Before the ink has dried from my previous post, comes this surprisingannouncement from Intel that it is going to launch its own Linux powered mobile Internet enabled UMPCs. I think that this announcement is as monumental as Dell's announcement of its intention to adopt Desktop Linux. As discussed in my earlier post, Linux could very well ride on UMPCs to gain significant market share from Microsoft. With Intel's support, Desktop Linux should aspire for more. Go Linux, Go.
Linux has been fighting an uphill battle with Microsoft for the Desktop. Dell's Linux Desktop could be a major success story of Desktop Linux. However, there is one key factor that is being ignored - UMPC.
With UMPC just emerging, it is the space were the next OS war would to be fought. Apple's own UMPC - iPhone has already got the Geek's mindshare. with Nokia, Samsung, As Motorola and all other device manufacturers are going to fight out for this market, UMPC margins are going to be very less and Microsoft's Tax could be a big burden for its adopters. So Linux should aspire to garner atleast 30% of the market along with Apple and Microsoft .
The UMPC consumers are be open to adopt new user-interfaces and concepts and most of these concepts would be extended back to the Desktop PCs as well. This can be observed from this concept video from Intel.
If this is true, a 30% marketshare in UMPC then could pave way for wider adoption of Desktop Linux as well.
From an alternate point of view, UMPC could also stiffle Desktop Linux because Linux is already many years behind (atleast Apple) in providing newer user experiences such as shown in the above video. As iPod success provided growth for OS-X, iPhone might multiply that effect by many factors in favor of Leopard because features such multi-touch could be extended from Leopard iPhone version to Leopard Desktop version.
