5 ms·

Android N’s freeform window mode

71 points by axg 11y ago

Grazester 11y ago
I am definitely excited about this. If Android takes off on the desktop it would be good for app developers
- drdaeman 11y ago
  I sincerely hope we won't see "Android" desktops with tighly locked-down bootloaders, and a unmodifiable pre-installed OS with a bunch of unremovable junkware. You know, like it's with phones and tablets now.
  - CaptSpify 11y ago
    Agreed. I'd actually like to see the opposite: I want a "real-linux" phone, not an android phone. (I have yet to test the ubuntu phone, but am excited for it)
mikecb 11y ago
Hrmmm, looks a lot like ChromeOS.
- agumonkey 11y ago
  Looks like Window 2.0 to me.
mtgx 11y ago
Where do you access the apps from? I'm not seeing any icons on the homescreen.
- soylentcola 11y ago
  Likely an app drawer or home screen shortcut (on another page not shown) like most other Android devices. In these screenshots I don't see the persistent app drawer shortcut that's common to most Android launchers but you can chalk that up to possible UI changes like not showing it on all pages of the desktop, hiding it when focused on something else, or launching via some other button/gesture. I haven't messed with this preview yet so I'm not sure but it's my guess.
simula67 11y ago
Google, stop teasing us and release a free Linux desktop OS and compete with Microsoft ! There is no reason to fear Microsoft since they already have you in their cross hairs. They have been losing loads of money trying to compete with you [1]. Windows 10 even has a search field on the task bar ! It can't be anti-trust concerns. Microsoft got away with bundling IE with Windows cutting off Netscape's air supply. Its hard to imagine you being punished for giving away an OS for free. Every dollar that does not go into Microsoft's coffers is a dollar they can't spend competing with you. Seems like some fiduciary responsibility to me :) [1] http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-reorg-earnings-reports-2013-7?IR=T http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-reorg-earnings-repo... EDIT: No, Chromium OS doesn't count. There are still plenty of people who need/uses desktop applications.
- Someone1234 11y ago
  > Google, stop teasing us and release a free Linux desktop OS and compete with Microsoft ! You mean Chromium OS? You can download it here: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os
  - ergo14 11y ago
    A desktop OS - not a browser OS ;-)
- dragonwriter 11y ago
  Chromium OS is a free Linux desktop OS from Google.
  - giancarlostoro 11y ago
    As has been said, it is hardly a desktop, it is a browser OS. I see this a lot with Google, they never release desktop apps only mobile and web. It would be really nice to see an OS and desktop applications for Google All Music Access, I would like to cache some music on my desktop for offline listening.
zeveb 11y ago
I actually think that this is a step backwards. I've been using smartphones, tablets, tmux and a tiling window manager for several years now, and _that_ feels like the interface of the future, not overlapping windows. I have one primary interaction with my computer at any one time, but it's easy to switch interactions whenever I need to. And when I _do_ need multiple windows, I can always just split the screen. But I hardly ever have more than one window per screen, and basically never more than three windows per workstation.
- cytzol 11y ago
  This feels like a step backwards for me, too, and I love overlapping windows and never split my screen. The benefit of having multiple windows is that you can have different working contexts that don't overlap, which makes it easier to find the exact window you're looking for. But look at the screenshots in the article: you still get one web browser window, one calculator, one instance of every app. You can't split (say) the browser into Tabs for Project A and Tabs for Project B, or keep a calculation open for Project B then open a new one without destroying the old one. (Contrived examples, perhaps, but those are the only apps demonstrated in their screenshots so far. Imagine it with text editors.)
  - zastrowm 11y ago
    I'd imagine that the "one web browser window, one calculator, one instance of every app" is because currently there's not too much need for multiple instances. After a windowing-system is in place, I'd expect (hope?) that Android/developers would begin to add support for multiple instances.
    - cytzol 11y ago
      That would be nice, but I'm not holding my breath; the existing code will probably assume one window. We've brought up being told that singletons are bad and should never be used, and then go and build programs like this!
      - 11y ago
0xFFC 11y ago
I knew this is going to happen. This move is against Microsoft move. (Microsoft brought Bing to the core of its product and showed google, It is dead serious about fighting). Google does realize if Microsoft can beat ChromeBrowser/GoogleSearchEngine (two of most important product of google) Google as company is done (I am not claiming google in this scenario is going to disappear, but it is going to be underdog.) Google's only move was to attack the core of Microsoft, Which is Windows.Google does have pretty much everything in Webspace/MobileOS space and application space (these are web-based app, ironically in my fedora other than emacs,all of my apps are googlechrome-webapps) other than the core desktop os. And at the other hand Microsoft does have core desktop os + everything in application space but nothing in webspace/mobile. They completely find themselves against each other and they are going seriously to attack each other because they understand perfectly they are too dangerous to each other. Google can and will replace desktop app with web apps in long term (which is Microsoft's nightmare) and Microsoft will use its core product to hit google and improve its position in web against Google will. I predict this is going to happen after Satya Nadella vigorously attacked Google's position. I even commented about this almost 1 year ago. The reason Google and Microsoft are so dangerous to each other is because they want the other one's market share.Apple at the other hand positioned itself very well. They are for high-end and expensive market.Microsoft and Google does have high-end and expensive product , but who are we kidding, in that space they are nowhere near Apple. and Apple showed in recent year (other than Iphone 5c , which was strategic mistake) apple is not interested to low price product market and they are happy with their community.But Google/Microsoft does have serious clash of interest. The other thing, don't forget about UWP, Microsoft does use this strategy just because it wants to use its advantage to push itself to mobileos as vigorous as possible. There is so many clues about what is going on.These two company is just like army preparing for big fight. This is just like chess. I am so curious how this will pan out.
clumsysmurf 11y ago
One could debate the merits of tiling vs overlapping windows for a range of form factors ... Since most android apps are not tablet optimized, we wind up with multiple phone (not tablet) optimized apps sharing the screen. I'd rather just have one tablet optimized app using the screen (and easy way to switch between) than multiple phone-optimized apps sharing the screen.
- digi_owl 11y ago
  The biggest usage of tiled view will be to make entries into one app while referencing something in another.
skynetv2 11y ago
so, Android has become a full blown OS just OS X or Windows. Thats great. As long as Google keeps mucking up the UI, the core competency of being a intuitive smartphone that is effortless to use remains an elusive goal.
mattkrea 11y ago
So wait.. did we just do all this and end up at an operating system like a desktop OS that can only support Java apps?
- tekklloneer 11y ago
  Android does native binaries as well. I refuse to let the 90s have vindication!
  - mattkrea 11y ago
    Ah thats right. I remember Go can be used with the NDK as well I think.
- on_and_off 10y ago
  Does it matter though ? Ok, it is hard to get excited about writing java code but kotlin is a very nice language that outputs bytecode, so there is always that option. Not to mention that the NDK is an option if it fits your usecase.

71 points by axg 11y ago

Grazester 11y ago

I am definitely excited about this. If Android takes off on the desktop it would be good for app developers

drdaeman 11y ago
I sincerely hope we won't see "Android" desktops with tighly locked-down bootloaders, and a unmodifiable pre-installed OS with a bunch of unremovable junkware. You know, like it's with phones and tablets now.
- CaptSpify 11y ago
  Agreed. I'd actually like to see the opposite: I want a "real-linux" phone, not an android phone. (I have yet to test the ubuntu phone, but am excited for it)

mikecb 11y ago

Hrmmm, looks a lot like ChromeOS.

agumonkey 11y ago
Looks like Window 2.0 to me.

mtgx 11y ago

Where do you access the apps from? I'm not seeing any icons on the homescreen.

soylentcola 11y ago
Likely an app drawer or home screen shortcut (on another page not shown) like most other Android devices. In these screenshots I don't see the persistent app drawer shortcut that's common to most Android launchers but you can chalk that up to possible UI changes like not showing it on all pages of the desktop, hiding it when focused on something else, or launching via some other button/gesture. I haven't messed with this preview yet so I'm not sure but it's my guess.

simula67 11y ago

Google, stop teasing us and release a free Linux desktop OS and compete with Microsoft ! There is no reason to fear Microsoft since they already have you in their cross hairs. They have been losing loads of money trying to compete with you [1]. Windows 10 even has a search field on the task bar ! It can't be anti-trust concerns. Microsoft got away with bundling IE with Windows cutting off Netscape's air supply. Its hard to imagine you being punished for giving away an OS for free. Every dollar that does not go into Microsoft's coffers is a dollar they can't spend competing with you. Seems like some fiduciary responsibility to me :) [1] http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-reorg-earnings-reports-2013-7?IR=T http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-reorg-earnings-repo... EDIT: No, Chromium OS doesn't count. There are still plenty of people who need/uses desktop applications.

Someone1234 11y ago
> Google, stop teasing us and release a free Linux desktop OS and compete with Microsoft ! You mean Chromium OS? You can download it here: https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os
- ergo14 11y ago
  A desktop OS - not a browser OS ;-)
dragonwriter 11y ago
Chromium OS is a free Linux desktop OS from Google.
- giancarlostoro 11y ago
  As has been said, it is hardly a desktop, it is a browser OS. I see this a lot with Google, they never release desktop apps only mobile and web. It would be really nice to see an OS and desktop applications for Google All Music Access, I would like to cache some music on my desktop for offline listening.

zeveb 11y ago

I actually think that this is a step backwards. I've been using smartphones, tablets, tmux and a tiling window manager for several years now, and _that_ feels like the interface of the future, not overlapping windows. I have one primary interaction with my computer at any one time, but it's easy to switch interactions whenever I need to. And when I _do_ need multiple windows, I can always just split the screen. But I hardly ever have more than one window per screen, and basically never more than three windows per workstation.

cytzol 11y ago
This feels like a step backwards for me, too, and I love overlapping windows and never split my screen. The benefit of having multiple windows is that you can have different working contexts that don't overlap, which makes it easier to find the exact window you're looking for. But look at the screenshots in the article: you still get one web browser window, one calculator, one instance of every app. You can't split (say) the browser into Tabs for Project A and Tabs for Project B, or keep a calculation open for Project B then open a new one without destroying the old one. (Contrived examples, perhaps, but those are the only apps demonstrated in their screenshots so far. Imagine it with text editors.)
- zastrowm 11y ago
  I'd imagine that the "one web browser window, one calculator, one instance of every app" is because currently there's not too much need for multiple instances. After a windowing-system is in place, I'd expect (hope?) that Android/developers would begin to add support for multiple instances.
  - cytzol 11y ago
    That would be nice, but I'm not holding my breath; the existing code will probably assume one window. We've brought up being told that singletons are bad and should never be used, and then go and build programs like this!
    - 11y ago

0xFFC 11y ago

I knew this is going to happen. This move is against Microsoft move. (Microsoft brought Bing to the core of its product and showed google, It is dead serious about fighting). Google does realize if Microsoft can beat ChromeBrowser/GoogleSearchEngine (two of most important product of google) Google as company is done (I am not claiming google in this scenario is going to disappear, but it is going to be underdog.) Google's only move was to attack the core of Microsoft, Which is Windows.Google does have pretty much everything in Webspace/MobileOS space and application space (these are web-based app, ironically in my fedora other than emacs,all of my apps are googlechrome-webapps) other than the core desktop os. And at the other hand Microsoft does have core desktop os + everything in application space but nothing in webspace/mobile. They completely find themselves against each other and they are going seriously to attack each other because they understand perfectly they are too dangerous to each other. Google can and will replace desktop app with web apps in long term (which is Microsoft's nightmare) and Microsoft will use its core product to hit google and improve its position in web against Google will. I predict this is going to happen after Satya Nadella vigorously attacked Google's position. I even commented about this almost 1 year ago. The reason Google and Microsoft are so dangerous to each other is because they want the other one's market share.Apple at the other hand positioned itself very well. They are for high-end and expensive market.Microsoft and Google does have high-end and expensive product , but who are we kidding, in that space they are nowhere near Apple. and Apple showed in recent year (other than Iphone 5c , which was strategic mistake) apple is not interested to low price product market and they are happy with their community.But Google/Microsoft does have serious clash of interest. The other thing, don't forget about UWP, Microsoft does use this strategy just because it wants to use its advantage to push itself to mobileos as vigorous as possible. There is so many clues about what is going on.These two company is just like army preparing for big fight. This is just like chess. I am so curious how this will pan out.

clumsysmurf 11y ago

One could debate the merits of tiling vs overlapping windows for a range of form factors ... Since most android apps are not tablet optimized, we wind up with multiple phone (not tablet) optimized apps sharing the screen. I'd rather just have one tablet optimized app using the screen (and easy way to switch between) than multiple phone-optimized apps sharing the screen.

digi_owl 11y ago
The biggest usage of tiled view will be to make entries into one app while referencing something in another.

skynetv2 11y ago

so, Android has become a full blown OS just OS X or Windows. Thats great. As long as Google keeps mucking up the UI, the core competency of being a intuitive smartphone that is effortless to use remains an elusive goal.

mattkrea 11y ago

So wait.. did we just do all this and end up at an operating system like a desktop OS that can only support Java apps?

tekklloneer 11y ago
Android does native binaries as well. I refuse to let the 90s have vindication!
- mattkrea 11y ago
  Ah thats right. I remember Go can be used with the NDK as well I think.
on_and_off 10y ago
Does it matter though ? Ok, it is hard to get excited about writing java code but kotlin is a very nice language that outputs bytecode, so there is always that option. Not to mention that the NDK is an option if it fits your usecase.