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Developers are working hard to make Ubuntu’s next release the fastest ever. But will it be enough to beat Windows 7?

When Mark Shuttleworth first announced plans for Ubuntu 9.04 his primary objective was to make the operating system boot faster. With a looming battle with MIcrosoft’s Windows 7 on the netbook horizon, the speed of startup - and shutdown - of a laptop PC becomes critical.

“There are some specific goals that we need to meet in Jaunty,” Shuttleworth said. “One of them is boot time. We want Ubuntu to boot as fast as possible - both in the standard case, and especially when it is being tailored to a specific device. The Jackalope is known for being so fast that it’s extremely hard to catch, and breeds only when lightning flashes. Let’s see if we can make booting or resuming Ubuntu blindingly quick.”

And so far the Ubuntu team appears to be doing just this. According to a recent Phoronix study, early Ubuntu 9.04 releases boot almost 30% quicker on an Atom processor than Ubuntu 8.10 does. The difference in seconds is 21 seconds versus 29 seconds. Which is neither overwhelmingly impressive nor completely insignificant.

What is important is that these tests were performed on an Atom processor, Intel’s product which is quickly coming to dominate the netbook market. So with most netbooks likely to be released with an Atom processor in the foreseeable future Ubuntu is looking like it is positioning itself right.

Windows 7
But beating an older version of Ubuntu in a boot-up is not as important as beating Windows 7 at the same job. Initial reports of Windows 7 on netbooks suggests that Microsoft may still have the lead here.

Anecdotal reports from users suggest that Windows 7 returns very impressive boot times on netbooks, often around the 20 second mark. And in the laboratory Microsoft is looking at optimal times of around 15 seconds.

The difference may well be in the fact that Windows is near completion and in beta form while Ubuntu is still in a pre-beta state. Either way, boot up times - from power-on to a workable desktop - of under 20 seconds look likely to be the target for the coming year.

Ubuntu, Windows Ubuntu, windows 7

Theres been a question I have seen on multiple occasions both on the “How do I explain Linux to a Windows user” end as well as the “What is Linux?” question. That got me thinking.. what is the best way to explain Linux to a normal Windows user who has never heard of Linux? Have you ever been using a laptop in a public place, or have someone over at your house, and you’re running Linux and someone asks you why it looks different? Do you take the easy way out and say “it’s Linux, it’s like Windows but different!” or do you actually explain what Linux is? Here are some ideas of getting the message across as easy and straightforward as possible.
Explaining Linux to a Windows user

Here are a few ideas you can put together to help you explain Linux:

* Every computer has an Operating System. Windows is an Operating System. So is Linux.
* Linux was written in the early nineties by a college student name Linus.
* Linux is not owned by any one person.
* Linux is free, unlike Windows. Most people pay the Windows fee when they buy the computer that comes “pre-installed” with Windows.
* It’s fun to use.
* You have complete control of all aspects of the operating system.
* It’s “look and feel” is completely customizable. You can make it look like Windows or you can make it look unique.
* You can’t use all of the same software applications that you use on Windows, but there are alternatives to windows programs.
* If your computers primary use is for playing popular computer games, hold off on installing Linux.
* Linux is secure and practically virus and spyware free.
* It can be a lot faster than Windows with the right setup and configurations.

How do you explain Linux to a Windows user?

Windows, linux linux, Windows