Omnimaga

General Discussion => Technology and Development => Other => Topic started by: ruler501 on January 04, 2013, 11:07:56 pm

Title: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: ruler501 on January 04, 2013, 11:07:56 pm
If you have not already seen Ubuntu the popular linux distribution is now releasing a mobile version. You can find information about it here http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/phone . The main idea that revolutionizes this OS over other mobile OSes is that it seeks to allow people to use a phone as a desktop too if you dock it. It is supposed to transfer over to the standard unity desktop if you plug it into a monitor, mouse, and keyboard. Another thing they have that android(the other linux mobile OS) does not is that they allow easy running of native programs instead of trying to hack it in like android makes you do. They have announced that they are trying to get hardware partners, but I do not believe that they have found any yet. I personally would like to see how this works on a modern phone. If there is a port I'll load it onto my MetroPCS Galaxy SIII. I probably will not keep it, but I think it is at least worth trying.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Juju on January 04, 2013, 11:12:11 pm
I saw that once, but they only put Ubuntu on top of an existing Android installation?
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: ruler501 on January 04, 2013, 11:13:52 pm
That was the Ubuntu for Android. That was an old idea. They have now created their own total OS. It doesn't run alongside anything.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Sorunome on January 04, 2013, 11:55:15 pm
Sounds interesting, this may get you away from google tracking on smart phones :P (And IPhones suck)
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: shmibs on January 05, 2013, 12:23:05 am
meh, i'm still rooting for firefox (although i won't be getting a phone ever regardless :P). it's good to see some more competition out there, though, i suppose.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: ruler501 on January 05, 2013, 12:38:25 am
meh, i'm still rooting for firefox (although i won't be getting a phone ever regardless :P). it's good to see some more competition out there, though, i suppose.
Was firefoxOS going to allow native apps?
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: shmibs on January 05, 2013, 12:40:49 am
from what i've heard, it's entirely open source, so yes
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: jwalker on January 05, 2013, 10:51:48 am
What I really want is the Ubuntu TV...
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on January 05, 2013, 01:02:10 pm
For now I would rather stick with Android and wait if Ubuntu Phone OS gets more popular.
Title: Re: Re: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Nick on January 05, 2013, 01:10:40 pm
For now I would rather stick with Android and wait if Ubuntu Phone OS gets more popular.
I'm afraid it will only be popular in the group of developers. Android an iOS are too much expansed to be able to get to their stage, so I guess it will purely be people willing to convert their phone to an Ubuntu phone, and those people are people that e.g. Change ROMs nowadays, and that's not the biggest group ever
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Juju on January 05, 2013, 01:10:43 pm
I think you must have a decent enough phone for that, with an HDMI port and stuff.

I think I might try Firefox OS when it'll come out.
Title: Re: Re: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on January 06, 2013, 12:28:57 pm
I think you must have a decent enough phone for that, with an HDMI port and stuff.

I think I might try Firefox OS when it'll come out.
yeah if that's the case, I am not willing to pay $800 just for a phone. Also if it doesn't get popular, this means the phone-specific apps selection will be very poor.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Vogtinator on January 06, 2013, 01:33:25 pm
Not another Phone OS...
Firefox OS, Ubuntu Phone OS, KDE Plasma Active..
They all are planned, but nobody will use them if they don't work together

BTW: I hate Ubuntu/Canonical, they want to do everything themselves and don't support other projects/use them
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: TIfanx1999 on January 06, 2013, 02:04:21 pm
I sounds like a pretty cool idea, but i doubt my current phone would run it. :P
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Deep Toaster on January 06, 2013, 09:12:41 pm
Honestly I was expecting that for a while since I saw the dock and new app switcher system. Seems everyone's making phone OSes now...

Don't know if this'll pick up at all though. The swipe-to-multitask features certainly sound convenient (and a lot like Google Chrome's mobile interface).
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on January 07, 2013, 02:18:51 am
What I hope is that with Windows 8 arrival, that standard desktop/laptop OSes won't disappear entirely.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Nick on January 07, 2013, 02:42:10 am
What I hope is that with Windows 8 arrival, that standard desktop/laptop OSes won't disappear entirely.
All I can tell you is that I run win8, and I use it exactly the same as win7. The only difference it makes is that the start menu from the left lower corner now fills the screen and uses tiles, but that's it. You can choose whatever view you use, and I chose to fully use the desktop, as I'm used to it, and the apps for the metro style are not that developed yet. E.g. there's no decent media app yet, iirc i saw vlc developing one (on kickstarter), so it's still a major PITA to get everything running in metro, that's why I use the desktop. Everything compatible with win7 is compatible with win8 desktop, so no worries :)
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Deep Toaster on January 07, 2013, 11:42:20 pm
Here are some interesting points from TC: The Ubuntu Phone OS Doesn’t Stand A Chance (http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/02/the-ubuntu-phone-os-doesnt-stand-a-chance/)

It's too bad, but I think they're right.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: _Nicco_ on January 07, 2013, 11:59:40 pm
I kind of doubt that this will become a major competitor in the phone industry because it seems like Apple has all of the "I just want my phone to work and look nice" people and Android has the "I want a cheaper phone than the IPhone but still want a smart phone" or the "I really like modding and customizing my phone." people.

I think that the only people that will mess with it / use it will be the people that already use android that really like trying out new things / rooting their phones an all that other stuff (me included).  I doubt an IPhone person will switch over and I barely know anyone with a Windows phone so I just excluded that category.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Keoni29 on January 08, 2013, 01:48:31 am
What I hope is that with Windows 8 arrival, that standard desktop/laptop OSes won't disappear entirely.
It's up to the mainstream and the businesses. Whatever works best for them.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Vogtinator on January 08, 2013, 10:19:37 am
Quote
It's up to the mainstream and the businesses. Whatever works best for them.
No, people want to continue using software they're already used to.
Best example:
Quote
All I can tell you is that I run win8, and I use it exactly the same as win7.
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Nick on January 08, 2013, 12:07:07 pm
Quote
It's up to the mainstream and the businesses. Whatever works best for them.
No, people want to continue using software they're already used to.
Best example:
Quote
All I can tell you is that I run win8, and I use it exactly the same as win7.
Heeey, that's my quote xp yeah, you're right. They're too late..
Same goes for the upcoming new blackberry OS fot touch screen devices. They were enormously popular back in 2000-2008, when touch wasn't really a hype, but they lost clients because everyone thought touch was better, and now they'll have a hard time to win back the old clients, because they're alreay used to other interfaces than the blackberry one
Title: Re: Ubuntu Phone OS
Post by: Spyro543 on January 08, 2013, 02:18:15 pm
I personally loved those BlackBerries with the trackball. I like it better than touchscreen.