Filed under: Linux, Open Source, Canonical
Canonical working on an iTunes-like music store for Ubuntu?
by Lee Mathews Nov 17th 2009 at 9:00AM
That leaves an opportunity for someone in the Linux community to step up and deliver an alternative. Enter Canonical, who may be preparing to do just that in time for the release of Lucid Lynx.
Over at LaunchPad, there's a blueprint called Ubuntu One Music Store which states its goal as "to deliver the ability to purchase music from within a desktop music player." There's nothing much yet for details on the associated wiki, so there's no telling yet what exactly might be in the works.
As Joe Panettieri points out at WorksWithU, Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth mentioned Amazon during a press call for the launch of Karmic Koala. Unlike Apple, Amazon was more than happy to show Linux users some love - offering a downloader for purchases from their MP3 store. They're also pretty chummy already thanks to that whole cloud thing.
Even if the Ubuntu One Music Store ends up being an affiliate app powered by Amazon, it could provide a decent revenue stream for Canonical. It's also one more feature that could entice users to give Linux a try on their desktop.
*installer screen cheesily simulated
I don't know if this is a labor of love or merely the brainchild of four very gifted games designers, but Level Up is a really weird mash-up of gaming elements that you have probably never seen in a Flash game before.
Let's start with the premise itself: Groundhog Day meets Memento. The game experience revolves around 'days': you explore the world and the clock slowly ticks towards the evening. You bounce around picking up gems and talking to the denizens of 'Level Upland'. Eventually you feel tired and head back to ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
eric said 10:28AM on 11-17-2009
This is pretty cool... but..
As an Ubuntu user for almost 3 years, what has me seriously thinking about going to Windows 7 full time is device support.
More importantly, iPod Touch and iPhone support. Crap, I'd even take Zune support in Ubuntu (I know, less likely to happen). I've looked at alternatives (anythingbutipod.com), I've read reviews... and everything seems to come up short.
Even the new Archos Internet Tablet (w/ Android, which I love) seems plagued with problems. I'm no Apple fan boy, at all. I've tried to be pragmatic about it, but my gadget lust is starting to in the way of my love for Ubuntu.... and Windows 7 looks pretty pretty.. pretty good.
I realize that this is no fault of Canonical's, or the Linux community in general. How about instead of trying to woo the OEM's, they try and woo device manufacturers? A Sansa View with auto syncing in Ubuntu? It could be pretty cool.
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Patric F. said 8:00AM on 11-19-2009
It would be nice if they helped the libgtkpod project to implement support for the "new" iPods too, so you can buy music and transfer it to your iPod-device, then it would be a real iTunes for Linux and no need for Window$ when you want to listen on some new music on you iPod!
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Vadi said 5:11PM on 11-20-2009
I think it's a good idea tbh.
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