Microsoft Windows 7 has only been available a few days, but competitors are already calling out the new OS. Canonical, the publisher of the popular Ubuntu Linux OS, said it is ready to compete in "real head-to-head competition" with Windows 7.
Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical CEO and founder, praised Windows 7 during a recent conference call with reporters, saying the new OS is "a substantial improvement on the past. Even on netbooks, it's a credible release."
Ubuntu Linux has been the most popular Linux distribution used on netbooks, with Microsoft forced to use XP on netbooks. Vista, which Windows 7 is aiming to replace, was too bloated and had system requirements too high for most netbooks to handle.
Canonical also noted it would like to take one more shot at gaining more users in the United States, with Shuttleworth saying he's "looking forward to that."
To compete with Windows 7, Canonical plans to release Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala tomorrow morning, with the most popular Linux distribution aiming to steal users away from Microsoft. Although Windows remains the most popular OS available, it has slowly lost marketshare to Linux and Apple's Mac OS X in recent years.
The Ubuntu 9.10 Netbook Remix, for example, includes support for 25 different netbooks. Unlike Vista, Windows 7 will be an ideal OS for netbooks. Microsoft used XP to help claw back into the netbook market, so it will be interesting to see if Microsoft is able to generate interest with Windows 7.
I look forward to seeing Windows 7 square off with Ubuntu Linux, as both operating systems remain the most popular options for consumers shopping for netbooks. PC manufacturers have tested the waters using XP and Ubuntu, but the entrance of Windows 7 into the mix will add an interesting twist to the the sector.
If you're in the market for a new netbook, are you interested in an Ubuntu-powered or a Windows 7-powered product?
