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A few years have passed since Canonical first unveiled Ubuntu One (U1), a commercial cloud synchronization service designed to integrate with the company’s Linux distribution.

Last week, Canonical introduced a new client application that brings support for Ubuntu One file synchronization to the Windows platform. When we first reviewed U1 back in 2009, we highlighted the lack of cross-platform compatibility as one of the service’s most significant weaknesses compared to popular alternatives like Dropbox.

That might seem like an odd criticism to direct against a synchronization service created by a Linux vendor, but it’s worth noting many Linux users rely on other operating systems—whether it’s through dual-booting, virtualization, or an additional computer. Canonical found that there was considerable demand for Windows support among existing users of the U1 service.

The new Windows-compatible client addresses that need and might also help boost the appeal of U1 outside of the Ubuntu enthusiast community. “We have long received feedback from Ubuntu users regarding their evolving needs to manage all their content from a single, secure place across multiple platforms and devices,” the U1 team wrote in a blog entry about the new client. ”

We’ve looked at many use cases, the most common being the Ubuntu user who is using more than one device or OS. Many people have to work in Windows or Mac environments, even if they prefer to use Ubuntu as their home desktop or OS of choice.” A beta version of the client was first introduced last year, but the software is finally mature and ready for widespread use—it is available for download from the Ubuntu One website.

We tried out the new client on the recent Windows 8 developer preview to see it in action. Installation was relatively painless—Canonical provides a stand-alone installer (an executable, not an MSI) that fully automates the process. After you finish installing the software, you can run it from the start menu or a desktop icon.

The first time that the U1 client runs, it will prompt you to set up your U1 account. After you put in your credentials, the configuration process will ask you to specify what folders you want to sync. It will automatically put the standard Ubuntu One folder in your user directory, but you can also optionally add your documents folder or whatever else you want.

Read more at http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2011/10/hands-on-new-ubuntu-one-cloud-storage-client-for-windows.ars