Ubuntu 14.10 Convergence To Focus On Replacing Core Apps

[vein]

Ubuntu is made for refridgerators by spanish leprechauns

(this made about as much sense as your post)

One should never underestimate the spanish leprechauns!

[dee.]

Why are you apologizing? He is claiming that there is zero benefit to convergence when he doesn't even know what convergence means (same code base across multiple form factors). Android is already doing this, just not to the same extent as Canonical. Saying that his imagination is limited is an understatement in this case. Anyway dee trolls any thread that has to do with Canonical or Ubuntu; You can look at prior posts to see that pretty clearly. I'm only responding here in case other people haven't thought about what the idea could mean for future devices.

He's just trying to guilt trip you.

Ah, it's the classic passive-agressive Canonical fanboy's defense-by-diversion move. Can't make convincing arguments? No problem! Just shout: "you're all just elitist trolls who want linux to be hard! We should all follow Mark's great vision or Linux will die! Without Ubuntu, Linux would only have command line and only nerds could use it!" People disagree? They're obviously just haters and trolls who're on a crusade and persecuting Canonical because everyone is just jealous and mean and stupid!

That's right, follow your dreams... follow your Glorious Leader and he will take you to the Promised Land of Convergence!

[dee.]

There is no conflict between device convergence and the cloud. On the contrary, they make a lot of sense together. If you (or an employee) loses their phone, it's easy to replace without losing any data. Just buy a new phone, insert the right credentials, and you're back where you were.

Syncing several devices may solve many problems, but buying/maintaining/upgrading a single device would always be cheaper and easier.

But again, you're running into the same old problem. If you need to use that single device as both a phone and a desktop, then you need more than a single device - you need the peripherals: monitor, keyboard and mouse. And if you have to buy those (medium-sized monitors already cost about the same as midrange smartphones), then you might as well just get a second CPU to run them. You'll save the money in not having to get a high-end phone that is capable of powering desktop applications, and using a slightly cheaper phone instead.

We're going to see more and more small-form-factor desktop computers - desktop computers the size of routers... if you don't need huge graphics hardware, then a desktop computer can fit in a very small space. They'll become cheaper, too... put together a cheap ARM dev board and a small case, and you got yourself a cheap desktop computer.

I apologize for saying that people who disagree with me have no imagination.

Apology accepted.

[Aleve Sicofante]

How much consistency do you think you can have between a UI designed for 4,5" screens and a UI designed for 22" screens?

A whole lot indeed. You can see it already in the Ubuntu Phone/Desktop. Admittedly the [implementation of the] Desktop part is still in its infancy, but the consistency is already there. The UI concepts and idioms are the same regardless of device.

I don't know you and maybe you're one of those hard core linuxeros who despise user interface design as something that you do at the very end of the developing process just to "prettify" your app. If, however, you are the opposite and believe -like I do- that UI design comes first, then Canonical's plan regarding convergence is plain obvious, and quite impressive I may say.

[dee.]

A whole lot indeed. You can see it already in the Ubuntu Phone/Desktop. Admittedly the [implementation of the] Desktop part is still in its infancy, but the consistency is already there. The UI concepts and idioms are the same regardless of device.

Maybe for extremely simple apps. But you're deluding yourself if you think that an application that runs on a 4.5" touchscreen can have the same kind of UI as an application running on an actual desktop computer and is controlled with keyboard+mouse.

You can see how well it works when people try to force two very different form factors into using the same UI paradigm. Just look at windows 8 and how badly it failed because of that very fact.

I don't know you and maybe you're one of those hard core linuxeros who despise user interface design as something that you do at the very end of the developing process just to "prettify" your app. If, however, you are the opposite and believe -like I do- that UI design comes first, then Canonical's plan regarding convergence is plain obvious, and quite impressive I may say.

Well I don't usually want to start pulling any kind of credentials on the internet as it is really an exercise in futility - anyone can claim anything on the internet... but I actually do UI design for an open source application and have experience in graphic design, GUI design and GUI programming. I don't just "believe" things about UI design - I actually have some experience in UI design and know some things about it. What works and what doesn't, that sort of thing.

And no, Canonical's plan still doesn't really make sense. Not the "use your phone as a desktop computer" part, at least. Maybe their mobile UI works really well on mobile, I don't know, I haven't tried it. As for their desktop UI, there's nothing really special about it - it's just a dock and a launcher. Some like it, some don't... it's "ok" - nothing that special, nothing that horrible.

The idea of using a phone as a desktop isn't really about UI as such, though. The practical considerations and problems are still there... and I've spent enough time in this thread outlining what those problems are so I don't think I need to reiterate them anymore.

[Akka]

Phones "converges" pretty easy to other small mobile products like mp3 players and cameras. In this case the user dont need to carry all devices when the phone do everything.
Converge to a desktop computer is different. If you need additional devices it is not mobile anymore. People don't even use desktop computer anymore. Every one us tablets or laptops. The people that is interested in stationary computers is usually also interested in power. I think it is a extremely small market for a phone that converge to a desktop. The few people that need a stationary computer probably prefer a intel i7 cpu over a arm.

[Aleve Sicofante]

I've spent enough time in this thread outlining what those problems are so I don't think I need to reiterate them anymore.

Careful when you step off your high horse.

(My opinion is you're clueless, but I wouldn't dare to waste your precious time explaining why.)

[dee.]

Careful when you step off your high horse.

(My opinion is you're clueless, but I wouldn't dare to waste your precious time explaining why.)

[Aleve Sicofante]

You shouldn't post family photos on a technical forum. That girl will sue you when she grows old.