A while ago I suggested that Ubuntu were all out of Ideas, turns out they are not, they are full of them. Well after Ubuntu TV, here is a new Idea. Android Phone, a Dock, Ubuntu Desktop, Seamless integration.

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the announcement of Mountain Lion is the Vista moment for Apple, it's that point when many Apple users will take time to step back and think about the Operating system on their Apple PC.

Windows 8 will be one option However Linux has become a very stable OS when done right on Apple hardware. However it takes a big step and a leap of faith to drop OSX..

Take the First Step

Lets be honest, the title alone sets the tone of this post, so please no comments stating i'm an elitist snob, because this i'm am keenly aware of. However a touch of honesty now and again does tend to go a long way.

So what's the problem? Well there are more than one and they grind me down on a daily basis, so it's time to air them here and these are all tech issues..

So lets start with...

Smartphones are computers, they have the same processing power as devices from a few years back, decent battery lives, complete Operating systems which will sit happily on desktop PC's if you let them. However when we get into the office or home, we put them down and head for the keyboard..

Ubuntu/Linux has a potentially big role to play in this arena if it does it right on Mobiles. A few standards are needed for Dock connectors so 3rd parties can join in and very soon true mobile computing could pave the way..

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I'm a firm believer in Sabayon, i've been using it since the heady days of version 3 with the DVD ISO which contained nearly 4GB of both Gnome and KDE distros and an hours installation. This gave the user a bleeding edge distro which implemented Compiz first and better than anyone else as an example.however I have to say I'm just a little disappointed in this release with it's implementation of Gnome 3.

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What's out there right now when it comes to Desktop Interfaces which are available right now and how do they relate to the Touch interface Tablets moving forward?

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Cinnamon, the fork for Gnome Shell by Clem Lefebvre of Mint fame has a new release.

Ces 2012 is all but over and there have been a few products which stood out, especially Lenovo getting fingers into everything from phones to TVs.

While many of the innovations were not direct Linux products as they were being showcased on Windows I think this sort of show does point a path where the innovation in Linux has to happen if it is going to stay relevant. The Ubuntu TV is a fine example and it would be great in the next few years to see more of this.. Touch screen interfaces, portability, battery saving, mobility....

Here are some of the products I thought stood out.

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I've been working on a complex document for the last year or so. This document is now 25 pages long, and includes a dozen images in frames with captions, with text running around the images, a table of contents, Gradient backgrounds on major headings, 2 drawings, varying headers and footers (with borders and shadows), lists, varying page styles, footnotes, and font styles.

I've been working on this document long enough that I started it with openoffice. I then switched to LibreOffice with its first release. And now I'm editing it with the LibreOffice Christmas Eve (2011-12-24) 3.5.0beta2 release.

Invariably, up to now, in a 2 hour work session, openoffice/libreoffice would crash at least once. Sometimes more.

Interestingly enough, this latest LibreOffice beta has not crashed once in three 1 hour work sessions. It may only be a beta, but I'm a believer.

Gook work LibreOffice folk.

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While the concept of the Thin client has caught on in the world of the office it's not really set the consumer world alight. In many offices in an attempt to keep the costs of ne hardware down companies such as VMware and Citrix have been running rampant over the last few years going full circle on the 1970's mainframe ideas except this time feeding Windows Desktops straight out of the comms room onto users desktops.

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Corel have recently announced Aftershock Pro a $100 package aimed directly at Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture as a photo workflow and management tool. and there is a Linux Option..

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With all the fuss it seems Ultra Thin PC's are here to stay. I'll put my hands up and own a MacBook Pro however i do this because of Lightroom. I've been looking at the Spec's for these Ultrabooks and the possibility of Corel Aftershot pro on Ubuntu and wonder which Linux Distro will get the best performance out of an ultrabook or will be have to wait 12 months for the community to catch up again..

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Yes, thats right.. An Encrypted, USB, Portable device in 10 minutes, which works.. Can be locked down, boots into Gnome2 if Unity fails, boots on an HP, Compaq, Dell and Apple because i've tested these, prints, webcams work, usb headsets work, Citrix client works, PPTP, OpenVPN, IPSec and runs ANY software from the Ubuntu repository..

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With the level of always on information we have available to us at the touch of a button there is a huge debate as to a simple question.

Are we smarter of are we dumber?

With access to all this information on a multitude of subjects, with opinions and related texts. With social media available to discuss and evaluate opinion with others of like mind the internet offers a wealth of information and follow up material for us.

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Twenty years ago this year the first smartphone, the Simon was invented its been a long and rocky road since then..

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I declare 2012 the Year of the Linux Desktop! At least on my computer.

Happy Birthday Susan aka srlinuxx!!! I can't believe you are 39 yet again! Hope you have a great day and a prosperous New Year.

Boxee was an early full screen playback system which suited Ubuntu well, and the community in the most part followed it creating their own set top boxes and starting the cut the cord revolution.

Well Boxee knows how to say thank you for that early desktop commitment...

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Everyone knows about video games and the issues facing them in Linux. Not as many people are aware though that tabletop role Playing Games are experiencing a bit of a surge in popularity and that Linux and other open source software are able to assist in that growth.