In recent web news, Mark Shuttle worth, the de facto leader of Ubuntu development, announced that future versions of the OS will be optimized for tablets and smartphone. By spring 2014, version 14.04 LTS “will power tablets, phones, and smart screens from the car to the office kitchen, and it will connect those devices cleanly and seamlessly to the desktop, the server, and the cloud.” He was speaking at Orlando Developer Summit where he said its “natural expansion of our idea as Ubuntu as Linux for human beings”.
What do you think about the move of Ubuntu development to move in to the areas so called post-modern technology of smartphone, iOS and tables?
Will it be able to face off with industry leading tablets and smartphone like iPhone and android? One of the major concerns by the consumers on any Ubuntu product is Power management as it’s a known bug in Ubuntu 11.04. Ubuntu greatest challenge, however, will be justifying itself as a mainstream commercial option as opposed to a user-installed alternative to Windows 8. By the time 14.04 is ready, Android will have moved past Ice Cream Sandwich, Windows 8 will be on the market, and we can assume MS will have either done another major WP7 update or be working on WP8. Apple will likely have released iOS 6. WebOS may or may not still exist.
I am hoping Ubuntu Smartphone’s, tablets and smart TVs will be easy to use and likable by the huge Ubuntu Linux desktop Operating system huge market to avoid the kind of problem of caused by Unity interface due to poor user interface.
A version of Ubuntu that penguinistas can install on their tablets? Sure, that makes sense. Anything more than that, and Shuttleworth has his work cut out for him. It’s one thing to crow about the growth of non-Windows, non-x86 devices, but none of the companies pushing that growth are sitting in their offices saying, “Gosh, if only we had a version of Ubuntu that could run on our tablets.” At least, if they are, they haven’t told anyone. It’s Canonical’s job to convince us otherwise.
