WSJ - Article on Linux netbooks

[Rick Stevens]

Les wrote:
<snip>
> But if one already has a system running windows and converts to Linux,
> this is not a good option.  The software should run with stuff that is
> already working to be a good product.  Otherwise we will just continue
> to be an "also ran" operating system.

Les, if you can convince some of the hardware makers (nVidia, TI,
Broadcom and several others) to open the hardware (publish the specs on
the chips and such), then Linux developers can build drivers for them
and get them off the snide.

The requirement to use proprietary binary blobs the maker provides
because they're afraid of what evils the open source community may cause
using their hardware (TI's wireless chips can be set to transmit at very
high power levels and at bogus frequencies) or to protect a "trade
secret" (the fact that we can figure out how to interface to the binary
blobs make this a less tangible reason) will ALWAYS relegate Linux to
"also ran" status.

If you're a conspiracy fan, perhaps there's some $$$ trading hands
betwixt Micro$oft and the hardware makers.  They've done it before, the
sods!  I don't agree with M$ business practices and never have.
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- Rick Stevens, Systems Engineer                      ricks at nerd.com -
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