HP begins offering Linux on enterprise desktops

HP just announced it will begin offering a desktop pre-loaded with a build of SUSE Linux. This joins the company's other non-Windows offering, the previously announced (but not yet available) Mini 1000 netbook, which is equipped with its Ubuntu-based MIE. The new model -- the Compaq dc5850 -- is unfortunately aimed at the enterprise and education markets, so while we're glad to see HP dipping its toes into open source waters, we'd be more enthused if the computer-maker followed in Dell's footsteps and offered a wider range of options. The PC will be available on December 15th for $519, though it doesn't appear that the average consumer will be able to buy it -- at least not yet.

[Via Computerworld]

[Jash Sayani @ Dec 11th 2008 2:25PM]

Linux is powerful. Servers running Debian OS can be more productive then Windows Servers... Even Mac OS is developed from Linux.

[StalematE @ Dec 11th 2008 2:35PM]

Mac OS is developed from UNIX, so is Linux

[BlurMagic @ Dec 11th 2008 2:44PM]

"Mac OS is developed from Linux." You Fail.

"The Mac OS is developed from UNIX." And that was pwntastic.

You know its a good day when that's how the first thread you read on Engadget starts.

[CVMagic @ Dec 11th 2008 3:30PM]

Don't you mean 4.4BSD; MacOS X's kernel was built from 4.4BSD sources now rebranded as Darwin. Though honestly 4.4BSD shares it's ancestry to the original Unix version 7 as a 'Unix-like' operative system so I can see where one would call it 'Unix' but under that same mentality one could confuse that with Linux because it also is a 'Unix-Like' operating system. ;-)

[BlurMagic @ Dec 11th 2008 4:17PM]

greattt now we are going to get into one of these, "My square is a rectangle, but your rectangle isn't a square" arguments...

[Ryan Meray @ Dec 11th 2008 2:27PM]

It'll be interesting to see what the adoption rate on these vs. their Windows variants turns out to be. There's no doubt Linux is making inroads in the corporate world, and Thin Clients are becoming more and more popular.

[zioncat @ Dec 11th 2008 2:31PM]

Right as if Linux wasn't open source and can simply downloaded for free.

[Eddie W @ Dec 11th 2008 2:40PM]

True, by why pay money to MS when you're not going to use Windows? Plus, a large corp isn't going to want to order a bunch of machines only to have to wipe the HD and do a fresh Linux install on each - and you'd probably lose out on your support. Companies tend to try and weasel out on fixing anything after they've found that you'd installed Linux.

[Rob @ Dec 11th 2008 5:57PM]

basically because it looks better to sell a machine with a preloaded OS rather than a blank slate....

like eddie said, why pay extra for something you will get rid of.....this is why they load linux on these machines, cheap and easy while looking reasonable

[YourCosITGuy @ Dec 11th 2008 7:07PM]

"a large corp isn't going to want to order a bunch of machines only to have to wipe the HD and do a fresh Linux install on each"

regardless of OS, thats how IT departments deploy software. The computer is booted from an external source, cd, network, flash drive, etc... and then an image of the OS and software is written to the drive. This allow IT depts to setup one machine, then clone it to as many computers as they need to. Businesses never unbox a machine turn it on and let the user loose. Medium to large IT depts dont do one off setups either. Imaging or package base software installs are the quickest ways to deploy software.

[travis @ Dec 11th 2008 11:29PM]

Every Linux distro is not free.

[Eddie W @ Dec 11th 2008 2:37PM]

I'm glad that HP is starting to actually sell machines with Linux installed. It would take me a while to consider one after the previous problems that I've had with HP, but this is a step in the right direction. Ultimately, I'd like to see companies like HP, Dell, etc, have a Linux option on each of their machines - and this should be cheaper than the Windows option. Doing that would increase my chances of buying any machine, even if I were looking for a Windows box, because I'd know that Linux should work out of the box should I decide to install later.

[Joshua Walters @ Dec 11th 2008 2:47PM]

Im glad to hear that they are moving more into Linux. It needs all the support it can get.

I liked how the 2133 was offered with Linux, and I was mildly disapointed to hear that the Mini-Note 1000 has yet to be released with Linux. Im interested in the Mini1000, but I really, really dont want to pay for another XP license. Ive got enough of those sitting around.

[G @ Dec 11th 2008 2:59PM]

What if they just let the user decide what OS he/she wants?

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 11th 2008 3:03PM]

While I wish that were the case, it's a simple case of cost. They don't manually build each machine (because their employees are hourly) and keeping an image of all the possible configurations would be horrendous.

[G @ Dec 11th 2008 3:29PM]

If the problem is the cost i think it would be the cheapest for them if they didn't care about software at all. I have never bought a computer with a pre-loaded OS in my life so excuse me if i don't know what the adantages could be.

[Eddie W @ Dec 11th 2008 3:32PM]

I'd be fine with the option of getting a machine with no OS and not having to pay the money for the Windows license. I realize this wouldn't be a ton of money, since the Windows is largely financed by bloatware installed, but still, I'd like the option.

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 11th 2008 4:17PM]

Then how can they be sure the hard drive they ship you works? Sure, they could slip another hard drive in to "pretest" the system to make sure it books and the bits all move, but then they have to slap a naked hard drive in the machine and ship it with no testing. That or they'd have to run a pretest of some type on the naked drive.

Like I said... I'm all for no/custom OSes, but places like this sell hardware and if they don't run simple tests on it to make sure it works, that reflects on the company.

[Eddie W @ Dec 11th 2008 5:04PM]

Testing the setup can't be that bad. They could use any number of Linux images to do that, or they could use Windows for all I care and then wipe it afterwards, as long as I'm not buying a license with the machine. It makes me (and many others, I would guess) way more likely to buy the product. Big companies can find a way to make it happen and make it cost effective. Unless we start demanding this, they'll walk all over us.

[Andir3.0 @ Dec 11th 2008 10:38PM]

I just buy my machines with Linux pre-installed for the sale and put my own version of Linux on it after I get it. I figure that's all I can do right now until companies start picking up more and more on the finer points of setting up a distribution.

[Mark @ Dec 11th 2008 3:58PM]

The Mini-Note 2133 also came with SUSE Linux 10.

[bunback @ Dec 11th 2008 4:51PM]

anybody else notice the little face in the middle of the box?

[kingu @ Dec 12th 2008 3:14AM]

When you see it your kernel will panic.

[Eric Maldonado @ Dec 11th 2008 6:16PM]

The first commercial linux box.

[loocas @ Dec 11th 2008 11:26PM]

Hardly...

[Hammer @ Dec 12th 2008 12:25AM]

If this trend continues Vista will die much quicker than people realize. Where is Vista Pro (aka Windows 7)? :)

[G @ Dec 12th 2008 9:52AM]

Oh yes, we are all dying to use an OS that you can't play any (good) games on, you have to know shell commands to use it properly and you have to be a rocket scientist to install drivers on it.