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View Full Version : Acer bets big on Linux (slams Microsoft)



Midwest-Linux
June 4th, 2008, 12:49 PM
I hope this thread doesn't get moved to the Community forum where it will buried with more interesting subjects such as "What are you listening to now in the shower" or "what is your favorite coffee maker".

This is the reason why we need a separate forum for stories like this, and this is a huge win for the Linux community as a major computer manufacturer just about told MSFT to go shove it. If this gets moved I'll try to keep it alive...somehow...

This has to be one the biggest and most positive announcements regarding Linux and a major manufacturer in some time.
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Acer bets big on Linux

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2218172/acer-pushes-linux-hard

Vendor shifts towards open source 'because of Microsoft'

Written by Iain Thomson 04 Jun 2008


We have shifted towards Linux because of Microsoft

Gianpiero Morbello Acer

Acer has stated that it will be pushing Linux aggressively on its laptops and netbooks.

The company is already heavily promoting Linux for its low cost ultra-portable netbook range out later this year, but senior staff have said that Acer will also push Linux on its laptops.

Acer has already started selling Linux in its Media PC business but this should now spread, according to Gianpiero Morbello, vice president of marketing and brand at Acer.

"We have shifted towards Linux because of Microsoft," he said. "Microsoft has a lot of power and it is going to be difficult, but we will be working hard to develop the Linux market."

SunnyRabbiera
June 4th, 2008, 12:51 PM
this is a majorly good push for linux to be sure, and I am sure they wont be the last.

Rinzwind
June 4th, 2008, 12:53 PM
Others will follow :)

SunnyRabbiera
June 4th, 2008, 12:56 PM
Well I think Dell started something here, even if sales of ubuntu machines are not that good it was a push to be sure.
HP is probably next for the desktop.

mivo
June 4th, 2008, 01:04 PM
Additional information is mentioned here (http://us.acer.com/public/page92.do;jsessionid=166C2422FC83DDAEFF13E1F146DF4 FBF.public_a_14c?sp=page74&dau42.oid=12485&UserCtxParam=0&GroupCtxParam=0&dctx1=25&CountryISOCtxParam=US&LanguageISOCtxParam=en&ctx3=-1&ctx4=United+States&crc=2291346060). Hmm, also a 8.9" display -- so maybe I'll get one of those instead of an Eee 900. Gets harder to decide as the competition catches up! :)

ShodanjoDM
June 4th, 2008, 01:05 PM
Bring it on!

$200-$400 price range for a (sub)notebook seems like impossible just a few years ago. Oh how times are changing :D

From the OP's link:

Its flavour of Linux will boot in 15 seconds

Woot!

MadsRH
June 4th, 2008, 02:02 PM
This is great news for the Linux world :)

I feel really optimistic about the future for Linux, seeing more collaboration between distros and various projects, but also companies contributing to the development and help fix bug #1.

I wonder witch distro ACER will be using???


//MadsRH

quanumphaze
June 4th, 2008, 02:29 PM
Best news I heard all day. I really hope they pull through with it. Too often are these Linux edition PCs kept quiet compared to the Windows version (availability and advertising wise).

If it's implemented right and they haven't crippled it this may bring Linux to many more people and put more pressure on other vendors to do the same.

Next up is game devs embracing OpenGL

mivo
June 4th, 2008, 02:51 PM
I wonder witch distro ACER will be using?

Linpus (http://www.linpus.com/) (Lite), according to Acer's press release.

pricetech
June 4th, 2008, 03:28 PM
You go Acer !!! I may buy one of their machines. Surplus Computers has one at a really good price with no OS on it. I've been considering it.

Roberticus
June 4th, 2008, 05:06 PM
Linpus (http://www.linpus.com/) (Lite), according to Acer's press release.
They have had link to Linpus on Acer's site for some time already.
Nice news :)

Bungo Pony
June 4th, 2008, 05:50 PM
That's great news! I love my Acer PC and I'm glad they're beginning to push Linux :)

KiwiNZ
June 4th, 2008, 08:56 PM
Acer has announced it will aggressively push linux and open source on its desktops and laptops.

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2218172/acer-pushes-linux-hard

aysiu
June 4th, 2008, 09:01 PM
If true, that's wonderful news.

Even though Dell now offers Ubuntu preinstalled on some of its models, a lot of Linux users are disappointed that Dell has done nothing to promote those offerings (and even, in some ways, demotes them by recommending Vista on the Ubuntu pages).

If they follow through with this, I might be buying an Acer computer in the near future.

KiwiNZ
June 4th, 2008, 09:11 PM
I use an Acer Travelmate for work , its a good machine.

BuffaloX
June 4th, 2008, 09:14 PM
Good News.
I wish them luck with it.

kernelhaxor
June 4th, 2008, 09:16 PM
Good to see more and more companies embracing open source platforms..

joninkrakow
June 4th, 2008, 09:16 PM
In Poland, at least, Acer already has several models available with Linpus on them. I don't know if this is common in other parts of the world (namely W. Europe or the Americas).

-Jon

zmjjmz
June 4th, 2008, 09:17 PM
Anyone know what distro they're using?
I heard it was Linpus or some such, but that was with the old ones.

chucky chuckaluck
June 4th, 2008, 09:25 PM
i guess it's just a matter of time before all their sites stop saying how much they recommend windows vista.

hellion0
June 4th, 2008, 09:26 PM
...Another win for the good guys.

acelin
June 4th, 2008, 09:29 PM
That is nice- but Acer is not. Never buy Acer. My laptop, which was a 1200 Dollar machine in 2007, has had more problems than any other computer I have had or a family member has had. I have had to send it back to the factory twice to have the entire insides replaced, and just the other day the keyboard on the machine went south.

I really wish HP would offer Ubuntu on their computers. HP's really are the best quality PC's IMHO.

Mateo
June 4th, 2008, 10:35 PM
One of my first computers was an Acer. I didn't know they were still around.

-gabe-noob-
June 4th, 2008, 10:39 PM
That is nice- but Acer is not. Never buy Acer. My laptop, which was a 1200 Dollar machine in 2007, has had more problems than any other computer I have had or a family member has had. I have had to send it back to the factory twice to have the entire insides replaced, and just the other day the keyboard on the machine went south.

I really wish HP would offer Ubuntu on their computers. HP's really are the best quality PC's IMHO.


reallY? my freind has had his acer for 5 years and used it everysingle day (he uses it in class) and it never broke...

danbuter
June 4th, 2008, 11:14 PM
I have an Acer Aspire 3680 and it has been absolutely perfect on Hardy Heron.

K.Mandla
June 4th, 2008, 11:15 PM
Irony aside, moved to Community Cafe.

I hope this thread doesn't get moved to the Community forum where it will buried with more interesting subjects such as "What are you listening to now in the shower" or "what is your favorite coffee maker".
The 'Cafe is intended for Linux news like this. Threads like "What's your favorite color?" would ideally be moved to OMG Pink Ponies, which is for off-topic discussion.

By the way, I agree that it's very exciting news. Thanks for linking to it.

KingTermite
June 4th, 2008, 11:19 PM
Excellent news!

Sealbhach
June 4th, 2008, 11:22 PM
I think this will bring the desktop market closer to the tipping point, when everybody suddenly realises that there is life after windows.



.

vambo
June 4th, 2008, 11:36 PM
Excellent news.
This (http://news.softpedia.com/news/VIA-Technologies-Offers-Open-Source-Laptop-Design-86628.shtml) is also quite interesting .. well I thought so!

K.Mandla
June 4th, 2008, 11:38 PM
Similar threads merged.

ubuntu-freak
June 4th, 2008, 11:39 PM
Great news, thanks for posting. Interesting times indeed.

Silpheed2K
June 4th, 2008, 11:49 PM
This is great. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all develops in the marketplace.. I've heard some people on tech shows say they feel Microsoft is actually in trouble since they feel nobody is compelled to upgrade to another version of their operating system. Which puts the whole company in trouble.

HangukMiguk
June 5th, 2008, 12:18 AM
I always knew I liked Acer for a reason.

aysiu
June 5th, 2008, 12:19 AM
This is great. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all develops in the marketplace.. I've heard some people on tech shows say they feel Microsoft is actually in trouble since they feel nobody is compelled to upgrade to another version of their operating system. Which puts the whole company in trouble. That's a good point. The trend (whether it's Dell or Asus Eee PCs) seems to be people wanting to stick with XP to avoid Vista. If they stay with XP, that's a lot fewer Windows licenses purchased and a lot of lost revenue.

gn2
June 5th, 2008, 01:13 AM
The "Netbook" is one of the most exciting developments in PC hardware for years.

The OLPC project has played a valuable part in creation of this new sector.
Asus has been a pioneer with the Eee.

More manufacturers are touting their netbooks and with very few exceptions they are all running Linux as a cheaper or higher spec option.

I think the take up of these devices will be massive, they are perfect as mobile multi-function devices and will sell like hot cakes.
Asus simply can't build Eee's fast enough.

What this means is that more people will be exposed to Linux than ever before and this will lead to them realising that there is a viable alternative and will break out of the MS driven update the OS / upgrade the hardware dependency cycle.

It won't happen overnight and MS won't go down without a fight, but if you have MS shares perhaps now might be time to think about selling them.....

Interesting times ahead.

DeadSuperHero
June 5th, 2008, 01:57 AM
Oh, snap! This is great!
Too bad they're going with Linpus, and not Ubuntu, or Fedora. Ah well...

At least it's probably driver-compatible, meaning that I could put any old distro on there and be happy.

Methuselah
June 5th, 2008, 02:24 AM
What this means is that more people will be exposed to Linux than ever before and this will lead to them realising that there is a viable alternative and will break out of the MS driven update the OS / upgrade the hardware dependency cycle


Yup, the problem is not just the need to upgrade the OS but due to the inevitable bloat of microsoft's new offerings, a hardware upgrade is often needed too.
Analysts often said that's linux stands to make the greatest progress with a new kind of machine. I think that's what's slowly playing out.

Unix_Slayer
June 5th, 2008, 02:30 AM
This is really great news, as was the push from Dell. [which didn't go too far] This would put more money in the coffers of binary people. Who would really start charging for apps. Remember.... where the money is to be made, that's where it goes. Hats off to Linux. Live long, and Prosper.

DeadSuperHero
June 5th, 2008, 02:42 AM
Amen to that.
Oh yeah, I'm spreading the news of FS Daily.
Right here (http://www.fsdaily.com/EndUser/Acer_to_Aggressively_Market_Linux).
Vote it up, spread the word!

Lord Xeb
June 5th, 2008, 03:26 AM
I cannot wait to see some more computers out there that are cheap and running linux. M$ has cause me so much grief with there glamorous crapware. GO LINUX!!!!!

mivo
June 5th, 2008, 07:02 AM
Yup, the problem is not just the need to upgrade the OS but due to the inevitable bloat of microsoft's new offerings, a hardware upgrade is often needed too.

True, though this has always driven hardware development and led to a price decrease. Before Vista came out, most laptops had 1 GB RAM. Now even the lower priced ones come with 2 GB. There are other factors too, but the Windows bloat probably plays a larger role.

Another big issue is the license costs. With hardware so inexpensive now, and competition so stiff, fifty or whatever bucks for a license is a significant problem if you want to sell your stuff as cheap as possible. Not sure what MS can do here.

Definitely happy news for us Linux people. :)

walker9010
June 5th, 2008, 09:54 AM
Which puts the whole company in trouble.

Unfortunately, if you take a look at the Microsoft revenue stream they are a long way from trouble. Office and Windows still generate the vast majority true, but the numbers are so large that it would take a flood of manufacturers switching before a sizeable dent would happen.

However, I'm probably a minority in this boat, but I still believe there are smart people in places Microsoft. Maybe if they finally start realizing that when people have options they are going to go away from Windows they will put in the work to build a competitive operating system. Which would be better for the world.

Unix_Slayer
June 5th, 2008, 10:06 AM
However, I'm probably a minority in this boat, but I still believe there are smart people in places Microsoft. Maybe if they finally start realizing that when people have options they are going to go away from Windows they will put in the work to build a competitive operating system. Which would be better for the world.


You have a lot of faith my friend. If Microsoft keeps worrying so much about Yahoo, and doesn't stick to their game.... they will be losing more desktops each and everyday. There was an article last month in EWeek that stated Ubuntu 8.04 was taking over a lot more desktops from Micrsoft.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Ubuntu-804-Is-Ready-to-Take-On-Windows/ (http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Ubuntu-804-Is-Ready-to-Take-On-Windows/)

walker9010
June 5th, 2008, 10:20 AM
You have a lot of faith my friend. If Microsoft keeps worrying so much about Yahoo, and doesn't stick to their game.... they will be losing more desktops each and everyday.

all I'm saying is operating income (not revenue) for the client division (which is windows clients) is >3BILLION for 3rd quarter last year.
http://www.microsoft.com/msft/earnings/FY08/earn_rel_q3_08.mspx

when you have numbers that big, you have at least a couple of years of "wiggle room" if you will, before s--t hits the fan.

they may keep heading down a bad path now, but signs seem to be pointing towards some hope http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=842 (at least someone realizes the NT kernel that has been passed along for years is a disaster.)

bigbrovar
June 5th, 2008, 10:27 AM
This is cheering news ... soon the word would be out ... LINUX DESKTOP can no longer be ignored

Ebuntor
June 5th, 2008, 10:56 AM
Wow that sure is a surprise, especially since Acer always seemed as pro-MS (to me). I can't remember a company ever openly been so anti-Microsoft
"We have shifted towards Linux because of Microsoft," he said. "Microsoft has a lot of power and it is going to be difficult, but we will be working hard to develop the Linux market."Sure am glad I bought an Acer laptop. :)

wersdaluv
June 5th, 2008, 10:58 AM
I still prefer EEE PC 1000. :D

Quintin Riis
June 5th, 2008, 11:08 AM
This is very exciting news.

sultanoswing
June 5th, 2008, 11:12 AM
Here in NZ, Acer has been offering a low-end Linux laptop (with Ubuntu 7.10) for a few months already:

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/4847ba010bfa76ea2740c0a87f3b06e6/Product/View/XC5822

Frustratingly (ominously?) both times I've been in to look at it recently the linux laptop hasn't been demonstrable - the first time the shop guys didn't know the login password and the second time it was stuck with a GRUB 17 error. Sigh.

Still....positive times, especially with Dell's somewhat anaemic efforts (I'm about to buy an XPS 1330, but will be forced to buy a Windows one from Hong Kong since it's cheaper than NZ, and comes with more customisability than the rigid Ubuntu offering from Dell USA).

Tux Aubrey
June 5th, 2008, 11:40 AM
I too am over the moon about these announcements.

I was a bit surprised to read (in one of the articles linked above):


While it is anticipated that laptops will become the main computer in most households, 'netbooks' will act as usable mobile devices.

"The handheld market is now bigger than the laptop market," said David Drummond, managing director of Acer UK.

"It will be bigger than the entire PC market by 2011, growing most rapidly in the EU and the US."

I had no idea that the industry was so hot on minis. You certainly wouldn't know from browsing in Australian computer retailers!

But yay anyway. I did read another article today that pronounced that MS had "jumped the shark" with Vista. And Happy Days fans know that there's no way back from there, regardless of spinoffs. Although I also agree with walker9010 that this will not be a big hit for MS revenue this year, or probably next. But I will be watching their share price with interest.

gn2
June 5th, 2008, 12:05 PM
I still prefer EEE PC 1000. :D

Wait till you see the price of it compared to the others, then decide.....?