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HP to Globally Launch Linux-Based PCs
Posted by
CowboyNeal
on Wed Mar 24, 2004 05:27 PM
from the hitting-the-bigtime dept.
from the hitting-the-bigtime dept.
Rade T. writes "Reuters UK reports that HP, the No. 1 personal computer and computer printer maker, said on Wednesday that its putting its weight behind personal computers that run the Linux operating system. I guess this is the first serious step towards solving the problems that Linux faces on the Desktop/Laptop."
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$699 each (Score:5, Funny)
Re:$699 each (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Big Win for SuSE (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Big Win for SuSE (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't think Microsoft is going to be doing a lot of crying in their beer. They might be looking over their shoulder, and they might like it to be otherwise, but the end result will be nominal at least in the near term.
Parent
Ehm yeah right. Read up on MS history (Score:5, Insightful)
But slowly the idea started to emerge that not everyone needed the full power of a mainframe setup. Cheap simple extremely limited machines started to appear wich could do a few tasks but that was all they needed to do. These machines where DOS and later Windows machines.
Now linux is doing the same. Sure Linux does not have the same capacity yet as a windows machine but windows did not have the same capacity as a mainframe. The question is does it do what is required well enough?
There is a difference. Dos/Windows got in through the lowend single purpose workstation. Linux is going in at all angles. High end server, middle file/printer server, lowend single purpose workstation, specialized appliance (firewall).
MS is scared. HP selling linux as an option is not something MS wants to see.
Parent
Re:Big Win for SuSE (Score:3, Interesting)
In other news, (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In other news, (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
...when? (Score:4, Interesting)
(PS: does this mean I can buy a laptop w/ SuSE preloaded on it now, here in the US? Or does that global thing mean what most "global" corporate initiatives do - "everywhere outside of the US")?
Re:...when? (Score:3, Insightful)
Buy (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Buy (Score:5, Informative)
The Slashdot story was, unsurprisingly, misleading.
In the article (or this press release [hp.com]) I've seen absolutely no mention that they'd be selling the PC's to the masses, only to enterprise customers.
A few snippets from the press release (emphasis mine):
It seemed almost too good to be true... and so it probably was.
Parent
It's about time... (Score:5, Interesting)
Linux can run more stuff that this... (Score:5, Funny)
Reuters Buying the SCO line? (Score:3, Interesting)
Even Reuters seems to be falling for SCOs crap.
Sigh.
Re:Reuters Buying the SCO line? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Reuters Buying the SCO line? (Score:5, Insightful)
I like #4, "The fundamental principle or underlying concept of a system or theory; a basis"
Linux is quite similar to Unix in terms of its higher level command set (ie what a user types in to a console to say... list the contents of a directory). By building a system which is functionally similar to an existing system, you help to ease the transition from one to the other, you base your new work on old.
Another example of this would be XPde, tell me it isn't in some way based on the Windows XP GUI, I highly doubt a single line of code was copied from Windows XP into XPde.
Parent
Why is this going to be different than Dell (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why is this going to be different than Dell (Score:5, Interesting)
Dell's attempt was worthless and self defeating.
Parent
Cheaper with Linux . . . or not? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Cheaper with Linux . . . or not? (Score:5, Insightful)
I have worked with Windows since 2.0 (yes, you read that right). I've installed (and re-installed, and re-installed...) it on hundreds of computers -- for friends and family, not as my job! I've purchased several copies of Windows for our business -- not by choice, but because necessary software has required it.
Microsoft has had literally hundreds of chances to "win me over", by just giving a *shit*, JUST ONCE, about my experience. But, they don't even know I exist. So, I've used Linux since 1995. Through all the growing pains (ever installed Slackware from 36 floppies?). Through the infancy and adolesence of Open Office, KDE, Mozilla. Through the busted device drivers, developed by dedicated developers blindfolded by the hardware manufactures they are working to enrich -- who, in turn, are slobbering after Microsoft.
How many other people are willing to put up with just about ANY amount of annoyance, just to get some option OTHER THAN Microsoft? I'll bet there are a LOT of such people.
If Microsoft can't make Billions AND give a crap about their clientelle, then they deserve to get the crap kicked out of them by Linux. It's not a question of if, but when.
Parent
Good stuff, hardware vendors take note (Score:5, Interesting)
The cynic speaks... (Score:4, Interesting)
What about HP? HP-UX is dying, they need to jump on something.
Red Hat will help push Linux to desktops. HP is wandering in the woods.
Windows dominance is already threatened by Linux existence. Keeping that threat manageable is the key to Windows survival.
Re:The cynic speaks... (Score:4, Insightful)
Do you ever read any article on
Parent
Time to mature (Score:5, Insightful)
It's a shame that the Asian market gets it first (for selfish reasons), I would like to see a fully functioning Novell/Suse desktop (the people at the Brain Share "show" are getting a sneak peek now).
Novell's press release (Score:5, Insightful)
Can Novell please get a
I wonder what microsoft thinks of all this (Score:5, Insightful)
ipod open standard? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:ipod open standard? (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:I wonder what microsoft thinks of all this (Score:5, Interesting)
Before I get modded down or flamed for writing this, I think it would be the sanest thing for HP to put forward a rational suggestion to Apple for them to license the Mac platform to HP. And here is my reasoning:
1. Longhorn is in developmental hell. The more setbacks Microsoft suffers PR wise regarding security issues and the more applications like iTunes shows up Microsoft developed "solutions", the more PC manufacturers dependent upon Windows suffer. On the other hand, OS X keeps improving, and even the hardest Apple basher on Slashdot has to admit this begrudgingly.
2. The Media Center PC experiment is not prime-time yet. And its only a matter of time before TiVo throws down the gauntlet at Microsoft on IP violations just as its done to Echostar (DishNetwork).
3. As long as Dell is Microsoft's preferred vendor, HP is going to come up on the short end.
4. Linux is not prime-time for Joe Six-Pack. Even the great Mandrake distribution suffers from the same problem as do all other Linux distributions...the availability of known game releases and consumer friendly titles on the store shelf.
Now compare that to the OS X platform.
If HP jumped in and became the SOLE Mac hardware and software licensee, this is what would happen:
1. Component prices would fall for the Mac side of the business, thereby improving both Apple and HP's costs.
2. Consumers gun-shy about buying a Mac over a PC would evaporate because it is no longer locked to a single vendor.
3. The demographic for HP consumer customers is not generally the same as an Apple customer. So there is not a large chance of Apple actually suffering from defections. If anything, Apple would be sure to gain marketshare because HP would legitimize the OS X platform for corporate America.
4. Even if HP did "steal" some Apple customers, Apple would still have a bigger chance at grabbing them with value-added purchases like
5. HP's Unix team could directly contribute to OS X. Its not like HP would be a disaster of a "cloner" like what Dell would be. Well, maybe after all the SCO mess is cleared up to be on the safe side.
Of course, HP would have to overcome their reluctance of purchasing microprocessors from IBM (maybe part of the deal would be that IBM had to license the G5 line to Motorola). Apple would have to overcome their licensing reluctance and actually sit down and analyze the fact that HP is no Umax or Power Computing. Apple has come a long ways with the iPod licensing; I would hope they could do they same here.
Parent
Re:I wonder what microsoft thinks of all this (Score:5, Interesting)
Well, take into account what you have used to base your arguments. Are HP laptops cheaper than Mac laptops? Yes. On a pure MHZ/GHZ scale, they are. Why is this? Because Intel/AMD chips are generally cheaper because of volume.
If HP and Apple were both procuring the same resources together, that being PPC chips, they would drop in price. Apple would actually increase their profits per machine sold because their costs would be reduced.
Furthermore, you yourself said you purchased an iBook strictly because of OS X. You are a switcher; you aren't Apple's bread-and-butter-continuously-upgrading-to-the-ne
Besides, if they can do a focused license with HP on the iPod, which they generate the largest profit margin from (38% per unit sold) than from any other item in their arsenal, then it would not be a losing proposition to do a limited license with HP.
And, I bring this up again...HP could help with the developmental cost of OS X. That is why my suggestion is not damaging to Apple like the typical "cloning" suggestion most people make, ala what happened with Power Computing and Umax, no name companies that competed with Apple for the very same customers.
Parent
Re:I wonder what microsoft thinks of all this (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm not totally insensitive here; I'm in the same boat too, but you have to be realistic and see the direction the world economy is headed. Just because these guys in India weren't born in Kentucky doesn't mean they deserve the job any less. If you work for someone else, you're always going to be subject to their rules. Learn to deal with it or work for yourself.
Parent
Re:I wonder what microsoft thinks of all this (Score:5, Interesting)
Gee, wonder what people would say if it turned out Microsoft never was a monopoly...
[begin antitrust 101 lecture]
A monopoly is a company that dominates a market. There are natural monopolies, and they are legal. It is not legal to leverage legally-gained monopoly power to "enforce" your monopoly on others (by keeping competition out of the market) or to gain monopoly power in other markets.
Microsoft dominates the desktop market. They are now seeing some competition entering. Since it is illegal for them to use their monopoly power to smack down the competition, they'll have to just try to provide a more attractive product. This is not something they are used to doing. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Parent
Ease-of-Use vs. Linux Service Business Model (Score:3, Interesting)
Perhaps profits-from-hardware will supplant profits-from-service as the OSS business model. Why buy support if the system is so easy-to-use that it does not need support? At the very least, service revenues will be inversely proportional to ease-of-use.
Puzzeling... (Score:5, Insightful)
Most of us, who already use Linux on desktop on a regular basis, consider ourselfs power-users. One of the reasons I use Linux (well... KDE
It would seem we have little in common with these new Linux users.
HP supporting Novell's Effort (Score:3, Insightful)
And then I read the article, HP is *supporting* Novell in their efforts to ...
Love the spin on the intro. Was this an HP marketing guy who submitted the story?
Forget world tours, show us the drivers (Score:5, Insightful)
Conspiracy! (Score:3, Funny)
This is not as good as you might think (Score:5, Interesting)
It's the vendor lockin story all over *again*. I have no doubt that they will try to approach the desktop market in the same way. At least until HP proves me wrong and announces support for the linux *kernel* and promises at least a best effort policy on the different distros.
Now this is just my experience with HP, a talk with IBM went much smoother and their bladeservers are already on their way, just have to install debian on them and I'm all set. (yay! got to mention debian afterall!)
Re:This is not as good as you might think (Score:5, Insightful)
What you _can_ reasonably suspect is that they will officially support a select few distributions that have special relationships with the company, to ship drivers that work with those distribtions, and finally *release specs* to their hardware and the source to their distro-specific drivers. That way, other distributions have all the information they need to get their systems to work with HP's hardware if they desire it. That is far more reasonable that what you propose.
Parent
Any SCO(x) i.e. litigious bastards reactions? (Score:3, Interesting)
I mean, why should HP be left out of the ``big companies getting sued by SCO'' list. It'll soon get to be a club kind of thing.
Or has HP cut a deal with SCO? In which case their linux-based products should be anathema.
Just wondering if anyone has heard anything.
hp will be the next guys raided by the BSA (Score:3, Funny)
Red Bull Busted By the BSA
http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/g
The nerve messing with the beer...
No trolls please (Score:5, Interesting)
Linux is not ready for "12 year old John gets a Linux CD and installs and is ready to go", nor is the support out there for Mom and Pop to click "DOWNLOAD ME" on a website and be up and going.
That said, for the corporate environment, Linux is perfect. It can be pre-configured and mirrored in a sysadmin's sleep, locked down to kill almost all support problems, and managed remotely with little effort. The applications, for the vast part, work almost exactly the same as their Windows counterparts and as such training costs are minimal.
Notice a pattern? The limitation of Linux is ease of administration and software/hardware support. Any place where Joe User is wanting to download and install a program from his favorite news website or Jane User wants to reinstall the OS, Linux is not 'ready' for casual use. But in a controlled environment, like a company where hardware and software falls under the umbrella of IT, these issues don't pose a problem.
As long as a company can find the applications they need to do their work (or start/join an OSS project and complete their own), Linux is pie on the desktop and has many benefits most companies would die for, once realized. Once you've got a Linux friendly IT department and have found the right apps, limitations are few and far between.
Once corporations adopt Linux, support problems will diminish, and once workers take it home, support problems will all but disappear. The snowball will feed itself.
Lack of lock-in, lack of security issues, lack of luser-stupidity-blew-everything-up scenarios and lack of licensing and upgrade costs are huge in the terms of $$$.
Cheers
Sun doing the same thing (Score:4, Informative)
Sun Java OS PC's [walmart.com]
$300 for a "complete" 1.6Ghz Duron system isn't too bad...
Cheap computer, expensive replacement keystrokes (Score:5, Funny)
The HP News Release (Score:4, Informative)
Scanners and Printer drivers (Score:5, Insightful)
Look at all the unsupported scanners SANE Project HP search [sane-project.org]
Apple could make a good move here (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Buy with a conscience (Score:3, Offtopic)
I know this is offtopic, and feel free to mod me as such. I just can't let FUD like that stand on it's own merit without some clarification.
I'm not fond of seeing jobs go overseas, but that's the price of free trade sometimes. There are also about 6 million jobs in the US for foreign companies (names like Sony
Re:Buy with a conscience (Score:3, Interesting)
If HP is outsourcing, then it is in their home/printer department...I doubt they are outsourcing Linux support.