My Errant Mind

It used to be hard to find a PC loaded with Linux, but that is no longer the case. The big news, of course, is Dell. The PC manufacturer has officially opened the open source shop, offering factory loaded and Dell supported PC’s with Ubuntu and FreeDOS.

Looking at their systems, they look good, are reasonably equipped and are low-priced. I think they may be handicapping their desktop offerings a bit with weak processors, but hey, that’s what happens when you go with Intel Pentiums instead of AMD. The notebooks are not bad either, and there are plenty of upgrade options.

And let’s face it—if you can finance a Linux loaded laptop for $18 per month, more students bound for college can afford one. FreeDOS loaded workstations are a great affordable idea for those businesses looking for an alternative to run their DOS based business applications.

More Than Dell On The Linux PC Landscape

Smaller vendors are getting in on the act as well. System76—based in Denver, Colorado—is offering Ubuntu loaded PC’s, notebooks and servers as well. They are an official Ubuntu Linux OEM and appear to have support services and other offerings on the way.

The coolest offering I’ve seen yet is a tiny (and I mean tiny!) Linux loaded desktop PC that will fit in your hand! It is silent, operates with low power use, is designed for use in classrooms and libraries, and boots from a USB drive. Seriously, check it out—you’ll want one too.

In Other Linux And Open Source News

• TurboLinux presents the Wizpy portable media player that has (drumroll please) a PC bootable Linux OS based on its own distro.
• Linux PC sales to hit $10 billion in 2008, according to independent market researcher IDC.
• Meanie-while, Microsoft threatens to go door-to-door to visit the homes of people who buy a PC without a pre-loaded OS in the UK in order to make sure they aren’t running pirated copies. The company is urging PC dealers not to offer a PC without an OS. That way, you have to buy crappy Microsoft software even if you intend to run Linux on your PC…crazy, isn’t it?
• In the US Department of Homeland Security’s Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report for June 22, 2007 it is noted that Oklahoma is likely “the first to build specific response units dedicated exclusively to an agricultural related emergency,” according to Jack Carson, a spokesperson for the Agriculture, Food & Forestry Department. There’s also a worm that seeks out USB drives and…get this…spreads information about AIDS and HIV. Also, a Czech webcam was hacked, and the hackers inserted pictures of the area it covered suffering a nuclear attack, complete with mushroom clouds!
• MIT developed a new programming language called ‘Scratch‘ aimed at children. It works a lot like LEGOS, allowing kids to create stories and games without the normal syntax of typical programming languages and is designed to encourage creativity and foster logical thinking skills. Sadly, it is currently only available for Windows and Mac—however, it is free!
• I am running a bit behind with this one, but a new version (6.2.2 RC1) of GRASS GIS (Geographic Resource Analysis Support System) was released just a few weeks ago.