I haven’t been as excited about a new announcement in the Linux world since Google came out with Android. Canonical just announced ‘Ubuntu for Android’ – its a release that will enable a full desktop computing experience on a docked Android smartphone.
It will work like a normal Android phone when not docked, but once its docked, you can have the complete Ubuntu experience. This means common storage – contacts, bookmarks, documents. And it can handle calls and smses when docked!
What really excites me is that while I’m country hopping, hoping to see more of the world, I won’t have to carry my laptops around. All I need is access to a monitor (for eg in cyber cafes) and I can work on my freelance projects anywhere.
I have been wondering if I should upgrade my age old G1 phone. If Ubuntu comes out with something that actually works, then it will be a very good reason to invest in a new $600 phone.
http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android
I reckon it will be at least an year before something tangible comes out. From the Canonical page I could not make out if the Ubuntu OS would make use of the handset’s computing resources or the computer’s. The page mentions multi-core processors many times so maybe it does use the handset’s computing resources, partially or completely.
It will use handset’s computing resources and hence ubuntu is encouraging people to upgrade to high end phones.
Ubuntu for Android gives mobile workers a compelling reason to upgrade to multi-core handsets with more RAM, more storage, faster GPUs and CPUs. It’s not just a phone they are buying, it’s a desktop too. While mid-range phones can deliver a perfect Android experience, it takes high-end horsepower to drive a phone and a desktop at the same time. Newer multi-core processors are up to the job, and Ubuntu is the killer app for that hot hardware.