Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth Source: Canonical

Microsoft might be betting big on Windows 7, the next version of its flagship operating system, but to Ubuntu Linux founder Mark Shuttleworth, the upcoming release is really an opportunity for Linux to shine.

Granted, Linux on the desktop has not made as much of a dent against Windows as it has in the datacenter. But Shuttleworth, who is also CEO of Ubuntu's commercial backer Canonical, figures the desktop itself and the applications that people are using are changing in ways that make the coming desktop battle different than it has ever been before.

"The principals of diversity in the desktop space are well established," Shuttleworth told InternetNews.com. "The benefits to consumers and industry of having an alternative are very substantial. Any change in the status quo is an opportunity."

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