only 80MB of Data last billing cycle, 300 texts and 230 minutes and my bill was $24.81.

Cant believe I was paying AT&T 70$ a month for a feature phone. Good riddance to that plan, and phone.

 

[LeeRevell]

I recently finally upgraded to the 'smart phone', a Galaxy SIII. It does everything (and more!) that I need. I was one of those 'old dogs' who poopooed the use of a smart phone, figuring all I needed was my dumbphone to make emergency calls.
But service away from town was very hit or miss. Now, I find I actually use the 'phone' far less than the online capability and even use the camera occasionally. I check e-mail and forum sites, and do wiki and google image a lot. My elderly mom is surprised when she muses about some old actor, and in seconds I call up his bio..... ;-)
As I get more heavily into the RV/Van living thing, I'd like to have more OTR capabilities. but I do a lot of photo work, copying and printing - things the smart phone just isn't able to do (or not as well). Even online forum sites are much more limited on the smartphone, especially working under the severe limitations of tap-a-talk or similar apps.
So at this time, I still have my land line phone with DSL at home for my PC (using Win7). I am seriously wanting to try a laptop, but absolutely do not want Win8! Finding a good Win7 laptop is proving difficult. I don't want 'the cloud' either, so things like Chromebook are off my list.

 

[caseyc]

My GF also has the Samsung Galaxy S3. Although it's 2 generations old now (S5 is current version), it's far superior to the cheap junk Android phone she first got a few years ago from Walmart. Before that, she had what I considered the junkiest dumb flip phone from AT&T which could do nothing but make phone calls and very simple text messages. Now she is obsessed with her Samsung smartphone. Plus I've added many useful apps to her phone and configured her phone to make it do what she wants. She now literally has a half dozen video conferencing apps on her phone to keep in touch with her family and relatives overseas. That means she stopped spending $10 to $20 on those stupid phone calls for making long distances calls abroad. She even uses her translator and dictionary apps that speaks the words and gives definitions because English is her 2nd language. That means she doesn't have to use an additional electronic device that provides translation lookups. Plus she now can Google most anything. Heck, I even added an app that can convert a JPEG image into a PDF document to upload to her Gmail document folder. Plus Foxfi for online tethering to her laptop, plus free music and movie download. She also uses YouTube for learning stuff online she can show her kids, as she is a pre-school teacher. Seriously, all this and more, all from a smartphone. In my opinion, a smartphone is no longer a luxury. It's a freakin' necessity in today's world. People who poo-poo a smartphone simply don't know and don't understand.

 

[mconlonx]

For work, I need Creative Suite, Quark, Office, and a whole host of connectivity apps. It might be possible to do it off a smartphone with accessory monitor/keyboard/mouse hooked up, but at that point, I'd rather be on a dedicated work laptop anyway.

We had a smartphone (iPhone 3G and 3GS) plan for a while, but when it expired, we reverted back to flip phones. People think they are quaint. Rather than ditch the smartphones, they became our pocket supercomputers. Off wifi, they are good for notes, ebooks, limited audio recording, camera/video, games, music, etc. Anywhere there is wifi, they are as convenient for connectivity as any other gadget.

If I don't hit the road with a portable job requiring a higher end laptop with latest/greatest 2d software, I'll at least bring a netbook along with me... and the pocket supercomputer.

Back in the 70s and 80s, growing up, my parents used to do longer roadtrips in the car with me and my brother. Mainstay for entertainment was books and comics, but toward the end of the 70s, handheld games started appearing. Anyone remember MicroVision? We'd have killed for pocket supercomputers, like my now anachronistic iPhone 3G... It's pretty incredible how far technology has progressed.