Non-LTS: 9 Months Support

[Gyokuro]

It's already handled like this - LTS Hardware Enablement Stack (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PrecisePango...ablement_Stack) 12.04.2 which got released with kernel 3.5.XX (12.04.1 come with with 3.2.XX) and next LTS (12.04.3) will come with a 3.8.XX kernel and if there are requests for newer hardware drivers they can get backported and rolled out. So for most users there should not be a problem to stick with Ubuntu's LTS release.

[screaminj3sus]

Great! So early next year, people will be getting nice and frustrated trying to install 12.04 on hardware that hasn't even been invented yet. They'll start complaining that "Ubuntu doesn't support my wifi, graphics card or 3G dongle; how can anyone use this crap" and go storming back to Windows. Or worse - Ubuntu 12.04 won't even be able to boot on such a new computer.

Canonical needs to release new LTS images with the latest kernel, every six months otherwise the above will happen.

I didn't really see a problem with the previous model of "LTS is for businesses, interim releases are for users" and decreasing the support window to 9 months.

Canonical already offers opt-in periodic updates to the LTS kernel, they are called "hardware enablement updates" 12.04 already has the quantal kernel and video drivers available in the repos. the raring kernel should be available eventually too.