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Ubuntu coming to smartphones and tablets

Ubuntu coming to smartphones and tablets

Posted: 31 Oct 2011, 05:12, by Victor H.

Categories: Software Software Tablets Tablets Bookmark

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Ubuntu coming to smartphones and tablets

Ubuntu is certainly the most popular Linux distribution among consumers and with recent versions it has been evolving quickly adopting the new Unity UI while keeping the same solid Linux core. Most importantly, it’s free and open source, and that’s why the decision of Ubuntu maker Canonical to move to smartphones, tablets and smart TVs is very enticing.

Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Ubuntu, is expected to bring the announcement today at the Ubuntu Developer Summit. In a nutshell, Shuttleworth plans to focus on releasing Ubuntu 12.04 in April next year. That would be a long-term support release of the OS introducing as big of a push in stability as possible along with the final visual touches to the Unity UI.

Right after that on the Ubuntu to-do list? Mobile devices and smart TVs.

“This is a natural expansion of our idea as Ubuntu as Linux for human beings. As people have moved from desktop to new form factors for computing, it’s important for us to reach out to out community on these platforms. So, we’ll embrace the challenge of how to use Ubuntu on smartphones, tablets and smart-screens,” Shuttleworth said.

Preparing for launching on mobile devices, however, has been going on for eighteen months. Canonical has been discussing the possiblity with partners over all that time. The most critical partner, of course, is ARM, the dominating hardware architecture for mobile devices.

Now, the one UI to rule all platforms is not a new idea and that’s where Windows 8 is obviously going to, but Unity has actually been there before as it launched last year. But while Microsoft is strongly pushing its platform and it’s expected to roll out some time next year, the mobile Ubuntu is not something you should expect earlier than April 2014. At least that sound like a realistic timeline. Would you like to see Ubuntu on your phone? Why? Let us know in the comments below.

source: ZDNet

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1. vantenkiest posted on 31 Oct 2011, 05:21 1 0

I would be very interested in seeing this.. I have ubunto on 2 of my computers. however they are a bit older. I am all up for it..

2. mctcm posted on 31 Oct 2011, 05:52 1 0

More competition is better, a lesson that should be learned by apple.

3. iankellogg posted on 31 Oct 2011, 07:01 0 0

I don't have faith in ubuntu anymore. Unity has been utter garbage in terms of usability and only recently is slowly climbing out of the pit it dug itself.

4. ivanko34 posted on 31 Oct 2011, 09:10 1 2

Very good. I hope they will not suffer of lawsuits from who we know

8. Paden posted on 31 Oct 2011, 14:15 0 0

Correct me if I'm wrong: Apple has never directly sued Google for Android. They have only sued manufacturers.

5. skymitch89 posted on 31 Oct 2011, 10:34 0 1

I could see Ubuntu moving to tablets and some smartphones so that they can more easily connect to Linux based servers to eliminate the need for monitors. As a major OS on smartphones/tablets/and smart TVs, I don't think that it would be very popular; considering iOS and Android are both based on the Unix kernel.

11. shayan posted on 31 Oct 2011, 15:18 2 0

android is linux based.

6. ledbetterp3 posted on 31 Oct 2011, 10:55 0 0

I'd like to see how that goes, I always liked linux, but who knows how it will go against android(and others) on mobile platforms

7. DigitalMD posted on 31 Oct 2011, 10:56 0 0

Fragmentation on grand scale, LOL

9. Paden posted on 31 Oct 2011, 14:16 0 0

I'm excited for this... Time for some Pandaboard tinkering!

10. downphoenix posted on 31 Oct 2011, 14:41 0 0

I wouldnt mind trying a dual boot of Ubuntu on my PC, anyone know if this is possible without partitioning?

12. Paden posted on 31 Oct 2011, 15:31 0 0

Maybe VirtualBox... But partitioning is also much more stable.

13. squallz506 posted on 31 Oct 2011, 22:09 0 0

partition is the best way to go. live cd/usb are viable but slower options.

14. shayan posted on 01 Nov 2011, 06:36 0 0

you can also use wubi. It installs ubuntu in a virtual hard disk that it creats, but its just like a normal way of installing ubuntu. you have grub for boot loader and ubuntu mount your windows partitions as well.
and the best thing is that wubi comes in all of ubuntu disks.