Canonical — makers of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux — is asking geeks to collectively cough up $32 million dollars in the next month to crowdfund a smartphone that could serve as a laptop replacement. Supporters have already pledged nearly $1 million in the first five hours of the fundraiser.
Earlier this year the company announced Ubuntu Touch, a version of its operating system optimized for smartphones and tablets. From the beginning, Canonical has pitched “convergence” as Ubuntu Touch’s raison d’etre. Ubuntu Touch is actually a full installation of Ubuntu, but with an interface built for mobile devices. The idea is that when an Ubuntu Touch phone or tablet is connected to a monitor and keyboard, it will display the desktop version of Ubuntu’s Unity interface. But without laptop-grade specs, few people would actually ditch their PCs for a phone. That’s where the new phone comes in.
