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This looks like what Ubuntu had set out to do several years ago but never delivered on. The screenshots seem to be showing actual desktop Linux applications, so

This looks like what Ubuntu had set out to do several years ago but never delivered on. The screenshots seem to be showing actual desktop Linux applications, so I guess there's an X (or Wayland) server being fired up, which is pretty sweet; I dig the idea of having access to "real" tools without having my own PC or booting to USB. Oddly though, despite this being a distribution of Linux and Android, it seems like it's aiming for a commercial/closed-source release. I wonder how that's going to work?

stcredzero 11y ago
This looks like what Ubuntu had set out to do several years ago but never delivered on. Also looks like something that OQO had in mind over a decade and a half ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OQO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OQO
- BHSPitMonkey 11y ago
  Cool hardware, but it doesn't look like their product tried to also be your mobile phone; more like a Pocket PC on steroids.
  - stcredzero 11y ago
    Cool hardware, but it doesn't look like their product tried to also be your mobile phone It tried to be a text message/email/personal assistant that was also your PC. There were mobile phones back then, and even PDA/phone mashups, but the iPhone wouldn't be around until the 7th year of the company.
- em3rgent0rdr 11y ago
  looks like what Motorola delivered on 5 years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Atrix_4G#Webtop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Atrix_4G#Webtop (despite negative reviews, I had one when it came out and plugged it into hdmi monitor or webtop to use like a computer quite often...although primarily useful for watching netflix on big screen and browsing internet.)
  - frozenport 11y ago
    It cost more then a Netbook. What the heck were they thinking!
    - em3rgent0rdr 11y ago
      you don't have to have to buy the webtop inorder to use the hdmi output, which will convert into a desktop (I think I had to use a custom rom, though). I can't blame them for trying to make money and being innovative. Although, I would have liked a generic standardized keyboardscreen interface so could use any hdmi+usb cellphone with any keyboardscreen.
- rorosaurus 11y ago
  It's been a long time since I've reminisced about the MID/UMPC craze. I remember trying to save my money for months for an OQO and reading review blogs on all the new devices every week. What a time to be alive. Looking back, the present mobile device market feels so boring in comparison.
NoGravitas 11y ago
Android is Apache licensed, so they don't have to release any Android code that they modify. The kernel is GPL2, so they would have to release any kernel changes, if they made any. The Debian distribution they use can be unmodified, probably. So everything they actually create can be in proprietary-land.
aruggirello 11y ago
> This looks like what Ubuntu had set out to do several years ago but never delivered on. Ubuntu did not deliver their 'Convergence' yet, but apparently they're working hard to do it. This was on HN just yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11034516 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11034516

stcredzero 11y ago

This looks like what Ubuntu had set out to do several years ago but never delivered on. Also looks like something that OQO had in mind over a decade and a half ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OQO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OQO

BHSPitMonkey 11y ago
Cool hardware, but it doesn't look like their product tried to also be your mobile phone; more like a Pocket PC on steroids.
- stcredzero 11y ago
  Cool hardware, but it doesn't look like their product tried to also be your mobile phone It tried to be a text message/email/personal assistant that was also your PC. There were mobile phones back then, and even PDA/phone mashups, but the iPhone wouldn't be around until the 7th year of the company.
em3rgent0rdr 11y ago
looks like what Motorola delivered on 5 years ago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Atrix_4G#Webtop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Atrix_4G#Webtop (despite negative reviews, I had one when it came out and plugged it into hdmi monitor or webtop to use like a computer quite often...although primarily useful for watching netflix on big screen and browsing internet.)
- frozenport 11y ago
  It cost more then a Netbook. What the heck were they thinking!
  - em3rgent0rdr 11y ago
    you don't have to have to buy the webtop inorder to use the hdmi output, which will convert into a desktop (I think I had to use a custom rom, though). I can't blame them for trying to make money and being innovative. Although, I would have liked a generic standardized keyboardscreen interface so could use any hdmi+usb cellphone with any keyboardscreen.
rorosaurus 11y ago
It's been a long time since I've reminisced about the MID/UMPC craze. I remember trying to save my money for months for an OQO and reading review blogs on all the new devices every week. What a time to be alive. Looking back, the present mobile device market feels so boring in comparison.

NoGravitas 11y ago

Android is Apache licensed, so they don't have to release any Android code that they modify. The kernel is GPL2, so they would have to release any kernel changes, if they made any. The Debian distribution they use can be unmodified, probably. So everything they actually create can be in proprietary-land.

aruggirello 11y ago

> This looks like what Ubuntu had set out to do several years ago but never delivered on. Ubuntu did not deliver their 'Convergence' yet, but apparently they're working hard to do it. This was on HN just yesterday: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11034516 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11034516