Microsoft produces the most popular operating system for business and home computers. Their release cycles vary from release to release. While some releases are really popular, others are completely ignored (Windows Me and Windows Vista). On the other hand, Ubuntu, a Linux distribution sponsored by Canonical Ltd., have release cycles every six months. A lot of Ubuntu users are former Windows users who have migrated to Linux because it offers what they need in a more stable platform. One of the advantages of Ubuntu is that is released under a GNU license where users have access to the code. Windows is famous for being buggy and is known for being slow to patch bugs or updating new features. During the last release of Windows (Windows 7), Microsoft launched a public beta program where they received a lot of feedback. While this helped them get rid of lots of bugs, it is nothing compared to the testing system offered by a software where the code is openly available. Ubuntu users don’t only report obvious bugs, but they are also able to find bugs that can only be found because the code is available. These users act not only as testers, but also as debuggers: two roles that are strictly separated on closed platforms like Microsoft’s. Another advantage of open-source software over closed platforms is that the software available is closely related to people’s ideas and needs. Users start their own projects and are later joined by many other users, with different levels of experience, across the globe. On the other hand, Microsoft has to conduct studies and surveys to better understand the actual needs of the users. Again, their last beta release helped them a lot this time, but is it enough? As open-source operating systems like Ubuntu become more popular, Microsoft will have more trouble staying up to date in offering what users need most. Microsoft has an advantage with the number of users, but how long can they keep them happy?
