09.06.08
Do-No-Evil Saturday - Part II: SUSE, Samsung, and Free/Linspire
SUSE (SLES/SLED)
Sub-notebooks were probably the centre of attention as far as SLED is concerned. Firstly, MSI brought out its SUSE unit to the market under better conditions.
While the U100 only offered Windows XP, the operating system on the new U90 is Suse Linux. What’s more, the cost of this version is some £50 cheaper than the original U100, with a suggested retail price of only £269, but the size of the display has been reduced from 10in down to 8.9in.
PC Advisor took a closer look at it.
Inside is the same 80GB hard drive as the first U100, but unlike the Windows version there is no Bluetooth module onboard. Its operating system is SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10, using the KDE interface.
Here is one new comparison of the ASUS Eee PC running a Xandros derivative and the MSI Wind running SUSE.
Suffice to say the Linux-based Asus definitely won this round with its comprehensive range of office, web, learning and games applications.
Moving on to H-P, here is a review of the HP 2133 Mini-Note with SUSE.
The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC. It’s a small wonder, with big possibilities. Ideal for instructional use or general-purpose business applications, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC might be small in size (2.63 lb), and only 1.05 inches thin, but it’s big on usability, durability, and sleekness.
Vary Guy wrote about this rather bullishly.
It’s another small step for consumer Linux, and another giant win for Novell SUSE Linux. The VAR Guy was strolling through his local BJs Wholesale Club over the holiday weekend, when he spotted a Hewlett-Packard 2133 Mini-Note PC (pictured) with Novell SUSE Linux preloaded. Sweet … but not perfect. Here’s why.
[…]
Another small concern: Is HP’s sub-notebook really pumping any profits toward Novell? In August Red Hat expressed concern that PC makers aren’t willing to pay a decent price for desktop Linux — which raises questions about the long-term viability of desktop Linux as a retail revenue generator for software developers.
The comments include the following which stands out: “The image below is enough said. There is nothing good that can come from this deal and it makes me sick to just look at it. Giving Microsoft the ability to go around and say hey if you use Novell’s Linux we won’t sue you, but if you use somebody’s else Linux then all bets are off even though its the same freakin operating system.”
A lot of talk that has revolved around AppArmor recently is related to or results in more chit-chat about
SELinux in SUSE.
SUSE Linux administrators will have a choice in intrusion detection systems next year: They can use the complex, military-grade Security-Enhanced Linux, or SELinux or instead Novell Inc.’s simpler AppArmor security tool.
In response to some requests, the Waltham, Mass.-based company has decided to stop disabling SELinux within the Linux kernel, starting with the next version of OpenSUSE 11.1, which is expected in December, and SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 for servers and desktops which will follow in the first half of 2009.
It doesn’t look too promising for AppArmor.
Samsung
Samsung is one of the bad guys and it has just released what’s called “Olympics” phone, which runs Linux.
China Unicom is distributing a Samsung Electronics phone that runs a mobile Linux stack from Mizi Research, a company that will soon be acquired by Wind River. Samsung’s “Olympics” phone, also called the SCH-i859, is equipped with a Marvell PXA300 processor and a 2.8-inch touchscreen.
Linspire
Linspire is no more, but here’s one person who gives Freespire a mention.
FreeSpire
Well, I found this while just browsing through the net and I liked it from the first look on it. Then I did some browsing to find what others thought of it. Except for the CNR, that comes with this most people believe that FreeSpire is good. Some even thought of it to be better than ubuntu when it came to pre-installed features. Well, actually it seems that freespire is built on top of ubuntu with only some extra customization. So might be it could meet my needs. Further I think that this could even support the atheros wireless card in my laptop even without the ndisgtk or madwifi manual installation.
Former Linspirers are still out hunting.
Prior to Duane Morris, Umansky was vice president and general counsel for Linspire, Inc., a developer of Linux-based operating system software and services, and Gizmo5 Technologies, Inc., a venture-capital backed Internet telephony company.
Other than some Eee news, there has been nothing from Xandros in the past week. █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.
pcole said,
September 6, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Was looking at the hp2133 but it has suze; will wait for the dell version.