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Yea.. I tell them what the pros and cons are before I give them a PC (with Ubuntu or Windows). Do iPhones really still need software installed on the PC? I thought they finally got better than that?

For Netflix I would say: there is currently a way to play Netflix but it is not supported by Netflix officially and I wouldn't depend on it as your only way to play Netflix.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/11/how-to-use-netflix-on-ubuntu

I bet Ubuntu could recreate their Unity interface in Plasma/Qt easily enough.

They already did (at least the port to Qt part), it was their version of Unity for low-end devices and graphics cards that do not support 3D acceleration on GNU/Linux, and it was called Unity2D.

Unfortunately they ditched it and are going to use LLVMpipe to make the full Unity work with the low-end/non-3D-supporting devices instead. It's easier to support a single codebase, I suppose. However, this does show that you're correct: Unity can (and has) been re-created using Qt.

Because Netflix doesn't run on Ubuntu. Therefore Windows is more valuable in one aspect of the marketplace. Thus forcing people who would otherwise use Ubuntu to use Windows. This increases the costs to society of computing and makes the marketplace that much more less competitive.

So... which argument is more BS?

Although, it's completely unsupported it's actually pretty easy to get to work right now: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/11/how-to-use-netflix-on-ubuntu
Please, Please, Please don't buy Netflix because of this... they could break support any second now.

the solution is to not use vulnerable crap like windows for

Right. So there would never be any risk when using Linux?

http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/USB-driver-bug-exposed-as-Linux-plug-pwn-1203617.html

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Researcher-Demonstrates-USB-Autorun-Attack-on-Linux-183611.shtml

http://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/02/07/1742246/usb-autorun-attacks-against-linux

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/02/how-usb-autorun-malware-could-easily-infect-linux

You are stupid to think that any OS is free of such problems. Or you are just blind to facts because of Linux fanaticism.

Well, here ya go...

Dedicated ‘Amazon Shopping Lens’ Created for Ubuntu

Amongst those who liked the idea of the Shopping Lens, but not the way it works by default, was developer Mark Tully.

But rather than gripe, uninstall, or miss out – he made his own shopping lens, one that lets him ‘search amazon.co.uk (or amazon.com, amazon.fr, etc) via a filter’ so, he said in a Google+ post announcing the project, ’I can finally find what I’m looking for.’

The lenses and scopes are modular by design and anything that Canonical produces can be switched out for something else when someone decides to code it. Eventually lenses will show in the Software Center (if they aren't there already) and you can easily change the defaults that Canonical provides.

You may be interested in this ppa https://launchpad.net/~scopes-packagers/+archive/ppa

Chances are someone will mix up a Steamuntu, even if its not officially supported by Valve but gets all the official Ubuntu updates.

Yeah, someone already did just that :)

Reddit Users Bypass Steam Linux Beta Invitations

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/11/reddit-users-bypass-valve-linux-beta-invitations

"OMG! Ubuntu! learned from a reader that Reddit users on /r/linux_gaming[1] have already figured out a way to bypass Valveâ(TM)s Beta Invitation â" which allow users to start exploring Steam on Linux much earlier than the folks at Valve had likely planned for.

In order to enjoy the Valve on Linux Beta early users have been using the following stepsâ¦

From Terminal:

        wget http://media.steampowered.com/client/installer/steam.deb
        sudo dpkg -i steam.deb && sudo apt-get install -f

Then From Unity Dash:

        Launch Steam App
        Login to Steam
        You will get a message saying you arenâ(TM)t in Beta.
        Close this.

If you are on amd64 architecture then you will also need to run âoesudo apt-get install libjpeg-turbo8:i386 libcurl3gnutls:i386 libogg0:i386 libpixman-1-0:i386 libsdl1.2debian:i386 libtheora0:i386 libvorbis0a:i386 libvorbisenc2:i386 libvorbisfile3:i386 libasound2:i386 libc6:i386 libgcc1:i386 libstdc++6:i386 libx11-6:i386 libxau6:i386 libxcb1:i386 libxdmcp6:i386â from terminal without the quotations.

Finally from terminal run âoesteam steam://open/gamesâ without the quotations and you will experience Steam on Linux providing you have all the package dependencies and follow the above steps.

More information on this bypass can be found on /r/linux_gaming[2] subreddit and readers are reminded that although this is not a hack but just a loophole that requires not modification that it could in some manner still violate the Valve Terms of Service so we suggest caution.

Some video of Big Picture and Steam on Ubuntu 12.10 is available here[3] and video of Team Fortress 2 on Ubuntu is here[4]."

[1] http://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/12qs6z/steam_for_linux_its_here_deb_in_the_link/
[2] http://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/12qs6z/steam_for_linux_its_here_deb_in_the_link/
[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEkgSd7KHkc
[4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS1FK8rHlZA

http://securityflakes.livelyblog.com/

I never see ads in Linux, even when using free apps.

It's a brave new world out there for Ubuntu users: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/09/online-shopping-features-arrive-in-ubuntu-12-10

From the actual link:
http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/09/online-shopping-features-...

>For example, when you want to search for “dishwashers” on Amazon you can just enter “Dishwashers” in the Dash and a small line of “suggested items” from Amazon will appear.

>The same happens when you search for a local file or app from the Home Lens.

>So yes, you can expect to see self-help guides on compassion when trying to launch Empathy.

>‘More Suggestions’ is a strange turn of phrase; most people don’t tend to expect product suggestions when looking for their e-mail app. But I can cede that it’s a far better name than that used in development: ‘treat yourself’

Showing ads when you search locally seems a tad much and a waste of system resources. Isn't this equivalent to showing shopping ads based on keyword searches in Spotlight and the Windows Start menu?

Just realized that I sometimes type keywords to find local files matching filenames and content that's personal in nature. Does this mean all those keywords are sent to Amazon and perhaps data mined to show personalized results?

I don't run Unity nor will I tolerate adverts, but I'll still run Ubuntu as long as it serves MY needs. Let someone else's eyeballs pay the bills.

Funny how so many responses are of the "switch distro" variety instead of "change settings".

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

And Lightworks.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/09/oscar-winning-video-editor-lightworks-landing-on-linux-in-october

So shitcan Unity. I gave it the couple of hours it might have deserved, then found this handy info:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

Stop posting the same link over and over again. We get it, really.

Here's the "fix", takes about two minutes.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

You DO NOT NEED TO SWITCH DISTROS to change UI.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

"ubuntu is fine one you rip out unity."

We would be having fewer discussions of Unity Suckage if we spread the word how easy it is to be rid of it.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

"Is there anyone that actually likes Unity?"

Not me, but apparently not enough Slashdotters know how easy it is to get rid of it:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

So shitcan Unity. I gave it the couple of hours it might have deserved, then found this handy info:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

Or just shitcan Unity. It's easy:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

" I don't know how Unity will go over"

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO RUN UNITY:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

I recommend you try to adapt Unity to your needs.
One very quick Google search found this: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/07/unity-launchers-compiz-plugins

They have a page on their wiki, which explains each UI element and why it is there.

https://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell/Design/

Unfortunately it focuses on what they put in, and doesn't really explain much about why they removed or changed a lot of things that people are used to. Here's some of the reasoning behind the more controversial things:

Why the dock/taskbar was replaced with the overview:
The overview is much better than a taskbar or dock, when you think about it in terms of Fitts's law. Targets should be big, and the Expose-style overview provides bigger targets (window thumbnails) than either a dock or a toolbar. Also the hot corner is one of the five fastest targets that a user can hit (the four corners of the screen and the pixel below the current mouse position).
One thing that I've noticed is that users who complain about task switching don't understand how to take advantage of Fitts's law. All you need to do is learn to flick your mouse quickly into the top-left corner. Don't bother aiming, the edges of the screen will guide your mouse into the corner.

Why alt-tab seems broken:
Windows uses a "window-centric" whereas Gnome Shell uses what is called an "application-centric" model.
The way Gnome Shell works is quite simple: Alt-Tab changes between applications, and Alt-` (the key above the tab) switches between windows of the same application. It's exactly how Mac OS implements it, but lots of people hate it because it breaks the habits they learned when Windows 95 came out.
If you think about it, tabbed applications (like Chrome, Firefox, and lots of Gnome apps like Terminal and Gedit) don't really need to have tabs. The tabs are just there because window-centric desktop environment doesn't provide an easy way to switch between windows of the same app. Just press Alt-` and switch between, say, different terminals, without worrying about mixing them up with web browser windows.

Why there is no shutdown menu option:
Your computer has a power button, and you can just press that. It should initiate an ACPI shutdown, and it is by far the most obvious way to turn off your computer. But people disagree because years of using Windows (or one of its clones) has conditioned them into thinking that it is totally intuitive to navigate through menus and select a shutdown option instead (if you really want to do this, you can install the "alternative status menu" extension).

Why they removed the maximize/minimize buttons:
https://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-shell-list/2011-February/msg00192.html
What's important here is that they didn't remove the ability to minimize or maximize, but rather just the window manager buttons. You can still do it using other methods. In particular, most people maximize by double-clicking the title-bar anyway.

You're right that the UI would make sense to people if it were explained better. I really like Gnome Shell but the biggest failing is that they didn't communicate their vision clearly, and didn't provide a smooth transition from Gnome 2 to Gnome 3. They just said "here it is, and here's a crippled fallback if you really disagree with what we did".

I hope MATE with GTK3 ends up being the transitional environment that the Gnome people should have provided. And I also hope that more users give Gnome 3 a try with an open mind, because it's a really great desktop once you get used to it!

" I made a valiant effort to actually try to use Unity in my day-to-day workflow... NO WAY.. It had me screaming and tearing my hair out by the roots.."

Wasn't worth trying for more than a day, so.....

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

My keyboard or my brain wasn't entirely up to the task of typing when I typed. :-P Sorry. Anyway, basically I was trying to say that I don't think Unity can be installed on Mint. If that's the case, then it might be useful to expose users to Ubuntu, since it would give new Linux users a way to explore more options than they'd have on Mint. I just looked it up though, and it turns out that it can be installed on Mint so my point was moot. So that probably means my brain wasn't up to the task of typing when I commented earlier. BTW, I've also heard hoards are leaving Ubuntu, but I've also heard that is not what the stats really say -- http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/02/stats-show-ubuntu-not-losing-ground-to-linux-mint

"I'm still depressed that Canonical and Gnome both picked a very bad time to screw around with their usability. "

No problem. Piss on Unity, do this instead:

"GNOME Classic in Ubuntu 12.04: Itâ(TM)s Like Nothing Ever Changed"

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/gnome-classic-in-ubuntu-12-04-its-like-nothing-ever-changed

Did those guys just re-invent Active-X controls?

I'd ask "How did you come to that conclusion after reading the article," but we both know you didn't read it.

This feature doesn't let websites run native code on your machine. Try it yourself and see.

"In some portable devices, scroll bars are used to indicate the position in the document or list of the displayed portion. But scroll bars are fixed user interface features that take up valuable display screen area on an already small display screen."

It's a scrollbar that disappears when you aren't using it. They're just trying to divorce it from the usual scrollbar to make it seem more novel.

If someone is hit with a frivolous lawsuit and have a loose million, they have legal recourse available and could conceivably countersue Apple for court fees.

FTFY

If you don't think that this patent is valid, find some prior art. Otherwise if no one else has up to this point been using this idea, perhaps its more novel than most would consider now that it has been patented.

Patents need more than to be novel. They need to be non-obvious to one skilled in the art. Just because you're the first to do something, doesn't mean you get a government-enforced monopoly on it. It's supposed to be something that significantly contributes to the body of human knowledge, something significant enough to be worth placing restrictions on the rest of the populace in order to find out how you did it.

As for nobody using it, Ubuntu's had something very similar for over a year. Of course, this wasn't on using a touchscreen, so of course, that makes Apple's implementation totally novel and innovative.

http://omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/05/ubuntu-to-ship-on-5-of-all-pcs-sold-next-year/
http://venturebeat.com/2011/11/18/report-macs-now-have-5-of-global-market-share/
Nope, linux looks to be pretty lively. And thats only considering ubuntu's flavor.

Until Kazam gets a bit more traction and is further developed stick with FFMPEG and use a script like this:

#!/bin/sh

INFO=$(xwininfo -frame)

WIN_GEO=$(echo $INFO | grep -oEe 'geometry [0-9]+x[0-9]+' | grep -oEe '[0-9]+x[0-9]+')
WIN_XY=$(echo $INFO | grep -oEe 'Corners:\s+\+[0-9]+\+[0-9]+' | grep -oEe '[0-9]+\+[0-9]+' | sed -e 's/\+/,/' )

ffmpeg -f alsa -ac 2 -i hw:0,0 -f x11grab -r 15 -s $WIN_GEO -i :0.0+$WIN_XY -f webm -vcodec libvpx -threads 2 -y output.webm

Awesome post. :-)

However the newer versions of KDE4 are being based on Qt5, which has a base requirement of OpenGL (ES) 2.0 or above.

If I understood properly, the issue is that Qt5 will use an OpenGL rendering model. That doesn't mean that the graphics hardware requires an OpenGL working driver to function, because Qt5 can use a raster engine in the CPU, like does right now (passing "-graphicssystem raster", which is the default). Actually, they have given some numbers, and the CPU rasterizer is faster in Qt5, because LLVMpipe is faster than Qt's rasterizer.

That's really interesting, and it's good news. As long as Qt5 + KDE5 continue to allow machines to use it without requiring OpenGL 3D support in hardware, especially if there's still a software rendering (i.e. rasterizer) available, I'm happy. And I don't even need for it to be fast -- just that it will work. Thank you VERY much for pointing the above information out.

Remember also that Qt5 is not out yet, much less KDE5. It will take years for being forced to upgrade to KDE5. This year we will have a LTS release of Kubuntu, which means you will have supported KDE4 till April 2017. I think there will be also one or maybe even two Debian releases with KDE4.

That's good as a backup plan, although I'll doubt I'll need to resort to using it based on the technical details you've given me above. Debian has had KDE4 since the release of Squeeze two years ago. I've run Kubuntu in the past and ccasionally I retry Kubuntu (and Mint Debian) but haven't found any compelling reason to switch away from Debian, as Debian has full support for doing major upgrades without reinstallation. And as you probably know, Canonical recently announced that they were going to stop funding Kubuntu development after the April release of Kubuntu 12.04 and is also dropping commercial support for it.

      http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/02/canonical-withdraw-financial-support-from-kubuntu/
      http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Canonical-pulls-funding-from-Kubuntu-drops-commercial-support-1429603.html

What design persona did you create this feature for?

We have a range of personas, mapping to different kinds of user of Ubuntu. Initially the HUD started as a power user feature, aimed at improving the experience of tech-savvy users who make full use of applications but use too many apps (and adopt new apps too quickly) to remember every shortcut key. As the design progressed and developed, we expanded the scope of the design conversation to embrace all of our personas. We noticed in testing that new users found the HUD faster than the old menu, as did power users who hadn’t memorised the shortcut for a given function.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/01/hud-new-unity-feature/

Canonical does usability testing constantly.

https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2011-April/032988.html

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/11/user-testing-of-unity-reveals-some-surprising-results/

Funny, since the common saying about Ubuntu from the start was "Debian done right wrt multimedia". And you know that Mint is based on Ubuntu, yes? (Plus, of course "Mint routed Ubuntu" is most likely untrue, but in any case cannot be concluded from the Distrowatch ranking, like you probably try to do. http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/11/dare-to-be-different-ubuntus-popularity-is-not-declining/ )

"Evidenced" on Distrowatch? Whatever the real and difficult to measure popularity of various distros is, the ranking on Distrowatch in no way can measure it for the simple reason that all it counts is the number of clicks onto the distro links on Distrowatch itself. This is not a significant sample. This was established sufficiently in the numerous Unity hate stories of the past months. If we use Distrowatch, we must conclude that the popularity of Ubuntu has steadily declined from the very first release, which is obviously untrue. Read http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/11/dare-to-be-different-ubuntus-popularity-is-not-declining/

Here is a screenshot: http://cdn.omgubuntu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Screen-Shot-2011-08-22-at-22.01.02.jpg

It is indeed single window, but it doesn't look like a standard gnome program. I was hoping for a little more.

Thanks for the screenshot. I was wondering what it looked like when I read the article. I am fairly used to using the current interface, but my first impression of the new one is that it looks quite decent, so hopefully won't have any complaints when it updates.

Here is a screenshot: http://cdn.omgubuntu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Screen-Shot-2011-08-22-at-22.01.02.jpg

It is indeed single window, but it doesn't look like a standard gnome program. I was hoping for a little more.

For the launching from the keyboard problem, I solved all those issues for myself by installing Synapse; I believe I used install instructions here. Once installed and setup to run at startup, I have mine configured to work by hitting Ctl-Space. Bring the UI up, it quickly learns about any application you use regularly and makes launching faster than any of the approaches you mentioned.

A similar app you might consider instead is called Gnome DO.

Some other young people I know think of Facebook as a photo-sharing site. It's easy to upload photos from your phone to Facebook, and Facebook has good tools for organizing pictures.

... until Facebook notices that you used a Linux app to upload your photos, bans the app, and yanks all your photos.
The mistake has been corrected since then, but it's still a chilling experience.

So I can make my own small Ubuntu server running Boxee or something and have a Netflix viewer in my living room? That I built myself?

I don't think so.

Also I think most would agree that being able to play on Linux is a priority. I don't think it's paranoid to assume that Microsoft gave away a board seat partly to ensure that would not happen.

But the notion that Microsoft is keeping Netflix form playing movies on Linux is bunk. I believe the reason Netflix doesn't run on linux has nothing to do with Microsoft and has everything to do with DRM, marketshare, and support.

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/05/netflix-chrome-plugin-will-bring-on-demand-video-to-linux/

The ones who tie Netflix' hands are the studios, not Microsoft. As soon as there is a closed source DRM on linux that Netflix supports, I imagine linux will play Netflix. Microsoft be damned.

The only gotcha I've run into is the default linux release is 32-bit and you have to dig to find the 64-bit download. If any cares, you download the 64-bit linux release here. [mozilla.org]

If you're running Ubuntu 10.04 or 10.10 there's a PPA (for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions):
Firefox 4 PPA for Ubuntu 10.04 and 10.10 users

While gnome panel will still be available, the plan is apparently to have a simplified version of Unity, dubbed "Unity 2D" for machines which can't handle the necessary graphics acceleration.

Google has a cached version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:h8oRGG22slsJ:gadgetizor.com/the-tablet-season-brings-a-new-ubuntu-powered-tablet/6304/+http://gadgetizor.com/the-tablet-season-brings-a-new-ubuntu-powered-tablet/6304/&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

2010 has been all about tablets - there is the iPad and a plethora of Android tablets - and it seems like it is going to continue to 2011.

Now it seems we have a different contender. A few days back, some pictures of an unnamed tablet running Ubuntu has cropped up. The device is said to be running Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition and the boot time reported to be almost instant.

The specifications of the device are said to be as below:

        * Intel Atom 1.6 GHz
        * 2 GB RAM
        * 32 GB SSD Hard Drive
        * Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat"

UNE 10.10 supports multi-touch but there has been a dearth of devices which uses its multi-touch features. While I am very excited to see a tablet running Ubuntu, I do not think Ubuntu is ready for tablets yet. For now Honeycomb seems like the OS for tablets.

And another thing, in the images the button has the Windows logo. Puzzling!!

Source: http://www.gizchina.com/2010/12/23/exclusive-leaked-images-reveal-ubuntu-powered-tablet/
Via: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/12/leaked-images-of-mysterious-ubuntu-powered-tablet/

Not in a while, but I did watch "The Glades" earlier this week and noticed that every computer monitor (including laptop lids) has a huge Windows logo. It's a shame that they don't have Linux logos, as they've been caught using a GNOME desktop.

I wasn't quick enough...Ubuntu is orange and purple. Orange for a year...purple for six months. Throw in a reference to the ZUNE while your at it. BTW the dark theme in brown is a must for people who use their computer, and don't like looking at a lightbulb. That said I miss the incredibly well done wallpaper for the ibex release http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/09/a-look-back-at-every-ubuntu-default-wallpaper/

Ubuntu is not Linux. Ubuntu is not GNOME. This is not Ubuntu specific and it should not be posted as such.

Also, scripts like this have existed for months and even years. I remember a recent story about getting GNOME to look like Windows XP as well. Exactly how is this news, and even if it is news, how is it Slashdot-worthy?

It's particularly suitable for reviving older PCs or laptops on which the main activities will be web-browsing, email, document writing, and streaming music and videos from from the web.

Exactly how is Windows more usable than GNOME? Yes, more people are used to Windows than GNOME and GNOME-based operating systems, but I find GNOME to be much, much, much more usable than Windows has ever been to me for various reasons. Also, how exactly do these activities benefit from a windows-like visual environment? They're just as easy to do in vanilla GNOME (if not easier) compared to Windows. As the great Wikipedia has often said, [citation needed], and I'm saying this to the original article, not the poster himself.

No shit. I happen to think that sucks and I welcome people trying to circumvent it. So far most of the suggestions seem to be "don't do that," which is not very constructive when you do, in fact, want to do that. For instance, suggesting someone NOT keep a journal (wherever) because it might be discovered is not a very good suggestion when that someone wants to write down personal thoughts (who cares for what reason).

Now, if your employer has locked down internet access particularly tightly, accessing private storage might be difficult. But otherwise, I can't imagine this being impossibly hard. Off the top of my head, there's Wuala, which is a cloud storage service like Dropbox, but all of the data is stored encrypted. Dropbox also encrypts, but only during transmission, so man-in-the-middle attacks (e.g. by the employer) are difficult; however, the data is stored in the clear on the Dropbox servers, so it's possible somebody else could gain access to it -- the Dropbox admins, LEO, possibly your next-of-kin in case of your demise. Wuala OTOH stores stuff encrypted on their servers, so without the key phrase nobody can read it. (Or at least that's what they claim! Big honking caveat there.) They have a Java webstart thing you can use to access your stuff from any computer that can execute Java webstart things, which might or might not be true for an office PC. If you can use that, I think it'd be a fairly safe way to store private data; although you'd still need to create the file locally before storing it on the platform.

I'm not affiliated with Wuala in any way, incidently, but if you want to sign up you're welcome to use my referral link to give both of use increased storage. There are a few other services that work similarly, Wuala is just the first one I found that did end-to-end encryption. E.g. SpiderOak Online Storage sounds similar. I also tried to use Dropbox along with encfs for end-to-end encryption but it's just not that convenient.

I feel like a broken record because I always have to remind people of this: many of your arguments also go for Mac OS X to some degree. You have to make sure your hardware and software work for it before buying. Carbon apps vs Cocoa? PPC, Intel, or Universal, which do I download? Yet somehow Mac converts are on the rise. Maybe it's because I only need to be told once that universal is what I need to download. So if an Ubuntu user is told "use the software center, if it's not there, download a .deb" I don't think that's too hard.

I do agree the app descriptions like "for X11" are arbitrary, and this is being addressed as a papercut. However, all of the apps in the software center will work regardless of the toolkit (or lack thereof) in their description.

For the record, GIMP has had a functionality similar to the content aware fill for YEARS. It's called the GIMP Resynthesizer plugin and if you're running a linux distribution that uses package repositories, it's probably in there. This blog post is one of the many that points this out.

Ported to Windows and iPhone, before being ported to, you know, Kubuntu?
http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/01/ubuntuone-being-ported-to-windows.html

Because the GNOME developers made a decision...but you're free to fork it at any time. And I know that this argument gets old, but it's true.

It would also be a stupid thing to do, since any distro can replace and put in its own stuff (as is the practice). But that's besides a point - I'm questioning the developer's decision. They make it seem it's as if the apps are essential for the desktop so that they require a whole new framework to support them. They don't. And Mono at that! Wonder what would happen if the proj leader was a Java dev.

That's like replacing a Smart with a Truck.

Some people would point you to a recent Ubuntu poll which by your interpretation means they needed a truck: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2009/11/poll-do-you-use-f-spot.html

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/03/worried-ubuntu-1004-will-have-left-hand.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+d0od+(Omg!+Ubuntu!)