ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Francisco Pina Martins <f.pinamartins@xxxxxxxxx>]

Technical issues aside (such as notifications, etc), I don't see how 
this can be positive to Ubuntu-touch's future...
Best case scenario, the apps work "okish" and with some overhead due to 
the translation layer. What you get is an OS that **also** runs android 
apps, but does it **worse** than android.
If any devs are considering porting their apps to Utouch, at this point 
they will most certainly call it quits (example: Blizzard, warcraft 
franchise and wine).
This is sort of "stop-gap" in the short term, but IMO will seriously 
compromise the platform's future.
Furthermore an "official" compat. layer would redirect the community's 
efforts into making existing apps work with the said layer instead of 
encouraging the creation of new native apps - such as Ubuntu-hangups, 
telegram udrop cabin or utorch, just to name a few.
Tempting? Yes. Good for the platform? I don't think so. At least in an 
official manner.

That being said - I thing that maybe making shashlik work in utouch, 
just to show it can be done is quite an interesting goal, that would 
really show off the OS's versatility.

Ubuntu touch can be so much more that "just another android clone". 
Think further. Build your own missing apps. If you can't do it, engage 
the community. **Make** it better.

Also, apologies for the long rant.

Francisco

On 22-02-2016 21:24, Wayne Ward wrote:
> I wish emails had a like button
>
> Wayne
> Monday, 22 February 2016 21:20:06 UTC, Bob Summerwill 
> <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > "Why would you want android apps?"
> >
> > I am using a Jolla Phone as my day-to-day device, and I can vouch from
> > first-hand experience that the AlienDalvik Android support on that 
> > device
> > is utterly invaluable in a practical sense.
> >
> > Having native applications is obviously best, but Android 
> > compatibility is
> > a fantastic stopgap solution.   There are a huge number of Android
> > applications, and having access even to a subset is a godsend. It is
> > surprising how many Android applications can run without Google Play
> > Services.
> >
> > Jolla Phone works with various Android stores, with Yandex and F-Droid
> > being the ones which I use the most.   Having F-Droid on Ubuntu Phone 
> > would
> > undoubtedly be "A Good Thing".
> >
> > Having that kind of functionality available on top of a FOSS solution 
> > would
> > be fabulous.    The SailfishOS ports really suffer for its absence.
> >  Ubuntu Phone would really benefit from an equivalent.
> >
> > If you want to see something amazing, check out "Android as an App" on
> > SailfishOS.   That kind of magic should be possible for Ubuntu Phone as
> > well, I think.
> >
> > https://twitter.com/sledgeSim/status/679647138305970177
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 7:15 AM, Peter Bittner <peter.bittner@xxxxxxx>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Sorry, I forgot to respond to your second question (and email address).
> > >
> > > > And if you can run android apps, why would they be bothered to 
> > > write a
> > > native app.
> > >
> > > Maybe for the same reason why not every organization chooses to
> > > implement their apps using Cordova. Because on an attractive platform
> > > I want to offer the best available integration possible. Not a
> > > mediocre, "working one", which could be sufficient to some suffering
> > > user souls though.
> > >
> > > Attractive. That was my point in mentioning "differentiation". This
> > > argument has been discussed on the list before.
> > >
> > > @Mark Re Tox [2], I think I saw that before. But what (current)
> > > user-facing problems does it solve (apart from Edward Snowden's secure
> > > messaging, which *is* important, acknowledged)? Will my wife stop
> > > bugging me with "can you finally install Wattsup on your damn fone?"
> > >
> > > Seriously, integrating all those communication features, including
> > > generic SIP and XMPP, seamlessly in Ubuntu Phone would be awesome.
> > > That would be a very promising way to go, probably.
> > >
> > > We don't need extra clients if it's really as advertised, "The
> > > relationship of The Tox Project to Tox is analogous to the Linux
> > > Foundation's relationship to Linux." [3], let's go for integration if
> > > it's that good. What we don't need is another messaging client. We
> > > already have Telegram. And the contacts for our kids' sports
> > > appointments are not on there, unfortunately.
> > >
> > > Peter
> > >
> > > [2] https://tox.chat/
> > > [3] https://tox.chat/about.html (at the bottom of the page)
> > >
> > > --
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> > > Post to     : ubuntu-phone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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