Comment on Amazon Building its Own Linux-Based OS to Replace Android
guy@lemmy.world 7 months ago
Despite not having the Google Play Store, the slew of apps I can find right now on my Fire TV is really appealing. This article says the new OS will be web focused. In fact, specifically React JS. Android can already do that, plus a lot more native development choices. So I guess this will lead to less app choices. Shame.
I have an app that alters the colours of my TV at night. I can’t imagine that’ll be possible in a web based OS.
It’s possible if the OS wants to support it. Current ones limit what OS-level things web apps can do for security reasons, and pipe those higher-risk things through the gated App Store apps instead.
If an OS were using web apps as the primary method of delivering apps, web apps made for it could end up being about as good as native apps. Depends on the decisions they make and the app talent they attract.
I’m doubtful that Amazon would. They tend to keep features minimal. And while web apps often can be as good, I think many developers who do not already have a web app version will not have the resources to develop one just for the Fire TV. Right now it has the benefit of supporting apps that were written for Android native and simply put on this app store too, perhaps with some effort to tweak the UI for TVs, or sideloaded. Major apps, sure, but not all the minor ones
I mean, I’m just going with the article here. React is their main system for it, and it’s a framework for JavaScript, which makes it a web app. Also, they’re specifically leaving android by making their own Linux flavor. That means they lose the benefit of apps written for android, in the same way you can’t just install an android app on Ubuntu. Heck of a lot easier to modify a Linux app to run on another flavor of Linux than it would be to convert to windows, but you still have to modify it.
It’s unlikely you would be making a Linux app. It’s likely that while it is technically Linux under the hood, the OS will be entirely abstracted away, interfaced by an SDK through a layer running on top that controls and sandboxes these web apps.
So if you don’t already have a web app, then you’ve got a lot of work to do.
Their track record for app talent is abysmal.
Kid_Thunder@kbin.social 7 months ago
It should be able to with no problem. It isn't that it is web-based but that essentially, a developer can use JavaScript in the React Native framework that exposes the OS. In other words, developers can use JavaScript to do things native apps can do. This isn't new at all and has been refined for years.
These do have a bad reputation for things like Electron (performance concerns) and node.js (security concerns).
I personally avoid software based on these technologies but then again, I also avoid Amazon devices too but some people love them.
guy@lemmy.world 7 months ago
I have very low hopes that Amazon will add features to the SDK that expose the necessary parts of the OS. It’s that interface that matters and I’m almost certain it will be very locked down and minimal. Android has had plenty time to mature; the SDK is massively featureful