My 3G cell phone no longer makes calls. But it contains a useful computer. This is such a waste.<p>Is there a good way to use a cell phone as a laptop-ish computer? A USB-C port can do HDMI. A keyboard/mouse could be attached through Bluetooth.<p>Has anyone managed to use an old cell phone as a portable computer?
What kind of cell phone?<p>Slightly Android phone - just flash latest available LineageOS and install Termux and off you go.<p>Much older Android phone - probably not useful as a computer TBH, modern apps and websites need too much processing power.<p>Any other even older phone - perhaps useful for some home IoT/embedded stuff, not much more probably.<p>---<p>A modern Android phone with USB-C (must be USB3) is a full computer, I'm doing it. VSCode server running in the background + browser to access it, full Node.js installation + wired display, mouse, and keyboard plugged in USB-C dock. The launcher automatically switches to windowed mode when I plug in the display.<p>My only problem with this setup is the UX on-the-go. I'd love something like the old Transformer tablet/lapdock where you could slide the phone inside...
The term to search for related to this is "convergence" - the idea that the very different computing form factors that we use today (smartphone, laptop, desktop, server, and so on) may gradually blend.<p>Reference: <a href="https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/device-convergence-affect-project-management-4927" rel="nofollow">https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/device-convergence-affe...</a><p>(in a separate context, "convergence" also relates to an idea that gained traction after WWII that the ideologies of the East and West could gradually combine into something reflecting the benefits of each while removing the downsides; that's another story, though)
Yup, using my Samsung S9 along with a product called Uperfect X. Loaded up nodeJS, vuejs even python using Termux. then used VScode. Has busybox, so most cmds are there. No root either.<p>Here's a nice article outlining these hdmi/keyboard shell laptops<p><a href="https://liliputing.com/2021/11/5-laptop-docks-that-let-you-use-a-smartphone-like-a-notebook.html" rel="nofollow">https://liliputing.com/2021/11/5-laptop-docks-that-let-you-u...</a>
$50 desktop from goodwill/recycling center will be infinitely more useful than outdated un-updateable phone forced to pretend its a general purpose computer.