Introducing new Ubuntista (and Ubuntu Trap author) Philip Kneitinger

Hey Ubuntistas,

I'm extremely pleased to announce a new author for the Ubuntu Trap.  I decided to ask him a few introductory questions to help you get an idea of how epically awesome Phil is.

 

Who is Phil K?
I'm a native son and ardent supporter of Buffalo, NY, and also the author and editor of Black & Blue & Gold. I'm a single dad with a kick-*ss son and I'm into heavy metal, being an amateur foodie, collecting hockey jerseys and vinyl records, and watching freaky foreign flicks.


Everyone has their story about getting into Ubuntu, what's yours?
My brother is a huge evangelist for open source. He heard me yelling at my laptop in frustration one day, and suggested Ubuntu. Then he suggested it again, and again, and again, and again. Finally I relented and haven't looked back since.


People are always weary about switching to Ubuntu from another OS.  From your experience how would you go about enticing them to join the Ubuntu community?
There are two ways to go about this: push inclusion on big box desktops and push the improved casual user experience. Dell already includes the OS, but doesn't do a very good job marketing it. If my own experience with Ubuntu is the norm, then it's a far superior casual user experience over Windows and ought to be presented as such. Sure, it takes getting used to the new application installation process (.deb instead of .exe), but it's WELL worth it.


What do you most look forward to in Ubuntu MM?
I'm most excited for the streamlined and upgraded graphical presentation and application integration of the desktop/laptop version of Meerkat, but the Unity interface for netbooks has me giddy. I'm most likely getting a netbook as my next computer, so I'll be keeping a close eye on its development.

I can't wait for the day that Canonical announces the beginning of the Ubuntu tablet project so I can get something kickass like an Archos 9 or the like and be able to load up a fully touch-functional build of Ubuntu.