Ubuntu Now Runs on Nexus 7

Wish that the Nexus 7 shipped with a more complete desktop operating system? Canonical did, so they set out to fix that. After what was, I'm sure, an arduous journey, the company that makes Ubuntu has managed to get their operating system on the Android tablet. And it suddenly makes the new Unity user interface make a lot more sense.

Installation is simple: it has a one click installer. The most complicated part will be unlocking the bootloader, so you can stick a new operating system on the device.

At this point, the operating system is still very much desktop oriented. Even with the Unity user interface, the apps, the look, the size of things are oriented more towards a laptop or desktop than a tablet. but the next version of Ubuntu is trying to tackle these problems. Raring Ringtail will focus on battery life, memory management, a simpler still user interface, and general all-around tablet friendliness. Which makes sense, since desktops and laptops are going the way of workstations before them.

The future of computing is increasingly mobile. Unfortunately, with that we've seen a locking down of the industry. Computers ship with one operating system, and it seems like every manufacturer is trying harder than the other to make it impossible to change it. Basically, what we're seeing is a shift where computers stop bing a platform for an operating system and become a single, unified product.

But for those of us who view computers as something more than a conversation to be controlled by a manufacturer, efforts by people like Canonical are critical. Unless someone keeps people aware that it is better if these devices can run other platforms, we risk being forever locked into a single ecosystem. That's bad for us and innovation.

Engadget Photo by : Ubuntu Wiki