cross-posted from: https://piefed.social/post/1379850
Here is the full series available to read on Mangadex (under a CC license), and direct link to Chapter 1 (of 16).
If you had never heard of this series before, Ubunchu! was published in the Official Ubuntu Magazine Japan periodically between the years of 2008-2013 (with some digital extras afterwards found in chapter 16 on mangadex). The series was released using a CC license and subsequent translations are also CC (plus the translators have directly communicated with the original author).
Chapters 1-8 were translated years ago, but the final chapter was only translated just a couple days ago.
Due to when it was written and published, it is a bit of a time capsule. You can relive some of the formative linux and Ubuntu events of the 21st century such as:
Unity Desktop
The rise of linux mint
OpenOffice & LibreOffice
Ubuntu Touch
IIRC MS tried to add the big Google apps on WP, especially YouTube. I only remember for YouTube's case but google stepped in to block MS's efforts every time they fixed something broken. Clearly fair competition.
Of course it doesn't excuse no other apps that were mainstream are on there (or were but not supported for very long as MS stopped paying for them tp be on their platform IIRC).
I do think by WP 10 they lost the plot. WP8 was peak but alas that time the market was going all app ecosystem.