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It has been some time since I’ve carried around an Ubuntu-toting
laptop, but my memories of the OS sure are fond ones. I remember the
first time I used Ubuntu over a decade ago. I was really impressed with
the easy installation (No drivers needed. Gasp!) and the clean UI. Much
dependence on the terminal for more advanced options turned me off
though, and with my love affair with the Mac OS taking off I turned my
back on Ubuntu. I guess it might even be safe to say that were I not so
reliant on my MacBook Air and its apps, my laptop would probably be
sporting the latest Ubuntu flavour, especially with the OS getting
prettier by the minute.
My respect for Ubuntu definitely has not diminished though, which is
why I am rooting for the Ubuntu OS for phones. It’s really nice to see
Canonical take a crack at the iOS/Android duopoly and doubly interesting
to see how they are received by the market.
Ubuntu for Phones
looks promising based on the demo video. It looks really good with its
hidden docks that can easily be accessed with a single swipe, beautiful
typography and icons, eye-catching visualizations and well thought out
organization. In short, it looks like it will be a success.
Despite all this, one can’t help but feel a little wary for Ubuntu though with the market being as unpredictable as it is. After all we have already seen an excellent new modern phone OS demo in the past that has failed; that is Palm’s WebOS. This is true not only for phones but in other industries as well. History has shown us time and again how great ideas alone do not always translate to success.
The other problem that the Ubuntu for phones face is its reliance on
gestures. The gesture-based approach is pretty cool on paper, but it
might spell trouble in terms of discoverability and intuitiveness. It
does push the envelope in the right direction, but we being creatures of
habit might shun the whole thing if the learning curve turns out to be
quite steep. That said, Ubuntu has to make sure that implementation of
the gestures be seamless if they want it to go down well with the
ordinary user.
Lastly, with the OS not due to ship till 2014 we won’t really know how it will compare with the latest iOS
and Android releases then. Again I’m definitely rooting for the Ubuntu
for Phones, but I’m holding off on the applause until I get my hands on
an actual Ubuntu phone.
