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I read two interesting blogs today. One tells of the irrelevancy of the OS wars. The other is a news piece on the report of two Gartner researchers. The researchers made statements that Vista is no longer viable and consumer resistance to migration to the operating system is growing not decreasing.

Furthermore, the rise of the ultramobile pc with its limited hardware options (due to functional perimeters), puts Vista out as an acceptable choice for an operating system. While Linux and OS X are being used in small portable devices (mobile phones, iphone) Vista is too big for the ultra portable laptops (eeepc, everex).

What does these developments tell us average computer users? Keeping up with change and technology is stressful enough and you have to pick a path that has the least slope in its learning curve. Or anticipate which technology will emerge and jump on the bandwagon as soon as possible.

Vista is out and Microsoft would not be able to come out with another operating system at least not within 5 years. If you are using XP you have to ask yourself if you want to continue using it, while Microsoft threatens to cut support for it as early as next year.

I am using Linux Ubuntu. I learned about linux in 2005 but finally installed it in March 2007. Three months later I am using Linux for my everyday computing and have not gone back to Windows. No I don't miss it. Whenever I encounter a website with IE only policy I grow irritated but my freedom and the choices which open source gives me make me smile. How do you describe the colors and the depth of the world around you to the blind? I try.

The Ubuntu promise

* Ubuntu will always be free of charge, including enterprise releases and security updates.
* Ubuntu comes with full commercial support from Canonical and hundreds of companies around the world.
* Ubuntu includes the very best translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free software community has to offer.
* Ubuntu CDs contain only free software applications; we encourage you to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.

Ubuntu Linux comes out with a new version every six months. This is a self-imposed schedule to keep the cutting edge sharp so to speak. A community of Ubuntu users learns with me and shares their knowledge with the rest in chatrooms and fora. This is free. If you want commercial support you can buy support from Canonical.

I think this particular blog is getting too long. I always remind myself to write 4 to 5 paragraphs to each blog to not test readers' patience.

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