We’re all focused on the Ubuntu convergence and how the Ubuntu phone can turn into a desktop experience, but we forgot about the other side of the coin. We now also have a desktop that can turn into a phone.
The ability to connect your phone to display, mouse, and keyboard, and to get the full desktop experience sounds like something that would be nice to have someday. Canonical has been working towards achieving this convergence goal for a few years now, and they are finally reaching a point where they can show off their technology in a way that’s easily recognizable by users.
We knew that Ubuntu could turn into a desktop, but for a long time, it wasn’t really usable. The truth is that it’s still not ready for daily use, but the way it is presenting itself right now indicates that it’s a lot closer to what people are expecting.
Convergence is more than just that
The reason a phone can turn into a desktop is because the two operating systems are slowing becoming one. Convergence for Ubuntu also means that Ubuntu for phones and Ubuntu for the desktop will soon share the same underlying code, making the user experience a seamless one.
Canonical’s CEO, Jane Silber, posted an image on Twitter, and it is not something that we haven’t seen until now, but what she said is actually quite interesting. “The desktop isn’t dead; it’s just easier to carry around.”
The current hardware that’s being shown to transform from an Ubuntu phone to an Ubuntu desktop is a Nexus 4 phone, and it was released three years ago.
Today’s phones are much more powerful, and they get better with each new generation. In a couple more years, we will probably switch systems altogether; we’ll be using our desktop computers for regular work, and at the end of the day, they turn into regular phones.
The desktop isn’t dead, it’s just easier to carry around. #ubuntu #convergence pic.twitter.com/7PpVkszadr — Jane Silber (@silbs) December 11, 2015
Via Softpedia