Ubuntu Looks to Mobile Operating System for Tablets

Canonical has asked member developers to provide their thoughts and ideas on creating a mobile version of the popular Ubuntu operating system.

The company wants to jump into the mobile arena and create software that will run on smart phones, tablets, smart TV's by the year 2014.  By then, maybe most of the kinks that are in the Unity interface will have been worked out. Canonical still has plans to have a smoother user experience over the next few releases.

The Ubuntu user interface has gone through a lot of changes in the past few months. Mark Shuttleworth has received a lot of negative feedback since the introduction of the Unity interface.

It is likely that Canonical will have a tough time selling its Unity interface to tablet makers. It is unlikely hardware makers will be willing to stake their money on the Unity interface.  This interface is going to have  two more year worth of developing a 'bad reputation' by many unhappy and vocal Linux users.  It will not matter if things in Unity are going to get fixed, the damage has been done.

I suspect that the best the Canonical could hope for is to find some obscure Chinese company that makes cheap tablets to install  an Ubuntu operating system, and try to sell them on some obscure website that typical web surfers will never find.  Pretty much the same story for Canonical as it tried to enter the desktop and laptop OEM market a couple of years ago.

Maybe by 2014, things will be different....

Changes Slowly Being Announced for Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

Techdrivin.com is reporting that there will be at least significant changes in the next long term release of Ubuntu LTS , version 12.04 Precise Pangolin.

Here are the changes in the next LTS release of Ubuntu in a nutshell:

1. Canonical flip-flips and brings Rhythmbox back!
2. Precise Pangolin will be too big for a CD!
3. 64 Bit all the way for default download.
4. Mono is gono!
5. Sofware Center revamped...again...
6  LightLDM login screen will be improved.

There is also hope that the Unity user interface will have more improvements.  Right now, I am on the cusp of switching to Linux Mint Debian, but that is is a post for another day, or maybe I will wait a few months and see what is in store with Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin.

Source:
http://www.techdrivein.com/2011/11/6-key-changes-in-next-ubuntu-1204_12.html

Ubuntu Netbook Remix Drops Open Office

Okay, first there was the deal to make Yahoo the default search engine on Firefox browsers that come pre-installed on Ubuntu Systems. It is well known that an agreement was fleshed out between Cannonical and Yahoo, with Cannonical receiving a sort of gratuity for the move.

Now, Open Office is going to be dropped from Ubuntu Netbook Remix in favor of Google Docs. This is supposed to be so that that Ubuntu Netbook Remix will be more streamlined and efficient for netbooks. Last I checked, you can buy netbooks that have well over 100GB if disk space. And Open Office is still an efficient program--way faster then Microsoft Word, even with the Java platform.

If you are looking to save disk space, why not just make AbiWord the default word processor in Ubuntu Netbook Remix. It is more powerful than Google Docs, and users are not required to get Google accounts. Don't get me wrong, I use Google Docs, but it still has a long way to go. Plus, you still need a Internet connection to make it work. Google has dumped Google Gears, and still is a pain to get to work on Ubuntu. Has anyone got Google Gears to work on Ubuntu?

Of course the option is always there to go ahead and download and install Open Office...

EDIT - 3/01/10 -- OK looks like Open Office is baaaaack! ;)

Default Search for Ubuntu Will Set to Yahoo

According to a report out of The Register, the next version of Ubuntu, Lucid Lynx, will have the default search setting for the Firefox Browser, set to Yahoo Search.

Is this a big deal? Not really. It is easy enough to change the search settings on Firefox. Just click on the tab just to the left of the search bar and select which engine you wish to use. It is the little search engine icon. Then the default is set. Even if you quit and restart your browser.

The funny thing is that Yahoo is actually paying Cannonical to have their engine set as a default. Since Microsoft is now in partnership with Yahoo, in a sort of weird way, Microsoft is paying a share to build and distribute Ubuntu. Still, not quite as overt as the Novell deal, but the link is there.

Will there be a backlash against Ubuntu in the Linux world? Who knows. Let the griping begin!

I have been using Chrome a lot anyways. It seems to work quite well.

Mark Shuttleworth: Becoming the "Steve Jobs" of Linux?

I work up this morning and checked my usual Linux news sites and was pretty surprised to read that Mark Shuttleworth, the man behind the Ubuntu revolution is stepping down from Cannonical. He will get away from the day to day running of the company that supports Ubuntu and become more involved in improving the desktop experience.

His vision is to make the Ubuntu desktop more a more visually appealing and user friendly experience. "Better than a Mac" has been his motto. There is no doubt that the Ubuntu distribution has come a long way in recent years, but I think the development has been very slow.

From reading his recent comments about Linux developers, I get the sense that the friction between the camps has come to a head. GNOME is basically the same as it was 5 years ago, and Ubuntu is really still just like any other Linux distribution. Will Shuttleworth abandon Gnome and look for a better Linux desktop?

Linux desktops, no matter what distribution you run, is still just a collection of software that has been slapped together from a bunch of developers from all around the world. There is little continuity between user interfaces of applications. The one thing that they got right is stability, and the fact that the can be run on a wide variety of platforms. If you compare for example how Mac's OSX Mail or Time Machine software is integrated amongst is applications to how certain Gnome programs, the difference is striking. With KDE, it is even worse!

"Glued" together operating systems (ie, Linux desktops) are going to fall behind quickly as operating systems with very small footprints that can operate mobile devices take over the desktop market. Look at the success of running OSX on an IPhone. Now there is Google OS getting into the mix.

My belief is that desktops are gradually going to disappear from the home, People will do more of their computing using a handheld device, or slightly larger than handheld device, that can be carried around with them.

If they need a larger keyboard, or monitor, then they would simply plug the device into a docking station at home or work. For these devices a light OS is all that will be needed. The either connect up to the cloud to access their files, or run their applications natively. It will be able to use 3G or wireless, etc.

I think Shuttleworth is on the right track. But will anyone listen?

Ubuntu Setting Its Sights on College Students?

I has been a little while since I visited the Ubuntu website. Usually, I make a visit or two once or twice a month, but sine Ubuntu 8.10 was released, I have just been having fun using my recycled and old PC to some productive work. Plus, I am thinking that we are still a few months off from the next release.

But today, I did pay a visit to the site, and noticed that they upgraded the number of products that are being offered in the Ubuntu Shop. There a a couple of new bags and newly designed T-shirts, and other items. It looks like to me that these would make for desirable items for college students looking to make a statement on campus.

If a student wants to make a statement about oneself, why carry around an Ipod. Everyone has one!

Could it be that Canonical be looking to make inroads on college campuses just like Apple?

This is where Apple is killing Microsoft and Dell in PC sales. It may be that this is the start for an Ubuntu push onto college campuses.

And why not? I think this is the right move for the Ubuntu folks.