Hopefully by now I have convinced you of the value of open-source software. If you still are not sure what’s what, Jimmy Atkinson of WHDb has a great post on the top 50 proprietary programs and their open-source alternatives. There are many other alternatives on both sides, but this post is a great entre if you want to start trying new things.

Are there things you can do with proprietary software that you cannot do on open-source software? Yup, but the reverse is also true. There is some open-source software that simply blows away the proprietary competition.

From BoingBoing:

This is rad: Dell will soon start shipping computers with Ubuntu Linux pre-installed. I’ve been running Ubuntu, a slick, easy-to-install, easy-to-use flavor for Linux since last October. It’s the only OS I use (well, I still synch my iPod with an old Powerbook, but I hope to have that fixed shortly), and I love it to pieces. Talk about rock-solid. Link.

There is no longer any question that Linux is “ready” for the mainstream desktop market. The only real obstacle, in my mind, has been the lack of a major distributor. If Dell steps into that role and has some success, we may start seeing a rise in market share for the penguin. Is this good? Yes, primarily because more users equals more demand for cross-platform compatibility of software and hardware drivers.

If this holds true, it would seem clearer what Mark Shuttleworth meant by the ecosystem, which presumably includes Canonical’s paid Global Support Services.

Fabian’s blog appears to have been knocked out by all the attention. For whatever reason, Fabian took down the message. Here is a mirror.

Update: Whether or not the above announcement is accurate, Dell appears to support Ubuntu 7.04 at least minimally with installation instructions. Whether they will pre-load Ubuntu remains a mystery.

Update2: It’s official straight from Dell! Dell will offer Ubuntu pre-installed on consumer products. You can also watch Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth talk about the decision and its implications.

Canonical is the company that maintains Ubuntu Linux, and Canonical’s president, Mark Shuttleworth, recently sat down with OpenBusiness and discussed Canonical’s business model. Shuttleworth bleeds Web 2.0, and talks about making money from the goods and services that are the “ecosystem” surrounding the Ubuntu platform. In a way, this sounds like what Google does, but Shuttleworth wasn’t really clear about what the “ecosystem” is or what the components are that will earn money for Canonical.

Still, even if I don’t understand it, I’m excited to know that there is a business model driving Canonical, because it gives me hope that it will develop into a viable third operating system for the common international user.

In a way, it sounds kind of like what Google does, but not with advertising. It sounds like Canonical will have to be developing software components that it will charge for, or something like that. Mysterious.

Unlike many operating systems, Ubuntu is released on a regular, six-month cycle. Today the newest release, 7.04 is available for download. It includes easier importing of Windows data to Firefox and Evolution, better-functioning internet network management, and more.

Get it here.

Brian Boyko over at [H] Consumer just posted “30 Days with Linux,” recounting his experience with going commercial-software free for a month. Read the article for yourself, but in the end, Brian decided to run Windows XP only as a backup for gaming and photo editing. Not bad. He did have some problems, and Matt Zimmerman, chair of the Ubuntu Technical Board, even posted a well-thought-out reply to the [H] Consumer forum.

Brian’s experience mirrors my own. Although Linux isn’t perfect, it seems that years of thoughtful input and development have shaped Linux into an operating system that is superior in important ways, even while its fallibility is hard-coded into the system. I have been using Ubuntu Linux for about two weeks myself. It is my “personal” OS, while I still use Windows for business. Office just has too many features that aren’t available in OpenOffice.org or Evolution and Kontact, both of which are great PIMs, but not on par with Outlook, mainly because they lack the ability to link one item to another.

I am also frustrated at the lack of a good indexing desktop search. Or at least, I haven’t tried one I like so far. Still, Ubuntu Linux is very good, and I have already integrated it into my system, and am considering going all-Linux in the near future. As soon as I can sort out a few remaining glitches, that is. And install CrossOver so I can keep using Office in Linux.

Yeah yeah, I know Linux is probably of marginal interest at best to most readers, but I have been intrigued by free and open-source software (FOSS) for so long that I finally couldn’t resist trying the free, open-source operating system. After all, Linux is good enough for Mac to use as a basis for OS X. It can’t be that bad.

It isn’t. At all. In fact, I’d go so far to say that for anyone with the slightest skill at using a computer (i.e. - can you click a mouse), and a willingness to use the web, forums, and (occasionally) IRC for tech support rather than Microsoft, it has a lot of advantages over Windows. If you are at all adventurous and looking for something different, definitely give Linux a try.

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My brother just switched from Windows XP to Ubuntu, a free, Linux-based operating system. He basically just uses it for everyday computing tasks, like web, e-mail, etc., but he piqued my curiosity.

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