
Develop Android apps on the device - 6ren
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aide.ui&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd
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KirinDave
It is rapidly becoming obvious to me that Android is the "reasonable and
right" way forward for desktop and laptop Linux as a UI layer. The only UI
environment with more options and available applications on Linux is the web.

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learc83
I have my doubts that Google will ever support anything flexible enough to
work as a general purpose OS. Android could work, but I think it will require
a major community driven fork.

Just one example: I was trying to develop a tablet kiosk, I considered
Android, until I learned that with every release it gets harder and harder to
remove the on-screen navigation.

Google has a very specific user experience in mind, and they make it
increasingly hard to deviate from.

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KirinDave
I also might note it's trivial to hide the soft buttons bar at any time as of
Ice Cream Sandwich. I'm not sure where you heard it's "getting harder" when
there is an explicit API that everyone uses.

An explanation at Stack Overflow:
[http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8469112/hide-ics-back-
hom...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8469112/hide-ics-back-home-task-
switcher-buttons)

A reference:
[http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/View.htm...](http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/View.html#SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_HIDE_NAVIGATION)

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learc83
That method doesn't work for kiosks, because they reappear whenever the user
touches the screen.

I think there is a way around this (keep them hidden even on user interaction)
in ICS, but they have removed it in Jelly Bean, i,e, apps that hide the on
screen nav permanently in ICS no longer work in Jelly Bean.

Google has a specific use case for android (single mobile user) and deviating
from that is like swimming upstream.

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KirinDave
Okay, point taken. But kiosks are more than a little outside the scope of the
discussion here. The people who want a great, open Linux laptop, tablet and
desktop far outweigh the folks making kiosk software.

~~~
learc83
That's just the first thing that comes to mind that I wasn't able to do. The
only purpose was to illustrate it's inflexibility.

I love the concept of Android, but a general purpose OS needs to be flexible--
at least under the hood. As of right not Android is not a general purpose OS.
I'm not saying it couldn't become one, just that it would take some pretty
major changes.

The UI will have to change pretty significantly as well.

~~~
KirinDave
> The only purpose was to illustrate it's inflexibility... I'm not saying it
> couldn't become one, just that it would take some pretty major changes.

I think the changes are moderate and of an additive nature. But to bring out
that hammer of frankness again, what the hell else do we have for desktop and
laptop linux that is anywhere near close enough.

Hint: nothing.

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Zaheer
Do people really code on their tablet/phone? I can't imagine how hard it would
be for me to code on one. Usually (since I'm still relatively new to the
platform) I'll be switching to StackOverflow/Google a fair amount while
coding. Also ergonomics and speed of typing on a tablet if you're used to
using a keyboard become an issue.

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zyb09
I think it might be great for kids, from what I've seen most teenager these
days don't use computers a whole lot anymore and rely on their phone as
primary internet device (for messaging, chatting, email and browsing). So they
might stumble upon the possibility to make their own app and play around with
it, creating a HelloWorld app and so on. That's how you get them hooked.

~~~
Zaheer
Possibly, I'm a college student currently and don't really see the use of it
so maybe I'm already too old!

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zrgiu_
previous discussion:

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3685424>

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ck2
With 2ghz quad-core arm, this is (now) a very good idea.

