Next stop Ubuntu

Ubuntu today unveiled its take on the tablet, the 4th screen in their 4 screen strategy. The tablet UI borrows from that of mobile version, smooth transitions and elegant UI elements. The notion that innovation is dead has be shattered by Ubuntu's efforts on the UI front. It's unlike anything currently on the market and that in itself is cause for an applause. Desktop, TV, phone and tablets now have their own distinct sprinkle of Ubuntu but my thought process lends me to believe in this "post PC era", making the phone and tablet the most vital of the 4 screens.

The OS: Ubuntu Phone

(Source: Ubuntu )

Everything at your fingertips

Ubuntu uses simple natural swiping gestures from the edges of the screen to make it easier than ever to access your content and switch between apps. Every edge of the phone is used, letting you move faster between apps, settings and content.

Favourite apps

A short swipe from the left edge of the screen is all it takes to reveal your favourite apps. There’s room for everything you use daily, available instantly from the welcome screen or any application. Ubuntu lets you switch faster between running and favourite apps than any other phone.

Always running

Page either left or right from the home screen to see the content you use most. A full left-to-right swipe reveals a screen showing all your open apps, while a swipe from the right brings you instantly to the last app you were using. Switching between running applications has never been quicker or easier.

Content, not controls

Swiping up from the bottom edge of the phone reveals app controls. You can hide or reveal them instantly, which means they don’t take up room on the screen, leaving you free to focus on the stuff

that matters. Immerse yourself in your photos, web pages, music, messages and apps.

A whole world of apps

Web applications sit alongside native apps on Ubuntu.

They get their own icons and the same access to system notifications. So apps like Facebook, Twitter, Google Maps, Gmail and Spotify are all available – and thanks to Ubuntu’s web app APIs, it’s easy for web developers to install their

sites as full applications.

But Ubuntu isn’t limited to HTML5. Native apps are blazingly fast, taking advantage of the full capabilities of the phone’s processor and graphics hardware. And a mobile SDK does most of the work to give you that gorgeous, distinctive Ubuntu look and feel.

Run local Ubuntu apps and remote Windows apps on a secure docked phone – the new thin client of choice. Your Ubuntu phone can be managed with standard enterprise Ubuntu management tools that also handle servers, cloud infrastructure and desktops. Secure your infrastructure using Ubuntu’s browser and email client, delivering your legacy Office apps from your data centre.

Instant share and cloud connections

Sharing is now built-in, with support for all the major networks. So any app can let you share with friends, family and co-workers. One touch is all it takes.

Facebook and Twitter aren’t the only ways to share.

Ubuntu One already has millions of users on Ubuntu, Android, Windows and Mac. Deeply integrated on Ubuntu devices, it provides free storage, paid-for music streaming services and

a foundation for cloud-based services from operators and device makers.

The OS: Ubuntu tablet additions

Source: Ubuntu 

Multitasking mojo

Ubuntu’s unique side stage places a phone and a tablet app on the same screen at the same time for amazing tablet productivity. True multitasking comes to the tablet. Take calls in Skype while you work in a document, make notes on the side while you surf the web, tweet while you watch a movie.

Safer sharing

Your Ubuntu tablet has multiple secure user accounts, and a guest account. Perfect for families and friends, and ideal for the office, with secure multi-user logins that make using and sharing devices safe.Data protection is world class with full disk encryption, and additional encryption for personal data, making Ubuntu perfect for sensitive environments and regulatory compliance in the medical, military, industrial and finance sectors.

Thoughts

Ubuntu's strategy is clear and well executed but for it to be successful, the masses must embrace the idea or it will be doomed to tech lovers like myself. Ubuntu needs a strong OEM launch partner for each of it's screens, they need carrier support and a lot of marketing capital to sway users in this crowded mobile enivornment. Timing is also another factor which may affect the growth of the platform, 2014 seems too far away in the tech world, Ubuntu might just be forgotten by summer when the real giants of the tech space (Apple & Google) show their cards.