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Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

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Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#201

Post by iamcalledrob »

I struggle to imagine existing Android apps being useful in a desktop form factor.

It's not just about touch vs mouse/keyboard, it's the whole interaction design philosophy.

And it's not as if you can say that getting the Android developer experience on desktop is going to entice developers. Compose is decent, but the actual Android system APIs make Win32 look brilliant. At least Win32 is stable.

For this to be viable, there has to be a bigger strategy than just "Android apps and APIs on a desktop" -- because neither of those are appealing.

Users and developers will just stick with the web.

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#202

Post by jansper39 »

vbezhenar wrote: post #92
WorldPeas wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My pessimism is that with their coming clamp-down on external sources for -installing- "sideloading" apps https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45736479 this os may be somewhere between macos and ipados in terms of freedom in the coming years. I have hope that Valve's operating systems and unified platforms will provide a way not only for macos/windows users to move on while retaining compatibility, but for the compan…

Home computers are inherently more open to sideloading. So I don't see a scenario where they would close it. But may be I'm spoiled by x86, wouldn't be surprised to find out that ARM computers would not be open to boot unlock and all that stuff.

We used to call installing software on our own device, installing.

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#203

Post by liendolucas »

carlosjobim wrote: post #176
liendolucas wrote: post #158

No one tech-savvy wants this. We are already sick of Google's Android lockdowns on mobile phones, and now coming after laptops and desktops? What's that going to be like? Will developers have to beg to have control over devices they own? Will we be locked down on the store and have to manually install "unverified" software? Will I be able to take screenshots at will on MY computer, or get a black screen because Googl…

[flagged]

They are pushing hard the adoption of restrictive platforms where people that have no idea how technology works lose the ability to control their devices, a fucking basic right. And this is done transparently to people that are not tech-savvy. This affects everyone, but the main difference is that is extremely hard to make people that are not in technology understand WHY such platforms should be avoided.

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#204

Post by blinding-streak »

rockskon wrote: post #67
0manrho wrote: post #34

If you, like me, were wondering why Google thinks it needs another operating system (ChromeOS, Android, Fuchsia - which is presumably dead (edit/turns out it's not/edit)) or where it fits in with the "stack": > ChromeOS and Aluminium Operating System (ALOS) Commercial devices across all form factors (e.g. laptops, detachables, tablets, and boxes) and tiers (e.g., Chromebook, Chromebook Plus, AL Entry, AL Mass Premium…

I don't trust Google anymore or what their business model has become over the years. I won't be using Aluminum OS.

Curious to hear what other technical products you use that are from companies that are pure as the driven snow.

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#205

Post by AlexeyBrin »

carlosjobim wrote: post #198
rs186 wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't sit around all day complaining about Triumphs because I drive a Honda. I mean, you could decide to complain or not complain, either is fine under a discussion thread of that specific topic . I have posted many comments like "I will never buy * because ..." on forums which I think is perfectly fine. What matters is whether a comment contains valuable information and is contributing to the discussion. If othe…

I don't see much value in complaining about something before trying it, before the project has started, when it's just a rumor. Is that an honorable or fulfilling way to spend the limited time we have on earth? Complaining about some product which you will never have any interest of buying, which hasn't even been decided yet? When will hackers wake up? You are wasting your time being angry at completely meaningless t…

It will affect every hacker parent that has to buy a Google sanctioned device for his/her kid to use in school. At least with ChromeOS you can enable the Linux VM which makes it an Okish Linux machine on which a kid can learn to program if interested.

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#206

Post by morkalork »

carlosjobim wrote: post #176
liendolucas wrote: post #158

No one tech-savvy wants this. We are already sick of Google's Android lockdowns on mobile phones, and now coming after laptops and desktops? What's that going to be like? Will developers have to beg to have control over devices they own? Will we be locked down on the store and have to manually install "unverified" software? Will I be able to take screenshots at will on MY computer, or get a black screen because Googl…

[flagged]

And what happens when your bank or government portals decide that the only methods to access their services is through apps installed on trusted platforms?

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#207

Post by snarfy »

liendolucas wrote: post #158

No one tech-savvy wants this. We are already sick of Google's Android lockdowns on mobile phones, and now coming after laptops and desktops? What's that going to be like? Will developers have to beg to have control over devices they own? Will we be locked down on the store and have to manually install "unverified" software? Will I be able to take screenshots at will on MY computer, or get a black screen because Googl…

I want the equivalent of wine/proton, nothing more.

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#208

Post by snarfy »

rs186 wrote: post #196
pbmonster wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it unreasonable to ask "why not"? I like the state of Android's (as packaged by GrapheneOS) settings UI much better than any other settings system, period. It's all in one place - I can't think of a single thing I would want to configure that isn't found in that one dialog. It doesn't always make sense, but it's searchable, and the search works.

Just imagine configuring nginx or apache with UI.

The good old days of

    make menuconfig

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#209

Post by makeitdouble »

iamcalledrob wrote: post #201

I struggle to imagine existing Android apps being useful in a desktop form factor. It's not just about touch vs mouse/keyboard, it's the whole interaction design philosophy. And it's not as if you can say that getting the Android developer experience on desktop is going to entice developers. Compose is decent, but the actual Android system APIs make Win32 look brilliant. At least Win32 is stable. For this to be viabl…

ChromeOS already had an android adapter layer and apps would run windowed, with an option to respect the original size or allow arbitrary resize.

I assume we're in the same situation with Samsung's Dex ?

It worked decently well, the main issues were unrelated to the handling in itself (the Bluetooth stack was dead for android apps, trying the smart appliance stuff was just a fool's errand)

Re: Google's new 'Aluminium OS' project brings Android to PC

#210

Post by sofixa »

liendolucas wrote: post #158

No one tech-savvy wants this. We are already sick of Google's Android lockdowns on mobile phones, and now coming after laptops and desktops? What's that going to be like? Will developers have to beg to have control over devices they own? Will we be locked down on the store and have to manually install "unverified" software? Will I be able to take screenshots at will on MY computer, or get a black screen because Googl…

> Will I be able to take screenshots at will on MY computer, or get a black screen because Google decides so?

It's not Google, it's the application vendor that decides so. And as annoying as I find it when I want to screenshot something from my bank app, the reasons behind that feature being available are pretty good.

> Given what Google has done on the mobile space

You seem to be missing the nuance that as annoying as some of those Google provided Android hoops are, they are necessary for the wider security posture of the average user (and there are more average users than techies that need to install random .apks) and, very very importantly, Google allow you to skip most of them if you know what you're doing. Considering the competition in the mobile space, it really isn't even close in terms of openness.

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