Ubuntu

The mobile market today has practically been what former Microsoft-then-Nokia-then-Microsoft-again exec Stephen Elop loved to refer to as a two-horse race. Android and iOS have been butting heads quarter after quarter, year after year. Despite their popularity and ubiquity, neither is truly perfect and neither can really meet everyone's needs and preferences. Which leaves a little wiggle room for other platforms (that includes Windows 10) to try and fill in the gaps. This time around we are going to take a closer look at one the newer challengers, Ubuntu Touch, as it is embodied in the recent bq Aquaris M10 tablet. How does it fare against the bevy of Android, iOS, and even Windows tablets scattered throughout the market? And does it have what it takes to not only stand tall and proud but also to survive? Read on to find our verdict.

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One cannot claim that Canonical is lacking in ambition. The company behind the most popular Linux desktop software has risen up to challenge the dominance of Microsoft and Apple on the desktop and is doing the same on Android and iOS on mobile. Ubuntu Phones, however, have so far been on the low to mid range side, belying the full potential of Ubuntu's mobile version. The Meizu PRO 5, however, is about to change that perception, and this most powerful Ubuntu phone is finally on the market, available for purchase.

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We already saw the telltale signs, but you might still do a double take when you hear the official word. Microsoft and Ubuntu creator and owner Canonical have indeed made it possible to run Linux user space commands on an image of Ubuntu running on Windows 10 natively. No virtual machines, no containers, no dockers. While that might mean little to anyone except for developers, power users, and Linux users, it does open the door to possibilities but also raises some questions on Microsoft's real goal.

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2015 and 2016 might be remembered as the years when hell froze over repeatedly, in no small part thanks to Microsoft. The company whose CEO once described Linux as a cancer is seemingly now going through hoops to proclaim its love for the open source OS, and not without some amount of suspicion from the other side. Adding to its Visual Studio Code IDE for Linux and SQL Server for Linux, Microsoft might soon be revealing how it partnered with Canonical to let Ubuntu run on Windows 10 natively, without the use of a virtual machine.

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Linux users who've been looking for some new, quality hardware to run their preferred operating system on are in luck, as Dell has just released a handful of new laptop options, starting with the Intel Skylake-featuring XPS 13. The latest developer edition of the laptop keeps the super-thin screen bezels and impressive display, but simply replaces Windows with Ubuntu Linux 14.04 as the standard shipping software.

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Canonical and its Linux-based Ubuntu OS have recently received some attention via the announcement of the rather intriguing bq Aquaris M10 tablet. And it seems that the open source company isn't immune to the call of MWC 2016. Just in time for the start of the mobile madness, Ubuntu reveals that two community efforts have brought the "converged" mobile experience to rather older smartphones, the Sony Xperia Z1 and OnePlus One. Unofficially, however, there might be even more in the works that could be revealed at MWC this week.

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Canonical has just announced the latest and most high spec'd Ubuntu Phone on its team. Partnering once again with Chinese OEM Meizu, that two have taken the Meizu PRO 5 from last year and turned it into a full-fledged Ubuntu Phone. Ubuntu calls it one of the highest spec phones in the market, which might be true until MWC 2016 next week. However, given recent computing developments and news, it might be Ubuntu's Convergence feature that is the most interesting aspect of the OS. Unfortunately, on this phone that feature is a bit unclear.

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The Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition tablet is launched as part of a collection of "converged devices" running Ubuntu OS. They say it'll be dynamic. They suggest it'll look fantastic. This one tablet represents the full Ubuntu experience, including both a "mobile-based full touch interface" and a "true PC experience" on one device. This tablet can act on its own or work with an additional display, as well. Canonical's new series of "converged devices" is being launched alongside Euro partner BQ.

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If neither Android or iOS tickle your fancy when it comes to smartphones and Windows Phone is still too mainstream for you, there are other options. In fact, Meizu has a smartphone called the MX4 that runs Ubuntu Phone OS, which will make fans of Ubuntu positively giddy. Details on the European launch of the smartphone have now surfaced and the device will land in Europe this month.

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The second Ubuntu phone has just landed, fulfilling a promise that has been at least a year in the making. In China, The Meizu Ubuntu MX4 can already be grabbed by developers, with a promise that it would be available to European customers soon. Although bq's Aquaris E4.5 did beat Meizu to the punch, the Ubuntu-bearing MX4 does offer some more or less higher specs but with a matching higher price tag as well. That, however, might still make it a more interesting option for those greatly interested in this alternative mobile platform.

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It's no secret that Canonical wants its Ubuntu Linux operating system to replace Window, but to do so it needs to expand beyond its current mostly desktop, and some server, presence. While it's mobile efforts are still en route, aside form a lone bq Aquaris, the company is already planning on integrating deeper into your home through the so-called Internet of Things or IoT. And this time, it isn't doing it by itself but is enlisting the help of some big names like GE, Acer, and, ironically, Microsoft.

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Computers are getting smaller and smaller. Just look at the ones in your pocket or even on your wrist. Even traditional PCs now have "nano" and "pico" sizes that can fit in almost any nook and cranny or even in your pocket. And Cloudsto's two new X86 Nano PCs might be something you will indeed carry around with you. Because aside from running a full Windows 8.1 or Ubuntu OS, the small computer actually has its own battery to power it up away from a socket. It can even charge your smartphone on a pinch.

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