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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"
Hmph.
Could we see this as the first real reply to the SCO case? Something like: 'Up yours SCO!' or more like: 'Lalalalalah Can't hear you!' ??
Jeroen
Secure messaging: http://quickmsg.vreeken.net/
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....
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 because the infrastructure is already there to switch since another country has put in the time and effort to make an enmass switch. Eventually it might get some usage in the large scale due to students using it at home after trying it at school. This is a *BIG* deal if we can get just one government to start the dominos.
- tristan
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?
If they'll have a cow for their GNU symbol?
*note: this is a good natured jab, not making fun of their religious beliefs
"Much work is lost, for the lack of a little more." -Edward H. Harriman
that the linux PCs are being sold in non-metro areas of the country.
Unlike in US, there is vast diff. between the metro cities and other small cities.
Majority of the enterprise level business are located in metro cities and I am not sure targetting SOHO business in non-metro cities is such a bright IDEA.
Simply because, in non-metro cities it is very easy to get pirated microsoft software and PCs are assembled from cheap parts from taiwan , rather than bought from PC vendors.
for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
The reason people don't use Linux, IMO, is not because it is harder to use or less logical in its layout (obviously i'm talking just about using KDE or the like), it is mainly because people have been using Windows since they were this tall.
If people started on Linux then Windows would seem bizare and hard to use at first, just as Linux is percieved by the windows generation now adays.
Just my 2 (euro) cents worth
Alex
This could be excellent news for the proseperity of the third world in general and the redution in the digital divide in particular.
At present many third world countries such as Ethiopia, Rhodesia and India have serious problems in that computers are an unobtainable luxery that the ordinary man on the street cannot afford. If we can get free software into these countries then we can alleviate much of the hardware costs associated with running a computer and so make it easier for undeveloped societies to have access to modern technology (ok the hardware costs are still there but how much does a second hand computer cost these days?).
The impact of this cannot be underestimated. If you think how much computers have impacted on your work and how much time/money they save then you will realise why third world countries cannot compete on a level playing field with us Americans. If we can get Linux into these countries we can enable them to make money so they will not be a drain on the ric countries but will instead be able to make money and provide for themselves.
All that glitters has a high refractive index.
I wish companies would stop selling systems with 128mb of RAM... 256 is bare minimum nowadays. People wouldn't notice the difference between that 2.4ghz P4 and a $50 AMD Athlon XP 1700+...
Of course, I'm sure they do this because they can get away with it... The average consumer probably thinks a CPU with a big number next to it is more important.
Dude, .right now the only problem for them is ability to speak english.
Linux or no linux, jobs/projects are being out sourced to india because of one simple reason . CHEAP LABOUR.
If you think outsourcing to india is problem, wait till china catches up. they have even better infrastructure and cheaper labour
In case you forgot it's called capitalism.
for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
Perhaps we'll actually start seeing some OEM level hardware support, or if nothing else at least some specifications so we can make our own drivers for the latest GO-GO gadget device.
While I'm by no means a fan of IBM, their whole microchannel experence has left a sour taste in my mouth, I must admit they are a big ass company, and when their business is supporting linux for large nations like India I see an increase in demand for drivers for cheeper hardware. Wether or not then will be release under some form of OSS license remains to be seen, but IBM at the very least has the mussle, they have the contacts, and they have the ability to get the job done.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
As an Indian I beg to differ,
they don't have an attitude/ego
yeah right, i think we indians have one THE most infalted ego about our computing abilities.
they really really really want to program(unlike lazy westerners)
What a gross generalisation. Incase you forgot most of computing initiatives are taken by western countries.
They actually meet targets
Not any faster than anyone else
The quality is as good as western code
How does this make indians better ?
the labour is cheap
no arguments here. But don't forget the labour is cheap because of a weak economy and huge population, which have their own problems.
there are 1.3 billion people (making them second to China)
Out of which 30-40 % are under poverty line
They use Linux for everything
WHAT ?
for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
Like all technological things, serious Linux aoption starts in Asia (Dell started selling linux systems in Asia a few days ago according to some article), and now it has reached India. Soon it will reach Europe, and around 2013 the USA may also start moving out of the stone age, and onto an OS that works.
Isn't 850 a little pricey for the average guy in India? Especially considering I can walk down to Wal-Mart and get one for $200.
Who does say Linux on the desktop is dead? As far as I can see its takeup is just beginning, and as long as Microsoft persevere with an overpriced, overpowering 'standard', more organisations will consider it throughout the world.
If I call Dell tech support about a Linux system, the person on the other end will now know what I'm talking about.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
Of course, selling Linux desktops will help vendors compete with the low-cost boxen with pirated Windows you can get in developing countries. The cost of a Windows license is more significant there.
But there's another advantage: if Linux-on-the-desktop seriously takes off, it would make the PC vendors more independent of Intel. After all, who cares what instruction set their CPU is running? The only reason everyone still uses x86 is because that's the only platform that'll run Windows.
Did it ever occur that maybe a lot of those people who dont use Linux are happy with windows? Various distributions are available for free or for little cost but you dont see droves of users dumping windows and moving to Linux. Partly due to inertia as you say but also the majority of them are probably happy enough with what they have and see no compelling reason to change.
Did it occur to you that a vast army of computer users really don't know what they are using? Most of the circles I move in are populated with people who are used to multiple operating systems but occasionally I step back into the normal populace to help out a neighbour and I realise just how wide the gap is.
Take, for instance, someone I helped fix their system after it was upgraded by another friend. The term 'operating system' is not one that the average computer user really understands. Therefore 'Windows is an operating system' is something that probably half the computer users out there don't have any serious comprehension of. This means that not only do a large number of people use Windows because they have it, they are unlikely to change it because they really don't know it 'exists' as a product. When they get a new computer, it comes preinstalled and they never really have to worry about it. I'm reminded of a survey where a significant chunk of people in the street thought that 'Pentium' was a chip maker.
People rant a lot about how getting Linux preinstalled on new computers is the absolutely critical step in getting people to use Linux. From the ivory towers of the tech elite, it's way too easy to think that because people have a choice of OSs, they will exercise or even understand that choice. When you think of a store selling computers, people generally want a list of utilities (email, web, office suite, photo galleries, etc) - how that is acheived is irrelevant to them as long as it works. Much as people are now of the opinion that a virus checked is an essential item on any system (does anyone know of one for AIX :-) ).
Cheers,
Toby Haynes
Anything I post is strictly my own thoughts and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the opinions of IBM.