News Canonical announces Ubuntu for Phones

[tonyd223]

Originally Posted by Shielder

If it gets rid of the stupid Android "Insufficient storage available" error, then I'm all for it!

I do find it strange that all of the IT review sites rave about the latest Android phones, but no-one has investigated Google's stupidity in having a 400MB system partition where most of the apps are stored (or data for the apps anyway), so, despite my Galaxy Note having 11GB of space free, I get this stupid error!

I've had to delete nearly 20 apps, just so that I can update my more frequently used apps.

C'mon Bit-tech, do an investigation!

Andy

When you deleted those 20 apps, were they apps that you were using anyway? I've about 72 apps loaded on my Note and I regularly do the reality check thing and delete...

[Anfield]

move apps to sd...

[Shielder]

But why should I have to delete my apps? You don't have to with Windows Phone OS, nor iOS, so why Android?

And, yes, I did use some of those apps I had to delete, just not frequently enough to justify keeping them.

The phone is also advertised as having 16GB of memory, why should I have to download an app (another one) or root my phone, just to move apps to an SD card, especially when the phone is reporting that I've got GBs of storage available????

As a consumer, I shouldn't have to hack my phone or do anything special, just so I can keep some of my less often used apps.

Andy

[Snips]

Who says I have an iPhone?

[Anfield]

Originally Posted by Shielder

As a consumer, I shouldn't have to hack my phone or do anything special, just so I can keep some of my less often used apps.

Should you have to? No, but I think it beats the alternatives available.

[aramil]

why should I have to download an app (another one) or root my phone, just to move apps to an SD card,

As a consumer, I shouldn't have to hack my phone or do anything special, just so I can keep some of my less often used apps.


Andy

Why hack?

On my galaxy sii it is already a standard option.

Settings-manage apps-(then select app)-click move to SD.


Sent on my CM10 JB powered i9100 by TapaTalk 2

[steveo_mcg]

Aye, app to sd is just another app which lists the apps which can be moved to the sd card. Its not a hack just a quick way of accessing a function.

The function in itself is a response to the hassle that comes with being able to mount the device as a memory stick rather than have to use a special program (itunes) to load data to the device.

[theshadow2001]

I would trust canonical more with my personal data than I would Google or apple. In fact I trust Google with my personal data about the same as I trust a priest in the middle of a playground. I would like to see the ubuntu phone come to fruitition but I have my doubts whether that will happen or not. Its difficult to stick to open source principles and bring a product to market at the same time.

[Snips]

Remember how popular Linux Netbooks were before they had XP added to them?

This will just go the same way, a few die hard Linux fans aside, that minority will not make this a success.

[theshadow2001]

http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/...hones-2013018/

Hands on



I think it looks good and if its more responsive than android that would be fantastic as well. I like the docking idea too.

[jrs77]

I read a few hands-on reports from CES now and they all are amazed by Ubuntu for phones.

I'd actually like to have Ubuntu instead of Android or iOS for my smartphone.

[Gareth Halfacree]

Originally Posted by Snips

Remember how popular Linux Netbooks were before they had XP added to them? This will just go the same way, a few die hard Linux fans aside, that minority will not make this a success.

I agree with your conclusion, but not with the way you got there. The reason Linux on netbooks failed is because everybody saw a netbook as a small laptop, and expected to be able to do everything they could do on their full-size laptop - which includes running Windows apps like Microsoft Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer and so forth. When they found out they couldn't, they abandoned the devices in droves - until, as you say, Windows-based netbooks came out, at which point the devices became popular once again until tablets did them in.

The same isn't true of a phone: nobody who owns a smartphone expects to be able to run Microsoft Office. Instead of expecting a Windows-like experience, users will come to Ubuntu for Phones expecting an Android, iOS or Windows Phone experience - and that's exactly what they'll get, with the added bonus that they can plug in a keyboard, mouse and monitor and use it like a PC - which is where they may start complaining that they can't run The Sims, 'cos people are daft like that.

But I said I agreed with your conclusion, and here's how I got there: initially, Ubuntu for Phones will require that a user manually installs it on their handset - a process which isn't for the faint-hearted. Many handsets simply won't support it, as large swathes of Android devices come with a locked bootloader that won't allow a third-party firmware to be installed, so even when the community has ported the source code - initially only compatible with the Galaxy Nexus - it still won't work. On phones where it does work, you can kiss goodbye to your warranty.

The only way Ubuntu for Phones can succeed is if Canonical convinces a major manufacturer - Samsung would do nicely - to produce a range of smartphones with the software pre-loaded. With Android as popular as it is and enjoying a great ecosystem of third-party apps designed specifically for smartphones and tablets - something Ubuntu, which has an even larger ecosystem of apps but ones designed for use on large-screen desktops and laptops, can't match - that's going to be a hard sell.

[theshadow2001]

Originally Posted by Gareth Halfacree

The only way Ubuntu for Phones can succeed is if Canonical convinces a major manufacturer - Samsung would do nicely

Absolutely. This is key. But I can't imagine they didn't figure getting ubuntu phone pre-installed on an oem into the plan. I'm sure the plan wasn't lets make a phone os and see what happens. They probably needed to keep this a secret until now and up to this stage of development in order to create a bit of bang on announcement, to garner consumer interest which will hopefully get a manufacturer on board.

The reason for not going after OEMs sooner would be their under dog status and lateness to the market. They need something, working and tangible, something that can be shown to generate interest. A working and convincing prototype with interest and a bit of hype is a much easier sell than a pie in the sky idea. They don't have the money of google, or the ubiquitous brand name of microsoft/windows to help them break into the industry.

I would prefer an ubuntu phone I think, since I'm not really an apps kind of person anyway the size of an app market has very little bearing on my decision.

[jrs77]

Yeah. I also think that they allready have contacts to OEMs and simply waited until now to unveil their product.

Seeing how well Ubuntu runs in all these videos and reading about all the positive feedback people gave after they got their hands on it makes this a very interesting product. Especially when you think about, that the OEMs can very easily modify the code to suit their needs.
It's a far more open source then Android will ever be and it has the advantage of not using a bloody VM eating up ressources like mad.

[impar]

Greetings!

Even Mozilla has agreements with a manufacturer for its mobile OS.

[Anfield]

another interesting oprion, dual booting android and ubuntu,

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/15/e...ndroid-ubuntu/