[Superfly_FR]

In late Q3 2012, the US Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from RIM that reveals a new mobile smartphone docking station that comes in the form of a netbook. For those on the go, it could be an interesting way to charge your smartphone while giving you a notebook-like tool so that you could type up your reports or briefs quickly using a standard keyboard.

Full story and drawings here : RIM Invents Smartphone Dock in the form of a Netbook - Patent Bolt

source : ⊛ Brandon ⊛ ‏@brandondely via TW.

[Munchito1976]

following Thor's comments in the past few months, this is exactly the kind of stuff I imagined they were planning. If they can stay relevant long enough to finance their long term plans, the sky's the limit!

[notfanboy]

"Invents?"

What about the Atrix two years ago?

[tinoman]

That's really cool. Good find.

I swear some other company already had something similar to this? Oh ya it was the Motorola Atrix.

[big bb]

The idea I had 4 years ago was similar, where you insert your smartphone into the location where the track pad is and use your phone a the track pad while it is charging, RIM seem to be taking farther by the dock is just a bigger screen with a keyboard, can only truly do that was QNX (y)

[BB10FTW]

........Wow, that is brilliant. I have always hated the thought of these docking stations but this idea blows the rest away. Now we have an idea of what Thorsten means when he tells everyone that laptops/desktops will be obsolete in 5 years time. I'm sure there are many more goodies where this came from.

[Superfly_FR]

"Invents?"

What about the Atrix two years ago?

Must say : "I quoted the article title"

Then, it also reminded me the Asus PadFone.

[BB10FTW]

The concept is different. In the article they meant "invents" in a general way, not that RIM was first. They did invent a new kind of dock and it is by far my favorite.

[DocDRM]

I'm seeing this as a helpful tool. Sitting in a hotel room right now, 9900, PlayBook, and laptop all along for the ride. Still carry the laptop as I've not made the disconnect yet, but a device that would incorporate the PlayBook, a keyboard with an insert for an L-series type BB10 as a trackpad and 4G connection at the same time, just takes the PlayBook/miniKB and bridge to the next level!

P.S. Hey Santa - I've been good. I would really, really, really like a BlackBerry mini keyboard fro Christmas please!

[jamezalexander]

No joke I had this idea months ago! Glad RIM has made their own verison. With Bridge/Remote/HDMI out the pissibilities are truly as endless as QNX.

Here's my ty mock up;

blackberryarc.jpg

[randall2580]

Not sure of the value of this. Right now I can take an UltraBook running the software I need (MS Win 7) which runs programs I have to have with my smartphone tethered to my computer by usb cable if I am concerned about power consumption through Bluetooth or WiFi. A computer running a QNX based OS would not be able to do anything but run at best a Win emulation program, and at worst a remote desktop. Why would this make me want to give up the processing power of an i5 based UltraBook?

[peter9477]

No joke I had this idea months ago!

Nice pic, jamezalexander. :-) You should get in the habit of writing dates on your sketches... helps in lawsuits and such when you need to prove you invented it first. ;-)

[Techno-Emigre]

Thanks for posting OP! This stuff just gets me drooling. Bridge is one of the things that really sets BlackBerry apart. I have a feeling RIM does not plan on taking long to start striking the market with continued innovation once they get BB10 out.

[Foreverup]

"Invents?"

What about the Atrix two years ago?

I believe though you need the phone attached to the dock to run the OS on the laptop dock. I think what RIM is doing is an addition to a normal windows laptop or netbook. Granted they are similar but wouldn't be the same patent. I could be wrong though I'm still looking for the original patent docs seems the patent number on the site is wrong.

[Tre Lawrence]

"Invents?"

What about the Atrix two years ago?

I know... LOL.

Hopefully RIM does not "invent" the insane price that doomed the Atrix dock too.

[jamezalexander]

Haha I still maintain a GLASS blackberry keyboard with the ability to FLICK up words would be amazing......
Imagine that powering your "standard" laptop keyboard. If it had some haptic feedback even better.
GET ON IT RIM.

[peterallcdn]

I'm not really interested in the netbook version of this idea, although I understand many will be... I'd most like to see a desktop version where you connect any monitor you like to the dock. (I'm hoping this is what FIG 8 is in the post by "big bb" above) I'd have a monitor with my BB blown up on it, right next to my Windows PC monitors. That'd be pretty sweet.

[jamezalexander]

Nice pic, jamezalexander. :-) You should get in the habit of writing dates on your sketches... helps in lawsuits and such when you need to prove you invented it first. ;-)

The top is actually a 10" Playbook )))))))

[aragone79]

I still try to understand The point of these docking Design

[peterallcdn]

I still try to understand The point of these docking Design

The point? To turn your mobile phone into a mobile computer, and to make using it easier.

[Tre Lawrence]

The point? To turn your mobile phone into a mobile computer, and to make using it easier.

He might be referring to the ROI.

If the cost is prohibitive, it may not resonate with consumers.

[aragone79]

He might be referring to the ROI.

If the cost is prohibitive, it may not resonate with consumers.

Right, money does matter. If The price is above USD 100, many users Will think twice to buy it.

[Mallet21]

Not sure of the value of this. Right now I can take an UltraBook running the software I need (MS Win 7) which runs programs I have to have with my smartphone tethered to my computer by usb cable if I am concerned about power consumption through Bluetooth or WiFi. A computer running a QNX based OS would not be able to do anything but run at best a Win emulation program, and at worst a remote desktop. Why would this make me want to give up the processing power of an i5 based UltraBook?

Different strokes for different folks........

[Tre Lawrence]

Right, money does matter. If The price is above USD 100, many users Will think twice to buy it.

Yep, as Moto found out: Motorola killing webtop, laptop docks | Android Central

[johnenglish]

Palm (the Foleo), Motorola (the Atrix), and Asus (the PadFone) have all tried this idea in various ways over the years. It never seems to have taken off. Maybe RIM will have better luck.