HP's first major Linux laptop
They're not the first to pre-install Linux on a laptop and send it out the door without the "Microsoft tax", but they're definitely the biggest to date: HP's nx5000 will ship with Windows if you want it, or for about $60 less you can get it with SuSe Linux (models start at about $1,140). The machine will support Linux CD burning, DVD and media players, WiFi, and comes bundled with OpenOffice. We're hoping this means a major commitment on their part to driver updates and Linux support—if it does, then we have a very good feeling for the penguin nerds out there. But we suspect HP may be lax with their Linux division, at least to start. It's a business machine and all too often those get the shorter end of the stick when it comes to getting up-to-the-nth-decimal version updates and bug fixes.
