Less than a year ago, although it seems like it has been much longer, the gPC raised a lot of attention for being a $200 desktop that ran Linux and had the potential to gain mainstream recognition, since it had already convinced Wal-Mart to stock it. The operating system for the gPC was/is called gOS. It was, at the time, an only slightly modified version of Ubuntu. Overtime, the the gPC first got some scathing reviews, then Wal-Mart removed it from stores, and so on. Gradually, the gPC disappeared. gOS did not.

Each time a new version of gOS appears, the press sees it and writes about it. Over time, gOS has done some new and innovative things (using Mozilla Prism and integrating web applications so closely with the desktop) and has implemented some features that were shamelessly copied from Apple (stacks.)

While the hardware, which was initially the focal point, faded after its initial burst of publicity, the software is still very much around and well today. I see two interesting points here.

First, while I would never have recommended this when gOS first appeared, gOS might now be an option worthy of consideration when picking a distribution. Its proven base (Ubuntu) combined with interesting features that are not yet offered in other distributions make it possibly one of the most unique distros out there.

Second, to me gOS’s transformation from an OS for the gPC to just an OS really emphasizes that there are two sides to Linux UMPCs – the hardware and the software. This may seem obvious, but I think the emphasis is often put on the hardware, possibly because the software included with popular UMPCs, such as the Eee PC, is, from what I have heard, less than stunning. Now with options like the Ubuntu Netbook Remix and gOS, which is in part designed for UMPCs or netbooks, I think more focus will have to be put on the software.

Is anyone out there using gOS as your primary operating system on the gPC or just on your own hardware? I would love to know what you think.

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