Ubuntu Phone OS Unveiled 248
Today Canonical announced Ubuntu for phones. The new operating system is designed to provide easier access to apps and content than is provided by current mobile OSes. They do this by relying on swipe gestures from the edges of the phone's screen. "Every edge of the phone is used, letting you move faster between apps, settings and content. A short swipe from the left edge of the screen is all it takes to reveal your favourite apps. Page either left or right from the home screen to see the content you use most. A full left-to-right swipe reveals a screen showing all your open apps, while a swipe from the right brings you instantly to the last app you were using. ... A swipe from the right edge takes you back to the last app you were using; another swipe takes you back to the app you used before that. It’s natural to keep many apps open at once, which is why Ubuntu was designed for multi-tasking. ... Swiping up from the bottom edge of the phone reveals app controls." The Ubuntu phone OS is built to work well on low-powered devices. Canonical will be at CES next week working on raising interest from manufacturers. As far as software goes, they have this to say: "Web apps are first class citizens on Ubuntu, with APIs that provide deep integration into the interface. HTML5 apps written for other platforms can be adapted to Ubuntu with ease, and we’re targeting standard cross-platform web app development frameworks like PhoneGap to make Ubuntu ‘just work’ for apps that use them." (In the attached video, the phone OS discussion starts at about 6:37.)
Wow, how innovative (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oh, great, exactly what I don't want... (Score:5, Funny)
At least they won't force a completely awful replacement UI just after you have gotten to like and understand the old one. For no reason.
Oh, wait...
Re:Dear Canonical, (Score:4, Funny)
> What do you think you are doing to Debian?
Bathing it, shaving it, dragging it out of the cellar, exposing it to sunlight and getting girls to play with it.
Re:Oh, great, exactly what I don't want... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:windows 8 (Score:4, Funny)
In the video, Shuttleworth goes on about how Ubuntu is this revolutionary way to have the same software on your phone and desktop. Umm, did he miss the memo about windows 8? I mean I know Windows 8 sucks and all, but ignoring the big gorilla in the room just makes him seem out of touch.
You have to do a full left-to-right swipe on Mark to get him to see all the active operating systems.
Re:Video and first thoughts. (Score:5, Funny)
What does it bring new to developers that isn't there in Android?
Real openness?
What have the Romans ever done for us?
Sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health?
All right, fair enough, but appart from sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health; what have the Romans ever done for us?
Re:Video and first thoughts. (Score:0, Funny)
New Stupid OS Names:
Asinine Andoinaught ...
Bukkake Boobies
Cloddish Canonical
Dopey Dimwit
Eclectic Excrement
Fuckidy Fingerscreen
Re:Video and first thoughts. (Score:5, Funny)
What does it bring new to developers that isn't there in Android?
Real openness?
What have the Romans ever done for us?
Sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health?
All right, fair enough, but appart from sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health; what have the Romans ever done for us?
Orgies?
Poor Douglas Adams, he tride so hard, but failed. (Score:4, Funny)
With the Hitchhiker's Guide mark II in Douglas Adams' fiction he tried to show us the way of the light -- The "best" user interface in this or any Universe.
"And can you hear me when I say this?" it said, this time in a sepulchrally deep voice. .", [She] gestured helplessly off into the distance.
"Yes!"
There was then a pause.
"No, obviously not," said the bird after a few seconds. [...] Now. How many of me can you see?
Suddenly the air was full of nothing but interlocking birds. [...] It was if the whole geometry of space was redefined in seamless bird shapes.
[The user] grasped and flung her arms around her face, her arms moving through bird bird-shaped space.
"Hmm, obviously way too many," said the bird. "How about now?"
It concertinaed into a tunnel of birds, as if it was a bird caught between parallel mirrors, reflecting infinitely into the distance.
"Well you're sort of . .
"I see, still infinite in extent, but at least we're homing in on the right dimensional matrix. Good, No, the answer is an orange and two lemons.
"Lemons?"
"If I have three lemons and three oranges and I lose two oranges and a lemon, what do I have left?"
"Huh?"
"Okay, so you think time flows that way, do you? Interesting."
And on CLIs Adams has this to say:
Don't imagine you know what a computer terminal is. A computer terminal is not some clunky old television with a type writer in front of it. It is an interface where the mind and body can connect with the universe and move bits of it about.
Don't you see? The "OS" of the HGv2 came with no assumptions whatsoever of the way you would perceive to use it. After a brief initialization period it had collected the temporal ordering, number of perceivable dimensions, mater vs antimatter (read: left or right handed 3D coordinate system), mode of communication, etc. CLIs remained as an important fall back, despite advances in UI.
The problem with today's UI design is ignoring that everyone is different and assuming that anyone truly knows anyone else, or especially the gestures they'll want to make. Sure, humans have some physical limitations which dictate certain UIs: Keyboard and Screen being a prime example of optimal textual IO; However, when it comes to symbolism and gestures this is the realm in which the humans are most differentiated, it is what defines them. Being primarily symbol interpretors themselves capable of imbuing deep meaning to the simplest of glyphs or gestures, the humans are so varied in terms of gesturing and symbolism that any non-prescient design is a restriction placed upon the very essence of a human. For example: If I make a full left to right gesture on this phone UI it will show me all the open apps. If I make the approximate same gesture with a finger (my thumb) across my neck it means "Kill 'em dead", such disparities are inevitable. Scratching ones head would have been a much better gesture to trigger display of all open apps...
Sane defaults that are Customizable is the only acceptable UI solution.
To the UI designers of the world, especially to those of Apple, Microsoft, Gnome and Ubuntu I suggest you fully read all of Mr. Adam's works, especially Mostly Harmless. Thereafter you may be able to extract the true meaning of this one simple gesture I wish to convey to you:
Only the 3rd digit on both hands fully extended, both hands extended in your general direction, and shaking with intensity.
Finally! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Video and first thoughts. (Score:5, Funny)
What does it bring new to developers that isn't there in Android?
Real openness?
What have the Romans ever done for us?
Sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health?
All right, fair enough, but appart from sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health; what have the Romans ever done for us?
Orgies?
i think we need to clarify "us".