This Thursday Canonical will release its first developer preview of its Ubuntu for Phone operating system. Canonical has also confirmed that it will be launching a tablet optimized version of Ubuntu the same day.
The developer preview will work on a limited selection of phones, which includes the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. With this release Canonical hopes to attract developers to its platform to create enough applications for its October 2013 software launch (hardware will launch in Q1 of 2014).
With a tablet optimized version of Ubuntu, Canonical is setting the stage for a complete Ubuntu ecosystem from the TV to tablets. Interface elements of Ubuntu for phones will make its way onto the tablet version as well, but will feature powerful multitasking and a tablet optimized experience. Ubuntu for tablets will be able to run two applications simultaneously by swiping in from the right. This looks strikingly familiar to Windows 8’s “Split View” implementation that allows Modern UI apps to be run in a side bar.
Canonical also touts how Ubuntu on tablets can be powerful enough to turn into a full-featured “PC” when docked with a mouse and keyboard. The most interesting thing about this PC mode is that Ubuntu will be able to run Windows applications as a thin client. There will also be support for multiple users. These are powerful features for business users and makes Ubuntu a legitimate alternative to Windows, if Canonical can pull it off.
Ubuntu for tablets won’t just be a scaled up phone experience either. The interface is rich with large images and closely resembles the interface of the Kindle Fire. This puts a user’s content front and center. There’s also a quick search feature on the home screen that has voice recognition.
The developer preview will be released this Thursday, February 21st from Canonical’s site. In the mean time, check out the Ubuntu tablet interface in the video below.
Source: Ubuntu
