Linux Hardware: Getting The Word Out
There no longer any doubt that the Linux operating system is slowly but surely making inroads on the market dominance of Microsoft's Windows. An estimated twenty -nine million Linux users worldwide have come to the conclusion the Linux is simply more secure, and has far more capability, than Windows. They will tell you, in other words that Linux can do everything Windows does, and a lot more, and do it better. The only remaining issue is that of Linux hardware availability. The good news is that Dell has now begun offering its customer the Linux OS as an alternative to Windows, and shipping PCs fully loaded with the Ubuntu Linux distribution, and Ubuntu intends to keep its users' systems updated with free software. So far, so good. The bad news is, and has been, that Linux hardware is simply not as easily recognizable in the marketplace as is Windows-compatible hardware, simply because most hardware manufacturers will not indicate on their packaging whether or not a product is supports the Linux OS. The only way for a Linux user, at present, to determine the available Linux hardware, is to make use of the vast pools of information posted on the Internet by other Linux users and developers. The problem is that so many Linux users are such prolific posters that finding current Linux hardware information which preempts old postings can be a very time-consuming challenge. Given that Dell has staked a good bit of its reputation on Ubuntu being the best choice as the Linux distributor for its customers, one possible solution to the Linux hardware dilemma would be to focus on Linux hardware which is Ubuntu friendly. If there were a forum established by Linux users to collect and list the Linux hardware which Ubuntu can currently handle, then those kinds of Linux hardware could establish their own customer base, and there is a possibility that major hardware distributors who are not currently doing so would be willing to advertise their own products as Linux hardware. If there is a demand for Intel Inside products, why couldn't there be a demand for Ubuntu Underneath products? With Ubuntu compatible Linux hardware branded in this fashion, Ubuntu users will know they are getting what they need to make improvements to their systems, without having to worry about unforeseen glitches. The Linux hardware branded this way could include anything and everything from motherboards to sound or video cards to drivers or USB applications. And because Linux is an Open Source system, even Linux hardware which is only partially compatible with Ubuntu could be listed in a separate category, with the community of Linux developers examining and proposing fixes for the incompatibilities. Now that Linux finally has mainstream recognition from Dell, using Dell's choice of Ubuntu as a springboard for getting mainstream recognition for Linux hardware seems a logical next step. The global Linux community has certainly taken on greater tasks during the years that it has been nurturing its baby to the current state of maturity! |
