Ubuntu

Ubuntu strikes many people in the western world as an odd name for an operating system. They may not know that in the African languages of Zulu and Xhosa the word means roughly "humanity towards others."

It's a name that sums up the concept behind the Linux distribution known as Ubuntu -- especially since it was South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, one of the key financial backers of its development, who selected it.

Dell has unleashed an experimental version of Google's Chromium OS that runs on the PC maker's Inspiron Mini 10v netbook. Chromium, released earlier this month, is Google's open-source version of the Chrome OS based on the Linux kernel and aimed at netbooks.

PC retailers have spent the last few weeks gearing up in a big way for the launch of Windows 7. They're cleared out old inventory and stocked the latest PCs and notebooks in anticipation of increased demand for Windows 7-ready hardware.

But you may not need new a new PC to run Windows 7. One of the aspects of Windows 7 that has been most lauded by pre-release testers, in fact, is the new operating system's respectable performance on older hardware. And in tough economic times, that's good news.

To find out for sure how your PC might fare with Windows 7, read on.

IBM and Canonical have introduced a desktop computing package for enterprise PCs, laptops and low-cost netbooks. Called the IBM Client for Smart Work, the new cloud-based computing platform integrates IBM productivity and collaboration software with Canonical's Ubuntu operating system.

Computer giant IBM on Wednesday announced a challenge to Microsoft in Africa with a new open-standards software package for netbooks that would help Africa "bridge the digital divide."

IBM said it was partnering with Canonical Ubuntu, the company of South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, to provide a "new, flexible personal computing software package for netbooks and other thin client devices."

Netbooks are small, low-cost, low-power notebook computers.

They are either hapless pests or the very people capable of overthrowing Windows. Take your pick.

In December, hundreds of these software developers gathered for one week at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. They came from all over the world, sporting many of the usual signs of software mercenaries: jeans, ponytails, unruly facial hair and bloodshot eyes.

Freescale Semiconductor is entering the fast-growing netbook market with a solution that promises to make possible portable devices that feature 8.9-inch displays, eight hours of battery life, and prices under $200.

Freescale's solution is based on its new i.MX515 processor featuring ARM Cortex-A8 technology. The solution includes software, components and resources that aim to help OEMs rapidly develop and deploy netbooks.

IBM has joined with Virtual Bridges and Canonical to release a Linux desktop solution that aims to drive significant savings for corporations that rely on collaboration tools.

Big Blue is promising cost savings over Microsoft's desktop software by amplifying Lotus collaboration tools and Ubuntu Linux to a larger user base through virtualization. IBM has launched several Microsoft alternative desktops in 2008.

Canonical has announced that it will release its latest Ubuntu updates for desktop and server editions on Oct. 30.

According to the Linux-based operating system's commercial distribution sponsor, the free download of Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop Edition has been specifically tailored to fulfill the connectivity needs of today's digital lifestyle. For example, users of the new desktop OS will be able to move seamlessly from wired and Wi-Fi networks onto 3G cell-phone networks while on the go, noted Canonical Chief Operating Officer Jane Silber.

Just weeks after releasing the beta version of its Flash Player 10, code-named Astro, Adobe Systems this week released the final version for Linux, Windows and Macintosh computers. Flash Player 10 comes with a slew of new features and goes head-to-head with Microsoft's Silverlight 2, which was also released this week.

The multimedia products are competing head-to-head. Adobe has the lion's share of the market, but adoption of Microsoft's Silverlight has ramped up since it launched a year ago with 150 partners, including NBCOlympics.com, Blockbuster, Yahoo Japan and AOL.