Today Mark Shuttleworth
unveiled in
ubuntu-devel-announce mail-lists some future plans for Ubuntu 9.04 that will be named as The Jaunty Jackalope. Here is the part of Mark’s short message:
There are some specific goals that we need to meet in Jaunty. One of them is boot time. We want Ubuntu to boot as fast as possible – both in the standard case, and especially when it is being tailored to a specific device. The Jackalope is known for being so fast that it’s extremely hard to catch, and breeds only when lightning flashes. Let’s see if we can make booting or resuming Ubuntu blindingly quick.
“Fast boot time…” sounds like really good idea… 
It’d be nice if they focused on something more practical, like making hardware easier to manage! It’s still a long process of Google searches and command-line hacking to get lots of hardware to work.
Maybe a GUI interface for lsusb/lspci, with a fair bit of info for each device.
Hi Rob, thanks for your post. Well, I see your point of view about new features of Ubuntu and completely agreed with it. Let me add that some time ago such company as Microsoft chose making PC as much easy as possible for MOST of users of the planet and now we all see the results – Vista asking 10 times before actually do something etc. At the same time none of people would say that he/she got stuck with let’s say suspend/restore issue on newly installed Windows at his/her laptop. So, as for me it’s time to grow up those features of people love Linux for and of course still proceed with those aspects of Linux which make it different from other desktop/laptop oriented OSes (like 1-2 seconds boot of MAC, hardware support in Windows)..
Well, viva Ubuntu, Linux and Open Source!
how about driver support and working on the things that matter. Ok fast booting times are great but whats the point when all you going to end up with is a half working system. Lest get the big fishes involved in ubuntu not just one. Drivers lest get them working strike a deal with the big manufactures to include good working drivers for ubuntu.Its not going to be easy but ubuntu needs to play to its strengths most drivers are included in the OS/kernel and ideally we should be aiming for 100%.
look at winodws 7 they pushing for good no shortcuts on the drivers (signed drivers, it has to meet they set requirements)
Pushing for boot times is not that smart use of time. Sure if very easy and is not done in the cost of really needed support.
things like pulseaudio they have huge potential but just not ready to be made standard in ubuntu they don’t work 100% like they should. Were talking about sound here almost all computers play some kind of sound have a pair of speakers connected to them. Dont get me wrong pulse can work like it is, Its just setting the standards of ubuntu really low.
Ubuntu really is a great OS and really excites me every time I use it. Its equivalent to windows 7.
Timo