HP to beat Dell with Linux-loaded PCs?

Funny how HP and Dell keep getting in each other's faces -- you'd almost think they used to be boyfriend / girlfriend or something. Dell's recently taken Linux-loving customers' opinions into consideration and now it looks as if HP might elbow in on the action too. A few of its notebooks are certified to work with Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 operating system and also with Red Hat. HP did actually offer Linux-loaded PCs a few years back, but quickly discontinued sales due to poor results. It has since been involved in "a number of massive deals for Linux desktops" and they're even in a "massive deal right now for... multi-thousands of units of a desktop opportunity for Linux," claims Doug Small, worldwide director of open source and Linux marketing at HP. He didn't disclose any "massive" details on their increasing custom Linux-based PC orders, but assures us that HP sees this activity as "an indicator." We know HP and Dell could be ready to pounce at any moment, but it doesn't mean other tighter-lipped companies might be in on the race as well. In any case, for our own entertainment's sake, we're hoping for a real showdown. Lock and preload!

[Via Slashdot]

[MacroEQ @ Mar 9th 2007 7:48AM]

This merely market posturing by HP. Whether they'll follow through with a portfolio of consumer-based Linux machines is another matter entirely.

[andy @ Mar 9th 2007 8:25AM]

good on them, i for one would love to see a more varied market / choice for consumers, with apple gaining customers and vista forcing computer upgrades, now is the time for change and to release microsofts strangle hold on the world

[Ignatius @ Mar 9th 2007 8:36AM]

Let's hope there is no MASSIVE DAMAGE.

[Andrew Hillman, Andrew Hillman, Andrew Hillman @ Mar 9th 2007 8:42AM]

Linux?

Andrew Hillman

[Jeff @ Mar 9th 2007 8:44AM]

While this is great news, Suse blows. It runs the record for fastest load/unload from my computer, and its been through a lot. I know they cannot offer every distribution. At least it will be (hopefully) cheaper then buying a copy of windows vista that would be readily erased. It may also lead to more vendors releasing drivers or supporting kernel development for their hardware. That i can agree with. Cheers!

[luigibio @ Mar 9th 2007 9:00AM]

Why don't sell all pc preloaded with linux, also pc with windows? in this way anybody could try linux working on that pc with all perpherals preconfigured and have practice with a different os.

luigibio
http://cappellate.110mb.com

[Andir3.0 @ Mar 9th 2007 9:30AM]

Because Microsoft will not allow an OEM to install any other OS on the same PC as Windows. It's in the OEM agreement.

[guilt+1 @ Mar 9th 2007 9:00AM]

Not so sure this is a good thing for Linux as a collective. It hasn't panned out for HP in the past and Linux takes more bad press from HP dropping Linux than it gets for coming bundled with a PC. In addition to that history shows that most companies who supply consumer versions of Linux conveniently forget to remove the MS tax so there is no benefit in choosing the Linux machine.

Time will tell how serious HP are this time around.

[Mobi Fin @ Mar 9th 2007 9:39AM]

Look like Apple OSX will soon drop to the 3rd most popular OS!

[WhoDatNinja @ Mar 9th 2007 10:53AM]

Or they could just tell people where to download the free versions of VMWare or Virtual PC and point them to a list of Linux distros.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Mar 10th 2007 2:32AM]

This is nothing new; Dell and HP are just playing catch up. IBM beat HP and Dell to the linux punch many, many years ago.

[Magallanes @ Mar 11th 2007 1:39PM]

Buy a pc with linux then install a "cheap" windows xp.

[cyber_rigger @ Mar 12th 2007 3:35AM]

Companies that sell pre-installed Linux desktop now.

http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/23168/

http://lxer.com/module/db/index.php?dbn=14

[cyber_rigger @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:55AM]

Companies selling desktop Linux NOW.

http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/23168/

http://lxer.com/module/db/index.php?dbn=14