Prediction for the future of phones and computers in regards to OS.

[zionosis]

Share your predictions, this is my prediction.

I notice virtually all phones and tablets run on android (windows phones never really got anywhere so the only real other OS competition is IOS, but that is only on Apple phones).

All other phones basically use android, so many software packages are now available for android devices (Like Firefox, Office, even console games, torrents apps, even adobe products etc etc).
Many of these high end phones are ending up very powerful also.


What I see happening in the distant future is Apple as a company essentially fading away, I see windows never being able to get a proper hand in the mobile market.

I see someone making an android desktop OS that syncs 100% with all mobile devices, I see all these apps being available natively for computers, and as many windows programs already are made to run on android also they will all be accessible also.

I see nearly all of these computers and laptops being touch screen also, but many people when doing serious work just use a mouse type device instead and use it traditionally. Because of a high PPI touch screen I see them being able to double up as graphics tablets also which is handy for precision in programs or making art.




That's what I can see happening, and it all started from android taking over the mobile phone and tablet markets etc.

Android already has the largest install base of any OS in the world.


Anyway, share your predictions if you see things differently.

 

[little_me]

The question in my opinion is not only about OS but also about hardware. (also future is relative and distant future is abstract concept)
Yes, Android is at the moment most common and yes, my phone is also running on android.
Yes, more and more desktop programs (I wont call them apps) are being converted to android tablets/phones.

There is however a wall which said OS cannot go over, hardware. (or could, but they could run into problems like windows did about different processor architechture and all that)
Yes, you can use USB type C to attach a dock to phone/tablet and attach normal screen/tv/whatever to it, so display size (5 to 12") wont really be a stopper in itself.
No, your tablet CANNOT run things in QHD (2560x1440, already becoming common in phones) at high framerates.
person doing normal desktop stuff will notice this as jumpy mouse/keyboard movement.

Now, that could be fixed by including more powerful GPU/CPU in said phones/tablets, which is where the future is going.
No, your 15W tablet cannot do what current 50W GPU can, not now, not in 5 years, maybe in 10?
No, your 15W tablet cannot do what current 30W CPU can, not now, not in 3 years, maybe in 5?
Why 15W? well, for handheld devices, battery is a big deal, it weighs you down and it should last at least your normal day away from home.

Said thing is a hardware limitation to what current tablets/phones can do. The reason why they are so popular and widespread is that for normal things like checking email, social media, calls (what are those?) and such, it is already good at. (not at that QHD resolution though, they are downscaling things a lot and often to save power)
Virtual reality and/or something similar, phones still lack oomph. (google glasses was an experiment which still was quite limited to text/low resolution video)

So yes, desktops will still remain, Their OS? well, possibly not windows.
Main reason for widespread windows usage has been: Office/games/other programs work on it and not on linux or equivalents. Apple was and still is big thing in design enviroment due to how well they work with design/publishing programs and applications.
My prediction has been for last 10 years that once games "just work" on linux (no, they don't, not yet and end user troubleshooting once error happens requires terminal know-how which majority lack) windows could well lose big chunk of support from people who have been sticking to it for games.
Said "just works" at same time applies most likely also on most windows programs.

Sooo.... saturation point for android growth is in next 5 to 10 years, unless they manage to get to desktops AND manage to get other things to work on linux (since android is still based on that to a degree)
At that point, desktop side would get linux/android/windows/apple as groups that fight for supremacy.