Ubuntu teases touch-based OS
updated 06:21 am EST, Tue January 1, 2013
Ubuntu set to reveal touch-based OS plans?
The Ubuntu homepage is teasing a countdown to what hints at a touch-based version of its Linux variant. The banner on the site reads, “So close, you can almost touch it,” setting the stage for a major announcement, or possible reveal, of the next iteration of the popular OS. The countdown is expected to run its course by 8AM ET on Wednesday, January 2nd, when all will be revealed.
Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth has previously hinted at his plans to extend the reach of the Ubuntu beyond desktop and notebook computers to smartphones and tablets. However, a fully touch compliant version of Ubuntu, 14.04 LTS, is not expected to launch until at least Q2 2014. So while a full-blown touch-based OS is not expected when the countdown ends, it will likely offer a clearer insight into what Canonical is cooking up.
Ubuntu remains the most popular Linux distro with over 20 million users. In a hat-tip to the increasingly ubiquitous operating system, Dell recently released its first notebook running Ubuntu pre-installed. The Developer Edition of the Dell XPS 13 can be ordered priced at around $1449, somewhat oddly priced higher than a Windows-based equivalent. [via Engadget]
