4 ms·

Do you actually not know what OS those apps are running on? Aren't there extremely stark and obvious differences between the three classes of apps?

groovybits 7y ago
Yes, you know what OS its running. To install a Linux application, you explicitly have to open the Linux container command line (which is Debian Stretch) and run the install commands. Ex: If I run 'apt install firefox', Firefox will be installed in the Linux container, but will be available to run from the ChromeOS app menu. Edit: Also, currently you need to explicitly go in the ChromeOS settings to download and install the Linux container. I'm not sure if this will change or not, but it is not currently included by default.
wffurr 7y ago
Sometimes only if you look for small details. The ChromeOS launcher mixes Chrome Apps, bookmarks, PWAs, and Android apps with only a small badge to differentiate if you have multiple of the same app (e.g. Keep Chrome app and Keep for Android).
- millstone 7y ago
  But once they're running, don't they look and behave very differently? The last time I tried Android Firefox on ChromeOS, it had to quit to resize its window.
  - samuraiseoul 7y ago
    They don't really behave or look all that different. When was the last time you ran an Android app on ChromeOs? The original attempt that ChromeOs made at getting Android apps on ChromeOs back in 2015 or whatever was scrapped because it was buggy and had the sort of problems you describe.
  - wffurr 7y ago
    Depends on the app. Some are resizeable and respond sensibly to mouse and the tab key. Some are stuck in phone mode.
jzymbaluk 7y ago
I use an Android app called Squid[1] for drawing and taking notes on my Pixelbook with the pencil. It is technically an android app, but it's easy to forget that because it just runs so perfectly and it's optimized for tablets and large screens. Same experience with apps like Todoist and a few mobile games I play. It really is a wonderful and seamless experience. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.steadfastinnovation.android.projectpapyrus&hl=en_US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.steadfasti...
cbhl 7y ago
I think the differences will be stark and obvious to those who remember the world pre-convergence. But a new generation will not know the differences, nor will they care. For my parents' generation, TVs were a big deal. For me, I can hardly distinguish between a TV and a Radio and a Microwave and a Washer/Dryer -- they all have existed as long as I remember. But I can definitely tell the difference between an app written against User32/GDI/WinForms/VB versus one that uses the Android toolkit versus one in GTK+. There's been a lot of work over the years to make most applications agnostic to the underlying toolkit and OS, including React Native, Flutter, Unity, Adobe Animate (formerly Macromedia Flash), and so forth.
jayd16 7y ago
You can tell but the point is you don't have to care.

groovybits 7y ago

Yes, you know what OS its running. To install a Linux application, you explicitly have to open the Linux container command line (which is Debian Stretch) and run the install commands. Ex: If I run 'apt install firefox', Firefox will be installed in the Linux container, but will be available to run from the ChromeOS app menu. Edit: Also, currently you need to explicitly go in the ChromeOS settings to download and install the Linux container. I'm not sure if this will change or not, but it is not currently included by default.

wffurr 7y ago

Sometimes only if you look for small details. The ChromeOS launcher mixes Chrome Apps, bookmarks, PWAs, and Android apps with only a small badge to differentiate if you have multiple of the same app (e.g. Keep Chrome app and Keep for Android).

millstone 7y ago
But once they're running, don't they look and behave very differently? The last time I tried Android Firefox on ChromeOS, it had to quit to resize its window.
- samuraiseoul 7y ago
  They don't really behave or look all that different. When was the last time you ran an Android app on ChromeOs? The original attempt that ChromeOs made at getting Android apps on ChromeOs back in 2015 or whatever was scrapped because it was buggy and had the sort of problems you describe.
- wffurr 7y ago
  Depends on the app. Some are resizeable and respond sensibly to mouse and the tab key. Some are stuck in phone mode.

jzymbaluk 7y ago

I use an Android app called Squid[1] for drawing and taking notes on my Pixelbook with the pencil. It is technically an android app, but it's easy to forget that because it just runs so perfectly and it's optimized for tablets and large screens. Same experience with apps like Todoist and a few mobile games I play. It really is a wonderful and seamless experience. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.steadfastinnovation.android.projectpapyrus&hl=en_US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.steadfasti...

cbhl 7y ago

I think the differences will be stark and obvious to those who remember the world pre-convergence. But a new generation will not know the differences, nor will they care. For my parents' generation, TVs were a big deal. For me, I can hardly distinguish between a TV and a Radio and a Microwave and a Washer/Dryer -- they all have existed as long as I remember. But I can definitely tell the difference between an app written against User32/GDI/WinForms/VB versus one that uses the Android toolkit versus one in GTK+. There's been a lot of work over the years to make most applications agnostic to the underlying toolkit and OS, including React Native, Flutter, Unity, Adobe Animate (formerly Macromedia Flash), and so forth.

jayd16 7y ago

You can tell but the point is you don't have to care.