…and with that fancy community thread title I simply imply that with today’s powerful processing power, I believe as an example an 8-core CPU/4Gb RAM Android table should be capable enough to handle Roon’s database management and serve as a remote too eliminating the need of two separate units.
I believe core/remote functionality can be transparent, integrated and independent of the necessity to have two individual hardware entities. Well, at the end of the day we already have this. My HP table/laptop hybrid running on Windows 10 does contain the core and also serves as a remote (which has a modest 4-core CPU/2Gb RAM). On top, my Android-based smartphone seamlessly connects to it and acts as a remote but of course with the drawback for the necessity to have both devices ON (or do the remote controlling from the laptop itself).
An iOS/Android-based core should be possible I believe maybe not for mid-end and below smartphones but certainly for high-end phones and tablets. Could be that RoonOS is towards that principle for all I know.
Core is not just database management: think decoding and resampling – and that’s without thinking about the goodie bag that is the upcoming 1.3. Apart from processing power (multi-cores are of limited value here) – it will eat your battery alive.
Which probably is already the case on that HP laptop of mine that maybe aside battery life has specs below many new high-end tablets (that can also run plugged in to compensate). Ok, I can admit that in this configuration you lose remote freedom somewhat.
If the effort to implement is relatively minimal, it shouldn’t harm to have the option.
And chances are that hardware will get better and more reliable in the future in many aspects. Software (Roon) too.