“Breakthrough device of CES: Motorola Atrix = Phone + PC”

Clearly, something is broken in my RSS workflow — as in, I’m not reading the right blogs, and/or not being attentive enough when I do the reading — because I completely missed this when it was announced:

The company trotted out the Atrix 4G, a new dual core smartphone that contains an extra surprise: a piece of “Webtop” software that allows it to function like a full PC when connected in one of three docking modes:

• Desktop PC mode with keyboard, mouse, and display

• TV mode with a remote

• Laptop mode, with a special laptop-like dock

I’ve dreamt of such a concept for many years: a phone that would just hold your data and apps and transform into your desktop or laptop so that you never have to sync anymore… and it’s become reality sooner than I expected. It’s not only a really cool concept (plug the phone into a dock, it becomes, essentially, a netbook) but it looks to be implemented just as cleverly and efficiently as could be by a third-party (it’d probably be better if Google designed Android for that purpose from the ground up but, within the limitations of an added layer, it’s insanely well designed and realized, from to to bottom). Just watch Engadget’s video. Amazing — and for one thing I can’t believe this thing is coming out with a Motorola logo.

It’s a niche product to be sure, but a niche is where you can still exist on today’s smartphone market. If I ever wanted to switch away from iOS, I’d just buy that phone.