Microsoft builds desktop around smartphone

 

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By Stuart Turton

Posted on 30 Jan 2009 at 16:14

A new patent from Microsoft indicates the company believes your next computer may well be your smartphone.

The patent covers a dock device for smartphones which features USB ports, a connection for an external display and an Ethernet jack.

The device is clearly aimed at emerging markets, where smartphones are increasingly prevalent, but desktop computers remain beyond the reach of most homes.

"The cost of cellphones is significantly less than computing systems at many levels," says the patent.

"However, the cellphone is rapidly evolving into a smart communications device that can provide sufficient computing power and functionality to drive a wide variety of peripherals as well as access network services.

"A major impediment to taking advantage of this evolving technology in the cell phone, for example, is the inability to connect the phone to peripheral devices and systems."

According to Microsoft's patent, the dock system would hook up to a wide array of peripherals including monitors, televisions, input devices and printers.

It would also feature a lightweight operating system, processor, memory and solid-state drive, allowing it to support a wide array of devices and bolster the processing power of the phone in tasks where the phone wasn't sufficiently powerful enough.