Three of the top PC vendors have shown their support for Linux by stating they are now looking to ensure hardware they use has open-source drivers. By doing so they open up their machines to run Linux as a main OS without any hardware problems.
At the Linux Foundation conference last week all three companies outlined plans to “strongly encourage” companies they buy their hardware components from to use open-source drivers. Although not a total guarantee of open-source driver use, it signifies a move towards business and consumer PCs that encounter less problems when choosing Linux.
Stewart Smith, Linux Australia president said:
This makes it a lot easier to buy a system that flawlessly runs with Linux. If there are platforms with open drivers it means it should open up more systems that can run with Linux in the future.
By utilizing open-source drivers any problems encountered using a piece of hardware with Linux can be solved more easily. Rather than having to rely upon the hardware vendors to issue a fix; the very active Linux community can also take it upon themselves to solve the problem.
Read more at Silicon.com
Matthew’s Opinion
I think hardware compatibility is one of the remaining stumbling blocks for flawless Linux operation on off-the-shelf PCs. The fact there are vendors offering Linux friendly PCs shows that this is still the case.
Getting over that hurdle will make the uptake of Linux much easier across both consumer and business users. Large-scale businesses are more concerned about cost and function rather than which OS they are going to use. If the hardware is 100% Linux compatible and the cost is lower than the Windows alternative, then for many Linux will be the option taken if it runs the software they need. It may take a few more iterations, but with business focused hardware vendors such as Dell and HP also pushing it is going to happen sooner rather than later.
The continued progression of Linux distributions such as Ubuntu are also making the operating system a legitimate alternative to Windows for any user. Breaking Windows dominance in the consumer market is an uphill battle, however.
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