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Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

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Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#111

The "All-Web" paradigm is coming, folks. And it really doesn't matter how much you love your iPhone, or your Android, or Windows phone. Native apps are toast, in the long run. Your data is moving to the cloud -- your pictures, your music, your movies, and every document you write. It's all going up there, and local hard drives will be history within 3 years. And what that means is ALL software is heading there too. N…

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Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#112

The "All-Web" paradigm is coming, folks. And it really doesn't matter how much you love your iPhone, or your Android, or Windows phone. Native apps are toast, in the long run. Your data is moving to the cloud -- your pictures, your music, your movies, and every document you write. It's all going up there, and local hard drives will be history within 3 years. And what that means is ALL software is heading there too. N…

>but their general idea is correct. The all-network, all-cloud world is coming whether you like it or not.

Clearly you have the religious fervor upon you. Personally I like it when I see the benefits. Currently that's for a subset of my computing tasks. Sharing stuff? Sure. Off-site backup, OK. Most other stuff? I'm happy sticking to the PC model rather than the thin client-mainframe timeshare model.

Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#113

The "All-Web" paradigm is coming, folks. And it really doesn't matter how much you love your iPhone, or your Android, or Windows phone. Native apps are toast, in the long run. Your data is moving to the cloud -- your pictures, your music, your movies, and every document you write. It's all going up there, and local hard drives will be history within 3 years. And what that means is ALL software is heading there too. N…

"Native apps are toast, in the long run."

Until mobile browsers have access to the full range of hardware on a device (camera, microphone), native apps will have an edge. Example: camera/pictures - ios doesn't allow camera/cameraroll access from the browser, android does, and wp7 used to but removed it. If you want to offer people a way to send you pictures from your app, it's gotta be native for now.

Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#114

The "All-Web" paradigm is coming, folks. And it really doesn't matter how much you love your iPhone, or your Android, or Windows phone. Native apps are toast, in the long run. Your data is moving to the cloud -- your pictures, your music, your movies, and every document you write. It's all going up there, and local hard drives will be history within 3 years. And what that means is ALL software is heading there too. N…

I can have all my data and my apps in the cloud and still run native software. In fact, this is the iOS approach.

On the whole, the ability to transparently cache big chunks of data locally turns out to offer a superior user experience in many non insignificant use cases (e.g. Downloading content for later consumption while off grid).

I don't think it's clear that the web approach will win out, and I certainly think it will not be settled in three years. And photo and video libraries (which are popular and growing faster than bandwidth or storage) aren't going to the cloud any time soon.

Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#115
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last time I used windowmaker it required hand editing config files, thats a pretty long way from shit that just work for most people.

I've been using this handy graphical tool called WPrefs that ships with WindowMaker (since at least 1998). The only time I hand-edited a config or menu was to enable functionality which nobody ever used (hiding all dock items but keeping icons small and visible and preserving both global and virtual desktop-specific icons/windows depending on context).

I think I last used windowmaker around 2004 and I have a distinct recollection of editing configfiles. Maybe I am remembering wrong.

I still think that OSX provides a much better GUI than WM, which should not have been introduced according to your logic and so people would miss out on improvements (but i miss focus follows mouse...).

Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#116
I like the cloud, but I really hate giving out control of my data. It makes a lot of sense for public data (tweets, blogposts), which you want to share anyways.

I see a lot of potential in a "drop": a personal cloud server installed at home, with the same user friendliness as e.g. google docs. Public data/services in the cloud, personal stuff at home. There still is enough opportunity to integrate mmoc? (massively multiple online collaboration?) into those apps. An example of this might be diaspora.

Many drops make a cloud, too.

Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>You know, encryption and a decently strong password pretty much seals the deal on somebody physically stealing your data. Maybe stealing it and using the data. If someone swipes my drive the data is still gone. Even if it is inaccessible.

Backups, offsite too.

When you consider the time and effort required for a good offsite backup, it's easier to just pay the $10/month.

Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#118
I think all the comments about the benefits/detriments of Chrome OS as a whole are a little off topic. I think the most important element of this piece is Torvalds' recognition that "simple" UI doesn't need to limit a user's ability to visually organize.

I completely agree with his comparison to GTK3 (and I think the same applies to Unity). Forcing users into a singular workflow with limited options will always seem somewhat inhibiting, regardless of how "easy to use" the UI may seem. This crucial element is lacking from these modern Linux window managers.

Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#119

The "All-Web" paradigm is coming, folks. And it really doesn't matter how much you love your iPhone, or your Android, or Windows phone. Native apps are toast, in the long run. Your data is moving to the cloud -- your pictures, your music, your movies, and every document you write. It's all going up there, and local hard drives will be history within 3 years. And what that means is ALL software is heading there too. N…

I remember similar things being said in the 90s. We'd all be be ditching Windows and running internet appliances and doing everything via the web and Java applets.

I'm not saying you're wrong, just that similar predictions haven't panned out in the past.

Re: Linus Torvalds on new Chromebook Aura UI

#120
The most interesting thing to me about each of these little episodes is how Linus, by creating the brilliant Linux kernel, is lauded as a sort-of-oracle when giving his opinion about very non-kernel things. I quite like the simple, opinionated approach to Gnome and Unity but my opinion (and others who may agree with me) matters somehow less because I didn't create this great thing that has nothing to do with UI design philosophy.

I guess that's the true value of geek cred.

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