Maybe the HP/Microsoft Slate needs Ubuntu or Moblin to be less of a yawn
Summary: Obviously Steve Ballmer is not going to announce HP's first offering in the "slate" category (it's a tablet, folks, but if he feels the need to call it a slate, whatever) running the latest Linux distribution made for MIDs, netbooks, and, well, slates. Unfortunately, by simply shoehorning the Windows 7 interface (albeit a great desktop/notebook UI) into an interesting and relatively novel form factor, the announcement of HP's slate was just a big yawn.
Obviously Steve Ballmer is not going to announce HP's first offering in the "slate" category (it's a tablet, folks, but if he feels the need to call it a slate, whatever) running the latest Linux distribution made for MIDs, netbooks, and, well, slates. Unfortunately, by simply shoehorning the Windows 7 interface (albeit a great desktop/notebook UI) into an interesting and relatively novel form factor, the announcement of HP's slate was just a big yawn.
Let's think about the iPhone vs. Windows Mobile interfaces. Windows Mobile looks remarkably like a little version of Windows. The iPhone, however, may have the underpinnings of OS X, but has a unique interface truly adapted for the form factor. Similarly, for anyone who has ever used Moblin or Ubuntu Netbook Remix, an interface that capitalizes on the size and touch capabilities, as well as the intended uses of the device is mighty refreshing, assuming users can get past the it's-not-Windows factor.
Educationally, the Slate has a lot going for it. Small and light, multi-touch enabled, and relatively inexpensive, this could be another bit of useful 1:1 goodness coming out of CES. However, in addition to a Windows interface that is poorly suited to a novel, but increasingly important form factor, touch-optimized educational software is not only hard to come by, but can be expensive.
On the other hand, the use of Ubuntu opens up these slates to a wide variety of free educational software with a growing body of touch- and stylus-enabled software. Add to that (or, more correctly, subtract from that) the licensing cost of Windows 7 and suddenly these tablets get cheaper, more robust in terms of software offerings, and easier for digital natives to use given a more appropriate interface for the device and suddenly a somewhat disappointing device becomes far more compelling.
I'm convinced, as are most other tech bloggers, that the tablet form factor is here to stay. This is a good thing. However, what we really need are interfaces that exploit the tablet rather than highlight its compromises. Moblin and NBR are mighty fine places to start.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
somewhat of a Poor Argument.
What type of free software can you get on linux that you cant on windows?
The problem is that the Win7 interface is designed for Desktops, and the
you really need to look no farther than Windows
mobile to understand this a little better. MS has
had YEARS to work on it, and it is still the
ugliest, least functional, most boring smart phone
OS on the planet. And then to put the ugly, butt
head CEO on stage made the "slate" announcement
even more ridiculous.
And the *N*X UI isn't
Gnome/KDE are no more touch-friendly than Win7's UI is.
That's why Ballmer rightly pointed out that NUI - Natural User Interfaces - are going to be needed to make such devices truly usable in the absence of keyboards etc.
Remember that MS has been researching this field for many years now - I think it'll be interesting to see what starts coming down the pipe over the next year or two as Natal, new multi-touch capabilities, etc., make their way into mainstream touch devices.
Yea, MS has been researching "natural" user interfaces for phones too!!
Also, KDE and Gnome are only TWO UIs for Linux, and, will NOT be used for
to shoehorn a Desktop GUI onto a tablet!!
Windows Mobile is better than all the rest, together
other interfaces I have seen
Somewhat? Its all a poor arguement!
pot calls kettle "black"
And he has the stones to post non-anonymously...
I think you should start a public blog.
it isn't about what type of free software you can get...
car or another; as all cars will take you
everywhere.
I think it's more about what do you prefer the
nice design of Lamborghini/Porsche or the
reliability of Volvo/Mercedes... While you get
where you want to go, it's only a personal choice.
Exactly!! Putting Butt Head Balmer on the stage to announce Windows 7 on
to show a version of Windows7 that has an
interface tuned for a tablet. But, even then, the
idea of Windows on a tablet is BOOOOOOOORRRRING.
Exactly, they should have gotten the fat neanderthal GPL author up there...
It's ok you don't like MS Donnie, but your posts are pathetic and lacking any real knowledge.
Tell me, why is the windows 7 interface not suited to a smaller screen?
I got my wife an HP mini 311 running full Windows 7 Home Premium and it's the best little 2lb notebook with an 11.6" inch screen I have ever seen.
Your constant "BUTT" jokes and stabs at MS for no other reason than the sake of it are what is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRING.
Your posts have always painted a picture of one of most intolerable bores imaginable and now you are just being a total tool.
Brown as the brown matter that fills your skull but with a difference
How quaint.
Hey man, really sorry, poor Stevie does NOT deserve the jokes.
Not saying Ballmer doesn't deserver anything.....
But I don't see the point in railing on MS regularly...your posts are not always just about Ballmer.
What good does it bring anyone here, unless the ABM people get off on it endlessly and never tire of it. That's pretty shallow and weak.
You know you are preaching to the choir here, so why waste your time.
You do have insightful comments when you are not trying to just wail on MS.
Same applies to the NBM fanatics
rubbish as if God had personally told them that their opinion is truth.
This sort of posting, from any kind of fanatical fanboy, is just a waste of
space, very tiresome, and contributes absolutely nothing.
Interestingly, there seem to be many more fanboys in the MS camp. I
count 10 (so far), but only 3 in the opposing camp.
If only they would ALL go away and leave the rest of us in peace, then
these Talkback blogs would be far more worthwhile to read.
This is a blog about HP and Bing partnership.
I believe this deal has very little impact on Linux users, for example and no interest for Apple users, yet they show up just to post things like calling Bing, "BONG" and just the endless MS is evil, MS sucks, MS this/that.
I can tell you that any Ubuntu blog may have a few Windows people and if it's me, I'm just giving back what I've got everytime I've tried to post seriously in a Windows related blog.
The ABMers swoop in and attack anyone that tries to ask a serious question or is interested in a new MS product.
The ABM crowd here is much larger than the NBM crowd here and they never, ever would say they happily use MS software for anything, or put down one of their own even if that person is an idiot. I have said many times how Linux and Apache, for example, are perfect for certain jobs and Windows is perfect for others.
By and large I use Windows and I don't want to hear how much of an idiot I am for doing so and how I'm dealing with the devil each time I post.
I have become jaded by the non-stop ABM attitudes that are overwhelming here. Any Windows specific blog brings out the ABM gang in droves to post what amounts to garbage.
Windows users are much more open to different systems and 99% of the Windows using public has never heard of zdnet.com and never remark either way, they don't have the time because they are profesionals in their own fields using Windows to get their jobs done efficiently and effectively.
The vocal minority of ABMers are on every blog like zdnet at all times of every day spewing forth the exact samme rubbish they were spouting several years ago.
What you call fanboys here are just people that think the HP/Bing fit is a good one and ABMers of all people should be FOR competition, considering Google is close to monopoly status, but they prove their hypocrisy here by bashing on HP's "stupidity" to deal with MS rather than the reality that it will force Google to work that much harder and bolster competition. ARen' you sick of the kind of double standard and hypocrisy?
You didn't factor which posts were here only to be a negative force and which were not.
If you've been here long enough, you know that ALL polls which would show feelings toward Microsoft show a huge majority of anti-MS posters to Windows posters. It's a good 80% anti-MS to 20% MS favorable.
HP needs to dump windoze and embrace Linux
That'd put HP out of business
If HP dropped Windows and went entirely to Linux instead, customers wouldn't flock to Linux, they'd abandon HP and flock to Dell/Acer/Asus/Lenovo/Sony/etc.
This was quite nicely demonstrated by Linux losing 95% of their market share of netbooks to XP. Customers were happier to pay $20 more for an 8 year old OS that was nearing end of life than use a free OS that doesn't run any of the apps the customers want to use on their netbooks.