[vibrunazo]

They had a working prototype that would run Android and Ubuntu side by side. Would work as a standard Android phone. But when you dock it to the desktop, it's a 100% capable Ubuntu computer, sharing resources with Android. That was perfect. It's the best of both worlds, I'm sure it would be a huge hit. Leverage both the Android mobile ecosystem + Linux desktop at once? That was genius. But instead they chose the greedy path and try to control all of it themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv1Z7bf4jXY

edit: I just learned that Ubuntu for Android was not abandoned. It's still a separate project. They wanna release Ubuntu for Android first in mid 2013. And hopefully that will be a gateway to get Android users interested in the Ubuntu Phone which will launch in 2014.

http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/android

[StavrosK]

Yeah, I loved that, but it wasn't a mobile OS, it was just Ubuntu running as an Android app. It didn't even have a UI om the phone, IIRC.

[socceroos]

No it isn't an app. It is actually the full Ubuntu OS running on your android device. The point wasn't for it to be a touch screen, the point was that you could dock your device and suddenly be using a full desktop OS with all your desktop grade applications.

[StavrosK]

Yes, but it's running inside Android. It's not a complete OS that takes over the phone.

[socceroos]

No, no its not running inside Android. Android and its Java environment run alongside/at the same time as ubuntu.

[polshaw]

Motorola were the only OEM to have interest in ubuntu for android.. they took it, and completely ruined it.[1] There was no greed on canonical's part. I'm not sure whether i'd prefer 'android+ubuntu', or this 'ubuntu for all the screens' (existing ecosystem with mature OS vs a real free, unified desktop+mobile OS), but they aren't dropping either, apparently. I do wish they would allow the developer community access to their builds, though. I want it now!

1. see webtop; also look on XDA to see how to partially restore it to canonical's idea.