Ubuntu everywhere

If Mark Shuttleworth has his way we will soon be seeing Ubuntu devices everywhere – from telephones to tablet PCs to desktops – and perhaps even on our televisions.

In a recent blog post, Ubuntu chief Shuttleworth listed some of the work being done towards creating Ubuntu TV. Although still in the early days of discussion with just a few mock-ups available, ambitions for Ubuntu TV are very much in line with Shuttleworth’s apparent new focus on “Ubuntu everywhere”.

When Ubuntu was first released in 2004 the focus for the new distribution was the desktop. There was a server edition, but the real focus was the desktop. Then, a few years later there was a gradual shift towards cloud computing and hosted services.

Then last year there was another shift; one that is only now becoming clear. Ubuntu introduced the new Unity interface in an apparent reaction to delays in Gnome 3.

However, it now seems that Shuttleworth had other plans for Unity as the default interface that would position Ubuntu for a new world of mobile devices.

In another recent blog post, Shuttleworth outlined his mobile device ambitions, promising that by 2014 it was highly likely that Ubuntu would be “everywhere”.

“The way we access the Internet, connect to our friends, listen to music, watch films and go about our daily lives is rapidly evolving. We now use a diverse set of devices with an array of operating systems, which have a range of connectivity. Our established collaboration with the silicon vendors that are driving this converging market are critical. Intel, ARM and AMD will make the chip-sets that will power this future and Ubuntu works with all of them on all technologies.”

One of the points of interest in the Ubuntu TV plan is the role of Ubuntu One, Canonical’s cloud storage service. Ubuntu One already includes the ability to buy and store music online and is almost certain to allow users to purchase movies and other content through Ubuntu One.

It’s a potentially smart move as Canonical doesn’t derive revenue from selling its Ubuntu operating system but could well tap into a growing market for video-on-demand.