CES 2018 was amazing with great tech being showcased all around. Among all of the other stuff, what caught my eye was Project Linda by Razer. This is a concept that had existed from a long time and popped up in different form factors, but this is the first time that the integration of a smartphone with a full fledged notebook has been done so well. Now you must remember that this is a concept. But what is the nearest, best thing to Linda that you could get right now? You might have thought of the Samsung DeX, but here are a few reasons why Linda, as a product is far better and adds to your swag points.
1. Portability
This sounds stupid, doesn’t it? How is a dock the size of a laptop more portable than a dock? In truth, when you consider a device that is supposed to convert your phone into a proper workstation, you need to consider the peripherals you get with it too. While the Linda is a complete package with an external battery, screen and a keyboard, you need a separate keyboard and monitor to hook up to the DeX. +1 for Project Linda!
2. Overall need for peripherals
Linda is an all in one with an attached keyboard, a Quad HD screen, a battery pack, and an extra 200GB of onboard storage. The DeX however, is just a dock with a cable and a few ports. You have to plug it into a monitor and have to attach a keyboard and mouse to use it properly. Kind of a bummer if you’re a student or someone who travels often.
3. Sex Appeal
Ok, now imagine this – you’re at a coffee shop and you’re getting work done on your sleek Razer laptop. Work’s over and so is your coffee and you have to leave. You just push a button on your keyboard and remove the track-pad from your laptop which is in fact your phone. If that isn’t a conversation starter then i don’t know what is! Coming back to DeX, you probably can’t use it at a coffee shop unless you’re a maniac who carries a full size monitor, keyboard and mouse around with you.
While the Project Linda is just a prototype, it is a step forward in making cooler, more functional tech, especially interconnected tech. I can’t wait for it to be a reality, but until then, I probably will be sticking to my manic obsession of carrying my monitor, keyboard and mouse around just to use with my Samsung DeX.