Shuttleworth criticizes switching tablet gui Windows 8

According to the CEO of Canonical, the transition between the new Metro interface and the traditional interface of Windows 8 is too big for users. With Ubuntu, they took a different approach because otherwise the OS would end up ‘like Windows 8’.

Canonical’s Mark Shuttleworth, driving force behind Ubuntu, defended the choice of Unity and the decision to roll out Ubuntu to various devices at OScon 2012. describes omgubuntu. Each version must be given a custom interface. “Different form factors need different interfaces. But they can be part of the same family,” said Shuttleworth, calling the decision to bring Ubuntu to phones, tablets and even TVs “controversial.”

“Four years ago we decided on a challenge for Ubuntu and we said to each other, ‘Okay we want to focus on design and the user experience’. We want to innovate and we want to see if we can get ahead of Apple and Microsoft,” said the Canonical CEO. He says the decision was made to customize the desktop for each device “because otherwise we’d end up like Windows 8.”

“In Windows 8 you have a glitzy tablet interface and you use it but then you click the wrong button and then you get a slap in the face and Windows 7 is back. Then you think ‘okay, I know this’ so get you’re back on that but then, whack, Windows 8 is back again,” Shuttleworth says.

In general, he says, extensive testing shows that users find the Unity interface simpler than Mac OS X’s, but not Windows’ one: “The one from four years ago sucked.” Last week the introduction of Ubuntu Web Apps, bringing online services such as Facebook, Twitter and Gmail to the Ubuntu desktop.