The iPhone of UMPC Linux
Canonical is showing off their new Ubuntu Mobile, a version of Ubuntu designed for UMPCs. The first stable release is expected at the same time as Hardy Heron and I could not make the beta work, so I have not tried it out, but from the information on the Ubuntu website, I think this has a good chance of being the iPhone of UMPC operating systems. (In a good way, I mean. iPhone minus being completely locked down and closed-source.)
What I mean by that is that Ubuntu Mobile has what looks like a very pretty, impressive, and intuitive interface, similar to the iPhone. Additionally, another goal is to make Ubuntu Mobile customizable so each OEM can put their own interface on it if they want to suit the goals of their particular device. (More info.) As a demonstration of how this slick interface might help Ubuntu Mobile and the UMPCs that use it out, imagine this: A non-tech savvy user walks into a store and ends up looking at the UMPCs. Assuming all the hardware is the same, the customer will see three choices. First he will see an Eee PC-like interface. It works, but it is not the prettiest thing ever. Than he sees a Vista desktop compressed onto a small screen. It looks familiar, but not particularly easy to use on such a small device. Finally he sees Ubuntu Mobile. It looks slick and easy to use. In other words, faced against an Eee PC-like interface and Vista, Ubuntu Mobile is the clear winner in looks and apparent ease of use.
Of course, that assumes that all the hardware is the same, so I guess we need some prettier Linux UMPC hardware… (Image)
Below are some screenshots from the Ubuntu website:
February 27th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Wrong Direction — Windows Classic the Better Choice:
The appeal of these Eee PC type offerings, unlike the much smaller portable devices and their quirky interfaces, is that they are normal Laptop/Desktop computers with familiar interfaces in very portable sizes. A simple web search will bear this out pretty clearly. You will find that many people intensely dislike their GUI’s as shipped, and — because these are standard PC hardware, those who are able — are retrofitting them with Windows XP or switching the default GUI to the more desktop oriented one. People like having a portable version of their full and familiar desktop with them. The added benefit of a touchscreen is great, but creating yet another entire user interface realm/style just for these sub-compact laptops is misguided and asinine. If a near-standard Firefox browser can be used on these small screens so can a near-standard desktop.
A better route would be to create a very clean and efficient GNU/Linux desktop that is sufficiently similar to the longstanding Windows desktop that most Windows users won’t want to be rid of it immediately.
Don’t think that Microsoft will ever use Vista on any of these low resource offerings. Microsoft is in a position that it has never been in before. There is now a class of computer that they haven’t got an OS for.
They might have to take a lesson from the Coca Cola company and re-run their play-book from a couple of decades ago when they introduced “New Coke”, intending to phase out the old formula in short order. Well for those of you who remember, New Coke was about as popular as Vista is now. New Coke was soundly rejected because it sucked so bad (sound familiar–Vista?). Their solution –because the FDA would only allow them to use “New” on the label for a short period of time — was to use the name “Coke Classic” for the original recipe.
What Microsoft needs to do is to get back to basics with Windows Classic/(Lite) versions of the earlier, simpler and widely familiar 9x style desktop with modern themes and a cleaned up current NT kernel. If they lost the product activation, WGA’s that call home, and end user license agreements that require people give them access to their private data at Microsoft’s whim, they might have a decent product to put on these sub-compacts. For regular desktops and laptops as well for that matter. But, in their arrogance, they likely will not do that. So that leaves GNU/Linux an opportunity to fill that customer demand with a FOSS version.