Ubuntu’s fans…
Inspired, as so often with these things, by the eye-opening usability of Ubuntu Linux, several commentators have changed their tune with regards to Linux’s prospects on the desktop and major media have been bravely asking their readers to give Linux a try.
David Wolf from Seeking Alpha has this to say:
Those of you who have followed Silicon Hutong for a while will know that I have long been a Linux-skeptic, believing firmly that despite its obvious advantages on servers, Linux would never be in a position to displace Windows on the desktop.
Well, I was wrong.
Shuttleworth and his team at Ubuntu have done something amazing - they’ve created a truly usable desktop operating system that rivals WindowsXP in ease of use and features, accomplishing finally what many of us so long felt impossible - they’ve mirrored the simple elegance of the underlying system with an interface and applications that make it a delight to use.
Personally, if I were setting up a company, a scool, or a non-profit organization tomorrow I would use it on nearly every desktop and laptop.
A widely syndicated article by James Derk has this to say:
Yes, I know, you expect Linux, the free operating system developed by volunteers worldwide, to be nerdy and hard to use.
And, when compared with Windows, it used to be. But several new distributions of Linux make it really easy to get up and running on Linux without spending a dime.
My new favorite of these is Ubuntu, a great product with a catchy name.
And the Sydney Morning Herald recently had this to say about Ubuntu:
Linux is shedding its hard-core techie image in a bid to woo ordinary human beings seeking an easy-to-use operating system that can be downloaded for free.
While it is hard to estimate how many everyday users have defected from Windows or Apple software to join the open-source movement, Ubuntu (pronounced oo-boon-too) has emerged as one of the Linux desktop packages of choice for those looking for a basic desktop alternative.
Furthermore, Mark Shuttleworth, international tech magnate of mystery and founder of Ubuntu, has been giving the flavour a human face with this interview on Reuters in which he talks about his hopes for infrastructure advancements, aided by Ubuntu, in Africa and the developing world:
[Shuttleworth] is taking on U.S. technology behemoth Microsoft by pioneering free computer software that he hopes will revolutionize the way computers are used, and make the Internet accessible to millions in Africa and other emerging markets.
“Ultimately open source is the platform of the future,” Shuttleworth told Reuters. “It’s one of those enormous waves that is taking over everything — like the Internet.”