News Huawei's long-awaited Windows challenger will likely come to PCs this year — HarmonyOS Next makes the transition from phones to desktops and laptops

[Admin]

Huawei's developer website features more and more photos of a PC version of HarmonyOS Next, suggesting that the operating system will release its expected PC version by the end of the year.

Huawei's long-awaited Windows challenger will likely come to PCs this year — HarmonyOS Next makes the transition from phones to desktops and laptops : Read more

 

[ThomasKinsley]

An operating system that truly covers mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop formfactors is fascinating to me. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but after trying Samsung Dex I tend to agree with many who say this a glimpse of the future. The only problem is no real innovation has been done on this front since 2017, so now China gets to take a crack at what might be a leap ahead in software. If the developers can overcome the inevitable bugs and paltry app support, then it should fare well.

 

[USAFRet]

An operating system that truly covers mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop formfactors is fascinating to me. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but after trying Samsung Dex I tend to agree with many who say this a glimpse of the future. The only problem is no real innovation has been done on this front since 2017, so now China gets to take a crack at what might be a leap ahead in software. If the developers can overcome the inevitable bugs and paltry app support, then it should fare well.

Microsoft tried this with Windows 8.
Desktop users went on revolt.

The use cases, and the UI look and feel are completely different.

I can't imagine doing any CAD work, or image/video editing on a phone size screen. Simply too small.

 

[ThomasKinsley]

Microsoft tried this with Windows 8.
Desktop users went on revolt.

The use cases, and the UI look and feel are completely different.

I can't imagine doing any CAD work, or image/video editing on a phone size screen. Simply too small.

You're 110% correct. But if the OS and apps recognize the screen size and provide the appropriate UI elements, then it could be an entirely different experience.

 

[USAFRet]

You're 110% correct. But if the OS and apps recognize the screen size and provide the appropriate UI elements, then it could be an entirely different experience.

No matter what UI is applied, a phone screen is simply too small for certain things.

 

[ezst036]

An operating system that truly covers mobile, tablet, laptop and desktop formfactors is fascinating to me. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but after trying Samsung Dex I tend to agree with many who say this a glimpse of the future. The only problem is no real innovation has been done on this front since 2017, so now China gets to take a crack at what might be a leap ahead in software. If the developers can overcome the inevitable bugs and paltry app support, then it should fare well.

Even Apple keeps MacOS separate.

It is almost certain that the Harmony desktop will use a different UI than the mobile currently does - or else it will be themed so intensely heavily that it will appear as if it is something different with only minor cues and similarities. Font selections, color choices, and other minutiae.

 

[ThomasKinsley]

No matter what UI is applied, a phone screen is simply too small for certain things.

Absolutely, but I was thinking how Dex does it where the phone or tablet renders desktop mode on a larger monitor. For example, I use my phone to display Android on my 27'' monitor. Some apps actually display better on the bigger screen than they do on the phone.

It is almost certain that the Harmony desktop will use a different UI than the mobile currently does - or else it will be themed so intensely heavily that it will appear as if it is something different with only minor cues and similarities. Font selections, color choices, and other minutiae.

I agree. In HarmonyOS's case, I think their first ambition will be interoperability, much like how OSX works well with iPhones and Phone Link on Windows with Android devices. Ideally, a seamless OS that handles all form factors should be easier for developers to code. All they would need to handle are the UI elements based on screen size rather than porting the app from Windows to OSX, Android, iOS, and perhaps Linux.

 

[USAFRet]

Some apps actually display better on the bigger screen than they do on the phone.

What apps?
Don't have to be specific, just what general use.

 

[ThomasKinsley]

What apps?
Don't have to be specific, just what general use.

Definitely E-readers. They take well to custom window sizes, including full screen. There's also a video editing app with official Dex support. People say it excels on a widescreen monitor versus the tiny phone screen, but I haven't had a need to purchase it because I am still in the Windows ecosystem.

 

[das_stig]

Microsoft tried this with Windows 8.
Desktop users went on revolt.

The use cases, and the UI look and feel are completely different.

I can't imagine doing any CAD work, or image/video editing on a phone size screen. Simply too small.

Microsoft made a complete pigs ear and didn't know its left arm from its right. if they actually stopped looked and listened, they may have made the OS work, but being Microsoft, they cut corners, had different teams pulling in different directions and all they cared about was the potential profits, which they threw away and they are still doing it with Windows 10/11.

 

[USAFRet]

Definitely E-readers. They take well to custom window sizes, including full screen. There's also one video editing app with official Dex support. People say it excels on a widescreen monitor versus the tiny phone, but I haven't had a need to purchase it because I am still in the Windows ecosystem.

eReaders, absolutely.
Consumption devices.

But then, my PC and monitor is much too big for 'just reading'. My kindle is far better.

Right now, I'm in a multi day edit of the photo of a friends kid. Editing out breathing tubes, etc, in prep for making a lithophane for a xmas present for her. This will then go out to my 3D printer, etc, etc.

This needs pixel precision, even zoomed out on a large monitor.

 

[USAFRet]

Microsoft made a complete pigs ear and didn't know its left arm from its right. if they actually stopped looked and listened, they may have made the OS work, but being Microsoft, they cut corners, had different teams pulling in different directions and all they cared about was the potential profits, which they threw away and they are still doing it with Windows 10/11.

Yes, they screwed up in not recognizing the completely different use cases, and trying to glom everything into one.

Some things are better done on the phone, some better on the PC.
Few can be really done on both.

 

[ThomasKinsley]

eReaders, absolutely.
Consumption devices.

But then, my PC and monitor is much too big for 'just reading'. My kindle is far better.

Right now, I'm in a multi day edit of the photo of a friends kid. Editing out breathing tubes, etc, in prep for making a lithophane for a xmas present for her. This will then go out to my 3D printer, etc, etc.

This needs pixel precision, even zoomed out on a large monitor.

Absolutely, consumption is the better part, although just the fact that a phone can do desktop browsing and video editing is astounding to me. It's just Android and it's a shame that app developers haven't done more to build it up. I think Google could do it, and I could see HarmonyOS NEXT doing a better job if they want. The ball is now in Huawei's court.

Sorry to hear about your friend's kid. Hope they do better and that's a very nice Christmas gift. 👍

 

[NedSmelly]

From Huawei Central:

“The company has eliminated all of the Android code from HarmonyOS NEXT and is now focusing solely on HarmonyOS apps. Earlier this year, the company announced that more than 200 app developers have joined the development of native HarmonyOS applications.”

This is what I find intriguing - what happens next with app support, now that Android code has been stripped out. This sounds like a LOT of (public) money is being channeled into this.

 

[das_stig]

A lot of Chinese government money, they need this OS to power everything from mobiles to desktops to cars, one OS developer to rule them all, under their thumb. How long before China bans any other non-domestic OS?

 

[zsydeepsky]

Microsoft tried this with Windows 8.
Desktop users went on revolt.

The use cases, and the UI look and feel are completely different.

I can't imagine doing any CAD work, or image/video editing on a phone size screen. Simply too small.

Harmony Next is actually a replacement to Linux, but it also implemented all Linux mainstream API/ABI
which lead to 2 interesting result:
- AOSP can actually run on Harmony Next, they even did AOSP compatible test and passed
- Linux apps (if they only uses standard Linux APIs) can directly run on HM Next

so, users can decide which version of apps they want to run, may it be android or linux or HM-native.

in fact, Huawei has already made a coop with WPS (consider it Chinese MS Office, even though it was older than MS office), they pre-installed Linux version WPS on their Android based HM OS tablet, users can directly run Linux version on it.