Ubuntu phone, what do you think?

[RedCroissant]

Yea!! Just like Android! Oh.. wait..

Linux is everywhere - even this forum is running on it.

Linux is everywhere. Apple.com uses Linux as well.

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Hi forum,

I've just now looked into ubuntu phone. It looks very cool to me, but it may be a bit.. too much for a phone Like the pull down shortcuts for example. But then again, it does look cool.

who knows, maybe it's take off. What do you guys think?

This phone looks awesome. the fact that you can manipulate the icons at the top of screen is also great. "If you can see it, you can use it." = really smart. Depending on its initial price and the carrier choice, I could see myself going from the iPhone to it(as long as I can use it with my Mac).

Even though I love MAC OS X, I also really like Ubuntu and where I see it going. I think the expense of Apple products, coupled with the perceived failures of Windows will lead to more and more hardware companies making agreements with Ubuntu. For example, I think Microsoft's decision to manufacture the Surface made their partners start looking elsewhere to diversify. I would love to have more of a choice regarding OS installation in retail stores and to be able to walk into Best Buy(or wherever) and possibly buy a laptop with Ubuntu pre-installed is a nice idea.

 

[ConCat]

Linux is everywhere. Apple.com uses Linux as well.

Well, that's Akamai. Apple seems to rely on Citrix Netscaler and Mac OS X.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

The way I read that is that you can develop an app which runs on multiple devices/form factors but if it runs on a phone, it runs with the phone interface, not desktop. When the same app runs on the desktop, it runs with a desktop interface.

Well yea I figured the UI would be differ, but under the hood it's still the full blown desktop version. This should mean being able to use desktop plugins on the browser. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I figure.

 

[RedCroissant]

Well yea I figured the UI would be differ, but under the hood it's still the full blown desktop version. This should mean being able to use desktop plugins on the browser. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I figure.

Perhaps it's a type of universal app that is only partially "activated" depending on the environment it is being used in. For example, the phone can be connected to a dock and then used as a computer; so I would assume that when docked, the apps would become desktop versions of the apps.

 

[Technarchy]

Interesting. Should do as well as the Firefox phone or Tizen.

 

[RedCroissant]

Interesting. Should do as well as the Firefox phone or Tizen.

The Firefox phone doesn't interest me as much as the Ubuntu phone, because I think they're in a great position to maximize on the "one device" solution. They have the Ubuntu for Android where the phone is the computer while docked. Now, they have an actual Mobile OS that can double as a desktop OS and where all the file types and applications are essentially universal, open-source, and the phone will most likely come retail-unlocked. I think it's a great idea and tempting as well.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Hi forum,

I've just now looked into ubuntu phone. It looks very cool to me, but it may be a bit.. too much for a phone Like the pull down shortcuts for example. But then again, it does look cool.

who knows, maybe it's take off. What do you guys think?

I have no desire for such a phone. I would rather stick with iOS, Android, Windows Phone, etc.

 

[maxosx]

If it has a 4.5" display or larger and is well thought out, I'm a buyer most immediately.

 

[D-a-a-n]

Yea!! Just like Android! Oh.. wait..

Linux is everywhere - even this forum is running on it.

Okay I was maybe a bit harsh. I'll rephrase: It's like linux on the desktop, it'll never catch on.

And don't consider android as linux, it happens to run on a modified linux kernel, ok, but osx happens to run on a unix kernel. And that's where it stops. Android is supported by Google, and its purpose is to make money. If it wasn't for google, this android project would've died ages ago. It has nothing to do with linux anymore, nor isn't "free" anymore, just contact stallman.

 

[VulchR]

Okay I was maybe a bit harsh. I'll rephrase: It's like linux on the desktop, it'll never catch on.

And don't consider android as linux, it happens to run on a modified linux kernel, ok, but osx happens to run on a unix kernel. And that's where it stops. Android is supported by Google, and its purpose is to make money. If it wasn't for google, this android project would've died ages ago. It has nothing to do with linux anymore, nor isn't "free" anymore, just contact stallman.

Erm... the kernel its the guts of the OS. I must admit though that when I heard Google was developing Android based on a Linux kernel, I thought they would never be able to come up with an adequate GUI. I still do not like the GUI of Android, but it is looking more polished with every iteration.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

And don't consider android as linux, it happens to run on a modified linux kernel, ok, but osx happens to run on a unix kernel. And that's where it stops.

No, it doesn't stop there. Android also runs Linux filesystems, it's filesystem layout is very similar to Linux distributions and it shares a significant amount of userspace utilities and libraries. Finally, Android's code has been merged back into the official Linux Kernel source.

Regardless of what you think, Android is Linux, it's just Linux which has a unique user interface and application framework.

Android is supported by Google, and its purpose is to make money. If it wasn't for google, this android project would've died ages ago. It has nothing to do with linux anymore, nor isn't "free" anymore, just contact stallman.

Firstly, Stallman does not care if Linux is not free in a monetary sense (his idea of "free beer"), he only cares about the licensing and availability of the source code ("free speech").

Lastly I wouldn't run around using RMS as the benchmark for what constitutes Linux. Probably the only distro which RMS would use based on his extremist views of free software is the Debian main repository - you're talking about a guy who has to hunt down obscure laptops with an opensource BIOS, because he refuses to use a closed source one. A BIOS! On top of this, whilst influencial, the man is considered a total crackpot.

Having said this, the vast majority of Android is opensource.

 

[D-a-a-n]

Erm... the kernel its the guts of the OS. I must admit though that when I heard Google was developing Android based on a Linux kernel, I thought they would never be able to come up with an adequate GUI. I still do not like the GUI of Android, but it is looking more polished with every iteration.

No, it doesn't stop there. Android also runs Linux filesystems, it's filesystem layout is very similar to Linux distributions and it shares a significant amount of userspace utilities and libraries. Finally, Android's code has been merged back into the official Linux Kernel source.

Regardless of what you think, Android is Linux, it's just Linux which has a unique user interface and application framework.



Firstly, Stallman does not care if Linux is not free in a monetary sense (his idea of "free beer"), he only cares about the licensing and availability of the source code ("free speech").

Lastly I wouldn't run around using RMS as the benchmark for what constitutes Linux. Probably the only distro which RMS would use based on his extremist views of free software is the Debian main repository - you're talking about a guy who has to hunt down obscure laptops with an opensource BIOS, because he refuses to use a closed source one. A BIOS! On top of this, whilst influencial, the man is considered a total crackpot.

Having said this, the vast majority of Android is opensource.

Ok, take it easy, I once was a linux fan too, nothing wrong with that. But what I was trying to say is that normally (except for RedHat and some others) development is done by volunteers. The developers only earn respect in the community, not money. Sometimes this leads to..well..crappy software. Sometimes not. Android developers on the other hand are paid by Google, therefore android is more polished and robust. Ubuntu is trying to be a user friendly distro but we have be realistic, I can't see my mom trying to use it. For normal usage ok, but when something stops working...or she tries to install something that she can't get from the repository...meh And that's why I'm afraid that Ubuntu phone won't be as hassle-free as android or ios is. Unless Shuttleworth invests some big cash in fulltime engineers who keep on improving the os..

@sickboy: rms is indeed a crackpot