Desktop client apps
Software to access the service.
All of the systems that we’re looking at here provide a minimum of a mobile phone app (iOS and Android) and desktop applications for all of the major platforms, including Linux. We expect the mobile app to be fast and easy to use when carrying out the core functions of single-user and group chat, although no on-screen keyboard can be as good as the real thing.
All of the Linux clients work in a similar way. They install as a desktop application and then provide a windowed environment that offers a similar interface to the mobile phone application.
Naturally, we expect a few benefits from running the desktop version of the app compared to the mobile client, beyond the fact that we have ready access to a real keyboard. More elements should be available on screen at the same time. In the case of either mobile or desktop versions of the app, if it’s a nice-looking environment, that’s a bonus.