Microsoft rivals return to the fray armed with Linux
Source: The Age
After years of watching Microsoft Corp consolidate its power, a band of software rivals is trying to build a beachhead in desktop computers.
Their chief weapon is the Linux operating system, which is popular in back-office computers called servers yet has generally flopped in personal computers. But a combination of technology improvements, economic pressures and a change in Microsoft's pricing is increasing the appeal of Linux-based PCs in some business settings, such as customer-service centres, stores and factories.
In the biggest development, Microsoft arch-rival Sun Microsystems Inc next week plans to announce its first fully fledged commitment to Linux on desktop PCs. The computer maker, whose server business has been hurt by low-end systems running Microsoft Windows, is determined to counterattack by cutting into Microsoft's franchise in desktop-PC software.
Others backing the push, to varying degrees, include Linux specialists Red Hat Inc, SuSE Linux AG, Ximian Inc, and Lindows.com.
