Mark Shuttleworth talks Unity

[NCLI]

I think his attitude is remarkably open to change and well-considered. Read it here (http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/05/mark-shuttleworth-talks-windicators-changes-for-unity-in-oneiric-and-whole-lot-more/) and discuss.

A short(For SABDFL) quote I really liked:

Q: Have there been any Unity design decisions that you think will be revisited now that users have had a chance to use it and respond?

A: Yes. There’s lots to learn, that can only be learned in reasonable time by getting code into a wide deployment. Some decisions I regret and we’ll evaluate alternatives, some we’ll tweak.

It’s by no means perfect, and it would be egotistical to suggest otherwise. So everything is on the cards. That said, I think the bulk of it has worked out fantastically – both at an engineering level (Compiz, Nux) and in the user experience.

We’ll work out the details in round two.

[forrestcupp]

“Do u prefer iPhone or android?”

iPhone!

Blasphemy! :D

[BertN45]

Mark Shuttleworth has a good story. As a software architect I agree completely with his reasoning. The main issue is however not technical, he needs to get Ubuntu pre-installed on notebooks, laptops and desktops of companies like Acer, Dell and HP.

I think Unity can help with that, especially after it has been fine tuned for 11.10 and 12.04. The 12.04 LTS release would be the candidate to get pre-installed on those main stream PCs.

[jerenept]

Mark Shuttleworth has a good story. As a software architect I agree completely with his reasoning. The main issue is however not technical, he needs to get Ubuntu pre-installed on notebooks, laptops and desktops of companies like Acer, Dell and HP.

I think Unity can help with that, especially after it has been fine tuned for 11.10 and 12.04. The 12.04 LTS release would be the candidate to get pre-installed on those main stream PCs.

The support needs to be longer, a lot longer for this to happen.

[ikt]

The support needs to be longer, a lot longer for this to happen.

http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifepolicy

Consumer, Hardware, and Multimedia products


Microsoft will offer Mainstream Support for either a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product’s general availability, or for 2 years after the successor product (N+1) is released, whichever is longer. Extended Support is not offered for Consumer, Hardware, and Multimedia products.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LTS


A new LTS version is usually released every 2 years. With the Long Term Support (LTS) version you get 3 years support on Ubuntu Desktop, and 5 years on Ubuntu Server.

Given that a new LTS is put out every 2 years, and that unlike Microsoft with the "wops 6 years in development has gone by, my bad", a new LTS of ubuntu arrives every 2 years regardless, an extra year or 2 worth of support for a product that has a new release and updated software out seems in line with microsofts +2 years for an older version that has a newer version out.

[forrestcupp]

Given that a new LTS is put out every 2 years, and that unlike Microsoft with the "wops 6 years in development has gone by, my bad", a new LTS of ubuntu arrives every 2 years regardless, an extra year or 2 worth of support for a product that has a new release and updated software out seems in line with microsofts +2 years for an older version that has a newer version out.

Yeah, but Microsoft says "whichever is longer." That means you'll get a minimum of 5 years with them, even if they come out with a new version every 2 years.

It doesn't matter, anyway. People still aren't going to want Linux when they can get Windows, which they've heard of, and be compatible. The only way Linux will ever make it on computers is if they come up with a desktop version of Android because everyone already knows and loves Android.

[rg4w]

NCLI, thanks for posting that. Most of the comments about Unity here are rather polarized, but in that interview Mr. Shuttleworth seems to take a middle path, at once excited about the potential while also soberly cognizant of its shortcomings. Refreshing.

[el_koraco]

The only way Linux will ever make it on computers is if they come up with a desktop version of Android because everyone already knows and loves Android.

In the West, yeah. in the emerging econimies, you're gonna see a host of working class people people buying their first computer, and they are likely to take into account local brands and the price. Based on what I've seen in the last couple of years, that seems to be the market that companies marketing Linux are starting to focus on. I don't think Canonical is into the whole ARM idea because they wanna dethrone Windows on Toshiba laptops in Japan.

[BertN45]

In the West, yeah. in the emerging econimies, you're gonna see a host of working class people people buying their first computer, and they are likely to take into account local brands and the price. Based on what I've seen in the last couple of years, that seems to be the market that companies marketing Linux are starting to focus on. I don't think Canonical is into the whole ARM idea because they wanna dethrone Windows on Toshiba laptops in Japan.

You are wrong. Many computers are second hand imports from the USA and are sold officially without OS. In the developing world everybody uses cracked versions of Windows and Microsoft tolerates it, because it stops the deployment of Linux here. A DVD with Windows or Ubuntu both cost $3.

[BertN45]

The only way Linux will ever make it on computers is if they come up with a desktop version of Android because everyone already knows and loves Android.

Who is Android? ):P

[el_koraco]

You are wrong. Many computers are second hand imports from the USA and are sold officially without OS. In the developing world everybody uses cracked versions of Windows and Microsoft tolerates it, because it stops the deployment of Linux here. A DVD with Windows or Ubuntu both cost $3.

Again, at the moment. The purchasing power parity is significantly lower in the emerging world, and there has been little initiative for local companies to start making real forays into the market. I expect that to change significantly in the next decade or so, during which time things are bound to be at least somewhat different. I also suspect governments to start making incentives for local companies to take a stronger share of the market. Purely on the end product side, take a look at Facebook not being able to penetrate the Chinese market due to the dominance of Baidu.

[Zlatan]

OK, even a CEO of our company in Finland has Ubuntu at home... It is getting there;)

[Johnsie]

I spend alot of time in developing countries. Quite often the computers are very old but are running Windows XP or 98 they came with. Most people don't have a computer or maybe have one computer in their household. Computers are very expensive compared to the amount people get paid. Internet availablity varies greatly. Many houses have very little technology in them. Alot of the computers I see and work with are ones that most of us would throw away.

[ctrlmd]

The only way Linux will ever make it on computers is if they come up with a desktop version of Android because everyone already knows and loves Android.

funny thing i really like linux in desktop
and i really dislike it in phones "android" :$

[th1bill]

As the neighborhood tech I install quite a few unit with Ubuntu and when I looked at Unity, I thought, cool! The problem is that it needs to be backward compliant, to a larger degree. I run Compiz-fusion in my 10.04 LTS but on my trial of 11.04 I was informed that my two year old, AMD Tri-core would not support Unity and there lies the problem for millions of Ubuntu users.

[seshomaru samma]

take a look at Facebook not being able to penetrate the Chinese market due to the dominance of Baidu.
actually facebook couldn't make it in china cause it was (and still is) blocked
google is the one who sort of lost to baidu , but again that was because many of its services (youtube, picasa, even image searching) were blocked. if the battle was fair , google would have won for sure.
as for people in developing countries buying linux, it's highly unlikely.
here in china , people love brands , there are quite a few linux computers on offer but the vast majority installs windows on it.
however if android ever makes it to the desktop then perhaps there's a chance

[forrestcupp]

In the West, yeah. in the emerging econimies, you're gonna see a host of working class people people buying their first computer, and they are likely to take into account local brands and the price. Based on what I've seen in the last couple of years, that seems to be the market that companies marketing Linux are starting to focus on. I don't think Canonical is into the whole ARM idea because they wanna dethrone Windows on Toshiba laptops in Japan.Good point. My limited thinking was about computers in the US. I guess there's a whole world out there that could bring profitability to Canonical, even if no one in the US buys into it.


funny thing i really like linux in desktop
and i really dislike it in phones "android" :$I get what you're saying, but I think the mainstream is the exact opposite. Unfortunately the mainstream is what is going to make profits.

[el_koraco]

actually facebook couldn't make it in china cause it was (and still is) blocked
google is the one who sort of lost to baidu , but again that was because many of its services (youtube, picasa, even image searching) were blocked.

lol, Facebook. Slip of the mind on my part :D
The unlevel playing field is what I'm kinda thinking about, actually. Developing countries, especially those with tighter government regulation, are likely to continue "steering" the market so that it favors local producers. it doesn't really matter what the brand recognition attitudes are today, this is likely to change as more and more homegrown companies start to enter the market. People are not gonna be buying Linux, they're gonna be buying cheap and heavily promoted local brands, and as I've seen, some of the local producers have started preinstalling Linux. I don't expect Linux to achieve any kind of market dominance, but I do think that it is likely to increase its market share.

[bizz101]

People are not gonna be buying Linux, they're gonna be buying cheap and heavily promoted local brands, and as I've seen, some of the local producers have started preinstalling Linux. I don't expect Linux to achieve any kind of market dominance, but I do think that it is likely to increase its market share.

And this just in:
David Braben, an UK game developer has created a tiny computer which is about the same size as an USB stick, should cost about $25 and it will ship with Ubuntu by default.


$25 "USB Stick PC" Running Ubuntu (http://www.webupd8.org/2011/05/25-usb-stick-pc-running-ubuntu.html)

[Legendary_Bibo]

Yeah, but Microsoft says "whichever is longer." That means you'll get a minimum of 5 years with them, even if they come out with a new version every 2 years.

It doesn't matter, anyway. People still aren't going to want Linux when they can get Windows, which they've heard of, and be compatible. The only way Linux will ever make it on computers is if they come up with a desktop version of Android because everyone already knows and loves Android.

Android could merge with Ubuntu to make the desktop. Ubuntu makes the interface and Android brings their marketplace and name brand. They could name it Android: Versions Ubuntu, or something so the name of Ubuntu isn't lost.

[Warpnow]

Android could merge with Ubuntu to make the desktop. Ubuntu makes the interface and Android brings their marketplace and name brand. They could name it Android: Versions Ubuntu, or something so the name of Ubuntu isn't lost.

Ubuntu has little to offer google other than its userbase.

Google would be better off just doing what Ubuntu does and getting their upstream from Debian.

[forrestcupp]

And this just in:
David Braben, an UK game developer has created a tiny computer which is about the same size as an USB stick, should cost about $25 and it will ship with Ubuntu by default.


$25 "USB Stick PC" Running Ubuntu (http://www.webupd8.org/2011/05/25-usb-stick-pc-running-ubuntu.html)

That's crazy.