Ubuntu One for Windows
If you've been checking the Ubuntu home page for news of Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot), which is released today, you will until recently have been confronted by a page promoting Ubuntu One for Windows — although the actual release was a couple of weeks ago at the end of September.
Ubuntu One is a synchronisation app for the eponymous cloud storage service that's provided by default with the Ubuntu OS. Under the Gnome desktop it appears under System/Preferences, while with Unity it has an icon in the launcher. Once you've set up an account you get 5GB of cloud storage for free (expansion to 20GB costs $3.99 a month), where you can share and synchronise files, photos, videos and music across multiple internet-connected devices.
The Windows client offers the same functionality to Windows users, and once signed up all you have to do is choose a folder on your system to synchronise that contains less than the initial 5GB limit. A control dashboard has tabs for Folders, Devices, Settings and Account information.
The Ubuntu music streaming service is available for $3.99 a month subscription which includes 20GB of additional storage. Ubuntu 1 files and Ubuntu 1 music are available for Android and Ubuntu 1 music only for the iPhone.
Of course, Ubuntu One is not the only cloud storage service — competitors include Dropbox, SugarSync and Windows Live SkyDrive, for example. But making Ubuntu One cross-platform should help strengthen the Ubuntu brand.
Terry Relph-Knight