dailynews.yahoo.com
Saturday August 14 1:46 AM ET
Linux May Find Another Home In Web Appliances
By Therese Poletti
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Reuters) - A year ago, only computer die-hards knew what it was, six months ago every major computer maker was embracing it, and Wednesday it was behind the hottest IPO of the week on Wall Street.
Linux, the renegade operating system given away over the Internet, has seized the imagination of those in the industry seeking to loosen Microsoft Corp.'s (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) grip.
''This is a happening,'' said Jean Bozman, a research director at International Data Corp., as she waited amid the throng lined up at the LinuxWorld trade show here this week for the keynote address by Linux's creator, Finnish programmer Linus Torvalds.
Much like Sun Microsystems Inc.'s (Nasdaq:SUNW - news) Java programming language, industry executives and Linux devotees said they expected Linux to become ubiquitous, running on everything from small to very large computing systems.
While the biggest buzz at the show was generated by the stunning stock market debut of Linux distributor Red Hat Inc., there was plenty of talk of new devices running Linux, expanding beyond its current installed base of Web and e-mail servers.
Analysts said more companies will begin to look seriously at Linux as an operating system for the new wave of Internet-enabled devices and appliances sweeping the industry.
Torvalds, who manages a worldwide network of programmers who contribute their code to Linux, indicated that there was a future for Linux in small devices.
He acknowledged there was a lot of development on Linux for the higher end, such as a group of computer rivals working on a version of Linux to run on Intel Corp.'s (Nasdaq:INTC - news) new computer chip design, which will be used first in a processor code-named Merced due out next year.
Some national laboratories also are using Linux in multiprocessor systems, ganged together to perform for some scientific ''grand challenges'' like weather forecasting and nuclear simulations.
''Merced, that is the sexy stuff. That is the oomph thing,'' Torvalds said. ''But if everyone thinks all the development is there, I'd like to dispel that theory. A lot of development is actually going into smaller areas.''
Torvalds said the new TiVo Inc. personal television service runs the Linux operating system. TiVo, a start-up company in Sunnyvale, Calif., develops a personal television service that lets users pause, rewind and have instant replays of live TV and fast forward through commercials.
''It's proving a pretty flexible OS (operating system) for devices,'' said Rebecca Baer, a TiVo spokeswoman. ''It's very small and not buggy because so many engineers work to get the bugs out, and it's also very scalable,'' she said, meaning you can build out the system and add many more users.
''Linux is the best choice because no one wants to start from scratch with their own OS,'' Torvalds said.
Among Linux converts, personal computer maker Gateway Inc. (NYSE:GTW - news) has plans to use it as the operating system in its revival of the old Amiga PC later this fall as a low-cost information appliance.
Unlike the LinuxWorld show in March, which was more of a coming out party for the software, this week's show was focused on business and consumer possibilities. Executives dressed in suits mingled with the T-shirt attired Linux programmers.
The show even got a surprise appearance during the keynote address from Intel Chairman Andrew Grove, who is now focused on looking into the future for the chip giant.
While Wall Street gave Linux a big endorsement this week with the stunning initial public offering of Red Hat that has given the company a market valuation of $5.6 billion, some in the Linux community worry about the impact stock offerings and big computer companies will have on the close-knit community.
''The supposed clashes have been surprisingly rare,'' Torvalds said of the difference in cultures between the dedicated corps of programmers and commercial companies.
The differences between the groups, however, have shown up in a willingness to sport Linux's penguin logo. A plump, contented-looking penguin is the logo, because Torvalds likes them and he wanted a logo that seemed friendly.
At the show, one company gave out penguin hats made of foam rubber, but most of the penguin hats were spotted on casually dressed programmer types, while the big-company types, wearing suits or Polo shirts and slacks, steered clear of the head gear. |
