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Linux On One HP Desktop: A Small Step, But Still A Step
Today HP has announced they will ship Linux on their HP Compaq DC5850. If you’re like me, your first reaction as soon as you saw it was a small business PC was “yawn.” One desktop and not even a consumer one? Big deal, right?
Well, it might not be. It seems that HP is toying with Linux more and more. FIrst on their Mini(Note) and now on this desktop.The big question is, will HP start selling more computers with Linux?
It is not implausible that HP would begin to sell Linux on more of their computers at all. After all, Dell is already doing it. Everything kind of makes sense. First HP offers SLED and then (soon) Ubuntu on their Mini(Note) consumer netbook. Now, they are trying SLED again, this time on a business desktop. All of this would fit with trying to figure out if offering Linux on a larger array of computers would make sense. Still , nothing is certain and it is difficult to predict what will or will not happen and when.
If indeed HP is considering a wider roll out of Linux, that would be excellent news. That would mean that the number one and two computer makers would both be offering Linux. After that, it seems likely that the rest would follow shortly.
Selling Linux on one computer model might be a tiny step, but it is a step that could lead to another and another. Do you think this a sign that HP will be selling more computers with Linux soon or is that too far fetched?
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Whatever the popularity of GNU/Linux in the USA or the relationship OEMs like HP have with M$, the flattening of the IT industry in the USA while things are still pretty warm in other parts of the world mean HP will have to lengthen its leash. HP is still ticked about Vista-incapable and older scars. They do not love M$ except for the business M$ shares with them.
As GNU/Linux expands particularly in emerging markets like BRIC/netbooks businesses are going to carefully optimize their revenue streams. The more M$ slows, the more selling effort HP and others will put into GNU/Linux. HP will not make much money selling GNU/Linux but they will sell machines. They do not want to cut off the branch on which they stand (that other OS) for fear of a sudden fall. They will water the GNU/Linux sapling nearby, though, as insurance against the tree falling down.
While it is frustrating to see half-hearted moves by Dell and HP, patience is in order. These firms took many years to grow their businesses. It will take many years for the new paradigm of FLOSS to emerge. I think it will be a year of two before we see aggressive selling of GNU/Linux in the face of Vista II, a continuing downturn in the general economy, and the rapid acceptance of GNU/Linux in emerging markets.
Look at thin clients, for instance. This technology is mature and widespread but still is only a percent or so of unit sales because there is less money in them because they are cheaper and last longer. But the green movement and the desire to cut costs in IT keep growth in % of units well above the ordinary PCs. It is the same with netbooks. Rapid growth but starting from such a small base that it takes years to make a dent. We have to wait those years. For now the enlightened ones can take advantage of FLOSS and falling hardware prices to make wonderful IT systems. Enjoy!
I’m no expert, but I can’t recall anyone doing well with preinstalled SLED. Seems like the netbooks with SLED preinstalled were the ones that were getting the high return rates everyone was talking about a few weeks back.
Still, Novell is reportedly doing all kinds of Linux business, so we’ll see. I think the industry is getting the feel that SLED is the “business Linux” and Ubuntu is the “consumer Linux”, and we’re going to see them pigeonholed that way for a while.