Meet "Ophelia," Dell's Plan To Reinvent Itself

Sounds by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 13:27 · Score: 1

like raspberry pi in a box

Re: Sounds by ceoyoyo · 2013-01-16 14:14 · Score: 1

It would be if you stripped out all the stuff that makes a pi cool.
Re:Sounds by nedlohs · 2013-01-16 14:29 · Score: 2

Why not? "USB-sized" is a meaningless term after all.
Surely a raspberry pi is larger than the tiny USB dongle that does bluetooth plugged into my laptop, but smaller than the USB HDD also plugged into the same laptop.
Re:Sounds by randomErr · 2013-01-16 14:39 · Score: 1

I would think something like this would be better then a USB stick. That way you can get a physical network connection and you don't have mouse, keyboard, headphone or any other USB cables hanging on one USB port.

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done that by turkeydance · 2013-01-16 13:28 · Score: 1

works for Hulu and such. pain to learn/install, but it's cheap enuf.

well, this article's lost it by ThorGod · 2013-01-16 13:29 · Score: 3, Interesting

PCs are cumbersome, heavy and slow. Ophelia provides a computer experience as typical and fast as any other computer -- again, everything depends on the Internet connection -- but at a fraction of the weight. PCs can’t fit in your pocket; Ophelia can. Heck, you could probably stick anywhere between two to five of those computers into a normal pants pocket.

1.) Talk about hyperbole, batman.
2.) I imagine the lag will be horrendous.
3.) Over wireless?

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Re:well, this article's lost it by hawguy · 2013-01-16 13:39 · Score: 3, Interesting

PCs are cumbersome, heavy and slow. Ophelia provides a computer experience as typical and fast as any other computer -- again, everything depends on the Internet connection -- but at a fraction of the weight. PCs can’t fit in your pocket; Ophelia can. Heck, you could probably stick anywhere between two to five of those computers into a normal pants pocket.
1.) Talk about hyperbole, batman.
2.) I imagine the lag will be horrendous.
3.) Over wireless?
I regularly VPN over my home Wifi connection to work and run Windows remotely via rdp and it works quite well. Not quite as snappy as a long machine, but works well enough that I don't bother to bring my Windows laptop home to do work, I just remote into the terminal server at work.
It's a lot less seamless over a celluar Mifi device, but still usable.
I don't see why this device wouldn't be usable.
Re:well, this article's lost it by ThorGod · 2013-01-16 13:49 · Score: 2

I forget the name of the place...but there was someone trying to sell game streaming like this. Their hardware would run the games and the results were piped to you. But that company went out of business from lack of demand, with many user complaints centered on lag.
So...color me skeptical.
Maybe this will have a niche with people like my dad? He definitely needs a familiar interface and doesn't care about gaming...

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PS: I don't reply to ACs.
Re:well, this article's lost it by scdeimos · 2013-01-16 13:59 · Score: 1

Second this. I work from home two or three days a week, using a Linux or OSX client (depending on what I have with me at the time) to RDP over a VPN link over ADSL to my Windows-based development machines at the office. Quite usable as a desktop environment, although it cannot be used for anything remotely video-intensive like games or YouTube.
That said, even for just desktop use there are huge speed/latency differences between various RDP clients. I've tried several on Linux and haven't found one that works as well as the one built into OSX.
Re:well, this article's lost it by JanneM · 2013-01-16 14:05 · Score: 1

I do ssh and X forwarding to machines across the country on a daily basis for work. Works just fine, even with fairly graphical applications. Other types of desktop forwarding should work similarly well in practice.

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Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
Re: well, this article's lost it by ceoyoyo · 2013-01-16 14:19 · Score: 1

Except they're not doing ssh or x forwarding, they must be doing vnc. VNC is usable, but not particularly nice much of the time over regular coonnections.
Re:well, this article's lost it by DaTrueDave · 2013-01-16 14:58 · Score: 2

http://www.onlive.com/
It's still up and running and seems to be doing a brisk business... I've never used it, though. But I'm going to check it out right now!
Re:well, this article's lost it by Hadlock · 2013-01-16 15:03 · Score: 1

RDP via VPN is very usable, and it will only get better. RDP from windows to windows machines is very, very good. It's one of the very few things Microsoft does better than anybody else. VirtualBox has excellent RDP support as well, and it's extremely fast and easy to use.

Thin clients have finally arrived... just in a way nobody ever expected.

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Re:well, this article's lost it by MikeB0Lton · 2013-01-16 15:27 · Score: 1

If it is anything like Teradici PCoIP, it'll be great. A great many PC users out there just get one so they can browse the web, check Facebook, and use MS Office. None of these require extensive bandwidth to present to a thin client.
Re:well, this article's lost it by __aaltlg1547 · 2013-01-16 15:33 · Score: 2

PCs are cumbersome, heavy and slow. Ophelia provides a computer experience as typical and fast as any other computer -- again, everything depends on the Internet connection -- but at a fraction of the weight. PCs can’t fit in your pocket; Ophelia can. Heck, you could probably stick anywhere between two to five of those computers into a normal pants pocket.
1.) Talk about hyperbole, batman. 2.) I imagine the lag will be horrendous. 3.) Over wireless?
Think of it as your smartphone minus the touchscreen, GPS, cellular radio, speaker, microphone and battery. You can make it pretty damn small.
Re:well, this article's lost it by ArhcAngel · 2013-01-16 16:13 · Score: 1

Have you tried Splashtop before? They recently released their streamer for Linux (there is a video showing a tablet accessing an Ubuntu DT browsing /. ) and have said they will soon be releasing a client for Linux as well. I use their client on my PlayBook to access both my work and home PCs.

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Re: well, this article's lost it by dbIII · 2013-01-16 16:19 · Score: 1

It depends on the content and there's a crossover point where X is better than VNC and vice versa.
Re: well, this article's lost it by ceoyoyo · 2013-01-16 16:27 · Score: 1

You're right, if you're staring at a mostly static display, VNC is just great.
Try doing everything you do on a computer via VNC over a residential connection to the Internet. Now do you want to pay Dell $19.95 a month for the privilege? Are you going to call it a game changer?
Re:well, this article's lost it by ikaruga · 2013-01-16 18:01 · Score: 1

I don't think the lag will be horrendous. Nowadays, we can stream movies and even play video games(gaikai, onlive, Playstation remote play) over the cloud. VNC servers are also pretty common on a professional environment and they work great. Considering the great majority of people just use their computers for social networking and office, both activities in which the screen barely changes and only require low frequency input, from a technical point of view I just don't see the problem. There is definitely a market for oversimplified computing devices. The only reasons I can think of for this product not to succeed are the infamous DELL support and built quality(not a Dell user, that is only what I hear).
Re:well, this article's lost it by jones_supa · 2013-01-16 18:26 · Score: 1

I just want to punch anyone that trys to tout things using the word "Cloud". What happens when there's a problem with their servers, or there's a problem with your broadband? Hell, what happens when they decide to pull the plug on the whole thing?
Nothing is guaranteed. What happens when the power goes out in your office? You can't work then either. But all these things could be arranged somehow if wanted. They need to be able to have their servers super reliable. You should be able to sue them if they pull the plug and run with your data. And so on.
Re:well, this article's lost it by Gumbercules!! · 2013-01-16 19:04 · Score: 1

Its not just about latency (which I find none of, on RDP, so if it's there, no one is going to care). RDP with EasyPrint means people don't have to fuck around for printing, music, video, etc, etc work just fine. If people use RemoteFX then even 3D stuff works nicely. NoMachine might be better for latency but if RDP is *good enough* then it wins by default.
Re:well, this article's lost it by oakgrove · 2013-01-16 19:12 · Score: 1

I'm a fan of Splashtop myself. That and Chrome Remote Desktop are the only consumer accessible client/server combinations I've seen that can truly deliver when it comes to video and gaming over the network. I assume it's the video style encoding server side and subsequent decoding on the client versus older stuff like rdp and vnc. That said, one thing I'm not crazy about is no matter how close you get, there's always that seemingly inherent half tick of latency that bugs me. With vnc, nx, or rdp, this isn't an issue as long as the network itself is up to the task. That would be why I'm using vnc from my Galaxy Nexus to my desktop to post this rather than the Splashtop client I could be using.

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Re: well, this article's lost it by oakgrove · 2013-01-16 19:31 · Score: 1

Average broadband speed in the US last I checked was 6.7 Mbps. Couple that with pings of 20 to 30 ms to Dell's servers and vnc would work quite well for anything short of video and gaming. I use vnc all the time on a similar connection and after fiddling with the encoding/compression/quality knobs, latency is practically non-discernible. I'm very sensitive to that kind of thing too which is why I eschew Splashtop as while it slings video great, there's just enough inherent latency to make me not use it. The typical consumer would probably not even notice it. For reference, I vnc into a Comcast business connection with 21/5 Mbps from a home with 5/.5 Mbps with avg ping of about 20 ms and it works fantastically. When I use nx on my laptop from here to there, latency is undetectable. As in I get a desired response faster than I can lift my finger off the key I just pressed. And that's me just throwing some stuff together and getting lucky. Surely Dell can do better.

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The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
Re:well, this article's lost it by oakgrove · 2013-01-16 19:47 · Score: 1

Which Android client supports all of these things? The only thing on Android that can do video/audio/3D with aplomb while offering a consumer accessible server component is Splashtop and a couple also-rans nobody has ever heard of. For printing and other USB support, I haven't seen anything on Android in a remote desktop package.

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The soylentnews experiment has been a dismal failure.
Re: well, this article's lost it by dbIII · 2013-01-16 20:03 · Score: 1

It's Dell - they don't do better, they just find someone else that's doing better and slap a Dell badge on it. It will be some existing commercial VNC at best.
Re:well, this article's lost it by Gumbercules!! · 2013-01-16 20:45 · Score: 1

No Android clients - which was the point of the GP response - that Windows to Windows RDP actually works exceptionally well. Splashtop is a pale comparison, although it is cool.
Re:well, this article's lost it by L4t3r4lu5 · 2013-01-16 22:44 · Score: 1

Filing TPS reports doesn't require a sub 50ms latency. This isn't marketed as a thin client gaming platform.

Dell will probably continue making gaming PCs through the Alienware brand.

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Re:well, this article's lost it by canistel · 2013-01-17 01:48 · Score: 1

No it doesn't, that's the problem. RDP is unbeatable, and you'd finally clue in if you actually tried it. I have, I've tried them all... X, ssh -X, freenx, vnc, and RDP; RDP takes the crown son, sorry... Perhaps we could finally get some real thin client solutions working on linux if linux users would admit that RDP absolutely smashes anything that linux has to offer in the "works over dialup" area.
Re:well, this article's lost it by jedidiah · 2013-01-17 04:17 · Score: 1

> That said, even for just desktop use there are huge speed/latency differences between various RDP clients. I've tried several on Linux and haven't found one that works as well as the one built into OSX.
You mean VNC? Are you joking? That's the single worst option possible. Even on a LAN it's unusable.
Linux RDP clients do quite well as the RDP protocol is not crap and modern Windows seems to be built with remote access in mind.
AltOS support for the relevant VPN client would be real hurdle.

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A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:well, this article's lost it by jedidiah · 2013-01-17 04:21 · Score: 1

Most of those "advantages" are pretty irrelevant for most real world use cases of remote desktops, even when you're talking about Windows deployments.
Gratuitously adding a network to problems that don't really require it just make the problem harder.
Treating everything like a nail just because you have a hammer is just stupid.

--
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:well, this article's lost it by jedidiah · 2013-01-17 04:28 · Score: 1

It's 2013. "Works better over dialup" is a meaningless title.
Some things are just stupid when taken to an extreme. They are useful when you need them. Although quite often that need is driven by piss poor design choices or some other idiocy more than anything else.
The catch about the cloud is that for it to really make any sense you need to have good enough bandwidth and latency that these "I'll beat you with one arm tied behind my back" arguments become pointless.
If the network is fast enough to move my data around, then X has no disadvantage. Unfortunately, the network can't move my data around. I'm still much better of with local storage and apps running locally.

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A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Re:well, this article's lost it by rsborg · 2013-01-17 05:32 · Score: 1

I forget the name of the place...but there was someone trying to sell game streaming like this. Their hardware would run the games and the results were piped to you. But that company went out of business from lack of demand, with many user complaints centered on lag.
So...color me skeptical.
Maybe this will have a niche with people like my dad? He definitely needs a familiar interface and doesn't care about gaming...
Onlive. I knew someone who interviewed there - he said it seemed like they were trying to rapidly branch into other markets.

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Re:well, this article's lost it by cusco · 2013-01-17 10:12 · Score: 1

I use VNC all the time, and the only problem that I ever have is accessing Windows Server 2008 R2 (and even that depends on how the server is set up). Why do you think it's unusable? I especially like that I can drop the number of colors and frame rated down to something ridiculously low, since a megapixel security camera displaying at 30 frames per second will lock up any RDP client on a slow VPN link.

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"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
Re:well, this article's lost it by canistel · 2013-01-22 09:17 · Score: 1

You're missing the point... "works better over dialup" means it works better over any faster connection too. It's not a meaningless title when it shows how fast the stuff works on a slow connection. Just because you may have fibre optic, I certainly don't. And RDP works better over my LAN as well. Get it now? It works better EVERYWHERE. I really love your third paragraph... yeah no shit, the cloud requires bandwidth and there are latency issues, so it actually in fact becomes very important to discuss these arguments; as in, solution X performs better than solution Y. Holy crap man did you even think about that for more than 2 seconds? Yippee for you, you are allowed to decide for yourself when you prefer local or remote; many of us don't have the luxury (think business). Attitudes like your are part of the problem... you just can't believe that a windows / msft solution would be better than the equivalent in linux, so you wave your hands in there, spout a lot of bs, and nothing gets fixed. I'd pay good money for a linux solution that works just as good as RDP.

Latency? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 13:30 · Score: 1

Seems like that would be a huge issue.

Licensing & Latency by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 13:31 · Score: 1

The two biggest roadblocks to Ophelia - besides most LCD's not supporting this type of USB connection - is licensing these multiple OS's on the cloud and the inherent latencies that are going to hound such a small CPU while it tries to handle graphics, WiFi & Bluetooth network stacks and the throughput of data. $50 is a wonderful price for the hardware. What will the services end of this product cost?

Re:Licensing & Latency by Cryacin · 2013-01-16 13:33 · Score: 1

Doesn't this sound like a great opportunity for a Linux distro? Or is Linux not better than a multi hundred dollar windoze license?

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Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
Re:Licensing & Latency by hawguy · 2013-01-16 13:49 · Score: 5, Informative

The two biggest roadblocks to Ophelia - besides most LCD's not supporting this type of USB connection - is licensing these multiple OS's on the cloud and the inherent latencies that are going to hound such a small CPU while it tries to handle graphics, WiFi & Bluetooth network stacks and the throughput of data. $50 is a wonderful price for the hardware. What will the services end of this product cost?
Amazon will rent you an entire virtual Win Server 2008 server for around 12 cents/hour - presumably desktop pricing would be lower, but if a typical home user uses their desktop for 4 hours/day, that's around $15/month at 12 cents/hour.
Re:Licensing & Latency by scdeimos · 2013-01-16 14:00 · Score: 1, Informative

The two biggest roadblocks to Ophelia - besides most LCD's not supporting this type of USB connection...
It's a USB-[thumbdrive-]sized device. If you looked at the picture it's got a HDMI connector on it.
Re: Licensing & Latency by ceoyoyo · 2013-01-16 14:23 · Score: 1

Actually, $50 is kind of a ridiculously high price for this. A raspberry pi is $25 and can do more than act as a dumb terminal.
Dell isn't going to reinvent itself by convincing everyone to stop buying $300 laptops from them and start buying $50 USB sticks. They're going to have to charge a decent amount for service.
Re: Licensing & Latency by hawguy · 2013-01-16 15:32 · Score: 2

Actually, $50 is kind of a ridiculously high price for this. A raspberry pi is $25 and can do more than act as a dumb terminal.
Dell isn't going to reinvent itself by convincing everyone to stop buying $300 laptops from them and start buying $50 USB sticks. They're going to have to charge a decent amount for service.
$41.99 - Rasberry Pi with enclosure
$9.99 - Rasberry Pi Wifi adapbter
$7.99 - Mini bluetooth adapter
Total: $59.97, not including Dell's software.

They're going to have to charge a decent amount for service
Well yeah, that's the point - to get out of selling low-margin laptops and get into a higher margin service business.
Re: Licensing & Latency by ceoyoyo · 2013-01-16 15:59 · Score: 1

Oooh, this is a fun game.
Pi $35 (http://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?sku=43W5302)
Case $6.39 (http://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?sku=92T3300)
Wifi $9.99 (go with yours, or newark has one for the same price)
Bluetooth $5.56 (http://www.newark.com/dynamode/bt-usb-m2/adaptor-bluetooth-usb-class-1/dp/39T4089)
total: $56.94
That gets you hardware that is presumably more powerful than what Dell is pushing (because it's not just a dumb terminal) and can be used to do other things than connect to Dell's cloud. The $25 pi will bring that down to under $50. Integrating the wifi onto the board and dropping all the other ports the pi has would also reduce the price considerably. And there's no way Dell pays $6 for plastic boxes in volume.
If a bunch of amateurs and small volume companies can offer that price, with considerably more capability, $50 for Dell's loss leader hardware for their cloud service is a pretty crappy deal. They should be giving you the thing for free.
And "Dell's software?" VNC clients are free. Sorry, I meant VNC clients that don't send your data through Dell's cloud for perusal.
Re:Licensing & Latency by scdeimos · 2013-01-16 16:18 · Score: 4, Informative

Oops, I got suckered, it's not HDMI. It's MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link).
Re: Licensing & Latency by hawguy · 2013-01-16 16:38 · Score: 1

Oooh, this is a fun game.
Pi $35 (http://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?sku=43W5302)
Case $6.39 (http://www.newark.com/jsp/search/productdetail.jsp?sku=92T3300)
Wifi $9.99 (go with yours, or newark has one for the same price)
Bluetooth $5.56 (http://www.newark.com/dynamode/bt-usb-m2/adaptor-bluetooth-usb-class-1/dp/39T4089)
total: $56.94
So you came up with about the same price as me, for a device that's more comparable to Dell's device than a raw Pi with no case, and no wireless connectivity?

That gets you hardware that is presumably more powerful than what Dell is pushing (because it's not just a dumb terminal) and can be used to do other things than connect to Dell's cloud.
Why would you presume that a Pi is more powerful than the Dell when Dell hasn't released specs? Just because the Pi can be made to do anything you want doesn't mean that the majority of consumers want to have a device that they can load any software on -- many consumers want a device that they plug into their TV, and then 2 minutes later they enter their credit card number and suddenly they have MS Windows running on their TV. (the fact that it's "in the cloud" isn't relevant to many people. Oh, and Dell said that the device will have a local web browser and other apps, so you won't need to connect to the cloud for everything.

The $25 pi will bring that down to under $50.
But is the model A's 256M of RAM sufficient to run Wyse's thin client software? Oh, and don't forget to add in the cost of a USB hub since the Model A has only one USB port.

Integrating the wifi onto the board and dropping all the other ports the pi has would also reduce the price considerably. And there's no way Dell pays $6 for plastic boxes in volume.
If a bunch of amateurs and small volume companies can offer that price, with considerably more capability,
The Rasberry Pi was designed by a non-profit with mostly unpaid employees to be as affordable as possible - why do you think Dell's designers can come up with a new design more cheaply than a team of unpaid engineers?

$50 for Dell's loss leader hardware for their cloud service is a pretty crappy deal. They should be giving you the thing for free.
If they gave it out for free, then they be giving thousands of them to geeks that just want a free Android device.

And "Dell's software?" VNC clients are free. Sorry, I meant VNC clients that don't send your data through Dell's cloud for perusal.
VNC may be free, but it's not going to offer the same performance and features as Wyse's thin client software.
It's clear that you're not a candidate for their offering, but that doesn't mean that it's a bad product for their target market. Some people will welcome a tiny device they can plug into the back of their TV and act like a full-size desktop PC. One potential audience would be the business traveler that no longer needs to carry a laptop with him, he can just carry this device in his pocket and plug it into the hotel TV (where they also provide a bluetooth keyboard), the business center PC at the airport, and when he goes to the client to give a presentation, he can plug it into the MHL port on his client's projector. And since it's integrated with Wyse's Cloud Client Manager software, the employee's IT department can manage it remotely.
Re:Licensing & Latency by msobkow · 2013-01-16 21:01 · Score: 1

You should have taken the calculation further. That works out to $180/year plus your $50 for the stick itself. I hate to burst Dell's bubble, but at $230 you can get a cheap desktop computer from any number of suppliers (think office machine with minimal 3D support) and own it. By the time you're into the second or third year, you've paid for a pretty nice machine compared to Ophelia.
I'm sure Dell's executives cream their pants when they think about raping the population for $15/month or more, but as Microsoft's earlier efforts with web-enabled software show, most customers aren't willing to sucker in for monthly fees unless they can write it off as a business expense.
And businesses don't want you stuffing their PC in your shirt pocket and taking it home with you for an untold number of legal, ethical, and control reasons.

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I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
Re: Licensing & Latency by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-17 05:23 · Score: 1

Neither of you included an SD card.
Re:Licensing & Latency by hawguy · 2013-01-17 05:50 · Score: 1

You should have taken the calculation further. That works out to $180/year plus your $50 for the stick itself. I hate to burst Dell's bubble, but at $230 you can get a cheap desktop computer from any number of suppliers (think office machine with minimal 3D support) and own it. By the time you're into the second or third year, you've paid for a pretty nice machine compared to Ophelia.
I'm sure Dell's executives cream their pants when they think about raping the population for $15/month or more, but as Microsoft's earlier efforts with web-enabled software show, most customers aren't willing to sucker in for monthly fees unless they can write it off as a business expense.
You'll note that I quoted prices for an Amazon EC2 server running Win Server 2008 - who knows what Dell is going to charge for a home Win8 session?
But even at $15/month I think there's a market for this for home users that want a PC but don't want to maintain a PC (patch applications and OS, do backups (including offsite), etc).

I'm sure Dell's executives cream their pants when they think about raping the population for $15/month or more, but as Microsoft's earlier efforts with web-enabled software show, most customers aren't willing to sucker in for monthly fees unless they can write it off as a business expense.
If they are providing a service to users at a price they are willing to pay, why is it "raping the population"? Is a restaurant "raping" you when they charge you $30 for a steak that cost them $5? Are you being raped when you buy a $60 shirt that only has $2 of raw materials and cost $3 of offshore labor to make? You could cook your own steak or sew your own shirt at home for a fraction of what it costs in the store, but most people are willing to pay for the convenience of having someone else do that work.

And businesses don't want you stuffing their PC in your shirt pocket and taking it home with you for an untold number of legal, ethical, and control reasons.
That's funny, my employer issues everyone a laptop and encourages them to take the laptop home to do work - and they have a lot less control over what I do on my laptop than on what I do with a cloud based virtual PC.
Why would they be less likely to let me take a dumb terminal home that hosts no corporate data at all?
Re: Licensing & Latency by countach · 2013-01-17 10:12 · Score: 1

As Apple has shown, price is not just about technical specs, gigahertz and so forth. It also includes convenience and plug and play and just having a nice product the average consumer can slot in and have "just work". My guess is Dell can, if they really apply themselves, do a lot better than a Rasberry Pi.
Re:Licensing & Latency by norminator · 2013-01-17 11:16 · Score: 1

MHL is HDMI + power, so it is in fact an HDMI connector which support MHL on top of HDMI.
Re:Licensing & Latency by cusco · 2013-01-17 11:23 · Score: 1

Of course there's a market. People already pay $25/month for a computer to the Rent-To-Own shops. Not smart people, mind you, but it's still a market.

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"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin

The "Cloud" by TheGoodNamesWereGone · 2013-01-16 13:32 · Score: 5, Insightful

I can't be the only one who's creeped out about this. All my data in "the cloud"... I know, I know, it's been going on for years, but me, I like my data on my own machine away from anyone else. The is just more devolution of the power of the individual & transferring it to others, who may not necessarily have the individual's best interests in mind. Keep your little machine Dell.

Re:The "Cloud" by BigSlowTarget · 2013-01-16 13:38 · Score: 1

V2.0, no doubt destined for Kickstarter momentarily courtesy of some local hacker, would probably have onboard storage for your data to deal with just such a concern.
Re:The "Cloud" by hawguy · 2013-01-16 13:44 · Score: 4, Insightful

I can't be the only one who's creeped out about this. All my data in "the cloud"... I know, I know, it's been going on for years, but me, I like my data on my own machine away from anyone else. The is just more devolution of the power of the individual & transferring it to others, who may not necessarily have the individual's best interests in mind. Keep your little machine Dell.
You may not be the only one who's afraid of the cloud, but for most people, their data is safer in the "cloud" than it is at home on their old PC that has no backups. It could even be safer against hack attacks if the provider keeps applications patched so no one is still running a buggy unpatched MSIE 6 on WinXP.
Re:The "Cloud" by multiben · 2013-01-16 13:45 · Score: 1

I could not agree with you more. There are just too many people in between you and your data who could either accidentally or deliberately prevent you accessing it.
Re:The "Cloud" by Albanach · 2013-01-16 14:03 · Score: 1

I can't be the only one who's creeped out about this. All my data in "the cloud".
Then you're not the target market. For the vast majority, I'm will to guess the providers will have better backup procedures than most homes.
Re:The "Cloud" by ADRA · 2013-01-16 14:15 · Score: 1

You weren't going to buy it anyways, so was anything of value lost?

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Re:The "Cloud" by Osgeld · 2013-01-16 14:18 · Score: 4, Insightful

even better, when they screw up and delete something they did not mean to, and go looking for it later, they have someone to blame
Re:The "Cloud" by TheGoodNamesWereGone · 2013-01-16 14:31 · Score: 1, Insightful

And better data mining techniques too. Anyone who believes that Dell or any other company doing something like this (Apple) won't leverage this level of control into dictating what the user sees is engaging in wishful thinking. Consheepmers might see the device as a convenience, but Dell will see it as a marketing tool & will be in total control of whatever information it provides. This whole movement away from PCs to handheld devices (tablets/smartphones) represents a paradigm shift away from local control & content creation, to remote control & content consumption. The Idiocracy has begun.
Re:The "Cloud" by AHuxley · 2013-01-16 14:35 · Score: 1

Your hardware is the only way to get to words before they are encrypted.
Who wants to pass packets loaded with ad revenue as just another computer maker?
The cash is in the content and with a device like this data is still in plain text before its lost to encryption.
Contact your HQ about a cpu, gpu deal in a "secure" way and then surf the web in a hotel room - that brand will be back at you all night.
Your message was secure, your later web surfing was unrelated to work - but the gateway, cookies, cloud are all legal in any tracking due to the fine print you clicked past.

--
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Re:The "Cloud" by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 15:36 · Score: 1

I'm more worried about "All my data in the USA". If there are options for local hosting in a free country, that would be better.
Re:The "Cloud" by hawguy · 2013-01-16 15:41 · Score: 1

even better, when they screw up and delete something they did not mean to, and go looking for it later, they have someone to blame
Or they could just look in the "Trash" folder at their cloud provider. Google Drive retains "Trash" items indefinitely until you choose to empty the trash folder.
If I'm editing a document and accidentally screw it up, I can just revert to a previous version.
I use Google Docs almost exclusively for creating documents even though I have MS Office and Libre Office readily available, and I have a reasonable backup policy for my home computers, including offsite backups. I use Google Docs more because the docs are available anywhere.
Re:The "Cloud" by hairyfish · 2013-01-16 17:04 · Score: 1

That's why many cloud services offer sync services so you can keep a local copy (ie Dropbox). Cloud 1, FUD 0.
Re:The "Cloud" by Patch86 · 2013-01-16 20:42 · Score: 2

The amount of "data" on my home computers that is actually worth keeping would probably all fit on a £10 USB stick; but that's not the stuff I worry about going to "the cloud".
What I don't want "in the cloud" is all my incidental data- browser usage, emails (in any more cloud locations than are necessary to have a webmail service, anyway), shopping habits, bank login details, etc. All of that stuff is currently on my home computers, and is obviously not backed up (intentionally). No-one has access to it but me. If my OS is on a VM out "in the cloud", then all of my data bric-a-brac is out there too. I don't want that.
Re:The "Cloud" by nateb · 2013-01-16 20:53 · Score: 1

It's got electrolytes!

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-- Nate
Re:The "Cloud" by sl149q · 2013-01-16 21:38 · Score: 1

No, you are the only one that is creeped out about it. The rest of us are just fine with the idea.
Seriously, some of my data stays at home. Most can live anywhere...
Re:The "Cloud" by sl149q · 2013-01-16 21:42 · Score: 1

And its running in a VM that sits in RAM only. And the PC has a special relay built-in so that if I let go of the dead man's switch the power goes out the VM disappears within 2 seconds LONG before the feds can do anything about it!
Now where is my tin foil hat... it was here just a minute ago. Can't turn the WiFi back on until I have my tin foil hat...
Re:The "Cloud" by aaaaaaargh! · 2013-01-16 22:08 · Score: 1

Companies only have limited resources and need to limit their product ranges. The more "cloud" products a company produces, the less traditional products will it produce (unless it is expanding in a fairly extreme way). Hence, for people like me who don't care at all about the "cloud" many choices are being removed, resulting in less competition, higher prices, and overall less possibilities.
Re:The "Cloud" by AmiMoJo · 2013-01-17 00:49 · Score: 1

You can't really delete anything from the cloud.

--
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Re:The "Cloud" by Grizzley9 · 2013-01-17 03:58 · Score: 1

If I was a business that had any data that was proprietary maybe. As a home user, all my docs and spreadsheets are nothing I really care about for privacy and I wouldn't put confidential info on there but that's limited to just a few files. I've got them all synced (via nesting) Dropbox, Google Docs, SkyDrive.

Pictures (+home videos) backed up to G+ which is unlimited.

Music all synced with Google Play.

And for good measure all that backed up with an external drive (and soon Crashplan to a friends house). The programs and such on my tower I can just reinstall if it dies. It makes for great anywhere access as well as I don't have to manage lots of expensive redundancy hardware if I don't want to.
Re:The "Cloud" by CCarrot · 2013-01-17 06:01 · Score: 1

I can't be the only one who's creeped out about this. All my data in "the cloud"...

No, you're not the only one.
I recently picked up a Win 8 laptop to see what's what in the new platform, and I must say it has taken *way* longer than I expected to neuter and yank out all the 'helpful' cloud-based info-sharing/social/backup/spammer services...and I'm still keeping a mistrustful eye on it to be sure I got them all. That being said, once (most of) the cruft is cleared out of the way, it doesn't seem to be a bad little OS. It's just a shame that it comes all screwed up out of the box...
Yeah, dell can keep their little purse-computer, unless we can have absolute control over what it talks to, and when it talks to them...then it *might* be useful for in-house media streaming, or setting up a quick kitchen internet or something. Although given that it's wifi only, it's probably not even useful for that.

--
"I love animals! Some are cute, others are tasty, what's not to like?" - Betsy Schroeder, Jeopardy contestant

Re:Been Done by Cryacin · 2013-01-16 13:32 · Score: 5, Insightful

Yeah, even if this is useful as just a web browser, this is going to be a market changer.

--
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck

Re:Been Done by hjf · 2013-01-16 13:35 · Score: 4, Informative

https://dx.com/p/android-4-0-mini-pc-google-tv-player-w-wifi-allwinner-a10-cortex-a8-tf-hdmi-white-4gb-137012

You were saying, anon?

Mac OS my a$$ by Radical+Moderate · 2013-01-16 13:36 · Score: 4, Insightful

I'm willing to bet very, very many internets that Apple hasn't authorized any Mac OS running from this device.
Not.
Gonna.
Happen.

--
Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.

Re:Mac OS my a$$ by p0p0 · 2013-01-16 13:38 · Score: 2

Don't need to RTFA but at least RTFS properly.
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by miroku000 · 2013-01-16 13:46 · Score: 1

I'm willing to bet very, very many internets that Apple hasn't authorized any Mac OS running from this device. Not. Gonna. Happen.
1. They don't necessarily have to authorize it. Someone could just make something like gotomypc 2. They may in fact be developing a cloud based version of the Mac OS http://gigaom.com/2011/01/05/imaging-a-cloud-based-future-for-mac-os-x/ Though, they may or may not want to make it easy for people to access it via devices like this.
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by Chris+Mattern · 2013-01-16 13:50 · Score: 1

MacOS won't be running from this device. It'll be running from a Mac, which this device will be a remote terminal to.
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by ghjm · 2013-01-16 14:11 · Score: 1

It wouldn't be running from this device. Dell would, notionally, have rack cabinets full of Mac Minis in some data center somewhere. To the user, it's all just the "cloud."
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by bill_mcgonigle · 2013-01-16 14:38 · Score: 4, Informative

Remember, MacOS is on the slow-kill list. It's been slowly merging with iOS and Apple doesn't want to develop two OS's. If 'Mac' still exists in 10 years, it might be the iPhone having a 'Mac Mode' where to goes full-screen to a wirelessly-connected K/V/M. But for 'pros' who need more CPU, rather than building it into the phone (where it will eat power and transistor budget) they might offer the option to buy compute power from the cloud (with Apple taking 30% of whatever anybody makes on it).
In fact, if a $50 Dell dongle has the CPU power to do a 'Mac Mode', we could even see this launching in June on the next iPhone from Apple. Sure, they make a good profit on every hardware Mac they sell, but if they can make the same profit by renting the hardware time and expand their userbase to every iPhone user (with seamless data sync, naturally) then they'll go for the better revenue stream. That will make the phase-out of the Mac that much easier.
Apple dropped "computer" from its name in 2007, when the iPhone was just starting its upward trajectory and the iPod was on fire. A lot changed that year, as the company changed its primary focus to mobile and outlined a long-term plan to leave the desktop market.

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by Princeofcups · 2013-01-16 14:42 · Score: 4, Informative

I'm willing to bet very, very many internets that Apple hasn't authorized any Mac OS running from this device.
Not.
Gonna.
Happen.
Don't
Understand.
Device.
It's just a linux boot running VNC client. The actual workstations are back in a datacenter somewhere, and they will be actual Apple certified Macs, running VNC server. I'm really amazed that no one has done this sooner. The one thing you can't do is really graphics intensive games, like shooters.

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The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by gl4ss · 2013-01-16 19:39 · Score: 1

and have you been actually following the direction the osx has been taking?
they haven't focused on it at all for the last decade and when they have focused on it it has been to remove stuff, add apple dependencies(appstore, limiting app access so that it becomes irrelevant if it's unix underneath) and iosification(unless you're into ios the new fullscreen mode stuff is just horrible). yet they haven't tackled any of the hard stuff like dpi independence(doubling pixels for retina doesn't count) and don't even seem to be planning to.
but this ophelia? it's a fucking android on a stick. alibaba and dx are full of these products.

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world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by Macrat · 2013-01-16 19:51 · Score: 1

I'm really amazed that no one has done this sooner. The one thing you can't do is really graphics intensive games, like shooters.
Someone has. While it is limited to running web browsers, it is still VNC accss to multiple OS'es.
http://crossbrowsertesting.com/
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by CAIMLAS · 2013-01-16 23:06 · Score: 1

So what you're saying is that Apple will in your eyes, essentially, be abandoning the 'maker' market completely.
You know, the people who need things like these capabilities:
* photo editing
* media management
* rendering of any sort
* video production
* audio production
* publishing
Sorry, the ability to run these kinds of applications (and probably more I'm not aware of) over the Internet is just not there yet. We're probably a good decade away, on the inside, before it becomes even remotely practical to do so.
Granted, most people who make things don't use macs anymore, at least as a significant part of the market. But the market is still there and there are a lot of holdouts. With Microsoft effectively trying to kill the PC, too, you can bet that there will even be people moving back to the Mac.

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~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by bill_mcgonigle · 2013-01-17 03:31 · Score: 1

So what you're saying is that Apple will in your eyes, essentially, be abandoning the 'maker' market completely.
No, that's the opposite of what I said. Go read the comment again.
Apple will make more profit by renting the service 'in the cloud' and people will get faster video renders than they could ever afford, and maybe all the software Adobe produces will come included in the $30/mo base rental fee. Your iPhone will be the 'dongle' and include the ability to connect to your clients' system for demos, etc. as a built in feature.
The Mac is being phased out, not the creative market.

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by RocketRabbit · 2013-01-17 08:17 · Score: 1

Instead of running around with your hair on fire, just stop and think about this for a minute: OS X is finished. It's done. The only thing left to do now is to slowly prune away the shit, refine things a hair, and so forth. Sure, there are things to do, UI scaling being among them, but unlike with Gnome and Windows, we will not see OS X just throw itself out off a cliff and get totally redesigned just for kicks. It will pretty much look the same as it does now, 5 versions up.
And I would counter our claim that OS X is becoming iOS. The full screen option is there for people with small laptops. You don't have to use it, as with Launchpad.
I'd be more worried about Gnome and other "free" desktop environments slowly being subverted and turned into monetization vectors, and Windows spying on you, and Android's relentless reporting back to the mother ship, than I would be about OS X.
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by Sigg3.net · 2013-01-18 00:36 · Score: 1

Not.
Gonna.
Happen.
Don't
Understand.
Device.
I
For one
Welcome.
Silly-sentenced
Overlords.

--
Defining Statistics and Social Research
Re:Mac OS my a$$ by CAIMLAS · 2013-01-21 14:36 · Score: 1

I did read what you said. I said what you're proposing is idiotic and impossible.

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~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers

So Basically by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 13:38 · Score: 1

They are going to reinvent booting from the thumb drive, but from the cloud. Sure, some of the traits sound neat. I'd even be tempted to get one to tinker with. But frankly, I don't really see a huge demand for booting from a USB persistently now, and I certainly don't think it is some huge untapped area.

Captcha: Double

Odd choice of name.... by Eightbitgnosis · 2013-01-16 13:40 · Score: 3, Insightful

The first thing I think of when I hear the name is going insane and dieing in a river

Re:Odd choice of name.... by bill_mcgonigle · 2013-01-16 14:44 · Score: 2

The Internet as Hamlet and Microsoft as Polonius?

--
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Re:Odd choice of name.... by Rude+Turnip · 2013-01-16 15:22 · Score: 1

I think of "Little Red Bunny" and get oddly turned on by this new computer.

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Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
Re:Odd choice of name.... by girlintraining · 2013-01-16 15:37 · Score: 1

The Internet as Hamlet and Microsoft as Polonius?
If we're going to cast the internet as a greek character, I'd suggest Priapus instead.

--
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
Re:Odd choice of name.... by Ukab+the+Great · 2013-01-16 19:15 · Score: 3, Insightful

Naming a product that's supposed to save your business after one of literature's most prominent suicides probably seemed like a good idea at the time.
Re:Odd choice of name.... by worf_mo · 2013-01-17 00:03 · Score: 1

I think of Clever&Smart's Ophelia!

Dell invented the diskless workstation? by Lawrence_Bird · 2013-01-16 13:40 · Score: 4, Insightful

It really is amazing how the IT industry continues to re-invent what was done decades ago.

Re:Dell invented the diskless workstation? by mattdm · 2013-01-16 13:44 · Score: 4, Informative

Actually, this apparently comes from Dell's acquisition of Wyse. That is, these guys: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/WyseTerminal100.jpg/220px-WyseTerminal100.jpg -- the people who *did* do this decades ago. So, I guess, fair enough.

VNC by tepples · 2013-01-16 13:42 · Score: 1

How would the community react if the license for the next version of Mac OS X were to forbid VNCing to a Mac from anything but a Mac?

Re:VNC by scdeimos · 2013-01-16 14:13 · Score: 3, Informative

First Apple doesn't own the VNC technology, so they can't legally enforce that.
Second, although OSX's "remote desktop" software listens on VNC's tcp/5900 for incoming connections, for remote OSX clients it uses Apple's custom Type 35 Diffie-Hellman authentication/private key exchange and then switches to an AES128-encrypted link to run Apple's own RDP protocol. i.e.: it's not even VNC protocol.
Re:VNC by c0lo · 2013-01-16 16:53 · Score: 1

How would the community react if the license for the next version of Mac OS X were to forbid VNCing to a Mac from anything but a Mac?
TFS speaks about:

provides access to virtually every major operating system — [...] — all via the cloud

Where did you get VNC?

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Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
Re:VNC by tepples · 2013-01-16 16:59 · Score: 1

all via the cloud
Where did you get VNC?
Similar services such as OnLive run various applications on various operating systems in "the cloud" (which means someone's server). The protocol used to push their output to the thin client is analogous to VNC or RDP. And from what I could Google on short notice, the remote desktop protocol used by Mac OS X either is VNC or can fall back to VNC.
Re:VNC by toddestan · 2013-01-17 16:20 · Score: 1

First Apple doesn't own the VNC technology, so they can't legally enforce that.
Why? All they would have to do is put something in the EULA along the lines of "By accepting this license, you agree to not use VNC to access this operating system from a non-Apple computer." or similar. Then if use VNC to access a Mac using Windows or Dell's USB stick or whatever, you're a dirty pirate. Of course, the whole EULA thing is kind of questionable as it is, but it's going to take someone to challenge them on it to change anything.

Re:So what are we using for input? by TheGoodNamesWereGone · 2013-01-16 13:44 · Score: 1

I wondered the same thing. Lugging around a keyboard would defeat the purpose of portability, so I assume (I of course did not RTFA) it'll be touch-- meaning it'll require touch-enabled screens. I can't see this thing taking off.

Two Words... by Rassleholic · 2013-01-16 13:46 · Score: 2

Dumb(er) Terminal

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Not noteable, IMO a rubbish article.

The cellular data bill by tepples · 2013-01-16 13:46 · Score: 4, Insightful

It's a lot less seamless over a celluar Mifi device, but still usable.

I don't see why this device wouldn't be usable.

I'm under the impression that the the cellular data bill (assuming the U.S. market, where Dell and Dice are headquartered) would make it cost prohibitive.

Re:The cellular data bill by hawguy · 2013-01-16 14:04 · Score: 1

It's a lot less seamless over a celluar Mifi device, but still usable.
I don't see why this device wouldn't be usable.
I'm under the impression that the the cellular data bill (assuming the U.S. market, where Dell and Dice are headquartered) would make it cost prohibitive.
I have no idea how much my work pays for my Mifi, so I was commenting on the usability of RDP over cell, not the price, but I think few people will have an HD TV without also having a hardwired internet connection.

After you eat a blue Popsicle treat... by tepples · 2013-01-16 13:48 · Score: 2

Wireless input devices have become a bit blue in the tooth.

Re:After you eat a blue Popsicle treat... by UltraZelda64 · 2013-01-16 15:07 · Score: 1

Ah, so now we'd have to not only bum someone else's monitor/TV and Internet connection just to get access to our own documents which we're not even carrying with us, but we'll need to carry a keyboard/mouse combo everywhere we go as well and stock up on even more batteries? Wow... this is just getting worse and worse.
I'll just carry get a laptop if I need a portable system, and use a real desktop--with a good old-fashioned, no-nonsense wired keyboard and mouse--for anything halfway serious.
Re:After you eat a blue Popsicle treat... by tepples · 2013-01-16 16:55 · Score: 1

I'll just carry get a laptop if I need a portable system
I agree. It's just that they don't make 10" laptops anymore because a tablet and an external keyboard are so much higher margin.
Re:After you eat a blue Popsicle treat... by AK+Marc · 2013-01-16 19:01 · Score: 1

I got a 7" tablet for under $90 and a keyboard for $20. I'm not sure how a $300 laptop is such a low margin compared to a $100 tablet setup.

--
Learn to love Alaska
Re:After you eat a blue Popsicle treat... by AK+Marc · 2013-01-17 07:51 · Score: 1

Look at the Chinese sites. aliexpress and dinodirect are two I've bought from. $85 7" tablets aren't unheard of. It wasn't that bad, I got it for a throw-away to hand to the kids to keep them quiet on car trips and such, at $85, who cares if they get chee-toe fingers all over it.

--
Learn to love Alaska

Re:well, Dell lost it by muon-catalyzed · 2013-01-16 13:48 · Score: 1

They expect me to do serious "desktop work" via portable high-latency device in the 'cloud' environment using Android?

Just plug it in and boom by Osgeld · 2013-01-16 13:54 · Score: 1

USB-sized self-contained computer revolution has arrived, all you need to take with you is a thumbstick!*

*along with HDTV, Keyboard, Mouse, and pretty damn good internet access since vnc is still a bit draggy on a gigabit lan and subscribe to a service

Re:Just plug it in and boom by AHuxley · 2013-01-16 14:45 · Score: 1

The HDTV is in your hotel room, the keyboard, mouse is your droid, Dell pad, iPad for input linked to the Dell device and then onto a hotel or cheap local telco modem network.
The Dell part is the missing link turning your droid, iPad into a real computer, linking Tv and the net :)

--
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Re:Just plug it in and boom by Osgeld · 2013-01-16 15:28 · Score: 1

the last hotel room I stayed in had a CRT, and wifi connected to a hundred people sharing the same 768k connection
so I will pass, thanks

Re:well, Dell lost it by hawguy · 2013-01-16 13:55 · Score: 2

They expect me to do serious "desktop work" via portable high-latency device in the 'cloud' environment using Android?

Why do you care what operating system runs on the device? You're doing your work on the desktop running on the cloud, the Dell box is just the display for that remote cloud desktop. It coudl be Android, IOS, WebOS, or even a new DellOS and it shouldn't make any difference at all to the end user.

An Even Better Idea by mtrachtenberg · 2013-01-16 13:58 · Score: 3, Funny

Dell's R&D must be working overtime to come up with a clever new idea like that.

Here's another "someday" idea they can pursue: put a 5" crt, two floppy drives, and a Z80 in a suitcase. Call it a "portable" computer!!

Re:An Even Better Idea by ajlitt · 2013-01-17 05:26 · Score: 1

What a great idea for a compaqt computer!

Re:Been Done by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 14:03 · Score: 1

Probably more things like that. As for running Windows, it's not gonna happen. Always needing an internet connection, a desk with a free monitor and keyboard (that doesn't already have a computer), having extra network lag and basically no 3D acceleration, it's really expensive to run Windows that way. Instead of $400 towers (which include the Windows license) that last for 5+ years, now I need vSphere licenses, veeam licenses, a very expensive SAN and tons of super expensive server grade hardware to create my own cloud. Then loads of windows server licenses that cost far more than desktop licenses, tons of expensive CALs, very expensive terminal server and/or citrix CALs and so on. It would end up costing more and it would limit us in many ways.

...not a game changer by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 14:09 · Score: 1

a device that needs other devices to do its basic function is not going to be a game changer... less so a device where the quality of the internet connection will determine the quality of the basic experience itself will be even less so.

If they baked what this thing can do into a good smartphone, *that* could be a game changer. What is on the cards methinks is a smartphone that docks a whole lot better and tighter than current offerings. There's still too much of a "copy to device" kind of thing happening, as soon as these things plug in and you use the device as if it's a full terminal, *that* will be a game changer. When not docked, you have all the data, use cut down software possible... dock it, and you can get more powerful computing but the desktop and everything is the docked device, you just get better resources of whatever you're docked into. Like, you can have photoshop files on the device, you can view the files, share... dock it, you get your desktop, and the computing power to edit the files fully but not in a "copy down, edit, then copy back up" but in a you're working from the docked device, no need for the net.

...if you just plug it into a compatible screen (tv, whatever), you simply get a better screen. Plug into a screen with a processor and a gpu, you get a screen with more computing power, plug into a screen with input devices and storage with API compatible apps then you get everything plus expanded app abilities and resources.

I feel that this may be the idea that this "game changer" is trying to be, but this flash thing isn't it because it's useless without what it's being plugged into... need to make it useful in its basic form, define the rest of the docking facilities... *then* they can take over the world.

Re:Been Done by nihaopaul · 2013-01-16 14:12 · Score: 3, Informative

I've got the next one up. Mygica a11 I like it a lot. Very fast. I put plex for android on it. 3 USB ports. HDMI port. No sperate audio jack but that's OK. Was half the cost of the apple TV and also has airplay on it.

USB, not. by msauve · 2013-01-16 14:13 · Score: 5, Informative

The summary implies this somehow connects to a USB port on a monitor. I was curious how it would then do video. Answer - it doesn't use USB. It's actually made to connect to an MHL port, which isn't nearly as widespread as either HDMI or USB. MHL doesn't use a specific connector - although it's quite common for it to be provided as an alternative to USB over a micro-USB connector (some smartphones do this). But, it's one or the other - you can't do both at once over a USB connector. MHL ports provide power, where HDMI ones don't (well, 5V@50mA, which ain't much) - which is the reason they're doing it that way. (there are also some proprietary connectors with more pins which will accept a USB plug, or a proprietary plug which allows simultaneous USB and MHL)

--
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law

Re:Been Done by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2013-01-16 14:13 · Score: 4, Interesting

If(and it isn't a small if, you run screaming from Dell software for a reason) Dell can get the software working properly, I'll give them that.

As you note, assorted Android-powered 'stick PC' products(the mk802 is sort of the 'kleenex' of the category; but the array of model numbers and knock-offs is frankly rather dizzying) are done to hell and back by now, and cheap too.

The quality of their firmware, however, might charitably be described as 'downmarket'. I'd assume that Dell will manage to clean things up a bit; but it would fail to surprise me if(once you've glommed on some CALs and VM rentals and assorted bullshit-as-a-service stuff, you'll be right back up to where corporate thin clients have always cost, only a bit smaller this time).

Re:So what are we using for input? by Guy+Harris · 2013-01-16 14:13 · Score: 1

what use is a tiny computer without a way of controlling it?

What, Bluetooth doesn't count?

Dell selling Android devices is like... by jkrise · 2013-01-16 14:18 · Score: 1

Apple selling Android devices.

This is just an announcement at CES. Doesn't mean shit. Dell stopped shipping Linux tablets... why? Dell makes Linux laptops pricier and more difficult to get than Windows ones...why?

So Dell is planning to 'reinvent' itself on an Android based Rapberry-Pi kind of form factor device; which it hopes people will buy from Dell despite its name rhyming with Hell? Good. I'll believe it when I see it.

--
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....

Re:Been Done by pepty · 2013-01-16 14:20 · Score: 5, Insightful

I'm guessing $50 gets you the terminal but there will be a monthly charge for the OS and applications cloud.

I'm not sure how much of a game-changer this is by Luminary+Crush · 2013-01-16 14:22 · Score: 1

It's from Wyse, so it's basically a "thin client". Don't get me wrong, Wyse makes good thin clients, but it's not fundamentally different than anything out there already. It's basically a way to run "VDI" (Virtual Desktop Interface) from your pocket.

OK, cool enough, but I can already do that with an app on my smart phone. I can run a plethora of thin client software - Citrix, VMware, Webex, PCAnywhere, Microsoft RDP, VNC... what else? The only unique thing I see here is that you can attach to a larger external screen. With an iPhone you can do that via an Apple TV with mirroring. The experience isn't fantastic but it's only a matter of time for that architecture to improve (same with Android equivalents).

I do not see myself carrying yet another device. I could see myself using my phone this way if the external graphics worked better - and there is nothing technically stopping that from happening now.

Apple or Google/Android could blink and destroy the market for this device.

Re:I'm not sure how much of a game-changer this is by AHuxley · 2013-01-16 14:53 · Score: 1

It does turn Google and Apple device into nothing more than $200-1000 dumb input units.
Your international computer is now a Dell and friends of Dell out of the box.
Its all race to the default settings and who gets closer to the user before they https.

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Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"

I should have been more clear by Radical+Moderate · 2013-01-16 14:29 · Score: 1

Connecting to your personal Mac will probably happen. Even is Apple doesn't like it, somebody will figure out a hack.

Dell, or anyone else, setting up virtual Macs for you and me to use? No. I've been in several meetings with Apple reps, and whenever we bring up virtualization things get real awkward. Unless Apple decides to set up the servers themselves, and that they're tired of selling iMacs and iBooks.

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Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.

Great plan Dell by viperidaenz · 2013-01-16 14:38 · Score: 1

Reinvent yourself by copying cheap Chinese products that are already available for ~$45 and charging 10% more.

Like. by hantms · 2013-01-16 14:50 · Score: 1

I like it. Many Chinese/Taiwanese manufacturers already offer this, either as a HDMI stick or small set-top box running Android, but Dell just has more clout to make the hardware rock solid, make it work very well with the OS and seamless cloud offerings. I'd get this on day one and breathe some life into my TVs.

Re:Like. by __aaltlg1547 · 2013-01-16 15:34 · Score: 1

I like it. Many Chinese/Taiwanese manufacturers already offer this, either as a HDMI stick or small set-top box running Android, but Dell just has more clout to make the hardware rock solid, make it work very well with the OS and seamless cloud offerings. I'd get this on day one and breathe some life into my TVs.
Since when did Dell make hardware rock solid or make any form of an OS?
Re:Like. by dbIII · 2013-01-16 16:24 · Score: 1

Since when did Dell make hardware rock solid
Back when they were rebadging Sony Trinatrons and ASUS motherboards.

Apple knows how to win a lawsuit by tepples · 2013-01-16 14:54 · Score: 1

First Apple doesn't own the VNC technology, so they can't legally enforce that.

Nor does Apple own the EFI technology, yet it won in Apple v. Psystar.

Re:Apple knows how to win a lawsuit by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 15:46 · Score: 1

Because Psystar tried to sell copies of OSX and used apple logos in their marketing they lost, not because they sold hardware that could run OSX

Or qemu and a garage sale tower by raymorris · 2013-01-16 14:57 · Score: 2

nstead of $400 towers (which include the Windows license) that last for 5+ years, now I need vSphere licenses, veeam licenses, a very expensive SAN and tons of super expensive server grade hardware to create my own cloud. Then loads of windows server licenses that cost far more than desktop licenses, tons of expensive CALs, very expensive terminal server and/or citrix CALs and so on. It would end up costing more and it would limit us in many ways.

Or a qemu license (free) and cheap craigslist towers now have hardware acceleration in CPU. No 3D acceleration, that's true, so not good for gamers. Personally, I'm not a gamer, so I use exactly zero 3 D applications.
I see it as filling a niche not quite served by tablets (if you want a screen larger than your hand) and not ideally served by desktops.

Re:Or qemu and a garage sale tower by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-17 00:27 · Score: 1

Something no sane enterprise will do.
Re:Or qemu and a garage sale tower by GNUALMAFUERTE · 2013-01-17 01:02 · Score: 5, Insightful

You are right, no sane enterprise will use cheap hardware and free software to run such a service. Imagine if google used nothing but cheap x86 hardware and free software to run their operation, instead of the huge IBM mainframes they have now.

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WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
Re:Or qemu and a garage sale tower by rwa2 · 2013-01-17 06:30 · Score: 1

Meh, I've seen some nice deployments of Dell-branded remote thin clients based on http://www.teradici.com/pcoip-technology.php
That was already nettop-sized, and was fast enough to remote 3D content and HD video at decent framerates with enough bandwidth... It was great for secure environments and quiet work environments, so you could maintain all of your hot noisy compute nodes in a central efficient climate-controlled server room, and you could deploy anyone's desktop(s) anywhere with a CAT-5e endpoint..
I could see this getting incrementally smaller and more bandwidth efficient. ...and Dell selling your PC-on-a-cloud--any-OS-you-want backend as a service if you didn't want to run your own server room.
Re:Or qemu and a garage sale tower by cthulhu11 · 2013-01-18 08:58 · Score: 1

Google is using masses of custom software on their custom hardware. They are only able to do this because of their scale.

Re:USB, not. For power like other Android "Sticks" by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 15:09 · Score: 1

If you read up on the mk802 class of Android USB sticks, the common design is to use mini or micro USB for power, and a lot of TV's and monitors can do that, and a HDMI plug on one end for the video/audio output directly (or with short extension cable), plus a full-size USB host receptacle for keyboards, mice, and other peripherals (since most of the mk802-ish devices lack bluetooth - score one for Dell for adding that). These are mid-range Androids without the screen in essence.

Also, reading Amazon customer reviews for a lot of these sticks, I have seen a lot of praise for their capability, and a lot of buyers are using them as (semi-)dedicated Android "stations" with a TV. The portability does not seem to be a big factor in most reviews since the issue noted here with peripherals for input and for viewing is a real hindrance, but not a show-stopper. The flexibility and potential is already being realized with a lot of similar sticks.

REALLY? by ArchieBunker · 2013-01-16 15:25 · Score: 2, Insightful

Sounds like a glorified WebTV device. Dell has been going down the shitter for years turning out trash hardware.

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Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard

Re:REALLY? by MacGyver2210 · 2013-01-16 18:04 · Score: 1

I think WebTV might be faster and more stable than this concept.
An android computer the size of a USB stick running Windows? What could POSSIBLY go wrong? Not to mention when you're running an OS via 'the cloud' where are your files stored, and how secure is everything on 'your os'?
Seems like a novelty idea that will soon pass. Just use android and be done with it.

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If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits

virtually... yeah right by markdavis · 2013-01-16 15:31 · Score: 1

>" that provides access to virtually every major operating system â" from the Mac OS, to Windows, to Google's Chrome OS, to cloud-based solutions from Citrix and Dell â" all via the cloud"

Virtually every major operating system and yet Linux is not mentioned... typical. Change "virtually" to "most" and that might be accurate. Of course the article doesn't have many useful details.

$50? Yeah right, and then some monthly "service fee", no doubt. And then you have to trust Dell's "cloud" with all your data, passwords, programs, etc. No thanks.

Re:virtually... yeah right by squiggleslash · 2013-01-17 02:50 · Score: 1

The third operating system mentioned, Chrome OS, is Linux. What Linus's fans call "Linux" goes by many names these days, Debian, Ubuntu, Chrome OS, RHEL, SuSE, Slackware, Fedora. Sometimes the full names of each distribution includes "Linux" in the title but we avoid saying it because it's kinda redundand, and sometimes they don't.
And yes, there's a monthly component. That's how Dell is making the money. The concept is you use the widget to access virtual PCs. You rent the latter. Depending on what your needs are, it may be better for you than buying PCs, given the decreased set-up, power and maintenance requirements.

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You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.

Re:well, Dell lost it by Gerzel · 2013-01-16 15:32 · Score: 2

The real issue is with the companies' data being in the cloud. Especially if Dell insists that you use their cloud with their devices.

I hope they shorten the name for commercials... by RedHackTea · 2013-01-16 15:40 · Score: 5, Funny

"Dude, I'm getting Oph!"

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The G

Re:Been Done by larry+bagina · 2013-01-16 15:59 · Score: 1

more of a market changer than the sheeva plug or raspberry pi?

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Do you even lift?

These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

Re:Been Done by ozmanjusri · 2013-01-16 16:40 · Score: 5, Informative

even if this is useful as just a web browser, this is going to be a market changer.

They've been on the market for a while. I have half a dozen of them, given others to family and friends as Skype terminals.

http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=android+usb+pc&catId=0&manual=y

A lot of SMEs in parts of Asia have started using them as basic office PCs as well. I'd say Dell is trying to get on this wave before it peaks.

--
"I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."

Re:Been Done by c0lo · 2013-01-16 16:46 · Score: 2

You mean you can not think of this? At $40, postage included?
I pity your cognitive capacity.

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Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.

Re:Been Done by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 16:57 · Score: 5, Funny

Yeah, even if this is useful as just a web browser, this is going to be a market changer.

So why name it after a crazy chick who's husband and boyfriend were such arseholes they drove her mad till she threw herself into the river?

What's their next project codename? Syphilis?

This is dumb by Marrow · 2013-01-16 17:07 · Score: 1

They will just start building the functionality into the monitor. This will be the default behavior of the monitors unless you are feeling "inelegant" and decide to plug something into the inputs. Then the Dell shiny toy is a paperweight.

In fact, the internal processor power of a monitor should be able to run this with spare cycles.

The endgame is to use the usb ports on the monitor to connect drives and allow storage. Bing!

Re:This is dumb by Marrow · 2013-01-16 17:13 · Score: 1

It gets fun when they give you a button to switch back and forth between PC inputs and android screen. Then you can use the monitor to select where your keyboard and mouse events go. To the android or to the PC.
Re:This is dumb by squiggleslash · 2013-01-17 02:45 · Score: 1

That would be dumb... if you weren't missing the business model completely.
Dell is selling the widget as a way to access the service. The service, that Dell makes money on, is the provision of virtual computers that can be accessed from anywhere. The widget is a terminal, it may even be sold at a loss.
From Dell's point of view, it would be fantastic if monitor makers incorporated the functionality of the widget into their devices. That's one less thing you need to sign up for a virtual Dell computer.
Is it a good idea? Time will tell. I can see small businesses finding something like this a god-send. Enterprises might, but would typically require a decade or more to switch over.

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You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.

Re:Been Done by LynnwoodRooster · 2013-01-16 17:37 · Score: 4, Insightful

Everyone's heard of Dell. Only geeks MAY have heard of Raspberry or Sheeva. You don't have to be the first to a market to dominate or change a market - just the one who markets the best.

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Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!

Re:Been Done by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2013-01-16 17:59 · Score: 1

I'm pretty sure this has been done before.

This seems a lot like a Chromebook, except you save a couple hundred and don't get an LCD panel or keyboard or USB ports.

Yeah, this is gonna take right off.

What's the over/under on this ever being released?

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#DeleteChrome

Re:Been Done by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2013-01-16 18:01 · Score: 4, Insightful

Everyone's heard of Dell.

Except, for the past seven or eight years, whenever they've heard "Dell" it's been preceded by "piece of sh*t".

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#DeleteChrome

Re:Been Done by maxwell+demon · 2013-01-16 18:12 · Score: 1

I'm pretty sure this has been done before.

Indeed.
OK, it's slightly above $50 and has no Bluetooth.

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The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.

Re:well, Dell lost it by Anonymous Coward · 2013-01-16 18:20 · Score: 1

A lot of companies already run their stuff in cloud and just use thin clients at the office.

Totally new idea! by k8to · 2013-01-16 18:21 · Score: 2

It's a bird!
It's a Sun Ray!
It's an X Terminal!
It's... It's... a failure.

--
-josh

Save the hype for later by wakeboarder · 2013-01-16 18:24 · Score: 1

Great, another over-hyped gutless computer. There are a few problems to this picture. 1)You can only use it if you have an internet connection. 2) This cannot too much more powerful than an atom processor or chrome book, so it will be like a chrome book, but with no screen. You know how popular chrome books are? Dell is doing what the entire industry has been doing for the last 7 or so years. Trying to find something different that consumers will love, while the consumers are stuck on getting every new thing to try it out. In the end we will have stacks of worthless electronics around us.

nothing says multi-billion dollar company... by stenvar · 2013-01-16 19:57 · Score: 1

<sarcasm>Nothing says "successful multi-billion dollar company" than bringing a product to market that you can already get as a cheap Chinese import and that is going to be obsolete in three years because every TV is going to have it built in at no extra cost.</sarcasm>

Re:Been Done by jhantin · 2013-01-16 20:01 · Score: 2

You mean like the MK802 that's been available for quite some time and can be purchased for under $40?

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...when you're writing a game...tweak the difficulty of "Easy" to something [your mother] can cope with. -- onion2k

It smells of poo by thetoadwarrior · 2013-01-16 20:12 · Score: 1

Placing everything on the Internet is dumb. I just can't see the Remote Desktop working consistently enough to warrant even thinking about purchasing it. I'll stick with my real mac and real thinkpad. I can at least use them when away from the net.

Re:Been Done by msobkow · 2013-01-16 20:53 · Score: 2

I'm not so sure about that. The article seems to describe yet another thin-client solution, only this time it uses the buzzword "cloud" to describe the servers. The only real difference between it and older thin-client solutions is that it uses the equivalent of a Raspberry Pi in a USB form instead of bulkier old technology built into the monitor itself.

Game changer? I doubt it very much.

Most people who buy internet-enabled TVs don't even use the internet capability for anything more than playing YouTube videos and NetFlix, and some of those have way more processing power than what the article describes, without the inconvenience of having to plug it in.

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I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.

Re:Been Done by hsa · 2013-01-16 21:17 · Score: 3, Insightful

You really think Dell will let you use that as a Web Browser? Think again.

It is going to be a dumb terminal that connects to Dell Services. These services will likely have a monthly/usage based fee.

There is no business sense in giving you hardware with low profit margins for your personal use.

Re:Been Done by Anne+Thwacks · 2013-01-16 21:53 · Score: 1

ISTR that the VT100 was strictly RS232. There was no USB, let alone WIfi.

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Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII

Re:Been Done by itsthebin · 2013-01-16 22:22 · Score: 5, Funny

What's their next project codename? Syphilis?

sounds catchy

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...I obey the laws of physics....

Damn 3rd world country... by coder111 · 2013-01-16 22:35 · Score: 1

Here in Europe, UK to be specific, you can get unlimited mobile data contract for ~13 pounds a month.

--Coder

Re:Damn 3rd world country... by TractorBarry · 2013-01-16 23:53 · Score: 2

You seem to forget that in the UK the word "unlimited" does not actually mean unlimited when it comes to bandwidth in internet connections. It means "some arbitary amount that we're nto going to tell you about in advance".

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Sky subscribers are morons. They pay to be advertised at !
Re:Damn 3rd world country... by BertieBaggio · 2013-01-17 02:38 · Score: 1

You seem to forget that in the UK the word "unlimited" does not actually mean unlimited when it comes to bandwidth in internet connections. It means "some arbitary amount that we're nto going to tell you about in advance".
Not so in one case. Three offer unlimited plans that are actually unlimited. When buying I asked specifically about fair use policies, hidden caps, soft caps and all came back negative. Granted, this was a sales rep, but he was quite earnest about their network backbone - they seem to take pride in building a network with the capacity to offer what is advertised.
I have no affiliation with Three other than being a happy customer - I even used my tethered phone for a couple months before I had a wired internet connection set up.

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If all you have is a grenade, pretty soon every problem looks like a foxhole -- MightyYar

Re:Been Done by TractorBarry · 2013-01-16 23:43 · Score: 1

If you're an American just call a lawyer. They'll sue anything in the US of A !

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Sky subscribers are morons. They pay to be advertised at !

homework by ProBowl+schedule · 2013-01-17 00:23 · Score: 1

Wow, you have done a dreat job and definatly done your homework. Great post.

Only Wifi? by SuperDre · 2013-01-17 00:23 · Score: 1

If it's got only Wifi then it's unusable IMHO, it also needs at least a wired connection.. Too many homes have very poor wifi connection due to being in a wifi overpopulated neighbourhood or just bad position of the wifi-router... I for only use wifi for portable devices, not devices which are stationary.

Re:Been Done by geekmux · 2013-01-17 00:26 · Score: 1

Yeah, even if this is useful as just a web browser, this is going to be a market changer.

Really? I'd say if it's nothing more than a web browser, care to tell me how most HDTVs sold today with that exact same functionality (and more) in the form of apps fed via built-in wireless has been a "market changer" the desktop, tablet, smartphone, or laptop industry? You think Apple is stuck on the drawing board, worried if Vizio is going to include a Facebook app? Highly unlikely.

Works like a USB port? Wuht? by wonkey_monkey · 2013-01-17 00:26 · Score: 3, Funny

Ophelia works just like a USB port

Err, does it? A USB port is a slot for plugging USB devices into. This is a teeny tiny computer that you plug into a display.

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systemd is Roko's Basilisk.

This could be interesting by cockroach2 · 2013-01-17 00:58 · Score: 1

Obviously the whole clowd stuff is dumb but if the device is cheap enough it could be an interesting platform for running XBMC.

Re:Been Done by GNUALMAFUERTE · 2013-01-17 01:00 · Score: 1

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/FACTORY-MK808-Mini-PC-Android-TV-box-4-1-Dual-Core-1-6-GHz-RAM-1GB/707744275.html

I have one. they exist. They're no game-changer.

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WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?

Just another MK802 / mk808 clone ? by terminal.dk · 2013-01-17 01:39 · Score: 1

It is probably just another Android TV stick clone. You can have them for $30-$60 depending on specs.
Got the Mk808, works fine.

Still not what I want, but its a step closer. by ClassicASP · 2013-01-17 02:18 · Score: 1

I like that its small and can be plugged in anywhere and all that jazz. I'm always after ultramobile, so really small and really cheap is getting there, but its not like everybody everywhere is gonna have a flat panel TV that I can just feel free to hookup and use on a whim.

I still am going to need a large WUXGA panel monitor that folds up to be pocket size. Maybe make it elastic and stretchy so that I could use it small and touchpad sized, or else large 17-inch widescreen monitor sized.

You could also build a bluetooth laser mouse into my cell phone, so that'd eliminate one extra device.

And instead of making pocket sized foldable keyboard, maybe improve those laser-projected keyboards so that its keychain-sized and more accurate with its touch response (the one I already bought kinda sucks).

Everything together should weigh no more than 1 to 1.5 lbs (including the power cords).

End goal is that my entire computer is very portable and agile and versatile, and can be fit in my cargo pants without it looking like I'm a shoplifter.

Re:Been Done by chispito · 2013-01-17 02:20 · Score: 1

So why name it after a crazy chick who's husband and boyfriend were such arseholes they drove her mad till she threw herself into the river?

Just as an FYI, i think you mean FATHER and boyfriend. Ophelia wasn't married.

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The Daddy casts sleep on the Baby. The Baby resists!

Re:Been Done by lxs · 2013-01-17 02:21 · Score: 1

Scroll up. You can get these much cheaper from China and with Bluetooth. Which isn't surprising as Conrad is too expensive with everything.

Re:Been Done by witherstaff · 2013-01-17 02:42 · Score: 1

I don't see anything on intrade concerning Dell.

Re:Been Done by halltk1983 · 2013-01-17 02:42 · Score: 1

Or pay someone to do it. When bought in bulk, remote desktop services aren't that expensive, and the marketplace is growing for it.

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Watch for Penguins, they eat Apples and throw rocks at Windows.

Re:Been Done by Grizzley9 · 2013-01-17 02:58 · Score: 1

Very interesting product. I couldn't tell by the products, but will these really run Hulu?

All maximized all the time by tepples · 2013-01-17 03:24 · Score: 1

What operating system does this 7" tablet run? Can it run two applications side-by-side the way even a 10" laptop can?

Re:All maximized all the time by AK+Marc · 2013-01-17 07:52 · Score: 1

Android 4.1.1. The question was margins, not functionality. If you want to change the goal posts every post to justify your personal opinion, fuck off. I'm just telling you how it is, if that disturbs your reality, I don't care.

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Learn to love Alaska
Re:All maximized all the time by tepples · 2013-01-17 08:01 · Score: 1

I have written articles that list the entire set of goal posts. When I have referred to them in my posts to Slashdot, people have tended to reply without reading them.

Re:Been Done by jedidiah · 2013-01-17 04:10 · Score: 1

The main difference is the price tag.

Beyond that, it's been done before.

The resurrection of terminals previously tended to be stymied by the fact that they tended to cost you as much or more as a full PC.

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A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.

Sounds familiar by john.wingfield · 2013-01-17 05:22 · Score: 1

I already have a device that I carry around with me that runs on Android and can connect to an OS in the cloud. A couple of tweaks from the manufacturer and future models could have proper USB and HDMI. Oh, and it’s got a really handy “phone call” function too.

Not so good for Dell by DragonWriter · 2013-01-17 07:15 · Score: 1

From Dell's point of view, it would be fantastic if monitor makers incorporated the functionality of the widget into their devices.

Not if the built-in terminal functionality in the monitors wasn't dedicated to Dell's back-end services. Its hardly as if Dell is the only company that's selling access to cloud-hosted virtual machines.

Raspberry Pi in a Box by billstewart · 2013-01-17 08:39 · Score: 1

Ok, they've added Bluetooth, and use Wifi instead of wired Ethernet, and use some really uncommon powered video plug instead of HDMI and a USB socket, but it's still pretty much the same. RPi in a box is about as practical, and it wouldn't be hard to build commercially.

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Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks

Re:Been Done by ozmanjusri · 2013-01-17 10:20 · Score: 1

It's Android, so Hulu will work fine. Unfortunately, I'm in Australia, so Hulu won't work fine for me no matter what I use.

--
"I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."

Insn't this how the 'cloud' is supposed to work? by new+death+barbie · 2013-01-17 10:56 · Score: 1

I travel anywhere in the world, plug my little USB-like device into a standard terminal device (display + keyboard + mouse), and my whole computing environment comes to me?

Granted, there are some concerns, data security being the greatest, network bandwidth following a close second. But if the 'cloud' was my personal server in my basement, and not in some third-party datacenter, it's starting to look very interesting.

Eventually, if the 'cloud' environment addressed data encryption for storage and if the network speed was sufficient (pretty big if's, admittedly), I could see this becoming the Next Big Thing for most casual PC users. Don't like Dell's cloud? Try Apple's. Or Google's. Or Amazon's. Or roll your own. Computing as a commodity service.

--

It's supposed to be completely automatic, but actually you have to press this button.

Re:Been Done by Nefarious+Wheel · 2013-01-17 11:26 · Score: 1

ISTR that the VT100 was strictly RS232. There was no USB, let alone WIfi.

(sigh) You had to remind me of those halcyon days -- when someone bothered you, you gave them a minimum WSEXT and set their password lifetime to "Daily", and you could spend hours making neat EDT macros and clever DCL command procs...

Sysgen, oh sweet @vmsupdate and SETPRV -- how I miss thee...

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Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear

Re:Been Done by cthulhu11 · 2013-01-18 08:59 · Score: 1

That was my first thought as well. Then how utility will be limited by latency and lagging.

Wonder why they named it that? by Dabido · 2013-01-18 14:07 · Score: 1

Your USB computer then gets herself to a nunnery, goes mad and kills herself!

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Sure enough, the cow costume was hanging up next to the superhero outfit and sailors uniform. (S,Spud)

Re:Been Done by Stuarticus · 2013-01-22 03:43 · Score: 1

Father and boyfriend? I think you're thinking about Oedipus. (/joke)

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If you think someone isn't free to have a different definition of "freedom" you may be a tyrant.

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Meet "Ophelia," Dell's Plan To Reinvent Itself

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