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-   MeeGo / Harmattan (https://talk.maemo.org/forumdisplay.php?f=45)
-   -   Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June (https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=56410)

sevla 2010-06-29 14:49

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jsuggs (Post 734163)
Haven't been following Android as closely lately. But if HTC Sense UI isn't available on non-HTC phones, then you've pretty much proven my point.

If you end up only buying HTC phones because of Sense UI, then HTC becomes the "only game in town" and consumers end up loosing as there are no real competitors. [Yes, I see/understand the desire for HTC to want that]

In the case of MeeGo, (if) the proposition is to create a base operating system that can span multiple devices that gives you great functionality out of the box that hardware and software vendors can easily adapt to their needs. In the grand scheme of things, if it ends up only being a few power players calling all of the shots and keeping the best parts for themselves (ie the "Intel/Nokia experience") then why would any other parties invest their time/effort into MeeGo since they will start off with a huge disadvantage.

So my real point is that if these "vendor customizations/brandings" end up defining what MeeGo is/isn't then (to me) the entire point of MeeGo is (somewhat) lost since it won't be a platform used by multiple hardware vendors, it will just be a platform developed by the major players, but developed in isolation.

From following the enhancements and bugs from Meego.com it seems like they are trying to get everything into the base OS. I think the only difference you'll see from vendors are applications that ship with a particular device (i.e. Nokia may ship with free satnav) and look and feel. I don't think you'll be missing base functionality if you decide to go with one vendor or another.

fatalsaint 2010-06-29 14:55

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by sevla (Post 734155)
I'm confused.. From Qgils post it sounded like Harmattan will have a different look and feel from the reference Meego handset interface.

Is that not the case?

To add to what Pelago said... to clarify how I read qgil:

MeeGo Trouch Framework == Actual UI (User Interface) for device

Reference Applications == Default Apps maintained/made by MeeGo dev's

Nokia Set of Applications == Nokia specific Applications maintained/made by Nokia.

The UI + Apps == UX (User Experience)

So Harmattan will have a (slightly) different "UX", but the same "UI"..

tso 2010-06-29 15:15

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
one thing came to mind, didnt nokia during maemo consider the closed source software like the brower ui and the media player their way to make nokia maemo different from some potential other maemo?

heck, will we be seeing multiple branded devices where various bundled programs are different from whats found on other meego devices, and with the same problems we are seeing relations to long term maintenance?

if that will be the case i think i say thanks but no thanks.

ah, i see fatalsaint touched on that. Given that, color me worried as i already hold one device with a nokia logo on it that i would love seeing properly maintained rather then replaced in this consumerist rat race of ours.

bergie 2010-06-29 15:25

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jsuggs (Post 734128)
This probably just more of a personal nit-pick of mine, but I (think) I would rather install "the base handset experience" instead of the Nokia (or any other vendor customization) branded one. Mainly because I don't like the "branding" as it usually doesn't add any real value over the stock system.

I imagine the main thing you'd be missing out on is Ovi Store and all the DRMd stuff. Plus possibly some proprietary Nokia applications like Maps. But we'll see how it is when Harmattan is released.

Ovi Store I can pretty much live without, generally Extras has better software anyway :p

Added: Flash would also be a big thing you'd probably miss. But we'll see how the stock MeeGo Handheld UX looks like when the N900 port is done, as I guess "unsupported" means having only the open source parts.

vivainio 2010-06-29 15:32

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by fatalsaint (Post 734179)
MeeGo Trouch Framework == Actual UI (User Interface) for device

MeeGo Touch is the ui library (add-on over plain Qt). The "user interface" consists of lots of stuff in addition to that, including app launcher, homescreen, system status bars etc.

If you need to develop applications, you need the UI library. You probably won't need the homescreen or app launcher. Don't count on all of this being made available.

If you asked me, you don't need to wait for this release to develop applications. You can already develop meegotouch applications for your current N900, without flashing it. You could also distribute those apps to current "mainstream" n900 users.

fatalsaint 2010-06-29 15:39

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by vivainio (Post 734227)
MeeGo Touch is the ui library (add-on over plain Qt). The "user interface" consists of lots of stuff in addition to that, including app launcher, homescreen, system status bars etc.

If you need to develop applications, you need the UI library. You probably won't need the homescreen or app launcher. Don't count on all of this being made available.

If you asked me, you don't need to wait for this release to develop applications. You can already develop meegotouch applications for your current N900, without flashing it. You could also distribute those apps to current "mainstream" n900 users.

So by your definition all we'll see tomorrow is modified QT libraries?

... That would suck. Bad.

vivainio 2010-06-29 15:48

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by fatalsaint (Post 734235)
So by your definition all we'll see tomorrow is modified QT libraries?

Well, you'll also have the set of reference applications, basing on Quim's post to meego.com.

w00t 2010-06-29 15:57

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by fatalsaint (Post 734235)
So by your definition all we'll see tomorrow is modified QT libraries?

... That would suck. Bad.

No, there will be reference applications I believe. Plus the actual desktop/everything else packaged up nicely and working I'd guess.

As for the MeeGo Touch library, I'd personally avoid it - more information/some discussion at http://forum.meego.com/showthread.php?t=524

fatalsaint 2010-06-29 16:07

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by w00t (Post 734258)
No, there will be reference applications I believe. Plus the actual desktop/everything else packaged up nicely and working I'd guess.

As for the MeeGo Touch library, I'd personally avoid it - more information/some discussion at http://forum.meego.com/showthread.php?t=524

Right, and I've seen that thread and I plan to avoid the M*.. but I was also under the impression we would see a desktop and an interface beyond just a few apps you launch from xterm as a "k, this is what the library looks like".

So I'm getting a bit of mixed signals here...

All we're really seeing tomorrow is a generic, non-descript desktop made for the sole purpose of showing the M* QT library which will be used in Nokia's Harmattan.. but the actual interface itself is nothing important?

Or does the interface we see tomorrow (if we see one? more confused..) included as part of the framework and we think Nokia will use that as well?

I had thought the MeeGo touch Framework would have included some basic things such as a desktop, launcher, basic user input, etc.. I was evidently incorrect in that.

w00t 2010-06-29 16:19

Re: Looks like the MeeGo Handset UX is almost out - Due 30 June
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by fatalsaint (Post 734270)
Right, and I've seen that thread and I plan to avoid the M*.. but I was also under the impression we would see a desktop and an interface beyond just a few apps you launch from xterm as a "k, this is what the library looks like".

While I don't have any firm idea, I'm pretty sure there *will* be interface stuff. The netbook release didn't just include a bunch of applications and say "here, go run them", for example.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatalsaint (Post 734270)
Or does the interface we see tomorrow (if we see one? more confused..) included as part of the framework and we think Nokia will use that as well?

From what has been said in the past, this is a reference only. Vendors (including Nokia) are free to ignore that to any extent they want, provided they keep API/ABI compatibility in the underlying libraries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatalsaint (Post 734270)
I had thought the MeeGo touch Framework would have included some basic things such as a desktop, launcher, basic user input, etc.. I was evidently incorrect in that.

From having looked at it, it does. (mcompositor, etc) - though of course, whether this is what will be demonstrated tomororw is anyone's guess.

I'm just going to stop bothering and speculating until tomorrow to be honest. It's too late to change anything, and too early to get worked up over it. If it turns out to be a flop, then I'll be the first lining up to point out how ridiculous it is. :)


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