Sometimes I get ideas in my head that I can’t shake until I execute them, like last week when I suddenly decided I would give Windows 8 another try, after reading Jakob Nielsen’s review of the OS. I know, counterintuitive, given the review.
Somewhere about halfway through that process, another idea wiggled into my head, I should try to run Fuse, codename for the new face of Fusion Apps, on as many devices as I could find. Sounds like a fun project, and it should be pretty straightforward. After all, any device with a browser should be able to run Fuse.
So, after I finished upgrading Windows 8 on my Consumer Preview VM, I set about putting Fuse on it, channeling Portlandia.
First and second on the list of devices, Chromebook and Google TV, both of which run Chrome-variants with no Java plugin. These are good tests for Fuse, since both devices are low-powered.
The Chromebook sports a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N570 processor with 2 GB of RAM, specs more or less comparable to the original Kindle Fire. The Logitech Revue Google TV has even less horsepower with a 1.2 GHz Intel Atom CE4150 processor and only 1 GB of RAM, close to the Apple TV.
My first few tests were failures, due to VPN issues, but happily, I did find an environment I could use outside the corporate firewall.
So, I give you pics to prove it happened, Fuse on a Chromebook and on a Google TV:
The pictures aren’t that great, but that is, in fact, Fuse running on a 60″ LED TV mounted to my living room wall. It was dark when I took the shots, and I didn’t want to include all my daughter’s toy clutter, etc. in the shot. So, I guess you’ll have to take my word for it.
The only oddity I did notice was that the images in the Directory were 404ing for some reason, but aside from that, Fuse ran as expected on both devices, about as fast as other web applications.
This may become an ongoing series. Misha (@mishavaughan) definitely seemed interested, asking in a very a Dr. Seuss-way, i.e. can you run it on a . . . ?
I plan to try Fuse on the Xoom, once I get it flashed to Jelly Bean, and on my Nexus S for a look at how it handles a small screen. I suppose I could also try it my OG iPad, and there’s always the venerable and iconic OG iPhone.
Beyond that I’m searching for other devices with browsers. Ideas?
Find the comments.
