Home Editorial What Ubuntu Can Take Away From The Raspberry Revolution
March 2, 2012 42 Comments

What Ubuntu Can Take Away From The Raspberry Revolution

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While the $25 Raspberry Pi is turning a million eyeballs, Canonical’s incessant attempts at conquering non-Ubuntuers don’t seem to be working out as hoped or planned. Even though Shuttleworth, Canonical’s benevolent dictator, has decided to go all out in order to reach his 200-million mark as early as possible, the efforts are still visibly falling short. The recent announcements including Ubuntu TV and Ubuntu for Android have created some buzz among the non-Linuxiens, it’s still nothing compared to what Raspberry Pi has achieved in such a short span of time. Not only has Raspberry given users an affordable computer, it also has started a revolution like the iPad did with tablets. And, instead of looking at TVs, tablets, and smartphones, this is the model Ubuntu should look to emulate rather than running around in a thousand directions.

Affordable computing: A failure so far

When it comes to cheap, affordable computing, there hasn’t been much success so far. That does not mean that there haven’t been any efforts in this department; on the contrary, many vendors, and even governments have tried to come out with cheap, affordable computers that are accessible to all. However, those efforts haven’t been as successful as Raspberry Pi, which, has now been deemed as BBC Micro 2.0. For example, Indian government did come up with the $35 Aakash tablet but that didn’t live up to the expectations of the consumers, and furthermore, it was buried in problems like poor memory and a lack of proper support infrastructure. The Raspberry Pi however, has managed to spark a revolution for Linux like the iPhone did for Apple. Okay, well, maybe not on that big a scale but nonetheless, it has still managed to create ripples in the stagnant pond of desktop Linux.

Raspberry Pi: This changes everything

Forget the cynics, but even the ones who’re deeply involved in the technology industry believe that the age of the desktop is over, and that the penguin will never take flight in this domain. Raspberry Pi challenges this notion by bringing the desktop to a market which has always been ignored by companies like Apple and Microsoft. Even Canonical, which seemed to have shifted their focus from desktop to mobile, believe that the tablet, TV, and mobile is the market to target. However, Raspberry approaches a market that most people never thought of, thus reminding people that Linux is not dead.

Canonical, if it’s listening, should take cues from this success story and try to come up with its own affordable computer. Maybe not a $25 device, even a fully-functional $100 single-board computer will sell like hot pancakes instead of banking on the bloating and competitive TV, mobile, and tablet market.

Is there a market for Ubuntu?

Yes indeed; there is a huge market for Canonical in this department. If they build a simple, single-board device with Ubuntu loaded on it and sell it at less than $100, there’s very little doubt that it will sell like hot pancakes. The advantage Canonical will have over Raspberry in this department is the fact that Ubuntu’s branding as well as its easy-to-use interface will gain more adoption than any other distribution. Moreover, Ubuntu is used by many governments already, making it easy for them to distribute the device to schools and colleges who cannot afford computing. Having said that, it seems rather unlikely that Ubuntu will ever target this sector. It’s focus seems to be fixed on the higher end of the consumer spectrum, that is mobiles, TVs, and tablets.

What do you think?

So, what do you think? Will an Ubuntu-branded $100(or less) single-board device spell success to Canonical? Or will it just fizzle out?

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  • Nightflier

    I want not one, but several of these devices. With or without Ubuntu. Have pre-orders for both the Pi and Cotton Candy.

  • http://profiles.google.com/fred.warren Fred Warren

    All I see is Canonical snatching defeat from the jaws of victory as they have done so often in the past.  They are committed to Unity. I think that decision would work out fine on a sub $150 tablet. In the market where the Raspberry Pi lives, not so much. I don’t want a cheap $50 computer with unity on it. Gnome 2, Enlightenment or Fluxbox, but not Unity or Gnome 3. 

    • http://techlaze.com Tech Laze

      Hmm, but won’t it be a better idea for Canonical to go with Unity 2D instead of any other desktop environment? That way, they’d be able to expose the new UI to a broader range of users.

    • Nathan Hulse

      I dunno, the 3D capabilities of the Raspberry Pi are exceptional for the price point, why not run Compiz or Mutter? But yes, maybe full Unity or Gnome-Shell would be too much. This is where Compiz could shine, due to it’s modular nature.

      Then again, why run Ubuntu on a device with so little memory? It won’t be able to cope with all the Ubuntu desktop fluff, so why not just run Debian instead…?!

  • John Beetem

    Well, the obvious thing is to make Ubuntu run on RasPi.  I’ve read that Canonical doesn’t want to support ARMv6 any more, but with millions of potential customers out there maybe they should take another look.  The GPU has plenty of processing power for all the graphical gewgaws.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/evan.bryan.summers Evan Summers

    Canonical is going after mainstream market with Desktop, Mobile and TV – and they are right to do so – Google is doing the same.

    They are not going after the hobbyist market (they have enough Linux hobbyists on the Desktop ;)  

    Maybe they missed a trick with Rasberry Pi. Having said that they decided to focus on ARM v7, which is the future – for smartphones, tablets, TVs and as well as servers :)
    They have to rationalise their resources. 

    There will be ultra low cost ARMv7 boards in near future, and Ubuntu will run on those :)

  • jimv2000

    Successful? They sold a bunch of units to a small niche market.  That’s hardly successful.  We don’t even know if sales are sustainable.  I don’t think anything has been achieved yet, other than showing that there are some geeks that will drop $25-35 on a novelty.

    • http://techlaze.com Tech Laze

      Well, it is successful, especially when you compared to what has happened with other Linux-based hardware like netbooks. Even the OLPC, which was touted as one of the biggest achievements in affordable computing, never managed to achieve what Raspberry Pi has done. Moreover, BBC and CNN are, after a really long time I guess, covering a complete Linux-based device. As a Linux supporter, I’m happy with this development, even if it caters to a niche market. Please read: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/29/tech/raspberry-pi-launch/index.html

      • jimv2000

        Yes yes, I keep hearing that it’s “successful”, but successful in what way? Selling a batch of units doesn’t not a success make.

        • mf2020

          If you read the Innovators Dilemma by Clay Christensen, you may find that discovering a new niche market and selling a batch of 10 000 computers in a matter of minutes is enough of a success to further encourage a small organisation to go on doing their thing. 

          It does not make a dent in a larger companys profit, but then again it’s not in the large companies that the real innovation happens.

          Selling 10 000 of something is the whole world for a minor company, but is considered a complete failure to a multinational.

        • Przemysław Lib

           DDoSing of two independent distributors IS BIG SUCCESS for “desktop” Linux :D

          AFAIK no other Linux managed that it the past :)

          Ofc for sale numbers we will have to wait a bit (did I mentioned technical problems of distributors?). However it is confirmed that all available units have been sold :) at least in from one distributor!

          On the other hand I fail to understand how you can call for hard data to prove “successful” is correct, and then happily fail yourself to prove “batch of units” is correct too … (not to mention “bunch of units”, and “small niche market”)

        • Fandangio

          It does if that was the objective of the exercise!

    • stoolpigeon

       Exactly right jimv2000 — it’s way too early to be calling the raspberry pi a revolution or going on about how incredibly successful it is. They sold 10k units.

      I’m not saying it wont succeed. I think it’s going to do well in the long run if they can stick to the prices they have set. But it’s all speculation right now and only time will tell.

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  • Przemysław Lib

     Do we have sale figures, already?
    Can I have link pls?

  • http://www.fanlesstech.com/ FanlessTech

    A $100 ARM based Ubuntu computer could finally put Linux on the map.

  • Mangolok

    i disagree with you that canonical is trying to squash non-ubuntuers,and i think there is a lot of misunderstanding and mistrust here.however,the raspberry pie is a great idea, and if ubuntu joined the project it will be a great boon for all of us

  • theoldfellow

    It’s too early to tell, but I agree all the signs are there.  If by Christmas’12 the Pi is still hot news, and the volume is still high, then I think you have made the right prediction.  I have a pre-order in for a Pi and, if it lives up to expectation, I see it as a way of distributing compute power in a way that has not previously been economic.  Of course, that it runs Linux is good, because that’s what I know best, but I don’t care much if it says “Made by Ubuntu” on the tin, in fact Arch is a better distro for hobbyists all round.

  • Nihilus

    Lots of admins are looking to replace Ubuntu on the desktop with something more reliable. Nobody in the business world has asked for or wants Unity and Gnome3. They try to break in a world dominated by Apple(iPad) and Android, as a result they may loose both the Desktop and mobile market. So please Shuttlenut don’t get involved in the R-pi, they are doing just fine without you. The R-pi gives us the opportunity to make our own devices, appliances, thin clients …. with software we want and control. 

  • DrMcLaser

     Well there is nothing wrong with Ubuntu targeting the “higher level consumer items”, but it would definitely be awesome to see Ubuntu target schools with cheap arm based desktops or maybe even laptops. Or in fact, cheap consumer oriented arm based deviced!

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  • justareader

    I will buy one very soon. You are right in that it attracts many Linux users. Ubuntu is trying to win over the Windows crowd I think. That is something extremely hard to do. Speaking of school boards, ours switched back to Windows after buying an Ubuntu based netbook for every child. The reason? I quote the teachers “We turned them on and there was nothing in there we could use. Microsoft Office was replaced by something else that did not even look like Office. Totally unusable”. The school boards may be broke but they will find the money for Windows machines. Or as one school is doing now, to buy iPads for each student. 

    • Charlie Whitman

      That shows just how narrow-minded people can be.  They can’t be troubled to learn anything new unless its already a fad.  There’s nothing difficult or unusable about a Linux desktop for schoolwork.  My nephew uses his Linux laptop for schoolwork all the time.

  • anon7

    Ubuntu will not support the Raspberry pi. I think it’s because of the ARM v6 core.
    see: http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs

    There are versions of Arch and Fedora available:
    http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/746 
    http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/688 

    Hopefully, someone will compile a low-resource variant of Ubuntu (probably Lubuntu) for Raspi

  • Xsjsx

    No keyboard, no monitor, no power supply, no disk, no mouse… don’t you think you should add a few – non cheap – items into the mix before you tout it as cheap desktop computing?

    • guest

      A case/enclosure would be nice too.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Alan-Schmidt/100000506582806 Alan Schmidt

    Are you asking what we think about Canonical transforming from a software company to selling hardware? I think it’s a silly idea.

    About as silly as equating “Desktop Linux” with “Ubuntu.”

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/LPGTSO7SY55GJBHV3I4X7YGS4E bil

    Isn’t this article jumping the gun quite a bit by declaring 1 piece of hardware as more successful then Ubuntu?  The Pi looks nice, but it is just hardware that has a lot of hype, but not much else to back it up.  It has potential, but can it live up to it?

  • CW

    Buzzzannoying! “I’ll take poor Assumptions for $100, Alex”.

    First, this is hardware. Second, like a movie star who becomes an overnight success in 20 years, this didn’t just happen. There were almost 10 years of prep for this overnight success.  Then, Ubuntu has already passed on this, so why not focus on those who are on-board? Fedora, Arch, Debian, and that’s just for starters.

    My 2¢ worth.

  • piven

    > is the fact that Ubuntu’s branding as well as its easy-to-use interface will gain more >adoption than any other distribution

    stop using that as a selling point.
    Unity feedback hasnt been good enough for you to use this as one of the two reasons why Ubuntu would have the edge. Brand awareness? No doubt. But also blowback from within the different communit-IES surrounding it (you can call it jealousy if you so desire)
    Its easy to use (!) interface is not different than a choice than Android, IOS, KDE’s Plasma netbook touchie thing I say demoed on the Spark tablet (another great DIY push that wont do huge numbers but might inpower smaller projects to push their field further out)

    Unity is NOT of the two reasons why Ubuntu brand is widespread. Considering that true believers were telling you the same thing about GNOME just 2yrs ago tells you all you need to know about ‘being on message’.
    That sounds like one of those selling points we get to hear quite often in tech.
    Hang around the Metro forums and you will hear the same: OUR desktop is why people will like Win8. Its idiotic. Those users are locked into the cycle and good desktop or not, some will stay on 7 and even on XP, but most will buy pre-loaded machines at Best Buy and online and they will take it with the OS de service. Plain and simple.

    Look, Pi as also about beer and speech and the 35$ is just too sweet.
    For 100 bucks I can get something to play around with on my spare time, plug another in the TV in our little homegym corner and give one to church and have them run a simple web surfing station (wireless printer). A lot of elderly people dont have internet so come to church and surf and email and even IM-Skype there. One more station with a spare TV would be welcomed.
    You know how much it cost for our last supper in a nice restaurant for my wifes birthday?
    More than a 100$.
    This thing isnt a life changer for us but for people living under or on the edge being able to have a computer for 35$ plus accessories, it is.
    Of course, in most cities Ive been, the problem is also with internet costs. Many places in the US have seen laws passed so that municipal govts cant implliment city wide free or mininal cost wifi. The choices for internet in too many places are non-existant or non-competitive.
    But tahts another story.

    Pi is the perfect storm.
    Free software lovers adore it because of the share ethos.
    Hippies love feeling good about the feelgood aspect of hte non-profit.
    Linux lovers love that its a nice way to spead Fedora (because any good win in exposure for Fedora will be good for Linux in general, even though im a PCLOS user)
    Cheap bastards lover the price.
    Academics love to fart authoratively over it.
    People who love to tinker love its possibilities.
    School robotics programs are thrilled of low cost access to this kind of computing power.
    And I could go on.

    Many people see themselves in the Raspberry Pi, for different reasons.

    Many people saw themselves share in the success of Ubuntu at first too because what was good for Ubuntu was good for Linux overall. And then something happened and people didnt as much anymore…..

    I dont think this will happen to the Pi.
    Its greatest success will be if other foundations are started elsewhere on the planet using the same components and philosophies.

  • Ryan J Newby

    Yes I am going to buy ne to, I love new technlogy that is not only like unlocked eg I can ut on diff os if I want,its cheap, its got great features,.. first project build os for this device that is use in internet cafe, eg monitors and the device, maintence free, yahoo, thank you matr,, wishes there were opp to be a reseller in australia… I reakon I can sell heaps for the right price..

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  • http://twitter.com/BiggieD Donald McArthur

    I know that current version of Ubuntu have issues with the CPU used in the Pi, but I don’t understand what is to stop Canonical from making future version of Ubuntu compatible.

    • Anonimo

       In 2008 Canonical took the decision to make Ubuntu compatible only with ARM v7  processors. ARM V7 processors have  better features and by focusing on newer processors  Canonical will reduce costs.

      But Canonical mantains an open door to those who wants to mantain and support an ARM V6 version of Ubuntu, only they will not pay for it.

  • Rubenfgordon

    dude, relax this is a not zero sum game, stop attacking Ubuntu, we all win if Raspberry Pi, Ubuntu   or any other version of linux gain some ground, stop being a little 15 year old whiny kid. Please guys. You don’t realize that you will go down history like the whiny, destructive and wrong people, when we read about this 10 years or 20 from now. Calm down, if you don’t have anything good to say so just don’t say anything.

  • http://twitter.com/LenFirewood Len Firewood

    I want one and am hoping that the backers can quickly solve the production and distribution issues in order to service the enormous demand and interest all the publicity has generated.

  • http://twitter.com/LenFirewood Len Firewood

    I also think that the so called tablet market is based mostly on hype as a way of selling cheap underpowered equipment via “crippled” os’s (android, ios etc) at exorbitant rates. The raspberry pi shows that highly capable hardware can be supplied at extremely affordable costs and that all is needed now are affordable mobile display only devices (say around 10″ display sizes similar to ipad and netbooks) that could integrate with raspberry pi for a very competitive alternative to most of the over priced and over hyped “tablet” offerings out there at the moment.