Ubuntu Tablets?

The iPad is setting the standard for the revived tablet market. What is it about Apple that makes these products so great? In part it is Apple dedication to user experience; but would it be argue that the larger factor in their success is Apple end-to-end control of the product. They make the hardware and the operating systems, and build the two to work in near-perfect synchronicity. A lot of CrunchGear commenters say they’re really waiting for a Windows 7 tablet to compete with the iPad, but I say they will be waiting for a long, long time: Windows 7 on the multitude of tablet hardware options will be just like Windows 7 on desktop PCs: an appeal to the lowest common denominator, thereby hobbling both hardware and OS advances. (And I actually like Windows 7, so belay the Apple fanboy comments for a moment.) But what about an Ubuntu tablet? The svelt, modular Linux kernel has breathed new life into many aging PCs, and Canonical has been working on a netbook-specific interface for Ubuntu for some time. They have multitouch support, now, too, so couldn’t they pretty quickly roll out a wonderful Ubuntu-powered tablet.

The multitouch stuff in Ubuntu is interesting in its own right, since they are developing a whole "touch language" that will allow for chaining touch sequences into sentences of complex actions. I’m actually quite excited to see how this develops, especially since the multi-touch libraries are hosted on Launchpad for public consumption and participation. More on this below.