Happy New Year and welcome to Linux Advisor! If you love Linux or simply want to know more about it, this is the column for you.
Today, Linux and open-source constructs are going mainstream, fundamentally changing the computer industry. In this column, we'll examine where Linux is headed, look at new and interesting open-source projects, and periodically step through how-to topics that will help you live and work with Linux and open-source software.
The very notion of open source software brings the notion of "community" to the forefront. This column operates in the same spirit--your input, ideas, and opinions are welcome and needed. Want to know where to find business-intelligence solutions for Linux? Need a primer on setting up security on Linux? Can't decide whether GNOME or KDE is best for you? Write me with topic suggestions that you think warrant greater attention. I'm all ears.
Linux unplugged
This month, let's look at how the Linux community is embracing the end-user. We've long heard how Linux is storming into the server market. GartnerGroup expects Linux to take over more than 33 percent of the server operating system market by 2003.
At the same time, a lot of discussion has already taken place about whether Linux can make it on the desktop. I run several different Linux distributions on various desktops and notebook computers in my test lab. But, I'm a geek (and dang proud of it).
Many industry observers have suggested that Linux is too complicated for the average end-user to run on the desktop. I'm not so sure I agree with that; most end-users can handle the Linux distributions available today, and smart administrators can load preconfigured desktop images for end-users.
More important, I think Linux is very well positioned to succeed with end-users in the future. We are fast reaching the end of the traditional desktop PC, and end-users in the near future will use a wide variety of post-PC computing devices. Furthermore, technology is being embedded in more and varied types of devices (such as household appliances).
Linux is well suited to both post-PC devices and other types of devices that need an embedded operating system and software. Linux is highly configurable, and the developer community is making great strides in expanding Linux in the embedded space. I expect Linux will be a strong competitor in this arena throughout the next five years.
Yopy and iPAQ
You might think I'm talking about Linux and devices of the future, but I'm not. A bevy of devices that run Linux have already reached the marketplace, and many more are expected soon. There are personal digital assistants (PDAs) that run Linux, as well as computing tablets, electronic book readers, and more.
Two devices that I like are Samsung's Yopy and Compaq's iPAQ. Yopy runs Linux natively, while Century Software Embedded Technologies has created a Linux bundle that runs on the iPAQ.
Yopy's innovative look and solid functionality are a good match for folks who want a powerful PDA. Yopy is beefier than other handheld PDAs on the market. It offers a 4-inch, 240-by-320-pixel true-color screen, 32MB of RAM (expandable to 64MB of RAM), and a 206MHz, 32-bit processor. It can work with wireless modems, and it offers an optional digital camera and television viewing capabilities.
Yopy users can send or receive e-mail; browse the Web (with a built-in Web browser that comes with the device); update calendars, schedules, or contacts; listen to MP3s; and more. The company expects to add Bluetooth support to Yopy as well as support for cellular technology.
Compaq's iPAQ offers a 2.26-by-3.02-inch screen with 240-by-320dpi TFT resolution, 32MB of RAM, and a 206MHz, 32-bit processor. The iPAQ offers USB or serial port communications, as well as sound recording and playback facilities.
Those running the Windows operating system with the iPAQ will find the typical PIM applications, Web browsing, e-mail, and the like. Century Software Embedded Technologies' Linux bundle for the iPAQ includes a graphical windowing environment that supports touchscreen calibration, a pop-up keyboard, and handwriting recognition. Users will also find an embedded Web browser and the ScreenTop window manager, which includes a set of applications that have a terminal emulator and a backlight switch.
For now, Yopy is a bit more advanced than the iPAQ in terms of configuration and available applications. I do expect Century Software Embedded Technologies to quickly expand the functionality of its Linux bundle for the iPAQ so that it will support a wider array of applications.
In addition, I expect you'll see Linux pop up in a large number of other devices in 2001. Some of these include Eagle Wireless International's set-top boxes and National Semiconductor's Geode WebPAD--a tablet-sized net device that offers a touchscreen and wireless capabilities.
And so it would seem that Linux is well prepared to capture a good chunk of the forthcoming end-user computing market by focusing on post-PC devices and related technologies. What other types of future devices do you think Linux will power? If you know, write to me.
Maggie Biggs has more than 15 years of strategic and tactical business and IT experience. She tests emerging technologies, including Linux and open-source software. Send her e-mail at: maggie@biggs.com.
