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Hewlett-Packard Brings Linux To Select Desktops
Tatey writes "Hewlett-Packard, one of the world's largest PC manufacturers, has announced it will start selling Linux-based PCs aimed at the consumer market ... in Australia. For the time being it appears the HP Linux models will only be available down under, with prices starting at $AU600 (just under $500 USD). 'This PC is a low-end business PC. It comes powered by any of a variety of AMD processors. These range from the 1.60 GHz AMD Sempron 3000+ processor to the speedy 2.8 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 5600+ processor. The dx2250 can hold up to 2GB of RAM. For storage, it maxes out with a 250 GB hard drive. It comes with a variety of optical drive options, ranging from ordinary CDs to a DVD+/-RW LightScribe, Double Layer/Dual Format drive. At this time, it is not clear exactly what options HP will be offering with the RHEL-based system. Previously, HP had offered this desktop computer with a choice of Vista Business, XP, and FreeDOS. In the latter case, this was almost always replaced by users with a Linux distribution.'"
RHEL Workstation isn't bad. It has a lot of the desktop usability of Ubuntu and support from Red Hat. HP and Red Hat have a long-standing business relationship as HP already sells workstations and servers with RHEL pre-installed.
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Well, I've seen HP laptops with FreeDOS. And they're usually priced lower than comparable HP laptops with Windows.
Of course, I cannot guarantee that they're comparable in every single component, but that's my general impression.
Ignore this signature. By order.
However buying the machine with Windows+Works+other BS, then returning the said software for a refund as described in the EULA usually works out to be much cheaper than any other option.
HP is way ahead of you. When my wife purchased one a few months ago, it came with *2* EULAs - Microsoft's and HP's. Microsoft's promised a refund if you reject their EULA, and HP's limited Microsoft's promise to a refund for all hardware and software only.
In other words, you can return everything or nothing. You can't return just the parts you don't want for partial credit anymore.
No wifi in the system. Can't get lightscribe to work with anything. Might have the wrong disks though.
Smaller companies have been doing this for a while. Why do we need to go to big companies like HP when we can get computers from places like Los Alamos Computers and Penguin Computing? Oh wait, geeks now want dirt cheap computers instead of top of the line machines?
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
Don't worry, it's coming. What will happen now is a classic case of "bulletpointytis", in which any hardware producer looking to become a supplier to Dell and HP will have "Linux compatibility" as one criterium. It might not be very important, but supporting Linux isn't really that hard. Those are typically the kind of features you implement so you have an impressive list of features when it comes down to crunch time. "Well, it doesn't do that but look at everything else it does" or "Well, it's not cheapest but look at all the features you get". I think that effect is actually more important than what the sales figures are, as long as it's not phased out again.
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
That way they don't have the chicken/egg problem of how to download and burn the installation disc.
HP is very GNU/Linux savvy. They have a Linux landing page. They certify six different distributions. Their Insight Diagnostics are actually a custom Linux distro for performing system diagnostics and repair on their systems. HP supports open source software, and has for a long time. They support organizations such as the Free Software Foundation, Open Source Software Institute, and the Linux Foundation. The home of the Linux kernel, kernel.org runs on donated HP servers.
They often sponsor community events like the Linux Kernel Developer Summit, the Debian Conference, the International Free Software Forum, GNOME User and Developer European Conference, the Desktop Linux Summit, the Libre Graphics Meeting, and LinuxWorld. HP has not only supported Open Source projects, they have over 100 of their own. They have over 1,000 open source printer drivers. It's nice knowing you can plug in the HP printer and it will just go. Once upon a time printer drivers in Linux were a severe pain point.
So if you're considering buying a PC with Linux on it, apparently you could do worse than go with the HP one. (Full disclosure - I don't work for HP and I don't sell their stuff, but I do work in the business so of course I deal with their stuff somewhat. My opinions are my own, YMMV, yadda yadda.)
Now that Microsoft has decided to sell PCs it's natural for other PC sellers to consider their options. Every Windows + Office sale is a profit center Microsoft can use to subsidize their attack on the PC market much like they're funding their attack on the game console market. If you're a company that is already in the business of selling PCs, subsidizing your competitor is a very bad idea -- especially if the competitor can offer themselves considerable discounts on software.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
Xstrata (nee Mount Isa Mines) for hooking up to the various PLC devices around their mines (as of +2 years ago). I'm sure other mining/industrial companies are in the same position. Their favourite PLC device suppliers were still delivering the PLC programming software on (MS) DOS in 2005. I think some of the more progressive companies were moving to Windows 3.11.
Semi-automatic amateur armchair Australian philosopher; conjecture ready at any moment...