It used be that Chinese Pirates merely bootlegged popular OSes like Windows XP, Vista and even Longhorn. Now they’re moving on. I read some reliable info on Download Squad that the pirates have now created a flavor of Ubuntu that looks and feels just like Windows XP!. Called Ylmf, this operating system deploys XP’s icons and even taskbar. What’s more, the Wine integration allows for Windows based programs to run. Then to attract those into bling, Ylmf supports Compiz effects and comes with a lot of pre-loaded freeware such as Firefox and OpenOffice.org. This Chinese group may not be doing Microsoft a favor, but they surely are doing a great service for end users like you and I. Packages like may tilt the balance in favor of open source software because ease of use is finally made available from the once arcane Linux/Unix based system.

Be aware, however, that under the hood, Ylmf OS is still Linux and will not run Windows based applications natively. The Wine fix won’t work for all software- just a few. If you want to know more, check out their website.

Some people muse at this point whether Microsoft will flex legal muscle over the alleged tresspass. I doubt it. If someone mimicked the look and feel of Windows 3.1, would they? XP is almost like Win 3.1 now. Support is being phased out, with a lot of marketing being diverted to Windows 7. And besides, there are next to no copyright laws in China!

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