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IBM Launches Linux Desktop in India
kanad writes "Who says that Linux on desktop is dead. Well maybe in the developed markets where people are using windows since last 10 years and are used to it. But in nascent markets it maynot be the case. From this story at Times of India , IBM is launching a linux based desktop model (A30) for about US$ 850. The specifications of the A30 is available from zdnet india site although the price mentioned is about US$ 1100.
IBM CEO recently visited India generating news and smoke about big blue taking some serious linux initiative in India.
Here is a more practical story on
Linux in India"
The articles don't state what company has put together the desktop software, just that the hardware is from IBM. Is this another partnership for Red Hat or have IBM rolled their own?
E-Sys has launched Linux PCs in India some 2 months ago - priced from $200 onwards (no monitor). The highest model comes in at about $300 which includes a financial accouting package as well.
LUGs are very active in India - and the recent drives by MS thru NASSCOM (like the BSA) is forcing lots of folks to switch over. Every day, new firms spring up offering Linux support for Home PCs as well as business segments.
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
Does anyone know if IBM is making Debian GNU/Linux available on these systems? It would be fitting for the only truly free Linux distribution to be delivered pre-installed on these systems in such a poverty-stricken country. I'm sure IBM will do great support for their hardware (they have been impeccable on the service contract on our department's 'Regatta' p690 POWER4 system (32 CPUs really make dselect fly!!!). The only question that remains is the software aspect of the deal. So...Does anyone know of any reliable apt-get mirrors in India?
> I think the first step we'll see in Linux becoming big on the desktop (in a general work area) is overseas governments. Eventually it may spread to the schools of those overseas countries. After that has happened, other countries will follow.
What about all the CS & EE students back home who use it at the university and get used to having a big pile of free, powerful, and stable apps, and demand the same thing on their desktop both at work and at home after they graduate?
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Are you kidding? Putting Linux on systems will reduce 'much of the hardware costs'??
Did you notice the price mentioned in the article on these machines? $850 is well beyond the reaches of many, many people in the First World and completely beyond the reach of people in the Third World.
On the contrary, I think those people that are "desperate" to use Linux on the desktop have the technical skills such that ease-of-use isn't really an issue. And for most people (I assume you're talking about general computer users), they don't see themselves as getting "done over by Redmond". For them, Windows is what they use at work, so it's the easiest to use at home. The movement towards desktop Linux isn't coming from the user base, but rather the administrative one.
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