Android Desktop Edition

[tezer]

Do you think it will be the next step by Google? I can't see why not: they already have a promising mobile OS, they have an office suit, they have e-mail and PIM applications (all on-line though) and a couple of nice apps (picasa, googleEarth, Chrome).
It might be a nice leap forward in promoting Linux, because it has everything but a huge name that could push the OS into masses. Google is the name.
So what do you think about such a development? Do you think it's possible? Do you like it or not?

[DeadSuperHero]

Plausible.

What I would actually like to see, however, is all of Android's improvements brought into desktop linux. I'd love to see Chromium and V8 incorporated into a native web browser with a native toolkit, I want to see a fun, creative desktop metaphor, and I want it to be GPL-compatible.

A guy can dream, can't he?

[zmjjmz]

By Android for the desktop I hope you mean a Google desktop OS, because Android's Java dependence is sickening and would not be feasible on the desktop.
Android's interface is also really meant for small screens, touch ones especially. It just wouldn't be practical to use it with a mouse pointer and a large screen.

[mrgnash]

Install Droid fonts, Picasa, Google Earth, and dress Firefox up like Google Chrome: ta-da!

[tezer]

By Android for the desktop I hope you mean a Google desktop OS, because Android's Java dependence is sickening and would not be feasible on the desktop.
Android's interface is also really meant for small screens, touch ones especially. It just wouldn't be practical to use it with a mouse pointer and a large screen.

You're right, but I didn't mean that they simply use their mobile OS for desktops. They can make it from scratch (on Linux) to be a desktop OS, well, even the name can be different, say, Humanoid ;)

[TBOL3]

Yes, google will (relatively) soon come out with a desktop. It will be incredibly light, and will be based upon the connections to their servers. I think this is HORRIBLE!!! But the sad thing is, most people would probably like it (including several technical people I know).

[RedGreen]

Yes, google will (relatively) soon come out with a desktop. It will be incredibly light, and will be based upon the connections to their servers. I think this is HORRIBLE!!! But the sad thing is, most people would probably like it (including several technical people I know).

I agree. Nobody should try to create anything of their own ever again! It would undoubtedly be garbage.

[tubezninja]

you know, I think people make monumental mistakes by assuming that Google is a big linux advocate and will be coming up with their own OS.

Google's philosophy throughout their run has been towards an OS-agnostic, or even OS-less state. They are about web based applications, with the absolute bare minimum needed at the workstations end to make things work.

Even Android on the G1 handset isn't really linux, without some significant modification. The kernel runs almost solely for the purpose of launching the Dalvik environment, which is basically refined Java. And all of the primary functions of the phone are intended to sync to Google's "cloud," not a local desktop computer. There are no true linux apps, and there is no stated intention to make a true linux environment happen under Android.

In short, the linux kernel has been a convenient baseline tool for Google to quickly release a handset OS, but that doesn't make them a good advocate long-term for the linux community. They will only use a linux platform so long as it is the easiest and quickest way to meet their ends. And developing a full fledged desktop OS is not one of the things they seem interested in.

[theApokalypsis]

scaredpoet, you have a major point there and I did not realize it until you mentioned it. Even being a web developer... lol.

However it would be interesting to see perhaps a google sponsored flavour come into existence.

support for some google apps on the various open source platforms would be great. I would of disagreed with RedGreen, that is only if the open source community did not exist. For that of course seems to be the true path. Collaborative and unrestricted freedom to create and optimize without regard to cost.

[johnkzin]

IMO what makes the most sense is:

Porting Dalvik (their java environment) to desktop OSes, and then using that as a means of running Android apps on top of your favorite OS. You'd need to do some tweaking (window orientation, resolution optimizations, etc.), but in general it's feasible.

That and a few of the key supporting apps (the Android Market, a few other things), and you'd be able to run Android apps alongside your standard apps.

Having the actual OS ported to the desktop? Seems pointless. What added value would you get from having Android*Linux as opposed to Ubuntu+Dalvik? Espeically when Android tries to hide as much of the Linux layer as possible (even more so than Mac OS X hides the BSD layer).

[cb951303]

Yes, google will (relatively) soon come out with a desktop. It will be incredibly light, and will be based upon the connections to their servers. I think this is HORRIBLE!!! But the sad thing is, most people would probably like it (including several technical people I know).

well, as long as we can fork it there is no problem

[Ub1476]

Don't think it will happen, but I would like Google to give support Linux a bit more.

[chucky chuckaluck]

android desktop beta is certainly possible.

[handy]

android desktop beta is certainly possible.

:lolflag:

[billgoldberg]

Sure I can see Android branches out to other markets outside the mobile phone branche.

It would be a good OS for lets say a small touchscreen pc in the car or kitchen.

It will however not make a good desktop OS.

[bigbrovar]

you know, I think people make monumental mistakes by assuming that Google is a big linux advocate and will be coming up with their own OS.

Google's philosophy throughout their run has been towards an OS-agnostic, or even OS-less state. They are about web based applications, with the absolute bare minimum needed at the workstations end to make things work.

Even Android on the G1 handset isn't really linux, without some significant modification. The kernel runs almost solely for the purpose of launching the Dalvik environment, which is basically refined Java. And all of the primary functions of the phone are intended to sync to Google's "cloud," not a local desktop computer. There are no true linux apps, and there is no stated intention to make a true linux environment happen under Android.

In short, the linux kernel has been a convenient baseline tool for Google to quickly release a handset OS, but that doesn't make them a good advocate long-term for the linux community. They will only use a linux platform so long as it is the easiest and quickest way to meet their ends. And developing a full fledged desktop OS is not one of the things they seem interested in.
You spoke my mind..

[tezer]

Google's philosophy throughout their run has been towards an OS-agnostic, or even OS-less state. They are about web based applications, with the absolute bare minimum needed at the workstations end to make things work.

And the biggest challenge to this philosophy is the OS-centred paradigm with the biggest advocate named Microsoft. The only sure way to beat it is to play on its field - create an OS that uses the Google's philosophy and can compete with the Windows.
If Google is happy about OS-less approach, why Andriod? Why not just make a "Google suit" for WinMobile or for Symbian?



Even Android on the G1 handset isn't really linux, without some significant modification. The kernel runs almost solely for the purpose of launching the Dalvik environment, which is basically refined Java. And all of the primary functions of the phone are intended to sync to Google's "cloud," not a local desktop computer. There are no true linux apps, and there is no stated intention to make a true linux environment happen under Android.

Still it is open source and an OS.



In short, the linux kernel has been a convenient baseline tool for Google to quickly release a handset OS, but that doesn't make them a good advocate long-term for the linux community. They will only use a linux platform so long as it is the easiest and quickest way to meet their ends.
It's good for Linux, isn't it?


And developing a full fledged desktop OS is not one of the things they seem interested in.
They did it for mobile devices why can't they do the same for nettops, laptops and finally desktops???

[Ub1476]

Well, I think the reason Google did it for cell-phones is

1. Lots of people use it
2. And change theirs more often than their computer
3. More easy to adapt to, since people are already used to different GUIs on phones.
4. It's a thing Google would be first at - regarding this open-source ++ stuff. On the desktop, there's already QT and GTK+. No need for Android API I think.
5. They're mobile - everyone get to see it (unlike computers which often are more hidden but that can be discussed).

In the end, I would rather see Google helping out the Linux kernel, QT and GTK rather than making something new.

[eragon100]

Well, I think the reason Google did it for cell-phones is

1. Lots of people use it
2. And change theirs more often than their computer
3. More easy to adapt to, since people are already used to different GUIs on phones.
4. It's a thing Google would be first at - regarding this open-source ++ stuff. On the desktop, there's already QT and GTK+. No need for Android API I think.
5. They're mobile - everyone get to see it (unlike computers which often are more hidden but that can be discussed).

In the end, I would rather see Google helping out the Linux kernel, QT and GTK rather than making something new.

Well, there are a ton of Google Summer Of Code projects that have to do with linux (applications) such as the battle for wesnoth, wine, etc. Furthermore, google hosts it's own source code repository for open source projects, like sourceforge.net. Finally, they have their own linux repo, and high ranked people in google itself often devote part of time to developing various OSS apps (such as aforementioned wine).

In short, I think google is supporting linux/OSS more than enough :)

[nmormino]

Google (in my opinion) will not create a desktop os. This would provide no benefit to them. The reason a mobile phone OS makes sense to them is because it's still web centric. It allows customers to access their Google apps more efficiently. It's the same reason Google has created chrome and Gears. Google would not pick a fight with Apple and Microsoft that it doesn't have to fight. All they have to do is maintain their ground where it counts for their future - Web Applications.

[chrisinspace]

I know this thread has been dormant a while, but I just read an interesting, relevant article:

http://blogs.computerworld.com/the_google_linux_desktop_has_arrived

It looks like some people have been able to install it on an EeePC without too much trouble or modification. Google may have planned this all along and have just been biding their time.

[johnkzin]

I'm not sure I'd use Android as a desktop OS, but I could certainly see it as a netbook OS... but with caveats. Here's what I've been posting in all of the other threads about "Android on an EeePC":



I have some problems with Android right now. I've been replying to this idea (Android Netbooks) in other places, as it seems everyone is talking about it today :-)

There are certain things I have to "not do" on Android right now, that cause me to switch over to my desktop or my Samsung Q1 Ultra (with Ubuntu UMPC, don't worry, I haven't gone over to the darkside). These are all things I find annoying when I can't do them on my phone, but that I would find to be absolutely necessary on a netbook (or desktop). These are:

1) Google Reader - add/edit tags for an article, add subscriptions, change subscription settings. Also, there are some "UI shortcomings" on the Android version: lack of shortcuts, lack of "total article count" at the top of the article list.

2) Gmail - add/edit filters and labels, "filter messages like this", "send as" one of my other registered email addresses.

3) Google Docs - last I checked, Android doesn't support full read/write of Google Docs. I'm also not sure if it will fully display PDFs, Word, and Excel documents. What I would want is all of that, plus some ability to sync the various Android notes and tasks/to-do lists into some level of Google App (there's a new tasks/todo feature in Gmail or Google Calendar, so that's one option, and then just adding plain text and rich text support to Google Docs would probably handle the rest, along with a sync utility for the Android notepad and todo apps).

4) I haven't been able to get VNC Viewer and SSH (connectbot) to work together. This would be a "novelty" on my phone, but a necessity on a netbook or tablet. Further, on a netbook, I'm going to want to export my display some how (manipulate the netbook from my desktop) -- I do this on my Samsung, for example. But I mainly run the VNC server on my samsung because the software for mirroring the display out to the external VGA port is kind of broken (what it does: want to step down to 800x600 resolution; what it should do: display the 1024x600 screen with letter boxing on the 1024x768 screen).

5) The built-in IM client doesn't allow you to use non-Google Jabber accounts, nor IRC. I would want both of those handled. And I'm not sure the UI is ideal for managing multiple conversations. Further, I would want to be able to log conversations to plain text files on an SD card or something.

6) SyncML client for Calendar data. Funambol gives you SyncML client for contacts, but that doesn't help me with my work calendar server :-)

If those things got handled, I'd be interested in an Android netbook. And that's not a huge/insurmountable list.

Ideally, if they were to put it on a convertible/tablet netbook (like the Fujitsu U820), 7-8.9 screen (has to fit in my Maxpedition Colossus gear bag), at least an 800×480 resolution, at least one SDHC card slot, at least 1 USB Host port (external keyboard/mouse, hopefully OTG support), with an supported internal 3G option (such as a usable PCI-Express Mini card slot, with available antenna), and obviously wifi, I'd buy it. Bonus if it can charge and share its data via a USB client port.

[jwxie]

This thread has been a while... but still, I want to say a few words

I always like Google, a fan of Google. But I start hating how Google is getting into a legend of beating up MS and Apple.
I would always want Google stay within the Web monster, not OS monster

[newbuntuxx]

Its not a rumor anymore, Acer and HP are testing prototype versions the Android OS for Netbooks and Desktops:

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE52U85I20090331

http://phandroid.com/2009/04/08/android-desktop-pc-acer-testing/

[hammer v2]

I'd argue that Android, or something like it is the only way linux will ever be fully accepted on the desktop.

Linux is cool, I love it, but it's openess is a double-edged sword. here's a pretty long list of things which are limiting linux's desktop adoption. http://linuxfonts.narod.ru/why.linux.is.not.ready.for.the.desktop.html

Android fixes a lot of these issues. I know java isn't real programming..etc but for grandma who just wants to type stuff and browse the internet it's fine. For hardcore users like us, there will always be "real" linux to choose from.

Anyway. I think google has the first genuine linux desktop in Android.

[Steelbak]

I wish I could sync my Sprint Epic running Android with Kontact or Evolution. That would be all I need in addition to what is on the phone.

[Shibblet]

It sounds like the next step of evolution for Google to take. It was designed for mobile devices, and has found its way onto tablet and slate PC's at this point.

I just don't see it coming to the desktop. Windows carries the market share.

[scottuss]

It sounds like the next step of evolution for Google to take. It was designed for mobile devices, and has found its way onto tablet and slate PC's at this point.

I just don't see it coming to the desktop. Windows carries the market share.

So, because Windows carries the market share, no one else should bother trying to compete? :P

[Dustin2128]

hm, not sure if 1 year=necromancy, so I'll post. I think they'll make a netbook and tablet OS, but they won't bother going after the desktop; as many have pointed out, it would give them no advantages as they mostly develop web based applications.

[AllRadioisDead]

I wish I could sync my Sprint Epic running Android with Kontact or Evolution. That would be all I need in addition to what is on the phone.
You probably can, what specifically are you trying to sync? Mail, Calendar? Address Book?

[Shibblet]

So, because Windows carries the market share, no one else should bother trying to compete? :P

LOL. Sure, why not.

No, actually, Google is already working on it's Netbook or Computer based operating system. Android may find it's way on to some netbooks or even nettops, but finding its way to a destkop computer is like wanting to put iPhone OS on your computer.

It's designed for mobile devices. Desktops are designed to be work stations.

[tjeremiah]

I dont care. A GOOGLE desktop would be overkill.I would stay far away from it no matter what "cool" feature they might bring and it probably wont be as open source as they might claim.

[Zlatan]

Google is a member of Gnome advisory board


...However it would be interesting to see perhaps a google sponsored flavour come into existence...