Ubuntu's Top-Secret New Product

[rg4w]

True, but so far Canonical has left every single one of their projects by th side of the road. They seem to even be abandoning the desktop for an already full mobile market. In the end, I fear they might end up with a whole plot of wilted, half dead seedlings and nothing more.

This may be a matter of perspective, as I'm seeing very much the opposite.

With the integration of Unity 2D support into the main Unity project, the incorporation of Netbook Remix features into the main build, and the continuing evolution of Unity as a scalable, adaptable UI across all device types, to me it seems most of the things Canonical has started continue to live on, just not as separate projects but more meaningfully, if less obviously, in the main project.

[Kirk Schnable]

If by a "tablet" one means an iPad or a Microsoft Surface then by all means I agree with this entirely. In fact I would go further tablets that are tied to an app store are only designed to consume content that has been approved by the corresponding censor, Apple or Microsoft as the case may be. In addition real disruptive innovation will never occur in a platform, such as IOS or Windows RT, when one has to get permission in order to innovate.

Yes, that is what I meant, and I agree.

The reality is that there is no reason other than DRM and entrenched propriety software vendors why a tablet or a smartphone has to be shackled in this fashion. Put GNU/Linux on a tablet or a smartphone and hook it up to via a docking station to a desktop keyboard and mouse together multiple monitors and there is minimal if any impact on the workflow of many content creators. About the only thing one will not be able to do on such a smartphone or tablet powered workstation is run x86/AMD64 Windows in a virtual machine! Stick to only FLOSS and I doubt even a very sophisticated user will notice the difference.

And this is what I meant by my addendum "Unless tablet operating systems see massive improvements in the coming years". With current operating systems, tablets aren't able to do this. In addition, a lot of tablet hardware doesn't have the ability to be docked with a desk in this way. Hopefully, if Canonical does get involved in the tablet market, these types of things will begin to change.

The beauty of this setup is that this same user can then take the smartphone or tablet and access the content that have created in mobile environment or dock it in another location for example when travelling. The impact here is truly revolutionary. This is the idea behind Ubuntu for Android. http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android and I would not be surprised if a product along these lines is what Canonical is going to release. By the way the presence of GPLv3 code on the GNU/Linux side will also ensure that the Andorid is also liberated by providing the owner of the device with root access and consequently will prevent any innovation stifling censorship on the part of a device manufacturer or a wireless provider.

This would be an ideal future for the tablet.

The desktop experience will not disappear but desktop towers as we know them may will become rare and specialized, being replaced for the most part by docked tablets, or smartphones. If fact the only thing that will prolong the life of the desktop tower may be the likes of Apple and Microsoft with their DRM infected, locked and closed devices.

I agree, the tower style desk will be on the decline. I don't see laptops going anywhere for awhile, but if tablets gained a few extra interfaces and could easily have keyboards and mice etc, then laptops might be given a run for their money too.

If Canonical came to the tablet and liberated it with FOSS ideals, and hardware manufacturers provided more I\O ports like VGA, DVI, USB, ESATA, etc, then I think tablets could become serious competitors to laptops.

[Kirk Schnable]

This may be a matter of perspective, as I'm seeing very much the opposite.

With the integration of Unity 2D support into the main Unity project, the incorporation of Netbook Remix features into the main build, and the continuing evolution of Unity as a scalable, adaptable UI across all device types, to me it seems most of the things Canonical has started continue to live on, just not as separate projects but more meaningfully, if less obviously, in the main project.

When I first used Unity, I was rather disgusted that Ubuntu was trying to turn my desktop into a tablet... but as I started getting used to it, I found that features like quick application switching, window snapping, and ability to enable Compiz had swayed me toward believing Unity is a viable GUI for desktops\laptops without touch screens.

I have not used Unity on a touch screen yet, but I imagine that having it on my tablet instead of Apple's iOS would greatly increase the usability of my tablet, especially since I am already familiar with using Unity on the desktop.

I believe that Microsoft's Windows 8 Metro UI, for example, makes things too optimized for tablet, and using that type of interface on a desktop computer with a mouse is a repulsive idea to me. Unity does not have that impression on me, anymore. Unity has a potential to be a truly useful UI for desktops, laptops, and tablets simultaneously, and possibly even other platforms like TV set top boxes as suggested earlier.

[Cheesemill]

and possibly even other platforms like TV set top boxes as suggested earlier.

I had Ubuntu TV installed on one of my boxes a while back and the Unity interface works well. I only got rid of it because I wanted to upgrade to 12.04 and there wasn't a compatible build.

[whatthefunk]

This may be a matter of perspective, as I'm seeing very much the opposite.

With the integration of Unity 2D support into the main Unity project, the incorporation of Netbook Remix features into the main build, and the continuing evolution of Unity as a scalable, adaptable UI across all device types, to me it seems most of the things Canonical has started continue to live on, just not as separate projects but more meaningfully, if less obviously, in the main project.

What about Ubuntu TV? About this time last year we were promised Ubuntu TV available commercially within 2012. Nothing.

Ubuntu for phones? Old news. Ubuntu Mobile was released in 2008, but only for one release before development was stopped.

Unity? Still incomplete in my opinion.

Basically, Ubuntu offers 75% of everything, but 100% of nothing. In no field does it excel. This latest announcement I expect to go the same way as previous ones. There will be an overly ambitious announcement about a project currently in alpha. For the next six months, people will blog about it to no end. Next year at this time, most of you will have forgotten that they made a major announcement and failed to anything about it and will get all excited about the upcoming years announcement about Ubuntu Coffee Maker or Ubuntu Beta Max. Its what I have come to expect from Canonical.

[Kirk Schnable]

Unity? Still incomplete in my opinion.

I will agree, Unity still lacks the kind of customization options it should have. But truthfully, there are 3rd party tools that provide some customization for Unity that suit my needs. When I started with Unity, I really wanted to move the dock to the bottom of the screen and disable the unified File menu feature. But I really don't care anymore after a few months of using it as my primary UI.

I got used to it. (Not defending that... You shouldn't have to get used to anything you don't want to if things are customizable.)

Basically, Ubuntu offers 75% of everything, but 100% of nothing. In no field does it excel.

If you feel that way, then why are you here and why are you a user? I think Ubuntu excels in a lot of areas where other Linux distributions fall short, like hardware driver availability, multimedia codec availability, and general user friendliness. I also find the Ubuntu community, particularly these forums, is a great group of people who are generally willing to help each other out. There is no great community driven support that I've ever seen for other platforms like Windows and Mac because I feel that those communities are more about "RTFM" or "go to the Apple store/genius bar". I feel the Ubuntu community is about solutions. Other operating systems don't have that kind of community, and that's a lot of what motivates me to be a user and a forum contributor.

This latest announcement I expect to go the same way as previous ones. There will be an overly ambitious announcement about a project currently in alpha. For the next six months, people will blog about it to no end. Next year at this time, most of you will have forgotten that they made a major announcement and failed to anything about it and will get all excited about the upcoming years announcement about Ubuntu Coffee Maker or Ubuntu Beta Max. Its what I have come to expect from Canonical.

I think the same could be said about many other companies as well. It's difficult to build something from scratch that can live up to the expectations of users. Every year Apple does the same thing, announcing a new iPhone and iPad and everyone gets excited. People go out and spend hundreds of dollars on new devices, to get an upgraded cellular radio and higher quality screen. Nothing about the last few iPhones has been that revolutionary.

[whatthefunk]

If you feel that way, then why are you here and why are you a user? I think Ubuntu excels in a lot of areas where other Linux distributions fall short, like hardware driver availability, multimedia codec availability, and general user friendliness. I also find the Ubuntu community, particularly these forums, is a great group of people who are generally willing to help each other out. There is no great community driven support that I've ever seen for other platforms like Windows and Mac because I feel that those communities are more about "RTFM" or "go to the Apple store/genius bar". I feel the Ubuntu community is about solutions. Other operating systems don't have that kind of community, and that's a lot of what motivates me to be a user and a forum contributor.

I use Kubuntu. I agree 100% about Ubuntu excelling in things like hardware support, codecs, user friendliness in the base system etc. Thats why Ive stuck with the Ubuntu family for so long. Unity, however, is far from desirable, as I already stated.

I think the same could be said about many other companies as well. It's difficult to build something from scratch that can live up to the expectations of users. Every year Apple does the same thing, announcing a new iPhone and iPad and everyone gets excited. People go out and spend hundreds of dollars on new devices, to get an upgraded cellular radio and higher quality screen. Nothing about the last few iPhones has been that revolutionary.

The difference is that Apple actually does release a new product. Their last few releases may not have been revolutionary, but they released something that they said they were going to release. They follow through. Canonical, on the other hand, makes announcements about future releases and then nothing happens. Ubuntu TV? Beta. Ubuntu for Android? Beta. Ubuntu Mobile? Abandoned. I have very low expectations for this upcoming announcement.

[BigCityCat]

Maybe they are going create a world class desktop. A GTK theme with rounded window frames. Oh wait that isn't cross platform. Guess it's gonna be a while before they finish the desktop.

[deadflowr]

It's going to be a whim wham for grinding smoke.

Whatever it will be I am sure that we'll have to put up with thread after thread of it being completely wrong for everyone.

Yes.
That would be awesome!!

Of course the main complaint will be that you can't customize it.

[BigCityCat]

You know KDE does cross platform better than Gnome or Unity. Yet Kubuntu is the Red Headed Step Child and they didn't even have to abandon the desktop to do it. KDE was way out in front on this whole thing.

http://www.muktware.com/5012/kdes-pl...unning-nexus-7