How HP Could Turn a Novelty Into a Revolution 353
RobotsDinner writes "HP's TouchSmart desktop is cool, but a blogger suggests it could be the beginning of a revolution if HP were to finally make the move of ditching Windows and building a Linux distro around the TouchSmart UI. 'Hello, HP. The UI of your latest TouchSmart computer says something about you. You may not have recognized your own weaving-in of meaning, but it comes across quite clearly if one reads just right: You want out. You want to escape the world of Windows to which Microsoft has sequestered you for the better part of two decades. Ah, but you can. No longer does Bill Gates stand guard outside your cell ... It's time to ditch Windows and build a Linux distro around the TouchSmart UI ... Your captivity of innovation under Microsoft is over. You're free. Free to invent, as you might put it.'"
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Re:Slow News Day (Score:2, Informative)
Their 'supplier' has changed its licensing terms specifically to put them out of business. Companies get antsy about that.
They mentioned GPL3 in their annual report to the SEC
http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS5304340445.html [linuxdevices.com]
In addition, the GNU Public License is subject to occasional revision. A proposal for changing the license from its current form (GPLv2) into a newer, more restrictive version called GPLv3 has been proposed and is currently undergoing community review. If the currently proposed version of GPLv3 is widely adopted, we may be unable to incorporate future enhancements to the GNU/Linux operating system into our software, which could adversely affect our business.
in fact they regard GPL3 as a threat to Linux on the same level as SCO's lawsuit.
Our TiVo software includes parts of the Linux kernel and the GNU/Linux operating system. The Linux kernel and the GNU/Linux operating system have been developed and licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 and similar open source licenses. These licenses state that any program licensed under them may be liberally copied, modified, and distributed. The GNU General Public license is a subject of litigation in the case of The SCO Group, Inc. v. International Business Machines Corp., pending in the United States District Court for the District of Utah. SCO Group, Inc., or SCO, has publicly alleged that certain versions of the Linux kernel contain unauthorized UNIX code or derivative works of UNIX code. Uncertainty concerning SCO's allegations, regardless of their merit, could adversely affect our manufacturing and other customer and supplier relationships. It is possible that a court would hold these open source licenses to be unenforceable in that litigation or that someone could assert a claim for proprietary rights in our TiVo software that runs on a GNU/Linux-based operating system. Any ruling by a court that these licenses are not enforceable, or that GNU/Linux-based operating systems, or significant portions of them, may not be liberally copied, modified or distributed, would have the effect of preventing us from selling or developing our TiVo software and would adversely affect our business.
I bet they have a Tivo in the works based on an alternate OS just to cover themselves.
Re:Slow News Day (Score:3, Informative)
They mentioned GPL3 in their annual report to the SEC ...
in fact they regard GPL3 as a threat to Linux on the same level as SCO's lawsuit.
I don't think you have much experience reading SEC filings. They exist to CYA the company from investor lawsuits by covering all their bases. Just because its mentioned doesn't mean they consider it a significant problem.
I bet they have a Tivo in the works based on an alternate OS just to cover themselves.
I bet they don't. It would be a waste of money.
Well, it seems that their current system is still a 2.4.x kernel [dvrpedia.com] which is roughly 8 years old now. I don't see them in a rush to keep current.
In other words, since license changes are not retroactive, they don't have much to worry about even if the kernel were to move to GPLv3.
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Re:Slow News Day (Score:2, Informative)
I have linux installed on my tablet pc. I can rotate the screen, use the stylus, and even get gimp to work w/ pressure sensitivity on the tablet. Sure there's not a ton of other specialized software for the tablet but even when I had windows on it the only app I ever really used for a tablet was the note and journal apps. One Note is nice for the extra note organization features but if I really want to take notes I could just open up a blank gimp doc and jot notes and it would be pretty much the same as the Journal app in windows. I haven't even looked for a note taking system since I've been out of school though, it just doesn't get used that way anymore. It very well could be that some sort of note taking software for linux exists and I just don't know about it. BTW the reason my tablet works under linux is because its based on wacom tablet technology which linux has drivers for.