Re:Windows 10 will come with a command-line package manager
by pbhjpbhj on Wednesday October 29, 2014 @12:47PM
(#8528213)
I wasn't suggesting you choice was illogical, I was expressing that the ability of a phablet, say, to process data and run computing operations has a logical equivalence (in the processing sense) in a "desktop"; and then mentioning that whilst the processing power may generally differ there is substantial overlap (eg phones having more processing power and RAM than some desktops, etc.). The "logical" part was to contrast the physical differences.
You can use a smartphone with a bluetooth keyboard to write business docs with wordprocessing apps or construct spreadsheets (you could use the on-screen keyboard if you're a masochist). Different physical interfaces target different use cases as we've both noted but the distinction is more about marketing than ability of a system.
Going back to where this all came from I doubt this discussion is fruitful.
What exactly is a logical difference in this case, and how is it relevant to the discussion? Is my decision illogical if I consider the ergonomic implications of using a particular hardware/software platform?
Aside from ergonomics, I'm not sure what is so controversial about assuming that the different user interfaces will (and quite obviously do) cater to different use cases. What I can realistically do with a keyboard and a 24" monitor is certainly different from what I can do with my mobile phone. What I can realistically do with Debian is certainly different from what I can do with iOS or Android. These differences alone convince me that the distinction between desktop computer and phone/tablet/crablet is still meaningful, regardless of the literal meaning of "desktop computer". Manufacturers, retailers and consumers generally understand this, no matter how much anyone pretends that a tablet is equivalent to a desktop computer.
> "year of Linux on the desktop" People have been using [insert any relatively obscure OS] as a desktop OS for plenty of years. The fact remains that Linux doesn't hold a significant share of the desktop market, which is what the idea of "year of Linux on the desktop" has always been about.