HP gives Suse Linux a try (yawn)
Hewlett-Packard has opted to become the last of the major computer OEMs to ship an integrated Linux desktop. Beyond the standard OpenOffice and other Linux desktop fare, HP has thrown in a modified version of Mozilla's Firefox browser, though after reading through ZDNet's description I can't fathom why I or anyone else should care about this "value-added" HP-specific Firefox.
I'm glad to see Novell's Suse Linux find a home on HP's SMB-focused machines. But I wish we could just move on from these now routine fits and starts with the Linux desktop. Nobody cares anymore, people. The game has moved on beyond the desktop bits.
Back in 2005 I and others were saying that the desktop is the wrong game for Linux to be playing. More recently, the top Linux desktop player, Canonical's Ubuntu, has clearly set its sights beyond aping Microsoft's 20th-century interface to computing.
For those of you cheering this HP news, take a hint from Ubuntu: the battle long ago moved beyond getting limited distribution with a hardware OEM that makes and will continue to make the vast majority of its revenue from pushing Windows machines...until Google and other cloud players finally upend the entire market.
The company to be watching on the desktop is Google, not Novell, Red Hat, etc. The Linux desktop is already winning. It just happens to run in Google data centers, not your fancy new Suse-powered HP computer.
Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mjasay. 
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If Google had its own OS then why are we seeing the Android OS based off of a Linux kernel with the most pathetic security protection ever? Disbelief here Cnet.
this is news
But I do agree with you on many points, I am baffled by the level of Google-worship in most of the technology press. Google is primarily an advertising company. They get 99% of their revenue from advertising. This firehose of dollars allows them to fund many fun pet projects that as you say, never make it out of beta. I have a lot of respect for many things Google has done, but they dont seem to have any idea how to monetize their inventions.
Having said all that, Google Apps (application layer for the cloud) and Android (mobile device OS) are two projects that indicate that Google is finally thinking strategically about how they can monopolize the future technology landscape. Unfortunately for them, I think their lack of ability to execute will prevent them achieving the level of success (domination) that they envision.
Just my 2c.
Matt is always glib about spouting how he has it all figured out. It's real easy for an armchair blogger to make calls from the living room (or basement office). It's a different thing to turn words into something real. What's the line: "Those who can't do, Teach". Analogously, in the age of technology: "Those who can't do, Blog".
As VP of something or other at Alfresco, one would think that Matt would have taken his company to soaring heights. From the tone in his posts, he's an internet/technology/OSS demigod.
It isn't the Linux desktop that's old hat. It's the shrill, ranting Matt Asay posts that are tired and worn.
When Matt Asay has a CV to backup his pompous posts, there will be more of us willing to listen. For now, the emperor has no clothing.
1) This article is link bait
2) Matt did not consider IBM and Ubuntu as a way to gain greater entry for the Lotus suite and prior successes with desktop deployments of Linux as well as the netbook market that pulls margin using a Linux desktop solution
The "cloud" is a meaningless marketing term to describe going back to computing circa 1960.
The desktop is not going away anytime soon, what the hell do you think people use to connect to your BS "cloud"?
You don't know the first thing about Linux. So why bother commenting on it.
You are a clueless businessman with technical knowledge even lower than other trolls on cnet such as vegehead dan. future boy, and seaspray.
Yes, most of your posts are nothing but third rate trolling.
Me, I sit here in the middle wondering *** - both sides are missing the point...
I do disagree with you as to why, but I do agree that HP's decision to add Linux to its repertoire is a bit of a yawner. I believe it's worthy of a yawn for two reasons:
1) as you've pointed out --though as only an ancillary reason-- every other OEM is doing this now. In the biz space, Dell and HP (and etc) support Linux on the server already, and Dell has supported Linux on the desktop for how long now? Years.
2) It's a yawner because it's still all limited to business, and for limited models. Wake me up when a major OEM offers Linux as an option on ALL of their models, in all configurations, and show their price points to reflect the cost of the Windows licenses.
As for the Cloud (cue choir music)? Sorry, but nowhere near ready for prime-time. ISPs are still charging a mint for what most network admins consider to be crap speeds in most parts of the US, and coupled with Comcast's stupid bandwidth caps (which others are sure to follow)?
No frickin' way a consumer is going to want to risk not having access to important stuff because, say, the kid spent the monthly bandwidth allowance on WoW.
Until the infrastructure is generally regarded as fast and accessible under all conditions (without paying out the nose for an SLA contract), the Cloud (cue choir music again) won't get anywhere beyond a few niche sectors.
/P
All the linux fanboys would argue that MS is destroying innovation and it is preventing innovation etc..
Look at KDE/Gnome. The crap is copy of MS user interface. where is f&(ing innovation you open source
linux morons
...and wonders if "slickuser" actually knows *** he/she/it is talking about.
Short-term? Not there... yet.
I agree that MSFT has plenty of reasons to worry about what Google has been up to, but I don't see Cloud computing as any sort of immediate threat in and of itself.
What I do see as a big threat to MSFT's status quo is the more widespread use and adoption of cross-platform technologies, and the even wider-spread use of platform-agnostic open standards. This is the reason MSFT has fought and bribed and clawed so hard at every open standards initiative that threatens their monopolistic bases(see also ODF and Massachusetts, MSFT's attempts to paint OOXML as 'open', etc). If standards are all open and openly available, then MSFT has no leverage (like they do for instance with .doc and .xls formats), forcing them to compete on merit (and against an ever-increasing field of competitors).
Standards are where the future battles lie... and not the mostly-vaporware cloud, which is but a mere facet and vehicle of the larger picture.
Why don't they just test one or two boxes from their product lines with two or three distros like say Ubuntu and Suse or Fedora and if it works then just update their webpage with a little logo next to it that says compatible with Ubuntu. Then when I get it home if I want to run Ubuntu I can just put it on myself. However, Now I know ahead of time that all the hardware on that particular model is compatible.
That's a lot easier then what we have now and here are some reasons why. First, it's a lot easier for me because I already know the hardware will work before I even get it home. I don't have to get dissapointed after I've already installed the OS and found out something didn't work, like the wireless card. Second, it's a lot easier for the OEM because they don't actually have to put Linux on any of their machines. They can just ship them all with Windows and have a streamlined process where they only have to test a few boxes instead of running a whole line of them with Linux installed on them. Third. Microsoft still makes a sale on that box instead of taking a loss on the Linux boxes.
However, if you install Linux before ever using the installed Windows copy you can still file for the rebate you get if you never use the copy of Windows that ships with a new computer. Last, if you were planning on dual booting you don't have to go out and buy or steal an extra copy of Windows to install because the computer only came with Linux.
If an OEM offered Linux full-on as a direct competitor to MSFT, or mentioned that their product lines were compatible with Linux, then MSFT will turn around and cut off all discounts of Windows licenses, marketing money, and the like... for "unspecified reasons". This means that if Dell suddenly had to pay 200% of what they normally paid for Windows licenses, HP and Lenovo would have a competitive advantage that Dell no longer has in a thin-margin market.
The fear is that the money loss would be too great before Linux-based sales and benefits would kick in to obviate it.
At least Apple drops the pretense and owns the hardware completely in their chain. MSFT merely uses its bully pulpit to demand the same ownership out of Dell, HP, and the like.
However, if the OEMS got together they could force MS's hand and if MS did try something like that it would play real bad for MS in the media, but bad enough to be effective? I don't know, but like I said once you get involved that deep with them like the OEMs are now, good luck getting out. The day might come when the OEMs just have to go into Windows detox even if they don't like it though. Nobody said getting off the crack was going to be easy right?
Anyone could do it and it'd make it lot easier. I could just check the list and go run and buy a store bought computer instead of worrying about each individual component then. Ubuntu could set up a site for that themselves and the site would instantly have brand recognition in the Linux community.
- by forever4now December 12, 2008 2:36 AM PST
- Pre-installing any of the major Linux distributions is a positive move toward customer choice. However, Ubuntu really should be considered as an option, as well, since Ubuntu offers different configurations for different device types. For example:
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(21 Comments)- "Ubuntu" for full laptops/desktops
- "Ubuntu Netbook Remix" for netbooks
- "Ubuntu Mobile" for MIDs
If HP were to offer Ubuntu-based MIDs, netbooks and laptops/desktops, their users have a consistent computing experience, as they move between their devices.