Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition Offers Revamped User Interface
Canonical announced today, October 7th, the upcoming availability of the new Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) operating system for download on Sunday, October 10th.
The Ubuntu 10.10 release introduces various offline and online applications for the Desktop Edition, and a brand-new user interface for the Netbook Edition, called Unity. The Server Edition of Ubuntu 10.10, as well as the Enterprise Cloud EC2, also introduces new features.
The Unity interface is Canonical’s strong point for this release of the Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition. And, as you can see from the screenshots presented in this article, it looks quite amazing!
“Ubuntu 10.10 for desktops and netbooks is our most consumer-friendly release yet,” said Jane Silber, CEO of Canonical.
“Ubuntu One’s personal cloud services will put Ubuntu at the heart of many users’ computing worlds even when they need or prefer to use other platforms.”
“Unity has the opportunity to change how we think about our use of computers and the Software Centre will bridge Ubuntu with the applications users need to switch to the world’s best OS.”
This is how your netbook, running the new Ubuntu 10.10 release, might look like…
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New application shortcuts can be easily added to and removed from the Unity launcher. Rearanging them is also an easy process.
Pressing the Ubuntu logo situated in the upper left corner will show you a very well designed page with the default applications for each category.
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The Smart Search function is also included, and it helps users to easily find the most commonly used applications, just by typing the first letters of their names.
Pressing the non-removable Applications button from the Unity launcher, will give you access to all the installed applications. From here, you can also go straight to any desired category and see the installed apps.
Right clicking on the Applications entry will offer the possibility to directly access a software category.
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There are four workspaces now, and a dedicated button to access them from the Unity launcher…
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…and better integration with the Ubuntu One service!
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Also, the Ubuntu One service includes brand-new features, various performance enhancements and compatibility with Google’s Android, Microsoft Windows, and Apple’s iPhone.
“Ubuntu One Basic, available free of charge, provides a personal cloud for sharing and syncing files, contacts, bookmarks and notes, with 2GB of free storage, access to music from the integrated store and (new in 10.10) a beta client for Windows allowing users to integrate their Windows and Ubuntu worlds.”
“As part of the paid Ubuntu One Mobile service, applications are now available for Android and iPhone so users can stream their music collections from their personal cloud to their mobile devices and synchronize contacts.”
“Users might find that they need extra capacity so 20GB blocks of additional storage can be purchased on demand.” – was stated in today’s press release. For more information check out the Ubuntu One website.
And… let’s not forget about the new Global Menu…
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Ubuntu tablets due early 2011
Ubuntu-based tablets could hit the market as early as the first quarter of 2011, says a Canonical exec. Ubuntu developer Canonical is currently working on a tablet-specific Ubuntu OS for future devices. The tablet operating system will feature a touch-friendly UI and will be built from a lightweight version of Linux, possible Ubuntu’s upcoming 10.10 version, which the company calls “Maverick Meerkat.”
The company is reportedly working with hardware and component makers, including Freescale, Marvell and Texas Instruments to develop the device, which they hope will be ready for the Q1 2011. Intel and Pixel Qi also involved to help manage the tablet’s power needs.
“The devices world is a really exciting space right now and we’re really bullish on it,” Canonical VP of alliances and OEM services told Network World.
Kenyon’s comments jibe with what he told The Reg last month: that Canonical was prepping Unbuntu for in-car systems, tablets, set-top-boxes, and what Kenyon called “the digital home or something you carry around”. Kenyon also said that the Ubuntu OS for tablets would be a slimmed-down Linux with a touch-screen interface, and the development is underway for on-screen keyboards and compatibility with multitouch drivers. In the tablet space, the Ubuntu OS will compete with Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android, and the Intel-Nokia-Novell mash-up, Meego.
Canonical currently offers Ubuntu 10.04 for PCs, servers and netbooks. It plans to combine the tablet OS and netbook OS into one system called “Ubuntu Light.”
