Ubuntu has quickly become one of the most popular (if not THE most popular) Linux distribution. Why? Because it’s as reliable as Linux has always been, but also very user-friendly. From a familiar and nice interface to a Windows migration assistant, it has it all. And, of course, for free.

Canonical (the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu) have recently announced that the launch of ‘Gutsy Gibbon’ (all of their releases have had these strange names) in October will coincide with the release of their handheld version, “Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded”.

The mobile version will be based on what Nokia have developed for their N800: the Maemo interface. Some of its highlights would be stylus/finger operation, decent speed, good looks, and a big library of third party applications. The interface supports widgets, too.

Also, it allows for a great deal of customization and opens a lot of doors for developers. Even the N800 which has quite unimpressive specifications has most of the features of an UMPC. Now imagine what current generation devices will be able to do with this platform.

For the PC version, one of the most interesting features for the basic user will be the integration of the Beryl rendering platform. What this means is a gorgeous-looking but still efficient graphic interface, that does not eat a lot of resources but leaves the effects of Vista or Leopard far away in a cloud of smoke.

I can warrant for perfect performance and ease of use, as I’ve completely switched from Windows to Ubuntu few months ago, without any geeky Linux knowledge. For those who can’t believe words, just look at the video below. It’s overloaded and an exageration, but it’s there just to prove a point.

For the geekier readers, there’s more details here. Found via Engadget Mobile