After desktops and phones, Ubuntu is now bringing its Linux distribution to tablets. Coming Thursday, preview images for Google's Nexus tablets will be released, so we can all get a good long look at what Canonical is cooking up. They've published a YouTube video which details all that Ubuntu has to offer for tablets, and to be honest, it's looking quite good.
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Member since:
2007-03-26
Member since:2007-09-03
Exactly!
I do not want to hamper the excitement for Ubuntu everywhere but to me it is another vaporware until I see it performing. It is really hard to get a grasp on what it can or can not do.
I have been burned many times by Nokia with nice teasers of new platforms (meego, maemo, symbian) to have any excitement anymore. 
Here is hoping they pull it off.
Member since:2007-03-26
I do not want to hamper the excitement for Ubuntu everywhere but to me it is another vaporware until I see it performing. It is really hard to get a grasp on what it can or can not do.
I have been burned many times by Nokia with nice teasers of new platforms (meego, maemo, symbian) to have any excitement anymore.
Here is hoping they pull it off.
Exactly what? And are we still talking about Ubuntu TV?
Unless I'm missing your point, your comment doesn't seem to follow on from mine.
Member since:2006-05-12
You said "the only Ubuntu project that I'm interested in is Ubuntu TV"
He said exactly to your lack of excitement about this announcement and then gave statements about why he isn't excited about the announcement so his response mostly does flow within the conversation.
As for Ubuntu TV, its main appeal just seems to be as an alternative to MythTV as a DVR (which TiVo may have patents on). With over the top stuff there are already a whole bunch of other decent platforms available or planned with Roku, Google/Apple TV, Ouya, Wii U, Boxee, Raspberry Pi running XBMC, Pocket TV, numerous smart TV's, and PS4 and Xbox 720 on the way etc.
Member since:2006-12-05
Wow, so now a new proof-of-concept/product-in-the-making is automatically considered vaporware until it is actually released and proven on the market? I could have swore that vaporware was defined as a product that was promised but fails to make it to market. Such as... Duke Nukem Forever for its first fifteen years or so of existence in many different forms, before finally being released as a piece of shit long after it was forgotten...
[On a side note, I still consider DNF vaporware, because what was actually released was NOT what I was excited about in the 1990s/early 2000s... it was crap. As a Duke fan, I passed up on buying it.]
Member since:2009-08-18
The SmartTV platform has more traction right now. Samsung and LG. Though they are all slightly different versions on the same idea.
http://www.smarttvradar.com/9989/smart-tv-alliance-announces-new-de...
There is already gesture, voice and obviously remote control support.
Flash, HTML and JS are supported currently.
I have conference call with Samsung representative tomorrow.
Edited 2013-02-19 18:30 UTC
Member since:2007-03-26
Member since:2009-08-18
Member since:2007-03-26
Member since:
2010-11-04
I've been a bit down on Canonical's mobile offerings since they seem to be missing visible source code, are being developed secretly somewhere, and have no hardware partners.
But I'm hopeful it'll turn out nice... at a minimum, having an alternate hobbyist OS is cool. At best, they might actually pick up some hardware and capture some of the market... but an increasingly fractured "native apps" landscape makes me worried as a developer. Sigh, can't win. 
Member since:2006-07-14
There is some discussion amongst the qt quick using operating systems to standardize their api's. That would make it a lot easier to target plasma active, ubuntu and Blackberry. Qt 5 is also being developed as a platform for android and ios, so there is hope for a unified development platform. However, other cross platform toolkits end up just sucking on every platform. So be careful what you wish for.
Member since:2005-11-29
They should aim to speak the same language, just different dialects.
QML, Qt, and everything that comes with that can be the bedrock of all emerging platforms (Sailfish, Ubuntu OS, BB10, Plasma Ative, etc) and every OS just differentiate an API on top of that.
You wouldn't get write once run anywhere but you'd get a very compelling cross platform developer story. I'd certainly buy into it.
If the various groups can coordinate this and pull it off I'll be impressed and Linux will be a lot better off for it.
Member since:2010-06-08
Member since:2009-08-18
Member since:
2006-11-19
Trying Ubuntu on my phone would be really nice. But I wonder whether they'll be able to prepare a "dual boot" option with Android.
I still miss the HD2 days, where you could "triple boot" Windows, Android, Ubuntu (and even Meego, Win 95, Windows 7, recently Win RT, and several more).
On the other hand, 8GB flash on many devices may not be enough to achieve this.
Member since:2005-11-14
Both Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 are available in 16 GB configurations, which is what I have (and yes, I'm aware of having said I'd never buy a phone made of glass: http://www.osnews.com/permalink?547813 ). Multi-boot seems to be possible, although I haven't tried it yet.
The Nexus devices do seem to be the spiritual successors to the HD2; I didn't even have to root my Nexus 7 to install Plasma Active on it (it's not ready for actual use yet, unfortunately), and even though I fucked up big time during install, it was easy enough to repair, and difficult to brick.
Member since:
2010-06-08
Member since:2010-06-08
And they work on their own hardware with that:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=beLbARNzh3U&t=15m
http://rhombus-tech.net/community_ideas/kde_tablet/news/
http://rhombus-tech.net/community_ideas/kde_tablet/
Edited 2013-02-19 18:14 UTC
Member since:2005-11-14
Member since:2010-06-08
They are further ahead architecturally. See https://plus.google.com/u/0/107555540696571114069/posts/HSL2C21DJt7
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2010-06-08
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2010-06-08
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Nexus7/Installation
Tablet Ubuntu is regular Unity. Ubuntu Phone is a totally different beast based on Qt.
Edited 2013-02-19 19:48 UTC
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2005-09-27
Tablet Ubuntu is regular Unity. Ubuntu Phone is a totally different beast based on Qt.
I don't see how is that relevant, you don't program for unity, you program for the OS it self, and you use the API, that it will be probably shared among versions.
Edited 2013-02-19 20:00 UTC
Member since:2006-09-02
Member since:2011-02-11
Tablet Ubuntu is regular Unity. Ubuntu Phone is a totally different beast based on Qt.
That's not Ubuntu Tablet. That's the ARM version of the regular ubuntu distribution, with instructions on how to install it on a tablet. Ubuntu Tablet will be available after MWC so we don't know what it's based on yet.
Edited 2013-02-20 10:25 UTC
Member since:2005-11-14
Member since:2010-06-08
Member since:2005-11-29
Plasma Active has nowhere near the polish that Ubuntu OS seems to have.
And after using KDE, I don't really have faith they'll get there. I don't buy into their premise of Activities. I think they're a stupid idea. Just listen to anyone explaining them.
From what I've seen of Plasma Active it's (in my opinion) slow, ugly, and unpolished. Its weird and amateurish. There's no vision here.
Member since:2010-06-08
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2010-06-08
More and more of them are (and they are used in PA). KDE are working on making more of them. May be Ubuntu has touch optimized ones prepared too, but they aren't available yet, as their development is closed, unlike KDE's so you never know what they are doing.
Edited 2013-02-19 19:52 UTC
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2010-06-08
Member since:2005-11-29
Member since:2010-06-08
I always trust less closed development, and KDE proved to be way better architectured and flexible than Unity on the desktop.
KDE development is closer to the values of free software. And produces good results as well.
See http://www.datamation.com/open-source/desktop-linux-revolt-how-kde-...
Edited 2013-02-19 20:15 UTC
Member since:2005-09-27
There ere 3 mobile software with the same toolkit (Qt), Ubuntu, Sailfish and Plasma Active, guess witch one is the slower one, the one that use more battery and the one that has the uglier user interface and the one giving poor results: Plasma Active, the one developed in the open and buzzing "architecture", go figure.
Edited 2013-02-19 20:22 UTC
Member since:2005-11-29
Member since:2009-08-18
Conjecture.
Who cares? Only FSF zealots. Sorry people are going to use what works best now based now and developers will target the devices that real people are using not target something just because it is open source.
Member since:
2011-04-11
Member since:
2005-11-13
I saw icons in there for Facebook and Google Maps. Do they really have native apps for these, are they running Android versions, or is that stuff all concept?
At minimum, they would need a Facebook and Google Voice app before I would even consider using this on either a phone or a tablet. Turn-by-turn would also be mandatory on a phone.
As with the desktop, you can show off all the fancy OS shit you want, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to apps.
RE: Facebook and Google Maps
Member since:2011-02-11
Member since:
2008-09-11
I don't see a single line of code supporting their claims. I think they are on crack and highly delusional.
Their so called "operating system" is just a linux distro like many others. They used linux and thrown upstart and Unity on top. I don't see big software development coming from them. Many did better than them. Linux Mint made a nicer linux distro with a far smaller team and Debian added more improvements to Linux than Canonical. If it weren't for debian, there would be no Ubuntu.
I also can claim that I developed a super cool operating system in the secret and that it will run on phones and tablets and that the phone will transform in a desktop when coupling it with a tv.
Some guys already ported Ubuntu on phones and tablets. Just watch these two videos, some guys are running Ubuntu on sub 100$ chinese tablets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyVarHgHMWg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNenqEAGHd8
If Canonical won't do much better than those guys, will just port regular desktop Ubuntu to mobile devices and won't come up with a proper tablet/phone OS, they will fail miserably.
And there's the lack of proper mobile apps. Regular desktop linux apps and games do suck on their own merit, but using them on a tablet or phone will suck even more.
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2008-09-11
Just for the record, tell us, what company do you trust?
When it comes to operating systems and software? I trust companies who back their claims with actual software and don't live in a mythical world.
I trusted SUN, I trust IBM and Google, I half trust Oracle and Microsoft.
Member since:2005-09-27
Member since:2011-02-10
Their so called "operating system" is just a linux distro like many others. They used linux and thrown upstart and Unity on top. I don't see big software development coming from them. Many did better than them. Linux Mint made a nicer linux distro with a far smaller team and Debian added more improvements to Linux than Canonical. If it weren't for debian, there would be no Ubuntu.
.
You've got it wrong, by comparing Canonical/Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Linux Mint as I see it is just a Linux desktop for linux users who want Linux desktops, with no vision of having to provide smartphones or tablet experience. While Canonical develops Unity in the hope that with _that_ interface they can provide a cross-device UX in accordance to their company vision(go figure what this vision is and compare that to the content of your post.)
Canonical's goal I think is not to go to top1 as a contributor to the Linux kernel. So your post like any other who bash Canonical is highly unfounded and based on poor discernment of reality.
Member since:2008-09-11
You've got it wrong, by comparing Canonical/Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Linux Mint as I see it is just a Linux desktop for linux users who want Linux desktops, with no vision of having to provide smartphones or tablet experience. While Canonical develops Unity in the hope that with _that_ interface they can provide a cross-device UX in accordance to their company vision(go figure what this vision is and compare that to the content of your post.)
Canonical's goal I think is not to go to top1 as a contributor to the Linux kernel. So your post like any other who bash Canonical is highly unfounded and based on poor discernment of reality.
Srsly? Is Unity the best software that came out from this big computing company? Are you serious? That's the best thing they did in 8+ years?
Why can't I compare Ubuntu with Mint? Mint team did Cinnamon desktop which isn't worse than Unity.
Android is an operating system, WebOS was an operating system, Maemo was an operating system, Ubuntu is yet another Linux distro.
Adding a new shell to Gnome desktop and throwing it on top on Debian Linux doesn't make a new revolutionary OS. And pushing that on tablet and phones doesn't revolutionize the mobile world.
It isn't even Canonical's merit that Ubuntu can be compiled on ARM architecture and ran on tablets, that's due to Linaro.
Feel free to mod my comment down as much as you like.
Member since:
2005-09-27
