Linux vs Windows - Conquering a Windows Based World

Not to be outdone by Dell, HP has started shipping computers in Australia with Redhat Linux, OpenOffice and Firefox installed. They also plan to expand the offering to others countries, and maybe even United States. Perhaps the water is finally start to flow over the dam and Microsoft will not be able to stop it?

“Enterprise Linux 10 for its desktop computers, but has only recently started to evaluate the advantages of offering Linux preinstallation options on a large scale“

I am waiting for the next attack from Microsoft on Linux. Maybe the upfront in your face attacks are over, and we will now see the more subtle “EEE” Embrace Extend and Extinguish tactics that they have perfected.

HP and Redhat have joined forces and will be shippng the dx2250 HP work station with Firefox, Open Office, and Evolution email client in Australia. First was Dell and now HP, things are starting to look promising for Linux on the desktop now that the major hardware suppliers are testing the waters.  Covered by ZDENT.UK

HP has just purchased Neoware for $214 million. Neoware provides thin client Linux, Windows CE, and Windows XPe OS software.

HP made a particular point of stating that acquiring Neoware is intended to accelerate the growth of HP’s thin client business by boosting its Linux software, client virtualization and customization capabilities, expanding its regional sales footprint and broadening its hardware portfolio. 

HP is already shipping thousands of Linux desktops, and is in the process of making additional massive multi-thousand unit deals. This is covered www.crn.com by Edward Moltzen.

“We are involved in a number of massive deals for Linux desktops, and those are the kinds of things that are indicators of critical mass. So we are really looking at it very hard,” said Doug Small, worldwide director of open source and Linux marketing at HP. “We are in a massive deal right now for … multi-thousands of units of a desktop opportunity for Linux. That’s an indicator.” He declined to give details about the Linux deals.

HP just might beat Dell to the general desktop market with a Linux Desktop.

The heavy weights are joining forces to create a standards group to further the adoption of Linux in the business world.  Basically they are going to further fund and merge the Open Source Development Labs and the Free Standards Group.

“We will be a vendor-neutral organization capable of responding to competitors’ attacks and FUD,” Zemlin said in an interview Friday. He is the former executive director of the Free Standards Group.