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Caldera Division Re-naming & Targeting Set-Top
Matt Levine writes to us with the news that the Caldera division, Caldera Thin Clients, will rename itself Lineo, and will be focusing on set-top boxes, and cash register systems. The system is beig developed using an Embedix, which is based an OpenLinux.
Found something else interesting at The Register in this article. Looks like they're going to be porting the WebSpyder browser and calling it Embrowser. (Oooooh, aren't we creative ;) Has anyone actually used this? Could be more competition for the current version of Netscape (especially if it doesn't crash every hour and a half...). Still waiting for Opera of course...
I have a couple of comments on some items mentioned in this and other messages.
... well getting a free domain name isn't easy anymore! and Lineo comes out of our brainstorming sessions of "LINux Embedded Objects", thus Lineo. It'll work ... and we own the domain name :-)
First, let me tell you who I am and what gives me the right to an opinion on what Lineo is and what it will do.
I am the founder of Caldera, Inc. and the head of the newly re-named Lineo. We were Caldera Thin Clients, Inc. -- where we sold DR DOS and our embedded browser to embedded customers and markets. We are now adding embedded Linux, with it being a major focus.
First the comment I am replying to talks about set-top boxes as simply being a box to change channels, de-scramble, etc. Actually, the set-top boxes we are targeting are Internet set-top boxes for browsing the net using your TV and a detached keyboard. There will be some pretty cool stuff coming out by us and others in this area of "enhance TV". We already offer a set-top box solution (our browser on a small DR DOS kernel) but we are moving this technology to an embedded Linux base.
Secondly, there was a comment on the desire for more technical something or other on Linux as it compares to BSD. Well, we believe that Linux has a pretty good shot at providing alternatives in the embedded space with such suppliers as Wind River, Lynx and QNX. That is where Lineo hopes to take Linux. Not only on x86 embedded boards and markets but non-Intel as well. We will be making an announcement at LinuxWorld along these lines in a couple of weeks.
Third, there was a comment about Caldera changing its name. That is not true. Out of Caldera, Inc. there were two companies created last fall. Caldera Systems and Caldera Thin Clients. Caldera Systems is a company that supplies "boxed" product and full-featured Linux products under the brand name OpenLinux. They still exist and doing quite well. Their products look good and are continuing to improve. Caldera Thin Clients sold DR DOS and other things. We are simply changing the name of Caldera Thin Clients to Lineo.
On the comments of the quality of the name Lineo
Lastly, we aren't only doing set-tops. We will be placing Linux in printers, medical devices, your cars, vending machines, phones and small routers and the like. We'll keep you posted.