Android N’s freeform window mode

I actually think that this is a step backwards. I've been using smartphones, tablets, tmux and a tiling window manager for several years now, and _that_ feels like the interface of the future, not overlapping windows. I have one primary interaction with my computer at any one time, but it's easy to switch interactions whenever I need to. And when I _do_ need multiple windows, I can always just split the screen. But I hardly ever have more than one window per screen, and basically never more than three windows per workstation.

Google, stop teasing us and release a free Linux desktop OS and compete with Microsoft !<p>There is no reason to fear Microsoft since they already have you in their cross hairs. They have been losing loads of money trying to compete with you [1]. Windows 10 even has a search field on the task bar !<p>It can&#x27;t be anti-trust concerns. Microsoft got away with bundling IE with Windows cutting off Netscape&#x27;s air supply. Its hard to imagine you being punished for giving away an OS for free.<p>Every dollar that does not go into Microsoft&#x27;s coffers is a dollar they can&#x27;t spend competing with you. Seems like some fiduciary responsibility to me :)<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.businessinsider.com&#x2F;microsoft-reorg-earnings-reports-2013-7?IR=T" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.businessinsider.com&#x2F;microsoft-reorg-earnings-repo...</a><p>EDIT: No, Chromium OS doesn&#x27;t count. There are still plenty of people who need&#x2F;uses desktop applications.

So wait.. did we just do all this and end up at an operating system like a desktop OS that can only support Java apps?

I knew this is going to happen. This move is against Microsoft move. (Microsoft brought Bing to the core of its product and showed google, It is dead serious about fighting). Google does realize if Microsoft can beat ChromeBrowser&#x2F;GoogleSearchEngine (two of most important product of google) Google as company is done (I am not claiming google in this scenario is going to disappear, but it is going to be underdog.)<p>Google&#x27;s only move was to attack the core of Microsoft, Which is Windows.Google does have pretty much everything in Webspace&#x2F;MobileOS space and application space (these are web-based app, ironically in my fedora other than emacs,all of my apps are googlechrome-webapps) other than the core desktop os. And at the other hand Microsoft does have core desktop os + everything in application space but nothing in webspace&#x2F;mobile.<p>They completely find themselves against each other and they are going seriously to attack each other because they understand perfectly they are too dangerous to each other.<p>Google can and will replace desktop app with web apps in long term (which is Microsoft&#x27;s nightmare) and Microsoft will use its core product to hit google and improve its position in web against Google will.<p>I predict this is going to happen after Satya Nadella vigorously attacked Google&#x27;s position. I even commented about this almost 1 year ago.<p>The reason Google and Microsoft are so dangerous to each other is because they want the other one&#x27;s market share.Apple at the other hand positioned itself very well. They are for high-end and expensive market.Microsoft and Google does have high-end and expensive product , but who are we kidding, in that space they are nowhere near Apple. and Apple showed in recent year (other than Iphone 5c , which was strategic mistake) apple is not interested to low price product market and they are happy with their community.But Google&#x2F;Microsoft does have serious clash of interest.<p>The other thing, don&#x27;t forget about UWP, Microsoft does use this strategy just because it wants to use its advantage to push itself to mobileos as vigorous as possible.<p>There is so many clues about what is going on.These two company is just like army preparing for big fight.<p>This is just like chess. I am so curious how this will pan out.

One could debate the merits of tiling vs overlapping windows for a range of form factors ...<p>Since most android apps are not tablet optimized, we wind up with multiple phone (not tablet) optimized apps sharing the screen.<p>I&#x27;d rather just have one tablet optimized app using the screen (and easy way to switch between) than multiple phone-optimized apps sharing the screen.

I am definitely excited about this. If Android takes off on the desktop it would be good for app developers

Hrmmm, looks a lot like ChromeOS.

Where do you access the apps from? I&#x27;m not seeing any icons on the homescreen.

so, Android has become a full blown OS just OS X or Windows. Thats great.<p>As long as Google keeps mucking up the UI, the core competency of being a intuitive smartphone that is effortless to use remains an elusive goal.