Re:A new wave of Linux applications
by jfb on Wednesday February 16, 2022 @03:46PM
(#30365463)
What if you don't want the same applications with the same interface modalities on different devices? Shouldn't we be much more concerned about data portability than application portability?
[ Parent
| on HN ]
> What if you don't want the same applications with the same interface modalities on different devices?
In an ideal world, you'd be able to choose from a variety of programs, to optimize for your usecase, all while maintaining data portability/sync.
Convergence is a practical choice to allow contributions to be shared by desktop and phone users.
https://amosbbatto.wordpress.com/2020/08/05/advantages-of-ph... discusses this.
GNU/Linux phones are about FLOSS. Of course the apps have the data portability, too.
This just doubles the UI development effort.
You don't really get around that with convergent applications either. That is, unless your idea of convergence is "lowest common denominator for everyone".
(it usually is)
More than doubles it, because there are a variety of phone sizes, tablets, monitors, &c. But that's OK! Build the best thing, don't settle.
The choice is usually not between building a great thing or a sub-par thing, but between building anything at all or not bothering.
... rather than doubling both the UI dev effort and the domain logic effort.