Linux Gets Past the Front Door
Trends: The free operating system software, popular with super-geeks and power users, is making a push into the home.
By ASHLEY DUNN, Times Staff Writer
latimes.com
Kusnetzky of IDC agreed that consumer demand will not push Linux into the mainstream. He projects that Linux will make up no more than 7% of desktop operating system sales in the next five years.
A more important development that could change his projections is the potential flood of digital devices that will enter the home in coming years, including controllers for air-conditioning systems, video recorders, Web appliances and a variety of other devices that will need operating systems.
One of the first of these is TiVo, a digital video recorder that stores television programs on a disk drive instead of a videotape. The $499 device uses Linux as its operating system.
Jim Barton, TiVo's chief technology officer, said Linux was the clear choice because it is cheap, stable and reliable. But another important consideration was that Linux is an open operating system, allowing TiVo's engineers to go into the software code and fix problems on their own instead of depending on a system from a company such as Microsoft, which keeps its code secret.
"I took a lot of heat back then for choosing Linux," Barton said. "It's turned out to be a wise decision."
TiVo ...
tivo.com |
