Jolicloud has adopted an HTML5 user interface for version 1.0 of its netbook-friendly operating system.
The OS – which previously featured an Ubuntu-influenced UI – now boasts a smoother, cleaner and more uniform feel compared to its early predecessor.
“While Jolicloud is based on Linux and can run native apps, the OS is designed to blur the distinction between [local] and web apps,” explained Brad Linder of Lilliputing.
“So you can install a desktop application such as Skype or GIMP, but you can also install Facebook or Twitter and an icon will show up on your home screen that you can press to launch the web browser and visit those sites.”
According to Linder, Jolicloud also allows remote account logins from any computer with an HTML5-compatible web browser.
Once logged in, users can install apps, rearrange their home screens, or update social activity streams.
“But it’s not just the focus on cloud-based apps that makes Jolicloud good for netbooks,” noted Linder.
“The OS also plays nicely with the power management features of Intel Atom chips, underclocking the CPU to save battery life when it can, [while] cranking up the CPU cycles when you need a bit more performance.”
