Linux chief: 'We have to do better' to rival Apple

Executive director of the Linux Foundation Jim Zemlin maintains that while Linux-based devices can rival with Apple's new iPad tablet on price, the open-source community faces "a ways to go to compete." Writing on the Linux Foundation blog, Zemlin contends that the Linux platform fails to match the "magic" cited by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during the iPad's media launch: "While many question the revolutionary impact of the iPad, Apple's consistent user experience is far closer to magical than most things currently running Linux," Zemlin notes. "It may be easy for us to bash Microsoft every other week, but Apple is a true competitor. They have the polish, the focus on usability and ease of use, the application and hardware integration all to make using their technology a seamless and elegant part of your day, instead of a constant struggle with technology."

Zemlin goes on to defend Linux projects and products that exemplify the platform at is most innovative, among them Android-based smartphones like the Droid and the Nexus One, Moblin-based netbooks and tablets currently in development, and Nokia's Maemo effort. "The issue is that while all of these are incredible efforts, Steve Jobs is hardly standing still," Zemlin writes. "We have to do better." He adds that in the weeks ahead, the Linux Foundation will announce "big news" on its plans to restore the platform's luster.

For more on Zemlin's Linux assessment:
- read this Linux Foundation blog entry

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