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Canonical to fund upstream Linux usability improvements |
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Written by Daniel
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Thursday, 11 September 2008 |
Canonical to fund upstream Linux usability improvements
ARS Technica
By Ryan Paul | Published: September 11, 2008 - 08:40AM CT
Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth announced Wednesday that his company, Canonical, will hire professional designers and interaction experts to improve the usability of the Linux desktop software ecosystem. They will work closely with upstream developers to bring a better experience to users of the open source operating system.
The charismatic frontman of the Ubuntu phenomenon made headlines for his keynote at OSCON earlier this year when he called for the open source software community to take on Apple and Microsoft and turn Linux into a platform that delivers superior usability and attractiveness. He echoed that sentiment on Monday when he announced plans for the upcoming Ubuntu 9.04 release (Jaunty Jackalope) and proclaimed that Ubuntu is ready to win in the consumer market and could be shipped on millions of devices in the coming year.
Shuttleworth is now backing up his tough talk with fat wads of cash and taking the first steps towards formulating a real plan for achieving his goals. In his announcement, he emphasizes the importance of making usability enhancement a community-driven effort. He acknowledges that improving usability across the entire scope of the desktop software ecosystem is a daunting challenge, but he believes that the collaborative spirit of the open software development model can get the job done." [ARS Technica...] [Comments...] |
