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While Android is light (it ought to be, its a Mobile OS). It is NOT a desktop replacement. Google themselves promote ChromeOS over Android. Retro-fitting Andro

by ameen 14y ago

While Android is light (it ought to be, its a Mobile OS). It is NOT a desktop replacement. Google themselves promote ChromeOS over Android. Retro-fitting Android onto desktop devices isn't the solution, there are many lightweight linux distributions if you want an actual desktop OS. Animated desktops atleast to me are a gimmick, and the reason other linux distros haven't been able to optimize their graphics is because of the desktop parts and unreliable drivers (Nvidia & AMD), now most of these micro-PCs use mobile parts (ARM Cortex processors, PowerVR graphics cores.) which have readily available open-source drivers or OS-optimized proprietary blobs.

jordan0day 14y ago
I think you're both right. Obviously a desktop linux ("lightweight" or otherwise) makes more sense on a desktop than a retrofitted android, since android will always be, first and foremost, a mobile OS. That said, android's app stores have produced, in a fairly short timespan, an entire ecosystem of polished, useful apps that users love. Without android, many of these applications wouldn't exist at all. As a developer, a regular old linux distribution on my desktop makes more sense[1]. As a normal everyday user who just wants the additional amenities offered by a big monitor and a real keyboard, "android on the desktop" makes more sense. [1] - I'm actually partial to FreeBSD.
mtgx 14y ago
I don't think there are that many "lighter-weight" Linux distros than Android. I mean Android flies on a Nexus 7, but even Lubuntu (with LXDE) struggles a bit on it. Sure there might be those "run it in RAM distros" or whatever, but I don't think those are too relevant for consumers. Keep in mind that mobile apps are on average about an order of magnitude "leaner" than the average Linux (or Windows/Mac OS) x86 program. So I don't think the "light-weight" argument is that good here. Also, while ChromeOS may make sense for schools and businesses that have adopted the cloud fully, I'm not sure ChromeOS is that good of a option for regular consumers, other than having a more optimized interface for the desktop (a lot more than even Windows 8). But for a consumer, does ChromeOS offer that much more than Chrome for Android?
radley 14y ago
It boils down to whether or not internet apps will completely replace desktop apps. Since the majority of higher-ups at Google stem from the internet era, they're in position to heavily push Chrome OS as internet-as-desktop and undermine Android's potential.

by ameen 14y ago

jordan0day 14y ago

I think you're both right. Obviously a desktop linux ("lightweight" or otherwise) makes more sense on a desktop than a retrofitted android, since android will always be, first and foremost, a mobile OS. That said, android's app stores have produced, in a fairly short timespan, an entire ecosystem of polished, useful apps that users love. Without android, many of these applications wouldn't exist at all. As a developer, a regular old linux distribution on my desktop makes more sense[1]. As a normal everyday user who just wants the additional amenities offered by a big monitor and a real keyboard, "android on the desktop" makes more sense. [1] - I'm actually partial to FreeBSD.

mtgx 14y ago

I don't think there are that many "lighter-weight" Linux distros than Android. I mean Android flies on a Nexus 7, but even Lubuntu (with LXDE) struggles a bit on it. Sure there might be those "run it in RAM distros" or whatever, but I don't think those are too relevant for consumers. Keep in mind that mobile apps are on average about an order of magnitude "leaner" than the average Linux (or Windows/Mac OS) x86 program. So I don't think the "light-weight" argument is that good here. Also, while ChromeOS may make sense for schools and businesses that have adopted the cloud fully, I'm not sure ChromeOS is that good of a option for regular consumers, other than having a more optimized interface for the desktop (a lot more than even Windows 8). But for a consumer, does ChromeOS offer that much more than Chrome for Android?

radley 14y ago

It boils down to whether or not internet apps will completely replace desktop apps. Since the majority of higher-ups at Google stem from the internet era, they're in position to heavily push Chrome OS as internet-as-desktop and undermine Android's potential.