At first glance, it will be difficult for Canonical and Ubuntu to compete with Apple's dominant iPad in the tablet market. But now that I've had some time to really think about the situation, I think the iPad will help to re-ignite Ubuntu's Mobile Internet Device (MID) effort against Microsoft Windows. Here's why.

In the first part of this series of articles I stated some things about designers and their apple computers, I said that these machines are overpriced and overhyped. This made some people think this articles were about Linux vs Apple. I got a lot of comments from people who seem to like apple:-) and a lot of arguments, some probably valuable.
Apple

There was a time when I thought the Linux desktop was going to take a market share at least equal to Apple’s. Maybe even 5% or 10% of the total desktop market. I had high hopes that the One Laptop Per Child Initiative would put Linux laptops in the hands of impressionable young minds who would never have the chance to become dependent on Windows. Though that plan has fallen through the cracks.

Microsoft has made its next comprehensive move against Linux. At this point in time, it seems that the Redmond company is lining up every last of its peons, building a consistent offensive that will accompany the official launch of Windows Server 2008.

While it has an over 20 per cent market share when we speak of servers in India, the free OS called Linux has just around 5 per cent market share in the country when it comes to desktops -- the lion's share going to Microsoft Windows. The scenario is gradually changing, it appears.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently gave a presentation in which he said that GNU/Linux has more market share and poses a greater threat to Microsoft's profitability than does Apple.

I assure you, this situation is far, far graver than any of the rest of you seem to know. As much guesswork as it is figuring out who runs what, I'm going to take this recent Ars Technica article and give both Apple and Linux the benefit of the doubt. I'll hedge their numbers up to 4% desktop market share for Apple, and 2% for Linux. That leaves Windows at a mere 94%.

For the first time in ages, the sale of new PCs with Windows as a percentage of the PC market is declining sharply. The new winner is the Mac, but, while no one does a good job of tracking the still-new, pre-installed Linux desktop market, it's also clear that Linux is finally making impressive inroads into Windows' once unchallenged market share.

The release of Linux XP 2008 has highlighted an interesting opportunity for the open source code which might see it eventually crack the mass market after a number of false starts. Linux XP 2008 offers an interesting backdrop to Windows XP and gives users the opportunity to use what is fast being recognised as a more flexible and user friendly system. But can it work in the long term?