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Mac OS X/iOS: One OS, one interface, all devices ChromeOS/Android: One OS, one interface, all devices Windows: One OS, one interface, all devices All three o

by codex 13y ago

Mac OS X/iOS: One OS, one interface, all devices ChromeOS/Android: One OS, one interface, all devices Windows: One OS, one interface, all devices All three of the above companies have been moving in this direction for quite some time. Everybody wants to do it. Canonical is always two to five years late with any trend.

mtgx 13y ago
I don't think any of those fits the bill. Mac OSX and iOS are not the same OS, nor do they have the same interface. Using the same core/kernel doesn't count. By that logic Android is the same as Ubuntu. It obviously isn't. Chrome OS and Android are not the same OS, nor do they have the same interface. Windows 8 has mostly the same start screen - quite different UI everywhere else. They are also not one OS, just use the same core, as iOS and Mac OS X do. Ubuntu could get the closest to this vision, because they have the phone OS integrated with the desktop OS. And I guess Android could, too, if Google commits to Android on desktops eventually (I think they normally would, but I have no idea if they will and when, because of Chrome OS).
- codex 13y ago
  I'm not saying that they are there yet, but that's the goal of all of these companies. For various reasons, it's harder to merge UI paradigms on platforms with a large base of legacy apps and users--so while all of these companies started before Canonical did, they may well complete after Ubuntu.
  - rsynnott 13y ago
    > I'm not saying that they are there yet, but that's the goal of all of these companies What makes you think that? Certainly Apple has shown no real signs, beyond adopting phone-like scrolling direction on the desktop by default. Windows 8 is somewhat more converged, but I doubt they're going to push that much further, and realistically, given poor user response, they'll probably quietly reduce it over the next few versions.
  - Shorel 13y ago
    Honestly, OSX / iOS is the counterexample for convergence. Apple has two different OS, two different application ecosystems, period. They simply saw Apple success, and adapted. The goal of every company now is to be the portable leader, and abandon the PC ship. It worked for Apple because they have never been competitors in PC space. The same for Google. MS is taking a long gamble, but they are the PC leader and have the most to lose. Going back to convergence: Google wants just a browser as the desktop OS, and that's not convergence at all, unless you think Responsive Web Design is convergence. Microsoft is the one doing something a little similar to Ubuntu, but their OS can't do desktop and portable/touch well at the same time. Or actually, their OS can do both, but it is designed in a way that no application can do both, and that hurts developers.
rsynnott 13y ago
> Mac OS X/iOS: One OS, one interface, all devices Er, have you ever _seen_ a Mac or an iPhone? Hint: Not one OS, not one interface. Two OSes, two (or arguably two-and-a-half; iOS on iPads is more different than it looks at first glance) interfaces. Fortunately. iOS on the desktop would be dreadful, and I can't even get my head around how MacOS on a phone would _work_.

by codex 13y ago

mtgx 13y ago

I don't think any of those fits the bill. Mac OSX and iOS are not the same OS, nor do they have the same interface. Using the same core/kernel doesn't count. By that logic Android is the same as Ubuntu. It obviously isn't. Chrome OS and Android are not the same OS, nor do they have the same interface. Windows 8 has mostly the same start screen - quite different UI everywhere else. They are also not one OS, just use the same core, as iOS and Mac OS X do. Ubuntu could get the closest to this vision, because they have the phone OS integrated with the desktop OS. And I guess Android could, too, if Google commits to Android on desktops eventually (I think they normally would, but I have no idea if they will and when, because of Chrome OS).

codex 13y ago
I'm not saying that they are there yet, but that's the goal of all of these companies. For various reasons, it's harder to merge UI paradigms on platforms with a large base of legacy apps and users--so while all of these companies started before Canonical did, they may well complete after Ubuntu.
- rsynnott 13y ago
  > I'm not saying that they are there yet, but that's the goal of all of these companies What makes you think that? Certainly Apple has shown no real signs, beyond adopting phone-like scrolling direction on the desktop by default. Windows 8 is somewhat more converged, but I doubt they're going to push that much further, and realistically, given poor user response, they'll probably quietly reduce it over the next few versions.
- Shorel 13y ago
  Honestly, OSX / iOS is the counterexample for convergence. Apple has two different OS, two different application ecosystems, period. They simply saw Apple success, and adapted. The goal of every company now is to be the portable leader, and abandon the PC ship. It worked for Apple because they have never been competitors in PC space. The same for Google. MS is taking a long gamble, but they are the PC leader and have the most to lose. Going back to convergence: Google wants just a browser as the desktop OS, and that's not convergence at all, unless you think Responsive Web Design is convergence. Microsoft is the one doing something a little similar to Ubuntu, but their OS can't do desktop and portable/touch well at the same time. Or actually, their OS can do both, but it is designed in a way that no application can do both, and that hurts developers.

rsynnott 13y ago

> Mac OS X/iOS: One OS, one interface, all devices Er, have you ever _seen_ a Mac or an iPhone? Hint: Not one OS, not one interface. Two OSes, two (or arguably two-and-a-half; iOS on iPads is more different than it looks at first glance) interfaces. Fortunately. iOS on the desktop would be dreadful, and I can't even get my head around how MacOS on a phone would _work_.