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Ubuntu 12.04 spotted at the Best Buy retail store?

Ubuntu running a Nintendo presentation screen?

This screen spotted in a Best Buy retail store is running a Nintendo display and appears to be using Ubuntu 12.04. Best Buy do not seem to have a very tolerant attitude towards the Ubuntu Linux distribution, but they are using it in a limited capacity to run display screens. At least it is showcased in a limited fashion, it would be good if they would sell laptops and desktops with an optional Linux installation instead of Windows but that is not their mission statement. That is a shame as the Linux kernel and the distributions of such like Ubuntu and Linux Mint have a very good track record of hardware support. The Windows 8 interface which like Prince has changed its name is not the most popular move by Microsoft right now and the other changes that have been brought into the new Redmond WA operating system are not for the best. This could be a good opportunity to bring Linux out into the limelight as an alternative.

Many new developments like the Rasberry Pi are bringing the use of Linux into the forefront. A small single circuit board computer that is powerful enough to run the 3D shooter game Quake3 and a full Linux distribution although not the Gnome 3 or Unity desktops. The hacker culture that brought us the first Apple Macintosh computers, building circuit boards and a small computer in your garage seem to be coming back. The juggernauts Microsoft and Apple are strong arming the population towards the ubiquitous tablet and touch screen computer, but it is a good thing that some people are interested in hardware hacking and building some cool things with the tiny computer. Especially robots. This sounds like a promising future if the private enterprise can build some cool toys that can do many cool things. There are many groups building the future by constructing robots and other awesome projects.

The Linux kernel and the associated distributions; Ubuntu for example should be taken more seriously by various retail chains. Ubuntu is a nice candidate as a desktop operating system, the stores at the moment are dominated by Macintosh operating systems such as OSX and iOS as well as the ever-present Windows 7 computers. Ubuntu would make a more secure and reliable desktop computer than the Windows operating system and the Apple macintosh OS that has been attacked by many viruses of late. The walled garden school of operating system design does not make a secure operating system, if the source code is truly hidden from the user, the security holes and bugs hidden as well. Having the source code available to all to view actually makes the system more secure as the flaws are found and patched sooner than with Microsoft. And Linux does not have patch Tuesday. The patches are released constantly enabling all users of various distributions to install their security updates promptly. There is a very good argument for open source software on this Zdnet posting, making the point that having many eyeballs on the code does make for a more secure desktop and server operating system.

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