Operating systems, non-Windows

When Google first announced its Chrome OS project, many commentators assumed that the Internet giant was challenging the dominance of Microsoft Windows. The truth is, Chrome is not a threat to Windows, OS X, or any distribution of Linux--nor is it meant to be.  read more »

A lack of funds has local open source developers at a serious disadvantage in the education sector, which is slowly getting digitized as leading software companies target the African market.  read more »

Microsoft released set of Linux drivers for its Hyper-V software under the General Public License version 2 (GPLv2) not because of "perceived obligations" to that license but because it is the preferred license of the Linux community and would benefit both Microsoft customers and users of Linux, according to a company executive.  read more »

Dell on Friday said it would consider testing Google's upcoming Chrome operating system, but didn't commit to offering the Linux-based OS in future products.  read more »

Google is already working with several companies to develop devices around the new Chrome OS, including Hewlett-Packard and Acer, the company said in a blog post late Wednesday.  read more »

Netbooks, low-cost laptops originally designed for sale in countries with emerging economies, are becoming more popular in developed economies with consumers and business users who tend to use their own computers for work. Although these computers were initially offered with Linux, Windows XP has become an increasingly popular operating system option for netbooks, particularly given the conventional wisdom that they are not powerful enough to run Windows Vista. So what about using Windows 7 on a netbook? After using the beta on a netbook for a few weeks, it appears that Windows 7 is a workable OS for this class of computers.  read more »

If one desktop Linux distribution were to gain a significant lead over all the others, it could boost mainstream Linux adoption significantly. After all, desktop Linux makes a compelling replacement for Windows XP for organizations about to refresh their hardware or software, offering lower per-head costs than a move to Vista or Windows 7. But so far, the ideal Linux desktop remains a moving target.  read more »

Oracle may end up merging the best of OpenSolaris with Linux once it takes control of Sun Microsystems, but it is unlikely to kill off Sun's widely used Solaris OS, analysts said.  read more »

Recently I started work on a new Ubuntu tips book that will partner my existing title, Ubuntu Kung Fu. The new book is still being planned and won't be published until next year, but I thought I'd share 10 tips that are on my list to be included. If you have any others that you think would go into such a book, put them in the comments below. I'd love to hear them, as would other readers, I'm sure.  read more »

Microsoft's chest thumping last week over its 96% share of the U.S. netbook market for February doesn't appear to be just its normal bravado as the company also is charging toward dominance on a global front.  read more »