Ubuntu 13.04 Will Allow Instant Purchasing, Right From the Dash 273
sfcrazy writes "Ubuntu is becoming a shopping center. Instead of addressing the queries raised by Stallman and the EFF, Canonical is now pushing for making Ubuntu a shopping cart. With Ubuntu 13.04 Canonical is going one step forward, and soon you will be able to purchase software and music right from the Dash without opening the software center or web browser.This is intended to make the whole experience even more interactive and useful for the end user."
Re:Stallman has 1 point that's important... apk (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually, his best point is this:
"free software won't spy on you, unless it's Ubuntu,"
Ubuntu's actions make all free software look bad.
Re:Unity (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, I'm on 12.04 LTE with Gnome Classic for now. I don't see my next upgrade being Ubuntu.
Re:Why is this a problem? (Score:4, Interesting)
I actually don't have much of a problem with this, but I really dislike them sending searches to Amazon by default. It should be an opt-in behaviour, not default.
How the Dash already works (Score:5, Interesting)
"I wanted to update/install my nvidia drivers, so I opened the dash and typed "drivers". IT DISPLAYED GOLF CLUBS on sale at Amazon! [google.com]"
Presumably the new version will buy them for you as well.
Re:Canonical current users? (Score:5, Interesting)
They actually do have a 'send us money' option when downloading now, and many of us have paid for it. I like this approach a lot better than having a privacy invading default setup. I think it would get them a lot more money from their users in the end as well.
Re:Unity (Score:5, Interesting)
By making one questionable move after another we begin to believe Ubuntu's business model has failed.
No wonder, when they're trying to make money off a user base that froths like a rabid dog whenever they feel they're being monetized. That tend to get furious any time a website uses a workaround to get past their ad blocker without the slightest bit of irony in that they use an ad blocker as a workaround to get content without ads. Or get their panties in a bunch over product placement after advertisers switched to those because everyone was skipping ads on their DVR/PVR. Ubuntu may be free as in beer and in speech, but it's also free as in "There's no such thing as a free lunch". You're not required to say yes to anything of course, but if the "free" lunch never results in any business you're not going to get invited to any more lunches.
Red Hat figured this out long ago when they killed Red Hat Linux, spun off Fedora and bet everything on RHEL that had paying customers, they could offer a damn good desktop distro but they couldn't make any money off it. Now Ubuntu is starting to feel in the same bind, they're spending lots of money building Ubuntu for the desktop but they're not making any money off it so they're aiming for smart TVs and tablets and trying to cash in on their users without them disappearing in a puff of smoke. I wouldn't be surprised if they disappear out, a new company comes in thinking they can become another Facebook or Youtube if only they get enough users but in the end "We lose money on every sale, but we make up for it on volume" is not a good business model, not even for Linux distros.
Re:This is a good thing (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually, my discontent with recent Ubuntu releases has driven me not to Debian, but to Mint.
When I was recently frustrated with Ubuntu, I did attempt OSS purity by installing Debian. But the relative complexity of the installation process, including lack of closed-source drivers, reminded me of the rough edges that Ubuntu smooths over.
Fortunately, Mint smooths over what I consider to be the rough edges that Ubuntu introduces.
Re:Linux Mint (Score:4, Interesting)
If Ubuntu didn't spend the last 2 years making piss poor decisions, and Mint cleaning up the mess, you'd have a point.
If Ubuntu didn't fuck up, no one, self included, would give a damn about mint.