Comments on: Move Over, Netbooks: Ubuntu On Smartbooks?

By: Apple iPad: Helping or Hurting Ubuntu Mobile Internet Devices? | WorksWithU

Apple iPad: Helping or Hurting Ubuntu Mobile Internet Devices? | WorksWithU — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 23:20:43 +0000

[...] I said, I expect an update on Canonical’s MID strategy by mid-2010. And we’re also watching Ubuntu’s progress on so-called Smartbooks. Stay [...]

By: tecosystems » Androids, Tablets and Skylights, Oh My: The Q&A

tecosystems » Androids, Tablets and Skylights, Oh My: The Q&A — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:49:48 +0000

[...] chips, and the known issues list is grim reading. Which is likely why Qualcomm (who’s been hiring for this), Lenovo or both seem to have created their own flavor of Linux, with [...]

By: Ubuntu Weekly Newsletter #152 | Ubuntu-News - Your one stop for news about Ubuntu

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:40:54 +0000

[...] Weekly Newsletter #151 WorksWithULaunchpad Open-Sourced. Now What?Measuring Ubuntu’s Market ShareMove Over, Netbooks: Ubuntu On Smartbooks? Ubuntu GeekHowto configure PPTP VPN in Ubuntu Intrepid and JauntyHowto install VLC media player [...]

By: lmx

lmx — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:22:54 +0000

hi, me too i`m very excited with this.
How long take to buy one??

By: Zac

Zac — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:31:35 +0000

I would love an Ubuntu MID, smartbook or whatever it’s called.
‘Hiring Ubuntu talent…’ I like the sound of this.

By: Dan M

Dan M — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:53:16 +0000

This is definitely great info. I have been tracking the smartbook since the qualcomm announcement, so this article is definitely interesting. I came across another site which has all sorts of great news like this that I think you should check out. Take a look at http://www.smartbook.asia it has great info as well

By: Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:26:49 +0000

Omegamormegil: Thanks for the perspective. I could be wrong, but I think Snapdragon is basically a set of chips that are branded together … similar to how Intel branded Centrino. Just an educations (or some would say “uneducated”) guess on my part.

By: Omegamormegil

Omegamormegil — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:19:39 +0000

After watching the video, I notice that they have different models. Some are very similar to Nokia’s N800 (but more capable), some are like a very small netbook which fold like a laptop, and some are like a big Internet tablet. Interesting. So I suppose “Snapdragon” isn’t a particular device, but a brand of super mobile (thin, light, and 3G connected) Internet tablets.

By: Omegamormegil

Omegamormegil — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:17:51 +0000

How are these “new” devices different from Nokia’s N810? Isn’t it basically the same type of device, other than having a faster ARM processor and 3G?

http://www.nokiausa.com/find-products/phones/nokia-n810
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N810

By: Jef Spaleta

Jef Spaleta — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:05:40 +0000

@linuxlover:

I think in this context…its about packaging subsystem. Whatever Qualcomm is working on is most likely using the debian packaging system instead of rpm. And that makes perfect sense as Xandros and Debian and Ubuntu and Meamo…distributions with ARM port efforts underway are using the debian packaging system. I don’t know about Android..but those 4 do use the debian packaging system. Is Novel pushing an ARM port? Is Mandriva? I know Fedora has a ARM effort underway but ARM is not a major focus for Red Hat as a business so I don’t think its fair to stand up the Fedora ARM effort side by side with Xandros or Maemo at this point. Linpus announced an ARM porting effort and they use rpm..but I’ve no idea how far that is along really.

The point is..experience with one distribution that is using the debian packaging system would transfer over equally well to the other distributions. So its completely self-consistent for Qualcomm to desire people who have had experience with “Ubuntu/Debian” if they are targeting Xandros for example. And more importantly its not a critical skill. Its one skill among many they are hoping to catch. Since they are hiring multiple people, there’s probably room in the mix for one person with a lot of experience with debian packaging on the team together with other people who are experienced in the other desired areas but do not have the debian packaging experience.

-jef

By: LinuxLover

LinuxLover — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:52:05 +0000

But, why Ubuntu? Why do these companies continue to seek out Ubuntu, when it’s far from the most user friendly of Linux distros? They should really be seeking out Mandriva or Novell. Ubuntu should be kept away from Linux newbies. It still requires the command line for setting up things that it doesn’t setup correctly itself. This is exactly what new user that go back to Windows complain about…

By: Jef Spaleta

Jef Spaleta — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:35:29 +0000

Joe:
“Requires”…is a bit strong. You probably shouldn’t say that.
Don’t you know the difference between requirements and desires?

Ubuntu/Debian is listed as “desired” experience for the job openings inside a long list of such “desired” experience. The job application is only “required” to show multiple year experience in a subset of that list of “desired” experience areas.

The “required” experience section of the full listing makes it clearer…
* Minimum of 2 years experience in one of the areas mentioned above
* Excellent C/C++ programming skills

Based on that set of requirements I would fit as a hire even though I would not be able to to use Ubuntu as a bullet point among the other items. What’s really required is extensive C/C++ coding experience. Python and mono developers…need not apply.

-jef