Canonical, creators of open-source OS Ubuntu is not about to give all the limelight in the OS market to Microsoft and Windows 7. Come Thursday, the company is to make available the latest version of its OS geared specifically for netbooks – the Ubuntu 9.10.

Canonical chairman, Mark Shuttleworth said that he is looking forward to another head-to-head battle with Microsoft especially in the netbook department. If you have been following the development of netbooks, you’d remember that the Linux OS was first used in earlier netbooks. But this was completely overshadowed by Microsoft when it starts offering Windows XP to netbook manufacturers. In a way, Microsoft’s entry to the netbook market paved the way for its popularity.

Although he admitted the fact that Windows 7 is a credible release, Shuttleworth however calls Windows 7 as still proprietary and expensive. Windows 7 Starter Edition which is suited for netbooks are both pricey and restrictive of what it would allow users to do, said Shuttleworth.

Ubuntu 9.10 on the other hand promises to support all 25 different netbooks and will offer them with an OS that has simpler interface, faster booth and log-in time, better audio framework and improved 3G connectivity.

via PC World