New users coming from Windows are often disoriented and don't really know the real advantages of Ubuntu or even how to use some of its basic functions (Add/Remove instead of setup.exe). An orientation would help them.

A couple of ideas for how to help them have come up, including an idea about having pop-ups for every new application that's open. The pop-up idea has a few downsides, of course, not the least of which being that pop-ups are annoying to many users, both new and experienced.

One relatively unobtrusive way to introduce new users to the basic functions of Ubuntu is to show a slideshow during the installation process. New users would probably watch the slideshow (they're waiting for the installation to finish--what else are they going to do?), while experienced users might have the option to turn off the slideshow... or they may just get up and leave, knowing that the installation won't take more than fifteen minutes.

It would be great if users could attach money to Brainstorm ideas. Its all good and well to post hundreds of ideas, but as things go, ideas which are posted first may not be the best ideas, but will climb to the top fastest (and will stay there, because people will vote for them on most popular).

Lets make it possible for people to donate $5 or so to their own ideas. Sure nobody may implement it, or the patch may not be accepted but it opens things up a lot more. Nobody loses either.

For those who think that this will turn linux coders into people who only code for money are wrong. There have been many bounties in the past, and they have not wiped out the many developers (me inclusive) who code as a hobby. Even with the gnome bounties in place, I still continued coding my application at the time for instance.


Anyway, at the end of the day, its not hard to implement, and it will do nothing but speed up development for highly wanted features (and maybe even organisations like gnome could use the money on spreading word about linux, or improving their hardware support).

Because sometimes things don't sound like nearly as good an idea when you've thought on it a while. :-)

Calculator need more functionality particularly for conversions (weight, currency, distance, graphing etc..) Possibly even integrate with commercial calculators (TI-xx, Casio).

Windows 7 Calculator is going to include several new functions
and the Mac OS X Calc already includes these features.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqZkkqgSJ4A

In todays computer systems the main bottleneck is not CPU but disk access which is several orders of magnitude slower than CPU and memory. In such circumstances the way to improve application performance is to prefetch data it needs from disk before it even requests it and it is the point of prefetching techniques. This speeds up boot and decreases the time needed to start programs. This replaces and it is faster than the currently used readahead.

One of the first things new users comment on when trying linux is the lack of "smooth-scroll" in applications. Although it is a relatively minor point - smooth scrolling has come to be expected these days. Some of the advantages of it are,

* Looks more modern and professional,
* Allows the user to read while they scroll with the mouse wheel,
* In (for example) a Pidgin chat window the motion of a smooth scroll when you receive a message draws you eye: our brains are configured to respond to movement,
* Smooth movement is natural - jerky movement is not,
* Everyone else is doing it!

What would be required is for enough Ubuntu devs to discuss this on the Gtk mailing list, to show there is a demand for it. Once implemented this would include all Gtk applications, including Nautilus, Firefox and Pidgin.

We all love Ubuntu, but most of us can not easily participate or just lack the time. So to give Canonical extra speed, I would love to invest 1 to 10 USD a month. With the power of millions of investing users, the money invested could give a push that we can not have today. What about adding 500 chinese or indian low cost developers to the mission? Ill pay. Especially if I could get some return on investment. And, switching users just got a new dimension - then it´s called sales - building up our collective product.
I don´t know if it has to be stocks in Cannonical. There are quite smart people out there that could find other ways I am sure.

An online Ubuntu PC hardware store is what people (aka "masses") need to fully make the jump to Ubuntu. Sell the hardware "known to work" (pre-installed Ubuntu computers and peripherals) and support those manufacturers who actually care about Linux compatibility.

when you purchase a Mac you know everything is compatible and everything you purchase at a APPLE STORE also is tested and works 100% with Mac OS.

but when you try Ubuntu on your own, there is always a risk that many of your hardware/peripherals may not work. The worst problem is YOU DON'T KNOW where to Purchase compatible hardware to FIX your problem.

If you can't fix your problem, then you are back once more in Windows... (be it a dialup modem, Usb modem, wireless card, bluetooth, printer, scanner, videocard, webcam, etc)

you always have the community to help + the guys at http://www.phoronix.com/ have always pitched in this area, but is not enough.

We need 100% Ubuntu compatible and tested hardware by canonical themselves to be sold online. Only sell what works (there is no need to test all the hardware in the world)

this would create a real market demand for "Linux compatible" hardware from manufacturers.

we can't support every piece of hardware like we have been doing, we need to support what WORKS NOW!

If this is implemented a few other good things will happen:

1- Less forums posts like these: "i can't get XXXX hardware to work, why doesn't it work! i got working hardware in windows or mac, ubuntu sucks blah blah"


[....]

I have a laptop that I have Kubuntu installed on. It works great when I'm using it as a laptop. But at the office, I have a docking station that hooks my laptop up to an external keyboard, monitor, power supply, network, speakers, and basically turns my laptop into a desktop computer. However, my external monitor is 4:3, while my laptop monitor is widescreen, so every time I plug in, I have to change my monitor settings (resolution and screen size), and then change them back when I switch back to laptop mode. It would be really nice if it could do this detection automatically, or be able to set up settings for a second monitor that I could switch back and forth.

I'm sure a similar problem occurs with projectors, but I haven't had a chance to confirm that.

There is a wide community of online artists capable of creating brilliant, unique artwork.

heading: Get your artwork on 10 million desktops

Ubuntu, the world's most popular Linux distribution, needs a new theme. The winner will appear in the default desktop of Ubuntu 8.10.

We're looking for original wallpapers, that match Ubuntu's color palette. You entry should also include a suggested combination of application, icon, and window themes. These can be existing themes, or your own original works - you only need to submit a wallpaper to win.

Work must be CC licensed, and be openable in either Inkscape or Gimp (rest of criteria continues)

Submit your works to DeviantArt and include the words [Ubuntu810].


Good luck!