With the arrival of OneUI 7, Samsung is scrapping support for Dex for Windows. This is apparently a much bigger take-away than Samsung realizes.
What I don't think Samsung truly appreciates is that many of us use Dex for Windows to encapsulate a home computing environment and use it at work, rather than using Dex as a work or productivity tool.
That is, I use Dex for Windows to answer personal emails, access apps and websites for personal use, and otherwise maintain a presence in my personal life while I'm at work. Dex for Windows is better than the phone screen for that purpose for the same reasons Dex is better than the phone's screen for work-related activities.
Other folks use Dex for Windows because it allows them to work in different offices and on customer sites while maintaining their familiar desktop workspace and keeping their work-related files safely on their own devices. Samsung has made a phone with the power of a laptop, so people are using it like one.
So, to my question: What is the recommended setup to replicate Dex for Windows as closely as possible?
So far, what I've come up with is a docking station for the phone with either a KVM switch, or a USB video capture card and a Windows camera viewer program, and a separate (e.g. Bluetooth) mouse and keyboard. I have tested the latter setup, and had some issues with the video quality, but the good news is that the docking station I selected (Plugable USBC-7IN1E) is up to the task, the video looks fine when connected directly to a monitor, and the phone recognizes a wireless mouse/KB transmitter correctly.
I use Dex for Windows all the time with the exception of a few Windows only applications. Now I have tried most of the alternatives to Dex but the satisfaction level is way below. The only reason I have been buying expensive Samsung phones is Dex. I now might as well say goodbye to Samsung.
I see that reaction a lot more often than I thought I would. As I said, I don't think Samsung realizes how valuable that feature is, or to how many of their users.
I've experimented with the two solutions I documented previously and each works well. I like my S24U for a lot more than just DeX, (e.g. app smoothness, camera performance, interoperability with other devices), and I also reckon I can use it when I go on vacation, and leave my laptop home. So, Samsung won't lose me, just a bit of my respect for their business decisions.
OK, another piece to the puzzle discovered: There's a Quick Share app for Windows, and you can use it to wirelessly share everything from clipboard text to entire folders with your phone.
I tested it on my rig at home and it works flawlessly. Setup was pretty easy, the device visibility settings are a little non-intuitive so you'll have to tinker.
Also, since I posted this thread, I got a new Windows 11 tower machine for my office. That has changed the calculus somewhat, but not really enough I don't think. It came without WiFi so I've bought a dongle for it.
I'm going to try setting up Miracast on the tower, and see how compatible that setup is to wireless Dex. I'll update this thread with my result.
Quick update: I just spent several hours on and off with the setup mentioned earlier that included the docking station, video capture card, and a windowed capture viewer. 90% satisfied (where Dex for Windows would be 100%). This post was written with that rig.
The new work tower came without bluetooth as well as lacking wifi. Haven't added a dongle l and may not because Quick Share is a minor addition.
One recommendation is to use a wireless keyboard/mouse setup, and plug that into a USB port that's easily accessible. Moving that between the computer and the docking station is then the only thing you need to do when switching.
I did discover a Windows program that allows a drive letter to be mapped to an FTP server. That plus an FTP server app in the phone are an adequate substitute for the USB connection. You can get that here: https://backupchain.com/en/drivemaker/
So, I'm satisfied that this rig is an adequate substitute for Dex for Windows. If I add the BT dongle to get Quick Share, which will let me access the text clipboard and anything else in the phone from the PC, my satisfaction level will rise to ~95%. Then, the only thing that's missing would be the ability to simply slide from the Dex window to the Windows desktop.
