You can already use an iPhone a desktop computer, just not well: keyboards work fine, with AssistiveTouch you can get a pointer for your mouse, and by connecting iPhone to an external display it mirrors its display. Sadly, that includes the orientation and resolution.

I've been hoping Apple will get eventually around to work this out, and the article shows it'd be easier than anticipated. I think it'll happen eventually.

As for travelling specifically, it'd be easier to bring a MacBook than to bring a mouse and keyboard and portable display. The display could be replaced by a TV in your acommodation, but it's rare to be able to use that ergonomically.

It'd be instead quite interesting in general for people who already only use little more than the browser.

Actually, I use my iPhone with a Remote Desktop app and a Bluetooth keyboard fairly often (as long as I remember to take my HDMI adapter when traveling). It’s perfectly usable for checking your corporate email in a hotel in a pinch, (it gives me a full widescreen desktop) although that has to be coded into the app (Blink Shell does the same thing).