Can a REDFLY Replace a MacBook?
We’ve been all over the REDFLY since it first appeared. The REDFLY is the ultra-portable notebook-like device that doesn’t do anything on its own, but when you connect it to your Windows Mobile phone things get really interesting. The REDFLY simply shoots your phone’s screen to the bigger REDFLY screen and brings a nice keyboard and trackpad to use with your phone.
What makes the REDFLY work so well is it’s near instant-on and the fact that it gets through a full day on a single battery charge. It has no memory nor processor of its own to eat the battery, it uses the resources of the phone to run things. It’s surprisingly good at what it does and if you doubt that then you need to check out the 3-part series on Gear Diary. Carly Z put the REDFLY to the ultimate test and left the MacBook at home for a week and just used the REDFLY. The results may surprise you but here’s a teaser:
The other area that I did not expect to get so dependent on was having my phone so tightly integrated with my computer. Answering text messages, phone calls, emails, and browsing the news all without having to swap devices once was like geek nirvana.
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The RedFly might get through an entire day of use… but what about your mobile phone?
beat me to the punch! :)
i’ve tried using my phone as my main device and have had similar type of luck and when it came down to it i’d rather have my macbook air and tether to my iphone.
plus, video for me is a huge thing, esp w/boxee. :)
I agree with the last two posters, the limiting factor is the battery of your phone.
A cool alternative to, say, an HTC Advantage.
I guess pricing will be the main point, I don’t know if I’ll be willing to pay more than 200 dollars for this device.
Palm had something very similar in the works last year..but they scrapped it. (Palm Foleo I think)