it's been awesome ... i've been using this setup for 7+ years. Obviously with other phones (former pixel 5) but the passport form factor of the pixel fold works great for one handed use and I use it folded most of the time. Unfolded is just icing on the cake.
I build webapps so there's no difference using my phone or a laptop save for app switching/multi-window speed. As for typing speed, sure it's a bit slower but it helps I program in clojure(script) so the concise and terse syntax helps.
Also, when I need to dive into developer console I use KiwiBrowser which is slower to get around compared to desktop chrome but it gets the job done.
I've been meaning to share the minimally modified APKs I use and write a blog posts.
I'll also "Ssh + GNU Screen + emacs" occasionally on my phone and I'll be honest... it's way better to throw a bt/mini keyboard in the mix.
After that you can have a mostly normal desktop experience w/ the addition of a tablet. How long can a person stare at a screen that's only six inches?
So, ultimately I'd suggest using a tablet and [mini]keyboard with the phone as a hotspot instead; unless you're a die-hard masochist. Of course it's a slippery slope and a full laptop might be ideal for most users.
Phone displays are just too small.
> I've been wanting to build something in this space.
Interesting, what got you interested in having a mobile setup btw?
> Did you have something specific in mind?
I'm still brainstorming on this topic, would love any ideas. But one habit I am noticing amongst my friends and I is assigning a task to an agent, then moving onto the next task while the agent works on the previous one (this can be in codex, claude etc). All of this doesn't need to be on the laptop, infact it could be done through whatsapp or telegram. Let's say I have an ongoing chat with the agent, me giving instructions, getting a diff, reviewing and then hit to commit. Would be useful when I am away from my desk.
Another thing could be an information assistant, to keep me in the loop with what my agents are upto by summarising their performance and current active tasks and letting me butt in when they're stuck somewhere.
> what got you interested in having a mobile setup
Over time the need to quickly address administrative and operational issues while on the road converged with marathon coding sessions. So, I'd say it was organic and more "evolutionary" than "revolutionary". More often than not, I think advances tend to happen in that fashion.
Perhaps that's something to consider while you brainstorm. IOW, it may be good to compromise between a more grandiose vision and a mundane, but tangible delivery... then iterate.
Is this hedging bets a little? Sure, but I've grown into a somewhat risk averse developer so I like playing "small ball". Whether or not that's the best approach, I can't say.
I've had some fun conversations failing to explain why someone needed to try a multi monitor setup. It seems one could just get used to small screen. I normally use a redmagic phone. Today I had to test a website on an older iphone and got some claustrophobia vibes from it. No idea how I've ever used it.
I did some experiments with this https://synesthesia.go-here.nl but was to lazy to sufficiently learn it. I never got around to writing a code viewer.
you think we don't have enough space on earth for a few buildings? this seems like a purely western cope. China seems perfectly able to build out large infrastructure projects with a land area smaller than that of the continentenal USA
You're presumably looking at a source that's including water area. When talking about land area, China > USA > Canada. (As opposed to when including water area, Canada > USA > China)
I use a bespoke hacker software keyboard (ctrl/meta/custom keys for GNU screen and emacs) and also bespoke SSH client (fork of the original irssiconnectbot) for years.
My phone is the original Pixel Fold. You would think I use it unfolded but the passport form factor lends itself to be almost as productive folded that I use it that way most of the time. Unfolded it's just a bit better experience (bigger keys / more display real estate/ more characters per line/ etc).
I've also been meaning to write about my setup and open sourcing my tools.
Oh. Writing clojure helps due to the terseness of the language. Not sure it would be a pleasant experience writing something like Java with the 80 character line limit I try to impose on myself
reply