Re: GNOME and ANDROID

[Tassilo Horn <tassilo member fsf org>]

Adam Williamson <awilliam redhat com> writes:

Hi!

>> Actually, they do have an overview although it is an overview of
>> workspaces.  So if you tap the home button twice it zooms out showing
>> all the virtual workspaces you have out and what widgets are on them
>> etc.  In that particular way it's somewhat like android although the
>> comparison is more like an eagle vs a flying squirrel.  Yeah, they
>> both fly in the air but they do just about everything else
>> differently.
>
> er, it does? I've got a Droid sitting here and it doesn't seem to do
> that.

I own a Google Nexus S which with stock android 2.3.4, not one of the
themed, revamped android variants shipped with HTC or Samsung phones.
And that has actually 2 overviews:

- Touch & hold the Launcher button shows a workspace overview.

- Touch & hold the Home button shows the recently used apps overview,
  which is effectively an app switcher.

I think, one fundamental difference between android and usual desktop
applications is that for the former, there's virtually no difference in
starting an app or switching to it.  They are (or should be) designed in
a way that they can be terminated whenever the system decides to do so
(no memory left, battery empty) without losing their state.

Bye,
Tassilo