[NTLUG:Discuss] HP Expanding their adoption of Linux

[Chris Cox]

Leroy Tennison wrote:
> Stephen Davidson wrote:
> 
>> No sinister plots.  Just a quiet move to help handle their staff
>> needs/demands.  A move that has marketing potential.
>>
>> http://www.thechannelinsider.com/article2/0,1895,1871334,00.asp
>>
>> -Steve
>>
>>  
>>
> If you subscribe to HP's patch alerts for it's PC line you might be
> surprised at just how many Linux announcements there are.  My
> unofficial, gut guess is that right now the Linux announcements are
> equal to the Windows announcements.  This in itself says a lot about
> HP's thinking concerning Linux because patches and enhancements cost
> them money.

Yes and no.  HP is still learning.  It's one thing to design
a machine for Linux, it's another to run around scurrying to
have someone build drivers for something that wasn't designed
for Linux at first.

My prediction is that HP will indeed become more interested in
making sure their initial designs are Linux ready.

HP is still making mistakes.  I know one of their business platforms
is based on the ATI chipset and uses the ATI onboard graphics
controller.  I wouldn't waste my time on ATI... who knows if
HP takes a stand, ATI might start doing a better job with
regards to Linux support.

Btw... I communicated the above with HP during their last
NDA tour here.  I also told them that we have to evaluate
and determine Linux compatibility OURSELVES here.  I've been
less than impressed by HP's prior "certification" claims.
I'm hoping that HP starts taking Linux more seriously.
Right now it is most certainly a marketing tool for them
and serious only in a few isolated areas.

I told them to find out who makes Dell's latest line and
work with them on laptops.  HP's laptops are notorious
for bugs in Windows and certainly for many incompatibilities
in Linux.  I've read some people who say great things about
HP's new laptop line... however, none of them will tell
you that everything works out of the box.

HP has the opportunity to do something "real" here.... but
right now, none of it is "real" folks... it's all still
smoke and mirrors.  HP's number one goal is strictly
(exclusively) to make sure that Windows works... period.

If you know of someone at HP who says differently, tell
them they have to prove it to me.  Proof is not band aid
fixes and lists of things that don't work because
HP made poor design choices.

With that said, HP has been quite fortunate in the
server arena with some systems that run Linux well (as
long as you don't mind the fans being on and running
full blast... HP's less than perfect closed source
platform mgmt tools for Linux have too many memory
leaks and bugs to be useful... again.... nobody
at HP cares... they just have those tools so they
can check off the "marketing" check box.  Again, I do
seem some slow developing interest at HP in handling
Linux better.... but they have a long, long way to
go... it's just not a priority with them.