After testing android-x86 I'm convinced this OS could have a lot of potential on desktops..........if it were more desktop-friendly.
I been thinking this a lot and I'm guessing it shouldn't be that difficult, like at the very bottom a lot could be done with a custom launcher that gave easy access by mouse to functions that depend on gestures like the config section in the status bar. Adding right-click shouldn't be hard either, though building an API to support right click on apps is a step up.
I think the most difficult part would be running apps as windows instead of full screen. Something can be done with xposedframework and modules like flying android. One option would be to add the side-by-side of touchwiz, or even an array mode like 4 apps on the same screen at the same time. Even with a 15" laptop you get more space (actual space, not resolution) than with four 4.5" phone screens put together.
A lot of apps specially those made for tablets could be used with a mouse and keyboard without too much problem (eg: evernote, es explorer, gmail) but other would probably need to be at least tweaked, but eventually with a userbase we might get devs to build actual custom apps. I imagine devs could also use the existing design from the windows/mac versions of their apps, like in the case of evernote for example, instead of having to rethink the entire app's layout.
Anyway, opinions?
Related
Background
Ok this may be silly, but just wondered if there would be any interest in this idea I had earlier. What I love about Sense is that it's like each tab has almost moved past being a widget and has almost program like functionality, it seems to me this is really unique on a mobile device.
Concept
So I was thinking, what if it was possible to have extra tabs, in which ongoing programs could run, in something like a window. So for example, slide right one from a Facebook tab immediately into TCPMP, or continue one further into the File Explorer app? Why not extend the Sense UI?
Other thoughts:
1. I noticed that altering the tabs in sense causes a restart. I don't know if there is any way that this could be worked around, but otherwise I guess it's not possible to open up a whole new tab for each program. Perhaps there could be several open in which programs appear as they are run, with a customisable preference for the apps which appear on each tab/ a priority list?
2. maybe it would be possible to have something like a task switcher instead, I was thinking about something like the fantastic iManager, but where the app was fully functional in the tab, then could be switched with a nice simple gesture? This could skirt around the problem of new/blank tabs, and would be pretty cool!
3. Maybe this is nuts, as after all a quick tap on the home button will bring us straight back to Sense, but one less press is never bad right? And also the idea of a unified seamless UI is perfect for mobile in my opinion- I get frustrated by the jumping in and out of apps which Andoid and iOS require. CHT and Sense is exactly what is keeping me on WM
I can't code, but just thought I'd open the idea up to your opinions. Maybe someone who can wants this enough to do it?
The Note is my first Android phone coming from iPhone and so far I'm loving the phone and loving Android. It's obviously much much more customizable in a lot of ways (theming, widgets, settings, etc), and I find that it loads most applications much faster and does things quite a bit faster than I'm used to on my iphone 4.
One thing I'm surprised about, and maybe I'm not looking in the right places or I have it all wrong, is that there aren't many _low level_ tweaks available? It's mostly just widgets and themes, but nothing really available that can change the core behavior of your phone as you can with tweaks on a jailbroken iPhone?
For example, two things I've looked for so far that seemed like no-brainer easy peasy things.... music controls for the notification bar (or perhaps music controls that are accessed by overriding a capacitive button, such as holding down the settings button), and a user agent faker for the default browser. Yes I know there are other browsers available, but that's not the point (I tried Dolphin browser HD and did not like it.. it was slower and less responsive than the stock browser).
Those two examples may have their own workarounds (I know notification music controls are coming in ICS, and about:useragent will temporarily change the user agent), but I'm really getting at a larger question here. Other examples of "low level tweaks" from iphone that I kind of liked -- if you are viewing a text window above an open keyboard (ie gtalk, sms) and scroll down within the text window, it moves the keyboard out of the way. This was really natural for me, and just a simple download from Cydia. Another example -- swiping up from the bottom of the phone opening the multitasking bar -- again, really natural and awesome... a better fit for iphone for sure, but again, I'm not necessarily looking for those _exact_ tweaks, just offering some examples of what *types* of tweaks I'm referring to as "low level tweaks". Based on that, is there somewhere I can look to find these *types* of tweaks?
Unless I'm mistaken, it seems that to get these low level tweaks, you need a custom ROM? And then I guess you either need to learn how to build your own custom ROM, or hope that a dev will bake *all* of YOUR favorite tweaks into the _same_ ROM. Is that assessment about right when talking about low level tweaks? Or maybe there are other ways to add these tweaks, such as using adb to push them over? If so, where might I actually locate tweaks like this -- is there a repository / database / market of them somewhere?
FWIW I am rooted and OC'd using Da G's kernel (thanks Da G!). I've never dealt with custom ROMs on android so I'm partially speculating based on what I've heard about them and the lack of low level stuff on the market.
i think your comparing apples to oranges.
Apple keeps it simple and navigation is seamless IF YOU USE the device the way THEY INTENDED. step outside of that little box and they won't even support you .. i.e. jailbreak - after jailbreaking you can screw your phone up with all kind of cracked apps and all that junk.
As far as the keyboard moving out of the way, i don't think their are a great deal of ppl who care too much about that.... i think android compensates quite well in other areas.
having owned both platforms i would say it like this:
Apple holds software to a higher regard than hardware. after all, if you can't use your phone because it force-closes every 2 seconds then what's the point.
If you are like me and you like to "think outside the box" a little bit, then there are more possibilities with android... seems like eventually android drives you to learn more about your phone and how stuff works. i call it "the phone for adults!" lol
As far as the keyboard is concerned, you just need to download a different one. Go Keyboard, for example, has a button you can press to hide the keyboard whenever you want.
There's always an app/widget/setting in Android that will let you accomplish almost anything you want. That's the beauty of the platform.
Hitting the back button while in a text field will hide the keyboard, and allow you to scroll in the text box.
Sent from my SGH-I997 using xda premium
I'm not sure about low level tweaks but you could try something other than the default TW launcher and keyboard to achieve some of the gesture based control you mention. For example, Swiftkey X has gestures to hide the keyboard by swiping down and ADWlauncher allows you to program the swipe up function to various things.
Android is a platform built on top of a Linux kernel. If rooted, anything you can do with Linux (e.g. everything), you can do with Android.
Hello...
I am trying to customize my (new) sony xpereia z2, (got it for waterproof), to as close as possible to a Galaxy note or tab, as far as it can go feature wise.
I already have a few floating apps:
-floating stickies-becomes complicated with too many stickies, swiping them to the side, it becomes (almost) impossible to find the one you want, needs a single view interface, for organized viewing/editing , as well along with the float feature.
-floating browser, and cobra - crashes with only 2 tabs, doesn't remember my websites.
-G-player - my floating window will not resize, pretty sure have gone through all the options in settings, it is stuck,
I am aware of xhalofloatingwindow and xmultiwindow.
- is the only difference between the two that halo floats and multi divides the screen in fixed way? or are there other differences in the two that I am missing...
- (also when people refer to 'halo', this is the same thing as 'xhalofloatingwindow', right? or is it different...)
- are these considered 'custom roms', or not bc only partial change..
- also TouchWiz... I have read that TouchWiz mimicking apps exist, and to look here, but I haven't found any names, thus far.
the features I want are: quick screenshot, and editing, and note taking next to the screenshot, in a logged/organized manner. I would buy a stylus too, if found if could find apps or roms that mimick the galaxy note.
I do like xperia's interface, lockscreen, homescreen editor set up, and buttons. It is not so much the interface that I am trying to change, but to get a few more features. but I would change the interface if that's the only way to do it.
another subject - copying images from web browser, (not saving them), this is impossible on android but have read with a custom rom (not sure which ones, all or only some?) it is possible.
also closing tabs in chrome. you have to close each one manually, obviously annoying, plus the fact that they all reopen if you just wait the program. which Roms (all or only some) can help this...?
please advise if you can ...
Thank you for any advice ....
So here is the idea, a X-Cross Media Bar (XMB) style interface launcher that can be used on android devices, phones or tablets, but I plan on using it on my N7 since I use a Bluetooth keyboard I use for remote desktop and chrome and a pc xbox controller for games from time to time I have been trying to figure out how to make a decent android home screen that interacts like the XMB controls wise but have come up short.
I have found quite a few threads and other pages for stuff like this that has moved nowhere in the past and was hoping you guys might be able to get something in some sort of solution to my desire for a clean interactive interface. The closest thing i have, thanks to one of my friends who first came up with the idea but I have obsessively been trying to find a way to perfect, is using Nova launcher with folders set to tap to open a set app and swipe up to open the folder and a custom icon based off a PS3 theme pack I took the images from all arranged in an XMB style (picture linked) with the Wave Life Wallpaper to give it that PSP/PS3 look.
Basically all I want is an interface that interacts like the XMB, can be controlled either with directional buttons or by swiping across the screen (or tapping the icon of what you want if possible). But the big kicker here is that it has to support each column set acting as a customizable folder, like in Nova, and a standard app drawer where you can see all your apps. I don't even care if this requires xposed, a different launcher, and widgets, I want it and have done everything short of trying to code it myself. (probably not a good idea, I'm a network guy, not a good programmer)
All the pages I have come across in search of the pot of gold:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1104989
http://home.gna.org/gp2xmb/
https://code.google.com/p/xpmb/
http://boards.dingoonity.org/jxd-devices/xmb-launcher-for-android-5891/
The second to last one was a launcher somebody made, and believe it or not runs on 5.0.2, but has some issues and does not really let you change anything. The last Link is an actually functional one but does not allow for much customization.
What I am thinking of is more of a launcher that allows you to create columns for certain things and select which apps fill them like a folder does, allows you to have whatever wallpaper (static, scrolling, live) and has customization options. If somebody out there can program this and get it working I would pay for it. It just seems like such a usable interface for when using a controller, keyboard, or even on a touchscreen as a way different way to have everything organised. Although a standard app drawer would still be nice to avoid having every app in a column and just the ones you frequently use (I basically want an XMB in place of multiple desktops on the home screen)
Just let me know if anybody can help me figure this out.
Hi, I was wondering if there was any way to port samsung's multistar to the Xperia 1 IV so that users can use more then 2 apps at once. Or maybe port nubia red magics implementation of it. Flagships from 2022 come with 12+gb of ram, why not utilize it to its maximum potential? (A Samsung device with 8gb of ram can have 5 different apps running in the foreground at once with multistar, surely we can do more with 12gb of ram).
because, sadly, most apps are not done in a way that it really can be used as multitasking on a desktop. Have samsung tablet and while dex seems like am interesting thing it really isn't a desktop experience. Same goes for sony 2 apps implementation, whole it can be handy for some copy/paste or similar situations I find myself most comfortable while simply switching between the apps as needed.
On a desktop you can scroll through the content in the window which is in the background so you can leave just a portion visible and work. On android using touchscreen only that is not possible so I have just a smaller working area and clicking to bring window in front or swiping to another app is the same thing.
kinggo2 said:
because, sadly, most apps are not done in a way that it really can be used as multitasking on a desktop. Have samsung tablet and while dex seems like am interesting thing it really isn't a desktop experience. Same goes for sony 2 apps implementation, whole it can be handy for some copy/paste or similar situations I find myself most comfortable while simply switching between the apps as needed.
On a desktop you can scroll through the content in the window which is in the background so you can leave just a portion visible and work. On android using touchscreen only that is not possible so I have just a smaller working area and clicking to bring window in front or swiping to another app is the same thing.
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Thanks for the reply! for sure, most apps aren't optimized for it, however it seems like for the most part it works just fine with multistar (though I'm not sure how Samsung managed to pull it off)
well, you can use 21:9 multiwindow and then put 3rd app as popup on top. That's more than 2 then.