Can Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" lure the social crowd?
Summary: This Thursday Canonical will release the next incarnation of Ubuntu, version 10.04, codenamed "Lucid Lynx." This release does something that no other OS has done and integrate "social" right into the OS.
This Thursday Canonical will release the next incarnation of Ubuntu, version 10.04, codenamed "Lucid Lynx." This release does something that no other OS has done and integrate "social" right into the OS.
Lucid Lynx will bring with it a whole host of UI betterments, but the aspect that I think will be a big hit amongst users is social integration. Ubuntu 10.04 will come, out of the box, equipped with a browser, an email client, and IM client and a music store.
The music store comes in the form of Ubuntu One, an iTunes without the DRM that gives users access to millions of tunes.
An app going by the odd name of Gwibber allows users to combine data from Twitter, Facebook, Digg and other online services. This microblogging app is built directly into the OS so users can boot and and hook into their data streams effortlessly.
No other OS, not Windows, not Mac OS X, not the even the "hyped to the heavens" iPhone and iPad platform, offers users so much social integration right out of the box. No additional software required.
It's early days, but this OS could allow Linux to get an additional foothold in the OEM market, targeting a more mainstream user base. Courting social network enthusiasts could be a good move for Canonical and Ubuntu - because if the OS is popular, these people could be very influential and help spread the word to a new audience.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
Wow. I can see you really toiled to put this article together.
It's almost as if you hadn't even tried Lucid.
I think I see a jealous agnostic. Yes?
Why the cynicism?
As a beta tester, I haven't even tried the social networking features. I've been a bit more concerned with other issues that are far more important for reliability and stability.
One last observation—Ubuntu is starting to look less like a desktop OS and more like an OS for an auxiliary hand-held device.
less like a desktop OS
But when I think about it thats the way younger folk seem to see it. I remember setting up Ubuntu on a netbook for some younger folk and their biggest concern was TweetDeck and other social networking tools. I'm starting to wonder if people aren't gravitating back to desktop apps over the web to accomplish things and the web will return to more static data.
That makes sense
Back in the day, everything ran directly on the mainframe. Then they came up with dumb terminals, which were small systems able to access the mainframe remotely so you could use it as a high-powered server for multiple users. The problem is, dumb terminals really suck, and as individual terminal-sized computers became more powerful, they started to move the functionality onto them instead of on the mainframe, and we ended up with personal computers.
Then they invented the Web, and we're back to the mainframe (server) and dumb terminal (browser) model. And now a new generation of users and developers are starting to realize why we moved off of that model in the first place.
Very interesting...
In the words...
"..You took the words right outta my mouth.."
(n.b. and by the way, nice post)
Ubuntu is excellent for power users too. Ubuntu is ecellent for everyone.
As a true power user you may need to customize a package or two. No problem, Ubuntu has you covered: just use <code>apt-src</code> to get the sources and you'll be ready to start configuring and compiling. All dependencies are automatically satisfied, everything runs smoothly.
True, Ubuntu tries to present itself as a dumbed down system so noobs won't feel too intimated by making the switch. However, Ubuntu is the ultimate power user OS, under the hood it hides all the horse power any developer may want or need, and then more.
I'm a power user and Ubuntu doesn't rock my world
It doesn't integrate smoothly with most of the systems and services that I need and use daily.
Therefore, Ubuntu isn't everything that I'll ever need in an OS. Therefore your assertion is void.
Further, I'll argue that the vast majority of PC users don't want or need to download ANY product's source and compile it. Again, your assertion is void.
Not much of a power user are ya
It doesn't run most of the software that I need and use daily.
I say:
You haven't bothered to try different apps
d-void said:
Further, I'll argue that the vast majority of PC users don't want or need to download ANY product's source and compile it. Again, your assertion is void.
I say:
You clearly haven't used it in over a year. There is no need to compile from source anymore....unnless you dig deep into some obscure app/utility that is far outside the mainstream. I never used the command prompt in Windows and I sure as hell don't need Terminal in Ubuntu to do my work.
OneNote.
replacing OneNote. Nothing works as well as it
does.
How about Office in general? 2007 is buggy at
best on Linux, but 2010 will work, right?
Creative Suite 4/5.
Big name programs don't run. I use those daily.
Open Office doesn't fill my needs, and so I
stick with Windows.
"Why not run Windows in a virtual environment?"
you may ask? Simple, Windows does everything I
need it to. Out of the box. I'm much more
likely to get a Chromium (I understand it's on
a Linux kernel) than to use something like
Ubuntu. A desktop should have the horses to run
Windows. If it doesn't, it can be updated.
OneNote??
Sucks
inherently wrong with Ubuntu, rather that the
applications you need don't work with it. Big names
don't make their software available on Ubuntu,
therefore Ubuntu sucks? Erm, no. Ubuntu, in and of
itself, is very well built, and the applications it
comes with are generally sufficient if not good (I'm
looking at you, OpenOffice).
So lets make a suggestion: if the software you needed
was available for Linux in the repository for direct
online purchase (MSOffice '10, Adobe CS5, whatever
else you need), would you use Ubuntu or Windows?
One's whole life revolves around OneNote
Notice something?
These insecure individuals are afraid of the change that is slowly coming, they resist & denigrate, they smear, they belittle & use put downs...you'd think they must work for Microsoft?
It's as if they would vote to have Linux banned if the option was made available.
Obviously not very intelligent action if it's from a person that loves Microsoft products is it?? Cause just a little logic would tell you that competition for microsoft means lower prices in the Market huh? lower prices for you M$ Win/Office products? Yes? No? MAYBE?? Obviously a Microsoft lover would gain? yes? Oh..or just maybe I must have missed something here....obviously it's not just a case of isolated & misguided M$ trolls/fan boys verbally discharging for some quick emotional relief? Cause only a shortsighted person of a simple mind would miss such simple but obvious maths about competition & the market place when there is fair competition.
Microsoft trolls, give up! How much is M$ paying you at the moment? 10c a post? PLEASE, at least use Ubuntu for a week before you show how misinformed you really are. You'd be just that little bit less obvious.
@ricardomardi
Stick around for awhile. Based on what they say, it'll turn out to be the most powerful 1% in the whole wide world.
@ricardomardi
Kirk should know
lol... :D
Extreme power user
It doesn't run most of the software that I need and use daily.
ColdFusion_z said:
You haven't bothered to try different apps
I say:
Industry standard is industry standard. You want mainstream work, you don't fk with the employer.
d-void said:
Further, I'll argue that the vast majority of PC users don't want or need to download ANY product's source and compile it. Again, your assertion is void.
ColdFusion_z said:
You clearly haven't used it in over a year. There is no need to compile from source anymore....unnless you dig deep into some obscure app/utility that is far outside the mainstream. I never used the command prompt in Windows and I sure as hell don't need Terminal in Ubuntu to do my work.
I say:
I.T. Security, multimedia.
I last tried Ubuntu a few months ago, the repository held 7 programs out of 20 I wanted, all were outdated, some by years. And this isn't obscure, this is software I use at uni on a regular basis. And software that I would use in the workplace daily.
And final argument that pretty much covers it.
Counterstrike Source.
You know, that realllllllllllly old game that *nix won't run.. If you can't run Starcraft, you won't be running Unreal 3, if you can't run the games I play, it's just not worth installing.
Don't get me wrong, for coding I love *nix. I think I might even love Apple computers. But for gaming.. It's still a Windows only realm.
Security is *nix, but that's still compiling from source, and it's easier for me to name classmates that are willing and able to do that than list the ones who won't.
rock on
teminal is for ppl who worked on unix systems in the late 70's
my ubuntu os does a way better job of alot of stuff the windows cant
even touch
ex.1 burning anything is 1000 times faster in ubuntu than in windows
any version
reason windows at startup sucks up all you ram and slows down you
machine greatly with a million hidden process linux dont at start up if 3
things are running you lucky and most of them "go to sleep " after a few
seconds
Postings which claim that OS XX
Henri