Debian on a Compaq. Compaq were
acquired by HP and Ubuntu is based on Debian Linux.

NE of the key challenges that Linux has faced lately was its inability to get shipped by giant hardware distributors. A milestone can now be marked as Hewlett Packard begins to sell Ubuntu Linux, pre-installed on both desktops and laptops.

HP’s Sean Owen-Jones… said the company would shortly be releasing desktop and notebook PCs running Ubuntu Linux. The NX6110 notebook would be available shortly with Ubuntu and a desktop PC would also be available.

…

[HP's] Schulz said that HP’s entire email infrastructure… is run on Linux and delivers in the region of three terrabytes [sic] of mail annually.

Next up: Dell Computers.

Why you might ask?

Rather recently, Michael Dell asked Steve Job (of Apple) if he could take advantage of Mac OS X, which is now compatible with x86 architectures. Mac OS X , which is Linux-based (see correction in comment), can easily be incorporated into a massive stock of Dell machines. Tiger, being the most recent version of Mac OS, is taking some niches by storm already, security and eye candy being a major pro.

More importantly, as I pointed out 2 months ago, Michael Dell gave $100,000,000 to RedHat Linux out of his own pocket while Fujitsu opted for SuSE Linux and server support services.

To spice up this discussion, a Gartner Group study concluded that mainstream use of open source in IT environments may be just 5 years away. What a glorious turn of events.

Bill Gates arrested in his younger days (photo in public domain)

ECENTLY I came to discover more about the personaility of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, perhaps possessed by the measles. He has become yet another one of the ugly guys in the block, perhaps even topping the man above. He was caught yelling “I’m going to f—ing kill Google” and throwing a chair across his office. Anger management comes to mind.

Given the aggressive behaviour of Microsoft, it was not too surprising when Massachusetts prepared a proposal that will drop Office in favour of Open Source solutions. I wish them to best of luck in their future endeavours, which are sure to insire the remainder of the country over the long term.

Massachusetts is preparing to deliver another challenge to Microsoft’s core PC software business: a directive to force all 50,000 desktop computers used by state employees to be stripped of Microsoft’s Office, the suite of applications used on an estimated 95 per cent of PCs the world over. Instead, they would be required to run an open-source version, such as OpenOffice or StarOffice – software produced by volunteer programmers and distributed free of charge.

Mind the game or not, it carries on

somewhat laughable request for Office on Linux has been put forward by the OSDL. Some would argue that this was part of the recent mind game, wherein Microsoft wanted to fund a joint TCO study. An impartial TCO study from IBM has already shown that Linux is 40% cheaper to set up and maintain than Windows-based equivalents. It makes Microsoft feel very threatened. Also worth a mentioning is their proprietary video format/protocol, which DVD Jon reverse-engineered for the benefit of non-Windows users. This was only reported yesterday, as a matter of fact, so hacks must be circulating around the Net already.

In other news, Microsoft ends Services for UNIX, in a move which they claim will improve inter-operability in the long-term. Whose side would you believe?

Related items:

• Microsoft-funded Benchmarks
• Reasons to Use Linux

Sounds like a royal phone

OR a while I have been reading about a big announcement, which is bound to be delivered by Apple’s founder and CEO, Steve Job. It now seems as if the iPod will be combined with a mobile phone, but let us wait and see.

Related local items:

• All iPod Owners Can Get Compensated
• Computers Become Hosts

Even the Queen of England might fill out the form

Dear iPod users,

Be sure to read this earth-shaking item and fill the form if necessary.

A San Mateo County judge on Thursday approved the settlement of a class action suit that will offer relief to as many as 1.3 million iPod owners who may have been victim to poor or defective batteries.

• Claim Form

Only months after the release of Google Desktop, the much richer Google Desktop 2 has been announced. This native desktop software, as well as indexing and searching one’s hard-drive, incorporates a controversial sidebar. This sidebar contains RSS feeds, a virtual Gmail inbox, news headlines and more utilities and plug-ins like a scheduling toolset.

Will this truly provide the infrastructure to what might become a Google homebred Web browser? This kind of browser would make the Google-centric application everything that you will ever need. Would such strategy move all the users’ data on-line, namely mail, schedule and settings? Will this make our lives even more portable? Surely there is potential for this vision, which is not baseless. Google have strong ties with the Mozilla Foundation and they may have pondered the possibility of a Google browser in the past. Some sources claim they have.

Related items: Google OS – What if?, Towards On-Line Operating Systems

he Computer Business Review reports that Yahoo will soon join the VoIP market and target the hugely popular Skype. VoIP, which has become synonymous with Skype, is a method/service allowing telephone calls to be made over the Internet, making such calls virtually free. With a standard telephone connected to a standard line, call fares are very low too. In the latter case, international call fares equate to these of local calls.

Yahoo is planning to become a full-service VoIP provider, but declined to give a timeline on new product announcements beyond “coming months,” said spokesperson Terrell Karlsten.