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HP+Compaq Deal Could be Great for Linux

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the looking-down-the-road dept.

elliotj writes "This Business Week editorial is arguing that the HP purchase of Compaq could mean big things for Linux as the resulting monolith is forced to rationalize their multitude of operating systems. The most sensible solution may well be for them to abandon HPUX, Tru64 et al and embrace Linux as the one-and-only *nix OS. Interesting thing about the article is that it comes from Business Week...not exactly a traditional penguin cheerleader." Ah, but soon, thanks to Yet Another Corporate Merger, we'll have another defunt company icon in the topics field.

2 of 258 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What are the odds? by SlashGeek · · Score: 3, Informative
    Neither HP nor Compaq has put any significant effort into this OS in the past, and they may
    well lag behind IBM's development efforts, including products like WebSphere.

    Huh?

    Comapq's Linux effort.

    HP's Linux effort.

    I'm not saying that they have invested as much time or money into Linux as IBM, but don't say it has been overlooked by HPaq. Compaq even has links on their site for Linux on the iPaq handhelds.

    --

    --I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else's fault.

  2. Be sure to see Robert X. Cringely's column. by Futurepower(tm) · · Score: 3, Informative


    Be sure to see Robert X. Cringely's column Resetting the Shot Clock: Why Hewlett Packard Buying Compaq is a Very Bad Idea, But Will Happen Anyway

    Cringely's theory (and mine) is that HP CEO Carly Fiorina (Carleton S. Fiorina) realizes she is near to being fired, and she is using a merger to buy time.

    Both HP and Compaq have made some monumentally stupid decisions. For example, Compaq bought Tandem, bud didn't use Tandem's sales force, even though the Tandem product required a huge amount of special service.

    The biggest problem in technology is managers who don't understand what they are managing. There is a theory that a manager of a technology company does not need to have a thorough technical understanding. Decisions made based on that theory have destroyed many companies. But the problem is very poorly reported, because the reporters don't have technical understanding either.

    My understanding is that Carly Fiorina is responsible for the terrible financial state of Lucent Technologies, her former company.

    --
    Bush's education improvements were