How is the RedFly a better solution? You don’t state a single reason…

While Jack’s original article might not have detailed any reasons, I listed three and he agreed with them.

Having a smaller screen? The Warrior is slated to have a 25% larger screen than the larger RedFly (there are 2 sizes).

Whether that’s an advantage depends on what you want to use it for. If you’re using it as a desktop docking station, a larger screen may well be an advantage. (I say “may” because something like a 10″ VGA screen might not be.)

However, if you’re using the device as a portable terminal, like the Redfly, a smaller screen makes the device more portable.

Also, if this dock has an 800×480 resolution like the phone, it will look less sharp than the Redfly, which also has an 800×480 resolution (the same resolution on a smaller screen mean a smaller dot pitch and more sharpness). If this dock has a higher resolution screen, who knows.

Weight? We don’t know yet.
Battery life? We don’t know yet.

That’s one reason that I didn’t mention them. However, we can make some assumptions. A 10″ screen likely means the whole device will be larger. Larger devices tend to weigh more than smaller ones.

Regarding battery life, a larger screen may use more power. If you put in a larger battery to compensate, the device will weigh more.

Having a dedicated touchpad, as opposed to using the touchpad on the phone? How would that be a benefit?
I believe my first comment explained that. The docked device is much bigger than the Redfly’s trackpad. That will make the device significantly deeper (and, thus, less portable).

Again, if you’re using the dock as a desktop-only solution, that may not matter. I carry my Redfly all over and would hate to have to dock my phone every time.

Also, having to put the device into the dock, as opposed to connecting it via USB or Bluetooth like on the Redfly, means that you pretty much have to use that one iMate phone (and any similar models). If you switch to a different phone, or even prefer a different iMate phone, your dock may become a $200 paperweight.

While that can happen with the Redfly (as it doesn’t support every phone model), it’s less likely because Celio does support a wide range of phones.

Regarding Steve’s 3rd point (to which you readily latched on), why would you walk around with your phone essentially inside a laptop? Wouldn’t one remove it when done using the larger display & keyboard? That’s just plum dumb…

I don’t think you read my initial post carefully enough. You assumed the thief would only steal the device after the owner was done using it, but I’ve heard of laptop thieves going into coffee shops or other such places and just grabbing a laptop while the owner was using it and running off. The owner, who is probably sitting at a table, can’t catch the guy before he jumps into a waiting car or gets lost on a busy street.

With this type of docking station, the thief would also get my phone and have access to all of its data. With the Redfly, the phone could well be safe on my belt using the Bluetooth connection. The thief would get my Redfly, but my phone (and its data) would still be safe.

Steve

How is the RedFly a better solution? You don’t state a single reason…
Having a smaller screen? The Warrior is slated to have a 25% larger screen than the larger RedFly (there are 2 sizes).
Weight? We don’t know yet.
Battery life? We don’t know yet.
Having a dedicated touchpad, as opposed to using the touchpad on the phone? How would that be a benefit?
Rhetorical question – Do you really think a device with a native wide-screen resolution (the Legionnaire @ 800×480, or otherwise known as WVGA) would have a purpose-built dock with a display in a 4:3 configuration?

Regarding Steve’s 3rd point (to which you readily latched on), why would you walk around with your phone essentially inside a laptop? Wouldn’t one remove it when done using the larger display & keyboard? That’s just plum dumb…

First, that means it will only work with one class of phones (unless you create adapters for others). The Redfly works with USB or Bluetooth connections, so you don’t have to put the phone in specially-shaped hole.

Second, it makes the device much larger. The trackpad on the Redfly adds less than an inch in depth; a phone would add a lot more.

Third, it makes it more likely that somebody stealing your docking station would also get your device. With the Redfly, if I’m connected via Bluetooth, my phone is safe in my belt case. Somebody grabbing the Redfly and running won’t get my data.

Steve