Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth: We can surpass Apple in two years

Apple is acending and is fueled largely due to the halo effect of iPod and iPhone sales. So I don't think Ubuntu has much hope of overtaking Apple anytime soon. In fact if Apple can capitalise on the zeitgeist generated by the iPhone and develop a coherent corporate strategy for the licencing and development of OSX then Apple has the potential to challenge Windows for market share in 5 - 10 years. Obviously Apple can't compete with MS and the current crop of developers and tools so they will have to rewrite the rules ;) If Apple can develop a successful new platform for developing and delivering applications / functionality using the iPhone [or like device] as it's conerstone then we'll have a whole new ballgame which would turn market share around pretty quickly. However, if the MobileMe troubles are anything to go by then they're still got a long way to go ..

Enlightenment would be the best for pretty interfaces, if Rasterman ever finishes e17 :-)

As a web designer, in-training-C++-programmer, and indie wanna-be music artist, I really don't see Ubuntu surpassing or even coming close to Apple any time soon.

The Mac OS X interface is what makes it so great. Usability is a major part of the interface, and I just don't think that Ubuntu has it. In Mac OS X every application has the same basic command keys, and everything is made to look more or less the same and follow usability guidelines. However, in the Linux world, every application seems to have different command keys, have different looks, and don't follow any usability guidelines.

Mac OS X window management is also just so much nicer than Ubuntu or any linux I've seen. Expose makes it really simple and the spaces actually work. There was only a couple of times that spaces in GNOME or KDE would work for me.

What also really annoys me in Ubuntu is the desktop affects, they are too over the top and waste my time and slow down the system whenever any effects are rendered. I turn them off, and the system is back up to speed, but it is more plain. Sure, for the first time you see it you may say, "Wow thats cool!" but it sure gets old quickly.

Now for the personal issues. Being a web designer I need good programs to do my work, such as Photoshop. Now I know some of you out there will say "Use the GIMP!" and let me tell you something, in my experience it doesn't come close to Photoshop, and also as being a part time independent music artist all the good audio creation programs are created for Mac OS X or Windows.

One thing I noticed about the many open source applications is that some have too many features that you don't need and don't do any perticular one very good and other applications that have few features but do them very well but don't do what you need. Applications developed by the mac seem to have a good balence, but this is all up to you the user to decide.

Really, whoever thought that using a brown earth theme would set it apart from other distros was right, but for the worse.

Ok I'm done. I feel better now. :P

What a shame if all the idiots in the world found their way to Linux and made it profitable for the bad guys to insert their slime the way they have in Windows and Vista. Its a "catch 22", everyone wants the biggest and best but thats what makes it attractive to the scum of the earth. I've really gotten used to the relative safety, weather its a kernal thats just too hard to pop or there is not enough users to make it worthwhile. So selfishly I hope it never changes. Theres no doubt in my mind though, If the the contributers to open source wanted to out class any OS, whether in functionality or eye candy it could probably happen overnight; but I'm not sure they really want to let everybody in either.

This debate is interesting albeit pointless. I have Ubuntu, Gentoo, Windows and Mac systems but I use my Linux systems because I'm mostly familiar with them. Mac people will use Macs not because they're better, but because "they" find them easier to use. If all you want to do is play music then your options are limitless. In my case, I build web sites and even though the tools on the new Mac OS are stunning, the Linux ones are still very attractive. Will Linux overtake Mac by looking better? YOU BET. What I've seen in fifteen years of Linux usage is just scratching the surface. Mac barely came out of the stone ages of OS9 because they decided to rip off FreeBSD. That was an excellent move. Macs are looking better every day, but most of their work will benefit Linux as Linux work will benefit Macs.

I'm sure that Linux will looks better than OSX but not before 5 or 10 years. The progress made by linux in relation to all others OSs are not comparable. All Linux's lacks are fixed. For example, now on any linux distribution you can play games thatcouldn't ever been launched two years ago.
Concerning compiz, all effects are customizable and if you don't wan't all that stuff you can just use some effects to make your desktop more nice and fluent.

Customized Ubuntu is already more beautiful, all someone has to do is add the customizations to the distro and release it....You can make your linux look EXACTLY how you want it to, and that will always be better than OS X or Windows.

If Ubuntu really want to compete with Mac OSX/Leopard and vista, then they should really consier the WillWill mockup for the next ubuntu release! It looks professional and very eye catching.... while the current ideas/artwork for Ibex Suck! ubuntu has great potential, but it will not reach its full potential until the Artwork side is Appealing to the majority of users. again.... willwill mockkup is Beautiful! Please Canoncial.... Consider using or taking idea's from it. It definatley can compete with kde 4.1.

I actually think the wallpaper in Hardy and the Human-Murrine theme make quite a beautiful combination. The only thing I'd like to see in addition is a gradient on the panel, perhaps clear transparency or a brown shade so that it just sort of blends into the background.

I will, however, agree with those that say we need some more usability work. While I do consider it all to be highly user-friendly, there are always inconsistencies to be worked out and always a better way any UI could be redesigned, regardless of whether we're talking about Microsoft, Apple, Intuit, or a FOSS offering.

There is one thing that comes to mind right now, when I think about ubuntu...

...ALSA and PulseAudio.
Get rid of them! They come installed by default on ubuntu, and I must admit that they "do the job", but they certainly aren't perfect.

I run Ubuntu 8.04.1 but I've replaced ALSA and PulseAudio with OSS4 and ESD. I must admit, this makes sound so much better on Ubuntu (and any linux distro).

Don't be fooled when you hear developers say OSS is deprecated... that ALSA is superior. When saying this, they are referring to OSS3. If they say this in reference to OSS4, then they are sadly mistaken.

Before OSS4, there was either OSS3 and ALSA; of these two choices, the best one was ALSA, but even so, ALSA was of low quality. I would have actually considered Microsoft's DirectSound library (or the sound api in directx) to be superior, but with OSS4, my opinion differs greatly. OSS4 and ESD, for the win.

Also, just to remove any misinformation that possibly resides here; pulseaudio is not an audio api -- it is a sound server for transferring audio data to devices and across a network. Ubuntu doesn't "use PulseAudio instead of ALSA"; it used to use ALSA and ESD by default, with ESD being the sound server instead, but now it uses ALSA and PulseAudio

- Regards, Haneda

Hold on folks....one thing to remember is that OSX machines cook!! The side-effects of running an excessively pretty/glossy OS is awful. Your integrated GFX chips solder melting etc....
I use Kubuntu Hardy Heron with a minimal theme and I love it. Im a web-developer/graphic artist and there are many options to customize the GUI if you just look. Mr.Shuttleworth if you do attempt to follow in Apples footsteps then please release it in the form of an optional set of packages or alternative distro. Not everyone wants to fry eggs next to their laptop.

I can make my Ubuntu prettier in 20 minutes nevermind 2 years!