Ubuntu Touch 14.04 on Nexus 7 - Screenshot Tour
Ubuntu Touch 14.04: A First Look
Canonical has announced that Ubuntu 14.04 LTS will serve as the foundation for the initial commercially available Ubuntu tablets.
To gain insight into the future of these devices, we undertook the installation of Ubuntu Touch 14.04 on our own systems.
Early Access and Current Status
It's important to note that we currently do not advise self-installation, as the experience remains under development and lacks full refinement.
Throughout this assessment, we will be referencing the project as "Ubuntu Touch," although it has been officially rebranded as "Ubuntu For Devices."
The aim of this hands-on experience is to provide a preview of what users can anticipate from the forthcoming Ubuntu tablets.
This evaluation focuses on the core functionality and overall user experience offered by the 14.04 release of Ubuntu Touch.
Initial System Display
Related: Key Aspects of Ubuntu 14.04 LTS
The user experience within Ubuntu's touch-based system centers around swipe gestures from the edges of the screen and concealed interface components – a design philosophy that shares similarities with Windows 8.
Upon startup or when unlocking an Ubuntu tablet or smartphone, the welcome screen is presented. This screen displays notifications for new emails, SMS messages, or other relevant information, alongside the current time and date. Should no new data be present, a "No data sources available" message will be shown.
The Dash Interface
Access the Dash, which functions as the home screen, by swiping inwards from the right edge of the welcome screen. This functionality closely mirrors the Dash found in Ubuntu’s Unity desktop environment. This similarity isn’t coincidental; Canonical aims for code consistency between the desktop and touch iterations of Ubuntu.
Future development intends for both desktop and touch versions to utilize a unified version of Unity, dynamically adapting its interface based on the device in use.
Within the Dash, you can locate both installed applications and those available for installation. Simply tap an installed app to initiate it, or tap an available app to access further information and proceed with installation.
To view comprehensive lists of your installed apps or available apps, tap the “My apps” or “Available” headings respectively. Initiate a search for new applications by tapping the Search box located at the screen’s top.
As anticipated, a virtual keyboard will appear when you select the Search field or any other input area.
The launcher extends beyond merely listing applications. Tapping the “Apps” heading at the top reveals concealed options: Music, Video, and Scopes. This subtle navigation is a recurring element throughout Ubuntu’s applications and may initially be overlooked.
Navigate between these screens by swiping either left or right.
These screens bear resemblance to the distinct panels within Unity on the desktop platform. The Scopes section provides access to the various search scopes you have installed.
These scopes are utilized to refine search results from different sources when initiating a search from the Dash.
Utilize the Music or Videos scopes to search for locally stored media files on your device, or to search for media content online. For instance, a search within the Music scope will, by default, display results from Grooveshark.
Exploring Ubuntu Touch Navigation
The launcher, providing shortcuts to applications, can be accessed by swiping inwards from the left side of the screen. This functionality mirrors the left-side launcher found in Ubuntu’s Unity desktop environment – a deliberate design choice.
To exit an application, a swipe from the left edge is utilized. The launcher will then become visible; continue moving your finger towards the right side of the display to dismiss the current app and return to the Dash.
Upon returning to the Dash, recently used applications are displayed as thumbnails under the 'Recent' section. Tapping a thumbnail will restore that application to the foreground. To close an app from this view, a long press followed by tapping the 'X' button will remove it.
A quick swipe from the right edge of the screen allows for rapid switching between recently opened applications. Holding your finger down while swiping from the right reveals a full application switcher, presenting all active apps for selection.
Access to the indicator panel is achieved by swiping downwards from the top of the screen. From here, users can manage Wi-Fi connections, view scheduled events, control GPS and Bluetooth functionality, adjust volume levels, and view incoming messages. This panel provides convenient access to system settings and notifications, similar to the indicators in Ubuntu’s Unity desktop.
The Applications
System configurations not present within the dropdown menu can be found in the System Settings application. Access is achieved by tapping 'My apps' on the Dash, selecting 'System Settings', searching for the application directly, or activating the settings icon from the launcher bar.
While the available settings are somewhat constrained when contrasted with other operating systems, a significant number of essential options are included. Accounts for services like Evernote, Ubuntu One, Twitter, Facebook, and Google can be added from this location. Utilizing a complimentary Ubuntu One account is a prerequisite for both downloading and updating applications. A Google account facilitates the synchronization of contacts and calendar events.
Within Ubuntu, applications are categorized as either native or web-based. For instance, the default Twitter, Gmail, Amazon, Facebook, and eBay applications are all web apps, effectively displaying each service’s mobile website within an application interface.
Conversely, applications such as Weather, Calendar, Dialer, Calculator, and Notes are developed as native applications. Both application types are designed to scale effectively across varying screen resolutions. A future goal is to enable application compatibility between Ubuntu Touch and Ubuntu desktop, allowing them to adapt to diverse display sizes and input methods.
Similar to applications in Windows 8, Ubuntu applications initially conceal interface elements, presenting a full-screen content view. To reveal these elements, a swipe gesture originating from the bottom of the application screen is required. For example, swiping up within the Web Browser app exposes buttons for Back, Forward, and Refresh, alongside the address bar and an Activity button for managing current and recent web pages.
A further upward swipe reveals a central button within the application. Tapping this button accesses a wider range of settings and options. This serves as an overflow area for application functions that do not readily fit on the primary navigation bar.
The Terminal application includes several unexpected Easter eggs within this panel, notably an option labeled "Hack into the NSA". Selecting this option displays the following text within the terminal:
That's not very nice, now tracing your location . . . . . . . . . . . .Trace failed
You got away this time, but don't try again.
It is anticipated that such playful additions will be removed prior to the official release of Ubuntu Touch on commercial devices.
Significant progress has been made with Ubuntu Touch, however, it is currently not recommended for everyday use. Notably, a dedicated email client is absent, requiring users to access their email through mobile websites. The number of available applications is limited, and a substantial portion of those present are simply mobile websites packaged as applications.
Currently, the operating system is not fully refined for general consumers; it functions primarily as a preview intended for developers and device manufacturers. Installation is possible on a Wi-Fi enabled Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 10, or Nexus 4 device for those wishing to experiment, following the installation instructions provided by Ubuntu.