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Hewlett-Packard To Offer Linux-based Media Hub

Posted by timothy on from the it-should-have-an-iPod-dock dept.

Sammy at Palm Addict writes "According to the New York Times, Hewlett-Packard is to offer a new digital media hub based on Linux," excerpting "Hewlett-Packard will introduce a new device this fall meant to record and play back television as well as organize digital media, including photos, music and video, the company said yesterday. Hewlett already offers similar devices based on Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition. The device, called the HP Media Hub, will be based on the Linux operating system." Since HP also sells self-branded iPods, it would be great if they'd make such a box iPod friendly.

17 of 184 comments (clear)

  1. Late to the party... by gubbas · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It would be nice to HP announce something that hasn't already been done before... Where is the "invent" in this?

    --
    "What I need is an exact list of specific unknown problems we might encounter."
    1. Re:Late to the party... by bebopredux · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Hey....anyone getting Linux out there gets a nod by me. I say kudos to HP for doing this.

    2. Re:Late to the party... by EnderWiggnz · · Score: 2, Insightful

      too bad it'll get axed by carly as soon as it doesnt produce buillions in revenue, immediately.

      but yes, kudos to hp for doing something linux.

      --
      ... hi bingo ...
  2. Microsoft's probably thrilled by Jason+Earl · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Microsoft is counting on Windows Media Center being the "next big thing" to give it the growth that it needs to justify its price/earnings ratio. A Linux-based contender in the same market developed by one of Microsoft's biggest allies is almost certainly going to be a major setback for Microsoft's plans.

    1. Re:Microsoft's probably thrilled by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It may be just a ploy:
      Dell announces AMD based systems to get a better deal from Intel
      HP announces Linux based Media Center PC to get a better deal from Microsoft.

      Happens every so often...

    2. Re:Microsoft's probably thrilled by ch-chuck · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Microsoft is counting on Windows Media Center being the "next big thing"

      What's so big about a 'media center'? All it is is tv/stereo in a different package. Being able to watch moving pictures was once big, now it's not. Being able to listen to sound over long distances w/o paying the telco was once big, now it's not. Being able to watch TV was once big, not it's not. Being able to own your own computer was once big, now it's commonplace, as is being able to time shift media broadcasts. How is a 'media center' so revolutionary over what we already have other than the marketing and the needs of a company to find the 'next big thing'? To me it's like saying the new 2005 Ford is the biggest thing out since the 2004 Ford.

      --
      try { do() || do_not(); } catch (JediException err) { yoda(err); }
    3. Re:Microsoft's probably thrilled by MattJakel · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You can't really call HP Microsoft's biggest ally... Sure, the majority of their software comes standard with MS Software but they are one of the few companies to offer desktops and notebooks preloaded with Linux... And they also have HP-UX (even if I can't say many positive things about it), so it's not like they're completely devoted to Microsoft.

  3. Linux doesn't matter by Wesley+Felter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As was mentioned in the Linux-based portable media player thread, it makes no difference to the user whether these devices run Linux or not. You can't install any applications, you probably can't get a shell, and you can bet that HP will release the minimal amount of source that is legally required, so hacking will be frustrating.

    And it looks like this device might break a record for the number of different kinds of DRM in one system...

    1. Re:Linux doesn't matter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I imagine I'm not the only /. reader who likes hearing that they're not inadvertantly paying the M$ tax. Also, the larger the market-share of linux-based devices becomes, the greater chance that companies will participate in the open source process to ensure that drivers/codecs/apps are higher quality.

      So, it does matter somewhat.

    2. Re:Linux doesn't matter by jomas1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You are right that this media player may not be very hackable (although that remains to be seen) but you can't discount the effect of linux becoming commonplace in appliances. Linux as a desktop/server operating system may never mean anything to the average consumer.

      Linux as the operating system that powers their media devices, remote controls, cars, video game consoles etc, etc will mean a lot more. This may be one of the key ways that linux gains mainstream consumer acceptance.

      --
      http://nyamenation.org/
  4. i can make one myself by halfelven · · Score: 2, Insightful

    and it's based on MythTV:

    http://www.mythtv.org/

  5. Re:what's up with all this by Everach · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why do we need an article for every new gadget that will use Linux?


    The slashdot community is a large proponent of open source, of which Linux is a shining example. A new 'gadget' means another inroad. It means another corporate giant values our dollars and is willing to move away from closed source options to get our patronage.

    We don't care that another gadget uses Linux. We care that another corporation is willing to use an open source solution to get our dollars.

  6. Hope its not restricted by t_allardyce · · Score: 3, Insightful

    All I can say is they better not bother trying any DRM bullshit, if it can't share all media, skip adverts etc etc its a useless pile of crap (actually i think shit even has more uses than a PVR/media center with DRM)

    --
    This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
  7. How long by ifwm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    before the fact that something runs a version of Linux is no longer newsworthy. I like this product, and it's worthy of being posted. But I also think there's something a little sad about making a fuss over that fact. That mentality seems a little backward anymore.

  8. Re:QNX by Jason+Earl · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This isn't about hacking your digital hub, this is about the economics of operating systems. Basically HP is telling Microsoft that they like the Windows Media idea, but that HP doesn't like the idea of paying Microsoft to implement it. HP has finally realized that the average Joe isn't interested in running MS Word on their television, and so there isn't really any reason to pay Microsoft for the privilege of using Windows. This isn't an issue of Free Software, but of commodity software. That's why HP isn't using QNX. HP isn't interested in paying the folks that develop QNX any more than they are interested in paying the folks in Redmond.

  9. Re:Pretty sparse article by prozac79 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Many slashdotters who have a grudge agaisnt HP were probably former HP customers and loyalists

    Or they were once employed by HP or Compaq before the dark times... before Carly.

    --
    "Oh dear, she's stuck in an infinite loop and he's an idiot" -Prof. Farnsworth (Futurama)
  10. Re:Wont work by JWW · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yeah, KnoppixMyth is out there.

    But its no fun if you don't get your hands a little dirty. ;-)