It was announced that a version of Ubuntu was going to be released to run alongside Android utilizing the same Linux kernel for smart phones that have enough power to run it.
“Wait. What the hell does that mean!?”
It means good things. I promise.
I know that most people don’t know what Ubuntu is or why they would want it on their smart phone. However, since this is a sincerely wonderful development and one that I personally believe will be the start of an extremely important trend in the all of our technological futures, I’m going to try to explain it as best I can and then comment on all the wonderful things I think it could bring to our lives. So please, just bare with me.
Since most people know what an iPhone is, let me start with a hypothetical. Let’s say you have an iPhone. It runs on an operating system called iOS. This is the basic touch screen operating system found on all iPhones, iPads, and iTouches. You also have a Macbook or iMac at your home. It runs on OSX, the basic desktop operating system that we all know and love.
Now let’s say you have a new imaginary iPhone that has a special feature. When you plug this iPhone into a tv or any other type of stand-alone screen, instead of simply seeing a large version of your phone’s screen, you see the OSX desktop. What this would mean is when you plug this iPhone into an external monitor (like a TV) and a keyboard/mouse, it automatically becomes a fully fledged desktop computer. How amazing would that be?
That is exactly what Ubuntu on Android means. Turning your Android phone into an all-in-one, multiple system device. You will no longer need a spearate home computer or laptop, just a screen and keyboard.
Ubuntu is a Linux based operating system. If you don’t know what Linux is, don’t worry. In the simplest terms, it is an operating system for nerds. Businessmen have Microsoft Windows, artists have Apple OSX, nerds have Linux **. Ubuntu is one of the most popular and user friendly versions of Linux currently available. Think: the opposite of Windows Vista (note: this is a good link).
So the basic process will go like this: You will download this free Ubuntu software onto your Android phone. As long as you are using the phone as a phone, nothing changes. You won’t be able to tell that anything is different. The magic only happens when you plug your phone into a screen. Then, automatically, your phone will switch over to a full desktop version of Ubuntu with all of the same apps and files and memory as your phone. Meaning that you wont have to copy your files onto multiple hard-drives, you wont have to download the same apps on multiple machines, and all of your history will live in one place.
And for the laptop lovers, there will most likely be laptop docks that are just an empty laptop screen and keyboard that you can plug the phone into. And based on other technology that is currently hitting the market, we may even end up with empty tablet screens where phones can be docked and turned into full-sized tablets.
“Wait a second. You said Ubuntu is Linux. And Linux is for nerds. I’m not a nerd. So why would I want an operating system that I can’t use?”
This is a fair question. Linux has customarily been considered something for the very computer savvy people only. Linux allows for an unimaginable amount of freedom and versatility compared to Windows and OSX, but this freedom also makes it much more complicated to use.
That is why, about 10 years ago, a bunch of guys got together and made it their mission to create a version of Linux that a lay person could understand that still allowed advanced users the freedom they love. And so Ubuntu was born.
I, like most people in my age range, began my digital life on a Windows PC. Then around 2005, I switched to a Mac. Then about 8 months ago, some friends convinced me to give Ubuntu a try. I thought, “What the hell. I’ll struggle with it for a couple of weeks and then give up on it. Whatever.” Twenty minutes after turning it on for the first time, I was able to do almost everything that I could on my Mac with almost no effort at all. It was that easy to learn. It was way easier to understand than Windows and way more customizable then OSX.
At this point I should probably point out an important aspect of Ubuntu. It is open source. Which means that it is free. FREE. No money, no licensing nonsense, nothing. Free.
“Ok, but I’m an Apple user. I have an iPhone. Why should any of this matter to me?”
Simple. If this technology takes off, Apple is more likely to consider building this design structure into their devices. Which, in my humble opinion, would be much better than what it appears that they are planning now, which is slowly doing away with desktop style computing all together and just pushing everyone onto mobile devices. Which is quickly turning into a major kick in the privates to anyone who needs their desktop Apple hardware for professional use.
So now the question becomes, why is this important? What does it really do for us, the users of this technology?
For the private user, this means saving a lot of money. Instead of having to own several expensive devices, you can own one device and several cheaper skins. And since smart phones tend to be less expensive than desktops, laptops, tablets, and cable boxes, the potential savings are substantial. Instead of getting a $1,000.00 laptop, you can buy a $100 dollar laptop skin. Instead of buying a $1400.00 iMac, you can buy a $150 screen. You see where I’m going with this?
This also increases mobility. Being able to place your entire digital life, not just your standard mobile stuff, but everything, into your pocket is a big advantage. Especially at the airport.
At the cooperate level, this system could save millions in time, resource, and man power for IT departments. Instead of having to take care of 2 or 3 devices for every employee, you have one item to take care of per person. And the increased mobility means increased efficiency. Since everyone has their computers in their pockets, moving to different offices for travel, renovations, or whatever else keeps people away from their offices becomes much simpler.
This mobility could also come in handy for artists as well. As more and more of the artistic mediums move into the digital realm, artist are regaining a considerable amount of flexibility in where they can be when creating their art. If they aren’t chained to their studios, then they are free to travel far and wide to gain inspiration. However, most artists still need the power and versatility of a complete desktop operating system to create their work. Armed with this technology, all they would need to do is plug into the TV at their hotel.
If you are a small business owner, you get all of the benefits listed above, as well as being able to save money in other important ways. You won’t need as much space to accommodate the storage of excessive hardware, you’ll be likely to save a great deal on your energy cost (note: this is an educated guess on my part based on what I know of hardware energy use), and you can save a bunch of money on purchasing software/hardware for your employees. Ubuntu is free, and if you are using a cloud system, your employees might be able to simply use their own personal phones (though this would probably depend on how secure your company information is).
The point is, this is a major step towards creating a modular version of a personal computing culture in which people can carry their entire digital lives in there pockets without having to be limited by the constraints of said pocket hardware. A culture of less necessity, less waste, less economic separation, and more freedom. I don’t know about you, but I think that sounds pretty sweet.
**If there are any nerds reading this, please don’t get angry with me. I know that Linux is not an operating system in and of itself, but I’m trying not to confuse people, so cut me some slack.
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