How About Android for Desktops...

[Isthmus]

Another discussion where I posted a version of this led me to thinking that this might make for an interesting topic all on its own.

How would you envision a port of android made specifically for Desktop/Laptop environments, and do you think such an OS would be appealing to the average user?

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As I envision it, ChromeOS should be folded into Android 4.0 and Google should build a version of the combined OS for Desktops.

The idea would be to create a common ecosystem of apps and usage environment accross multiple device categories, ad have it all interconnected through Google products and other apps running in the background.

I envision something that boots instantly right into ChromeOS while the rest of the Android system boots up in the background, thus allowing you virtually immediate cloud based functionality on the desktop. You could even choose to ONLY boot into chrome, say if you needed to look up something quickly online and didn't want to fully turn on a computer that has been turned off.

The chrome side of things would be very similar to ICS for tablets and would be deeply linked to all things google as well as relying on versions of the same Google apps that run on mobile, but optimized for ICS and taking advantage of larger screen dimensions. I envision touch interface to be retained for those who have touch sensitive screens, but also better keyboard and touchpad/mouse controls than currently exist. Lastly I would bundle a Google fork of Libre office specifically designed to have deep automatic integration with Google docs and Google+, but allowing users to have local editing control.

I would love to have such a system and have a common ecosystem between my phone, tablet and desktop/laptop, much how Apple currently does with IOs devices and MacOS and how Microsoft is planning to do with Windows 8 and WP8. unlike those ecosystems, this would run variants of the same OS, as opposed to different OSs made to work together, thus being able to take advantage of current built up knowledge and the existing android market.

Imagine if Google did the entire thing open sourced and released it to desktop and laptop OEMs.

A guy can dream right? If only there was a way to have a bunch of people pitch it to Google.

What do you guys think and how would you envision such an OS?

 

[linuxrich]

I can hear the moaning now. "Oh no! Not another Linux distro!" ) Seriously though, all Google/Open Handset Alliance need to do is make sure that there are tools available that integrate Android devices in a Linux desktop environment better.

 

[350X]

involve the words Linux and the mass public won't be on board. Even if its is. Hide that and make sure its simple click like android is on the front end.

make folks have to type lines of code and they run.

 

[linuxrich]

Who, pray tell, has to type lines of code? No-one has to except under quite unusual circumstances. A lot of people choose to because the command line is the most powerful, versatile 'app' in existence!

 

[9to5cynic]

I for one don't really see android hitting it big in the desktop market. I mean, sure I'd like to try it, but I can't see it being any better than anything else out there.... But, if I could try it out, I definitely would.... who knows, it might be awesome on a desktop.

And we mustn't forget that android is linux. People are more afraid of change than the command line. Half the people who don't want to touch cmd.exe are old dos users*.
:/


*made up statistic

 

[YrrchSebor0000]

not sure if this is what you are looking for, but it has been around a while already:

Android-x86 - Porting Android to x86

 

[Isthmus]

Yes the x86 project is a step in that direction, but the build is behind schedule (not ICS) and the port of Android is not really modified with Desktops environments in mind. That is why I was thinking that an official Google port would be preferable. As a user of course the added benefit would be the native integration to all things Google, the ability to use the same app market and applications across all device types and the instant cross connectivity across all device categories. For OEMs the appeal would be that it is free so they could release it as an OS option to potential buyers. Since Android is already a known quantity (and generally a well liked one), buyers wouldn't be going into things blind. I do agree thought, that such a system should be marketed as Android, and not as Linux. Laymen get strange ideas when they hear the word Linux and immediately start thinking about how hard and mysterious it is, even though they know nothing about it. Call it Android from the start.

 

[YrrchSebor0000]

Yes the x86 project is a step in that direction, but the build is behind schedule (not ICS) and the port of Android is not really modified with Desktops environments in mind. That is why I was thinking that an official Google port would be preferable. As a user of course the added benefit would be the native integration to all things Google, the ability to use the same app market and applications across all device types and the instant cross connectivity across all device categories. For OEMs the appeal would be that it is free so they could release it as an OS option to potential buyers. Since Android is already a known quantity (and generally a well liked one), buyers wouldn't be going into things blind. I do agree thought, that such a system should be marketed as Android, and not as Linux. Laymen get strange ideas when they hear the word Linux and immediately start thinking about how hard and mysterious it is, even though they know nothing about it. Call it Android from the start.

that sounds neat, i'd give it a try. maybe it would be Android, or perhaps 'GoogleOS'?