Ubuntu 9.04 and ARM: What They Mean For Netbooks

Ubuntu is getting a new update on the 23rd of this month, and it is going to mean some interesting things for netbooks. Jaunty Jackalope, version 9.04 of the popular Linux OS, is adding an additional ISA to the feature set. The big news for netbooks is that Ubuntu 9.04 is going to “natively include an ARM installation for ARM-based MIDs.”

While Intel’s Atom CPU is known for its efficiency and high power in comparison to other chips on the market, ARM is cheaper. This “battle at the low-end” is focusing on battery life, a category in which Linux excels over Windows, and ARM is capitalizing on that ability.

And not only is ARM taking a stand in cooperating with Ubuntu – a late announcement is saying that “individuals can go to the ARM website and custom build their own CPUs in any quantity they want.” It’s not completely sure what this will mean in practice, but it’s looking like Linux is courting the netbook market with more features and more customization than ever before. ARM will take a huge stand in this new partnership, and who knows – the age where 96% of netbooks run Windows may just be over.

Via Geek.