14 DAY TRIAL // China shockingly decided to ban Windows 8 installation on government computers last week and the central government now pushes local software companies to develop their own Linux-based operating systems that could replace Windows and serve as a fast, reliable, and secure alternative.
A new report published by Chinese news agency Xinhua reveals that large OS developers based in China have already started work on a new Linux-based operating system that could at some point replace Windows.
China Standard Software Co. and NFS China are two of the companies that are betting big on Linux, saying that they are now working to make the open-source platform feel almost the same as Windows.
"There are differences between Windows and Linux, but we are trying to make consumers feel almost the same when using our products," said China Standard Software Co. in a statement.
The company's Neokylin Linux-based platform, developed by China Standard Software Co. is marketed as the best Windows replacement, as it's a "safe and controlled product that meets the security demands for government, defense and other confidential fields."
The biggest challenge for Chinese software developers is to convince Windows users that Linux is indeed a helpful replacement, although it's pretty clear that no matter how hard they try it, the open-source platform will never provide the exact same feel as Microsoft's.
At the same time, another problem with Linux-based operating system is the support for applications, as a number of programs working on Windows do not come with Linux versions. There are plenty of alternatives, that's for sure, but for users working in Office, for example, it's hard to replace Microsoft's powerful productivity suite with a freeware one such as LibreOffice.
NFS China, a Linux-based OS developer affiliated with the Software Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has already started work on a Windows alternative that would excel in security and design specifically addressed to Chinese consumers.
And still, offering the exact same experience as Windows is quite a challenge, local IT experts admit, explaining that Linux-based OS versions can perform the same tasks only thanks to open-source alternatives.
"Domestic OS can support basic functions like processing texts and pictures, playing music and videos and providing Internet services, although the user experience is not as good as Windows," Ding Liping, a researcher with the institute, was quoted as saying by the source.
In China, Windows XP is right now the top operating system, with a market share that's close to 70 percent. China has specifically asked Microsoft to continue supporting Windows XP in the country because local authorities only recently purchased genuine licenses, but the software giant said that everyone needs to upgrade as soon as possible and custom support is only available for a price.
The dispute between China and Microsoft is also believed to be the main reason why the countries decided to make Windows 8 a forbidden product on government computers, although local authorities have never explained this move.
Redmond, on the other and, explained that it would continue to offer Windows 7 to the Chinese government and work with those in charge of it to make sure that Windows 8 could at some point be at least a considered product for local machines.