Ubuntu mania?

In accordance with The Register, it seems that

Google is preparing its own distribution of Linux for the desktop, in a possible bid to take on Microsoft in its core business - desktop software.

The name of the new Google-Linux distribution will be Goobuntu...that is: the new system will be a customization of the emerging Linux distribution Ubuntu.
It's not sure what Google will do with this project:

It's possible that it's just one of the toys Googleplex engineers play with on Fridays

But I'm very happy to see that someone else is working hard on the Ubuntu project.

Whatever Google's intentions, the input of Google engineers and developers, writing new features and fixing bugs, will be a huge boost to the Ubuntu project

I still don't know if Google is the right way to bring Linux at home, because I'm not very happy with all things Google is doing around, but I think that otherwise, they are doing great things with Internet: they always are a step forward to others. Thake GMail as an example of what I'm trying to explain.
The question is: is the big G an alternative to Microsoft or is it the new one? Maybe it is both.

UPDATE:it seems that this rumor about Goobuntu is a fake: read here ArsTechnica for details.