When you create a new device that you believe is one of the first in its category, the hardware design can only be as good as the software. As demonstrated by the iPhone’s success, if you ignore the software, the hardware is worthless, no matter how good it is.

What do you do, then, if you have a completely new device and you can’t find software that is suited for it? The answer is Linux.

Take a look at TechCrunch’s CrunchPad. It is only a prototype at this point, but it represents a potentially new class of device – an inexpensive and light tablet that could sit on your coffee table for some quick web browsing. What canned software exists for something like that? Just about nothing. Sure there is software for standard tablet computers, but those are different. Those are meant for doctors and note taking, not casual web browsing. Starting from scratch is not an option, either, since it would take a long time and a lot of effort to build an operating system from scratch. So what did they use? Linux, of course. Just using a standard Linux distribution would defeat the purpose of using Linux in the first place, though. Instead, the CrunchPad is based around a custom web browser interface that uses Linux for the backend.

This ability to easily adapt Linux to unusual circumstances and really make it fit, which has been taken advantage of in products ranging from Palm’s new smartphone to the Eee PC , is an incredibly important advantage of Linux and open-source hardware. The year of the Linux desktop may be taking a while, but the year of the Linux devices is already here.

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