Have you ever tried to set-up an Ubuntu system with only dialup? A bloody nightmare.

In the same way java downloads the client from the server and runs it in a vm, Ubuntu and the software we use are the clients that we download and run on our machines.

Additionaly, businesses can be very concerned about who controls their confidential data, that’s why Linux can provide them the control and reassurance that they’re top-of-the-line new technology, Ubuntu, that they need, and that’s why I feel that Ubuntu has a real shot at revolutionizing desktop computing.

Chrome is an interesting addition because it pulls emphasis away from any particular OS, but wait… this is where GNU/Linux wins. If what you need is a secure base from which to run apps, play your music and videos, and access information through a browser, then GNU/Linux frees you in so many ways — financially, license-wise, and you get to take your data with you if you want to leave.

(The real reason most Windows users don’t switch is because proprietary lock-in is designed to make it damn near impossible to leave!)

2. Perhaps things are improving, but most web applications are little fun for old-school data entry people and typists. CPU runs very high, resulting in a choppy interface. Menus are not easily accessible from the keyboard. Using a tab key to move to the next entry doesn’t always work right. Pressing the Enter key is sometimes a guess whether you’ll get a new line or submit the whole page without a chance to go back. Saving your work to come back later to finish isn’t usually available. I’ve seen all of these things quite well addressed by different web applications, but seldom all at once. It’s a code quality thing, and most times (with some big exceptions!) desktop applications are nicer to use because the quality (from the users perspective) is higher.

As time goes by, the definition of the OS will change dramatically as more and more apps will have their backends hooked into the mother matrix of google or . Ubuntu will have to offer the infrastructure necessary to satisfy the integration of such applications because they might not all come from google ;-). Time will tell.

My proposal is to make it really easy to run a (home) web server with Ubuntu, maybe even release a Ubuntu Home Server Edition. Have a great framework for installing and (auto-)updating free web applications and maybe even partner with hardware manufacturers to build a low-energy and reliable home server box. If this synchronizes with a ‘cloud’ of the user’s choice (which may be Amazon’s or Google’s, maybe eventually Canonical’s) for backup, all advantages of web applications and free software will be combined.

Also, the whole focus on hybrid web applications and especially gadgets/widgets seems a bit like a waste of time to me. I have yet to see one that makes the user more productive. (Okay, Google Earth is cool, but as soon as it’s possible they’ll make the obvious switch to a full web application.)

On the whole I would still rather use desktop than web apps – GIMP (Ubuntu) or Irfanview (Windows) offering much more than Picasa or Picnik (flickr). I do use WordPress.com not org – but I am seriousl;y considering something that miught cost money just to get more functionality. WordPress.org has many more widgets!

For most people it is simply a matter of ease of use.

If my world primarily focused on youtube, i would have a big problem. Because on my desktop computer flash crashes the browser 1 out of the 5 times, on my laptop it “only” crashes for ever 1 out of 20. So since I didnt know better, I would assume that this was an unstable OS, a badly coded browser or something like this.

Dont get me wrong, i love Ubuntu, but I’m afraid thats mostly because im a bit conservative in my choice of applications, mainly being desktop.

The only other thing i can say is: i guess we’ll see.