Ubuntu-based tablets could hit the market as early as the first quarter of 2011, says a Canonical exec. "The devices world is a really exciting space right now and we're really bullish on it," Canonical VP of alliances and OEM services told Network World.

Canonical is looking at Ubuntu for in-car systems, tablets, set-top-boxes, and what director of business development Chris Kenyon called "the digital home or something you carry around".

Apart from Apple, some other companies are bringing some interesting tablets. In contrary to the iTab, those other tablets do run Linux. Some are already available, such as the TouchBook from Always Innovating (AI), and some have supposedly better screens, like the Notion Ink Adam tablet.

When Microsoft employee, Brandon LeBlanc announced that Microsoft ruled the netbook world, he was exaggerating, shall we say, just a wee bit. I was going to stomp on him but Chris Kenyon of Canonical, the business that stands behind Ubuntu, beat me to it.

While the release schedules for Ubuntu Linux aren't exactly a close secret -- new releases generally coming in April and October with the version scheme being YY.MM such as Ubuntu 11.04 for the April 2011 release -- Canonical's Robbie Williamson has laid out tentative release schedules for Ubuntu 11.04, Ubuntu 11.10, and even Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.

We talk about Canonical's upcoming Ubuntu 10.04 LTS release for Desktop and Server, and the company's near term goals for 2010 and 2011.

Canonical has announced the Ubuntu Netbook Remix, a version of Ubuntu designed for small computers with Intel's new Atom processor. These include: netbooks; (small laptops such as the Asus Eee PC), and MIDs; (small handheld computers).

Canonical announced yesterday a new Synchronization service for Ubuntu machines. The new tool is called Ubuntu One and it will allow Ubuntu users to synchronize files between multiple computers via the internet and also share files using it's web interface or work remotely with those computers.

Plenty of people jumped on the bandwagon when Ubuntu 9.04 debuted on April 23. But independent software vendors (ISVs) were mostly absent from the launch party. Fast forward to Ubuntu 9.10's anticipated launch in October 2009, and Canonical hopes to deliver a far more impressive ISV story. Here's the scoop.