Netbooks A Linux Stronghold?, Aug 07, 2008

Petite laptops with small screens and even tinier price tags may do more than shake up the computer hardware industry: They might loosen Microsoft's grip on the computer operating system.

Red Hat Inc. CEO Jim Whitehurst said Friday -- his fourth day on the job -- that he's angling for a showdown with two tech titans in what he describes as a struggle to protect information sharing in software development.

Ubuntu, the three-year-old Linux operating system that fast acquired the status of darling in the open-source community, has had a big 12 months.

This column is written for mainstream, nontechie users of digital technology. These folks aren't necessarily novices, and they aren't afraid of computers. They also aren't stupid. They simply want their digital products to operate as promised, with as little maintenance and hassle as possible.

Bill's $3 gambit is not about stopping piracy. If it were, he'd make the deal more broadly available. Bill's $3 gambit is about stopping Ubuntu.

Linspire, Inc., developer of the commercial desktop Linux operating system of the same name and Freespire, the free community desktop Linux operating system, announced the first of many free services offered to desktop Linux users today.

Shuttleworth and his team at Ubuntu have done something amazing - they've created a truly usable desktop operating system that rivals WindowsXP in ease of use and features, accomplishing finally what many of us so long felt impossible - they've mirrored the simple elegance of the underlying system with an interface and applications that make it a delight to use.

Students in upstate New York have moved one step closer to having a computer at every desk thanks to a pilot program using Linux desktops from Novell on Intel-based computers.

SGI Shatters Linux Scalability Records Yet Again With 1,024 Processors Running Under Single Copy of Linux

Red Hat, the world's leading provider of open source to the enterprise, announced today that Bob Young, co-founder and former executive of Red Hat, has decided to resign from the Red Hat Board of Directors.

Company Donates Over $1.5 Million in Software and Launches New Training Course to Promote Education on Open-Source Operating System

Microsoft Corp. said on Monday it would not appeal a European Union court order to immediately implement antitrust sanctions, but it remained optimistic of eventually prevailing in its main case.

Tridgell to Focus on Leading Development Work for Samba Project That Provides Popular Drop-in Linux Replacement for Windows File and Print Servers

Walmart.com has released the $498 Balance laptop, which runs the Linux-based operating system Linspire. The laptop comes fully equipped with the operating system, Internet suite, and Microsoft-file compatible office suite, and can be used with both dial-up modems and broadband connections

Desktop Linux options are lighter with the launch of Sub300.com's Ultralite Laptop. The Linux-only retailer is selling the world's lightest computer notebook at well under $1000, featuring the easy-to-use and capable Linspire operating system.

Recognizing the cost, stability and security benefits of Linux, Daum migrated more than 90 percent of its infrastructure to Linux.

Novell today announced the availability of its next-generation Linux desktop for enterprise customers: Novell Linux Desktop 9, Powered by SUSE LINUX.

The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), a global consortium dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux in the enterprise, today announced that Unisys Corporation, a leading provider of information technology services and solutions, has joined OSDL and will participate in a number of the Lab's Linux working groups.

The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), a global consortium of leading technology companies dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux, today announced the appointment of Thomas Hanrahan as the Lab's new director of Linux engineering. OSDL Lab director Timothy Witham has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer.

Digital Lifestyles Group, Inc., through its Northgate line of business, and Linspire, Inc. today announced the launch of Northgate's first Linspire-based, fully-configured PC, initially available on Staples.com (http://www.staples.com), the e-commerce site for Staples, the world's largest office products retailer. Marking the first system with desktop Linux pre- installed to be sold by a major office products retailer, the new Northgate "L-series" PC also features an all-in-one office software suite and six months of software downloads and updates from Linspire's CNR Warehouse(TM) service.