How Ubuntu will compete with windows 8?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p92QfWOw88I

Windows 8 is planned to have a touch friendly tiled GUI that will be interchangable with the classic GUI. I guess it might be a major breakthrough. MS will put classic interface by default on desktops, laptops and netbooks and tiled interface in tablets/ slates. On top of this, users will be able to change it either way they want, on both the desktops/ laptops and tablets. I don,t know of any other OS in the wild that gives users such an incredible option. If you see the video you can notice that classic interface is running right underneath the tiled interface and it seems very easy to access files/ folders in the manner we access them in windows classic explorer. That is another great option non-existant in rival OSes( android n iOS). I suspect if they used same interface options, in the future, we will see every other laptop/ netbook coming with a touch screen, so that it can be used as a tablet if the user likes so.

I am just worried how ubuntu is going to address it. Apple already has a touch based version of its OS- iOS. I will like Ubuntu to adopt a similar approach to MS and put a dual GUI in its OS so that it can be used on touch based devices invery near future. Ofcourse I don,t need to mention that it need to be more light than its current state to be a tablet friendly OS.

Other option is to have a separate standalone OS version specifically for touch devices/ tablets just like iOS.

What do you guys think?

Thanks





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I'm afraid that Android is replacing Ubuntu on the linux front as the most popular OS (Android alone is reaching the 1% OS market share). It would be nice for Ubuntu to have a touch friendly gui, but it would be of no use if there are no tablet's to use them on.

 

It might be usefull if many of the laptops will be having touch screens in future. I am suspecting so because of windows 8.

 

If the economy of the world shifts downward we will see use of Linux go up. It's an economic issue, the poorer the populations become the more likely they will turn towards Linux as a solution to maintain their status quo.
Hmmm...Maybe the economic collapse was engineered by the Linux crowd to dominate the market.

 

I disagree with you, people will pirate the "better stuff" instead of going freeware.
For example, the top 5 poorest countries with their Linux marketshare:
Congo: 1.77%
Zimbabwe: 3.29%
Liberia: 0.45%
Guinea: 0.58%
Somalia: <0.3%

These are all African countries, let's see some of the poorer European countries:
Moldova: 0.7%
Albania: 0.17%
Ukraine: 1.21%

Even China (not saying that they are poor) has a Linux market share of almost nothing.

 

Piracy of "better stuff" happens even in good times in countries where governance is lax.

I think it's not exactly discouraged by makers of proprietary software who know that large companies (and governmental bodies) will not install pirated software. If their employees are to "work" from home, they'll need the same software but won't want to pay for it. Pirated software is the answer and makes freeware uncompetitive.

(No matter that I use LibreOffice, I won't deny that MS Office is prettier, easier, and more powerful.)

 

Yes, yes, yes

Alas it,s hell of expensive for home users esp in third world.

 

The OS + Office is close to the price of a decent PC .

 

Not if you take the OEM license

 

Only if you can find it here( Office).

 

That is my impression as well. While it's easy to come across offers of Windows (mostly Basic or Premium) being pre-installed, there's hardly mention of Office.

 

Linux allows switching of interfaces via different desktop environments, but it isn't as seamless as the Microsoft video appears. Ubuntu is sticking with (soon to be only) Unity pre-installed by default though.

There are Ubuntu tablets, but too few to make any difference in the market. Personally, I think Canonical should make a different OS for tablets, if they ever decide to try.