When I wrote my article about Intel promoting Thunderbolt technology at the expense of Wireless USB, a big part of my argument was that Wireless USB could enable a universal wireless docking solution that could start a revolution in computing. The result would be that high-powered dual core smartphones could soon have the power to run a desktop OS and connect wirelessly to a desktop (keyboard, mouse, and monitor) or laptop “dock” and act like a full PC.
It was that part of my article — talking about wireless docking — that people got the most excited about. I even went on the podcast TechFan on Friday to debate the merits of the idea and talk about its real world possibilities.
We’ve just started seeing the possibilities of smartphones as PC replacements for light computing with the Motorola Atrix (below).
However, that still requires a physical dock and it’s unlikely that all of the smartphone vendors will agree on a universal connector for docking. It’s much more likely that all of them would agree to support a wireless protocol like Wireless USB that could then be used as an untethered docking solution. Yes, there would be security and wireless interference concerns, but those are not insurmountable obstacles. With smartphones going dual core and spreading to more consumers and business professionals, a wireless docking solution will likely emerge within the next two years.
Once this happens, do you see smartphones replacing some traditional laptops and desktops? For which types of users would this sense? Answer the poll below and jump into the discussion.
