Call It the U.S. Open Source, Aug 21, 2002

Portly penguins aren't usually associated with a high-speed game like tennis. But Linux's favorite mascot will be a very noticeable part of the U.S. Open next week.

The open-source operating system will be center court, running the tournament's major information systems and moving data around the world.

Lindows.com, the operating system maker, is being forced to re-evaluate its strategy to lure the average consumer away from Windows. The company has increasingly moved away from its original claim to fame--running popular Windows applications on a non-Microsoft platform.

As major computer hardware and software vendors intensify efforts to establish the Linux operating system's desktop foothold, the security and reliability of the open source software continues to earn high praise, a new survey of Linux software developers finds.

One of the biggest criticisms of open source is that it can't make money. Critics are quick to point out the woes of Linuxcare, VA Software and others. They also note that Microsoft makes more in two days than all the Linux companies combined.

But I think these critics are missing the point. Linux makes money for the companies that use the software, not the companies that sell it. Software companies have huge profit margins. The largest software maker, Microsoft, has a 30 percent profit margin.

 View older news this year: Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan
 View news from other years: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999