Ubuntu's Latest Should Scare Microsoft

The Ubuntu community, shepherded by the company Canonical, has delivered not only its fastest operating system to date but has included so many flourishes that are relevant to today's PC market that it should receive much stronger consideration in competitive engagements than ever before. From social networking to security to desktop cloud services, the Beta 1 of Ubuntu 10.04, the so-called Lucid Lynx version, leaves Windows 7 behind in several areas with tightly integrated applications.

But first things first.

Ubuntu 10.04, in beta form, is fast. It took 9 minutes to do a "clean" installation on a PC built with an Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 at 2.80GHz and 2 GB of memory. It also booted up faster than the previous two prerelease Alpha versions of the software; from bios to fully booted it took 14.8 seconds -- that's about a half-second faster than the Alpha versions and less than half the 30 seconds it takes Windows 7 to boot on the same test bed. The Ubuntu community has made achieving 10-second boot time -- or "instant-on" -- a key goal in getting to the final version of this software. It now doesn't look likely that it will hit "instant-on" between now and its release of the final software next month, but it's important to note that this is really, really fast boot time.

Another noteworthy change in this version of Ubuntu is that in the default graphical user interface (GUI), Ubuntu's developers have made its look and feel more Mac-like than Windows-like. In addition to the purplish background that appears on first boot, applications are maximized, minimized and closed in their upper left-hand corner as they are in Mac OS X systems. While this is all highly customizable, and can be changed by fixing user preferences, it's a noteworthy shout-out to the Mac universe -- particularly with the launch of Apple's iPad now just weeks away.

But it's important to not view Ubuntu in terms of what it is, but what it lets you do. Namely, it makes social networking and cloud computing seamless, as if they are expected to be part of the personal computing framework.

One feature that is getting attention throughout the Internet is the integration of the social networking client Gwibber into the list of applications included with version 10.04. Gwibber itself supports Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, Flickr, Status.net, Digg.com and other social networking sites and services; its inclusion out of the box in Ubuntu now makes the OS a one-stop shop for social networking communications.

But one area where Microsoft, in particular, should be afraid is with Ubuntu's stride into desktop cloud services with integration of its Ubuntu One cloud-based, online storage. Ubuntu One is simple and provides 2 GB of hosted storage for free, or 50 GB for $10 per month. It's now in beta, with developers admitting they are working hard to get it ready for prime time in sync with the formal launch of Ubuntu 10.04. But this will provide many with an easy, early look at the service.

While not as robust as some of Microsoft's Live offerings, including Office Live, or even Apple's MobileMe, Ubuntu One provides storage and synchronization with a number of Ubuntu clients on one account. It allows for file storage and sharing, stored "notes" and contacts. While a nice service on its own, Ubuntu One appears to be a half-step toward eventual full-blown integration between Ubuntu PCs and handhelds and mobile devices.

It's too early with Ubuntu One to provide a review on critical items like reliability, latency and uptime. But its integration with Ubuntu 10.04 is a major warning shot to Microsoft that it won't be able to outrun Linux anymore on solid ground or elsewhere when it comes to the desktop.

Another beta of Ubuntu 10.04 is expected April 8, and final release is slated for April 29. We'll hold off on official reviews or recommendations until then. But for now it will be important to understand that Ubuntu as a platform is transforming along with the market's desktop use patterns faster than Windows has, even with Windows 7. It's fast, it's free and improving at a rate and pace that the larger market may soon find too compelling to avoid any longer.