HP unveils Linux-based laptop

Hewlett-Packard plans on Tuesday to unveil a new laptop that comes preloaded with SuSE Linux, making it the first major laptop manufacturer to put forth such an offer.

The HP Compaq Business Notebook nx5000, which costs $1,199, has an Intel Pentium M processor and wireless technology. It can be ordered preloaded with SuSE Linux and OpenOffice, and it is already available with Windows.

The announcement is expected at the LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in San Francisco on Tuesday, but HP has already posted information about the Linux-based laptop on its Web site. Other vendors are expected to follow suit in the near future.

HP already sells PCs using Linux from MandrakeSoft and Turbolinux, but the way was cleared for SuSE as well through a March deal with Novell.

Generally, HP's Linux PCs sell for less than their Windows counterparts, at least overseas. The company sells Pavilion desktops in China with Windows and Linux. Spot checks at stores show a basic Linux Pavilion with a monitor selling for about $700, while the Windows XP version sells for $60 more.

The Linux-based nx5000 laptop will be sold only in the United States at first, according to HP. A longtime Microsoft ally, HP has been expanding its support for open-source software.

James Governor, principal analyst at RedMonk, welcomed the development. He said that because Linux comes preinstalled, users don't have to go through the hassle of installing a new operating system.

"In this industry, (given) the amount of money companies spend on marketing, sometimes vendors seem to have a surprisingly thin idea of what people want to buy. Preinstalled Linux on laptops and PCs is an idea whose time has come," Governor said.

It's only a matter of time before other computer makers also release Linux-based systems, he said: "If HP is doing it, it is going to be pretty hard for all the other vendors not to follow."

At the Linux User and Development Conference in London in April, HP Samba Team member Jeremy Allison agreed with attendees that buying a laptop without Windows is difficult, and he promised that HP will be making progress in that area. Allison acknowledged that the first thing he had done with his work laptop was to reformat it and remove Windows.

Munir Kotadia of ZDNet UK reported from London. ZDNet UK's Graeme Wearden contributed to this report.

[David Arbogast]

Who Cares?

Linux is free, and I have purchased my own copy of Windows. Anybody with half of a skillset can get an operating system they want with minimal effort. I find it difficult to believe that people who do not even know how to install Linux would want to be running it. Certainly the Linux gurus would rather install and customize their own distro...

Regardless of the system I purchase, I ALWAYS format the drive and reinstall. PC Makers like to choke up Windows with all kinds of special offers and useless software anyway. I know I know... Microsoft got sued and part of the settlement was to allow all this worthless junk...

What I want to know is, When can I buy a PC from a reputable manufacturer with NO OPERATING SYSTEM installed?

Good!

You say you want to know when you'll be able to
buy a PC without an OS pre-installed -- that means
you want a CHOICE. It's all about exercising
your freedom to choose. Let the ultimate user
decide which OS best suits him.

[David Arbogast]

Who Cares?

Linux is free, and I have purchased my own copy of Windows. Anybody with half of a skillset can get an operating system they want with minimal effort. I find it difficult to believe that people who do not even know how to install Linux would want to be running it. Certainly the Linux gurus would rather install and customize their own distro...

Regardless of the system I purchase, I ALWAYS format the drive and reinstall. PC Makers like to choke up Windows with all kinds of special offers and useless software anyway. I know I know... Microsoft got sued and part of the settlement was to allow all this worthless junk...

What I want to know is, When can I buy a PC from a reputable manufacturer with NO OPERATING SYSTEM installed?

Good!

You say you want to know when you'll be able to
buy a PC without an OS pre-installed -- that means
you want a CHOICE. It's all about exercising
your freedom to choose. Let the ultimate user
decide which OS best suits him.

[happy_rappy]

Just loaded Ubuntu on my laptop! It went very smoothly. I am sure it will take some time to learn all the ins and outs.

I would consider sending more money to Microsoft as soon as they volunteer to reimburse me for the three weeks (120 hours) of wasted time we spent on Windows so far this year. It adds up to about 200 to 300 hours per year at our company on average. This is a burden because there is only one person who is using the computers (me).

Your purchase is really like a vote. If enough people won't buy a machine with all that preloaded stuff: alternatives will become available. Good luck.