“The ecosystem that Microsoft has built up around its Windows operating system is showing signs of strain. In one of several recent moves by partners that sell or support the company’s software, Hewlett-Packard, the world’s No. 1 PC maker, has quietly assembled a group of engineers to develop software that will let customers bypass certain features of Vista, the latest version of Windows. Employees on a separate skunk works team are even angling to replace Windows with an HP-assembled operating system, say three sources close to the company,” Aaron Ricadela reports for BusinessWeek.
“‘Our customers are looking for insanely simple technology where they don’t have to fight with the technology to get the task done,’ says Phil McKinney, chief technology officer in HP’s PC division,” Ricadela reports. “McKinney says any discussions about building an operating system to rival Windows are happening below senior-management levels. He doesn’t deny some employees may have had such conversations, but he says HP isn’t devoting substantial resources to such projects. ‘Is HP funding a huge R&D team to go off and create an operating system? [That] makes no sense,’ he says. ‘For us it’s about innovating on top of Vista.'”
“Still, the sources say employees in HP’s PC division are exploring the possibility of building a mass-market operating system. HP’s software would be based on Linux, the open-source operating system that is already widely available, but it would be simpler and easier for mainstream users, the sources say. The goal may be to make HP less dependent on Windows and to strengthen HP’s hand against Apple, which has gained market share in recent years by offering easy-to-use computers with its own operating system,” Ricadela reports.
“One person who has advised HP executives on strategy says they are concerned that Apple could develop a notebook computer that would sell for less than $1,000. That’s a fast-growing market HP depends on for sales where Apple has yet to compete. “Apple is a huge motivating factor,” says the source,” Ricadela reports.
Full article here.
Rigid churros, indeed.
@Macs King — good idea, but go one step farther. For the people who want it, why not virtualize a Windows shell on top of Linux? HP already has full virtualization under HP-UX:
http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/cache/258348-0-0-0-121.html
I’m not an HP-UX geek, although I have done some work under it. It’s a mainframe Unix, it’s not a desktop OS. All I’m saying is, they’ve already got the foundation in-house, just like Apple built OS X on top of Next’s BSD/Mach. They aren’t starting from scratch.
All HP would have to do — if they wanted to — would be to scale their enterprise HP-UX down to desktop proportions and build a nice GUI front end. Add Windows emulation, and Presto… they’ve got their own desktop OS.
The question is, do they want to compete in this arena.
Hypocrit, explain this.
To Hint Hammer:
Nice try but they can’t handle the truth.
> For us it’s about innovating on top of Vista.
A hopeless task.
So is developing an in-house OS.
So is making Linux appealing to the masses.
And Apple WILL have a sub-$1000 laptop for this holiday season. They already do, if you count the 2.1 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook refurbs at the Apple Store selling for $899.
Actually, I’ve found that ‘they’ are quite proficient at ‘creating’ the ‘truth’.
It’s FACTS, that they find challenging.
And, they don’t like to be challenged.
imagine hp hiring ex apple software gurus like avid tevanian to work on Linux and things might get real interesting
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Asus is already building a lightweight Linux into their motherboards that loads in a couple of seconds. I suppose if cloud computing really takes off all the other hardware manufactures will follow suit and Microsoft (and maybe even Apple) will be in trouble.
HP has nothing to worry about,
didn’t they see Gates but wiggle?
“Good. Everybody benefits when there is competition based on innovation.”
Totally agree with that. Before I went Mac, I had great experiences with HP, both from a hardware and service perspective. I would love to see them apply some resources to this. If it puts added pressure on MS and helsp them stay further ahead of Dell, that’s all good.
I know loads of people who are buying Wyse terminals for the home. Now you can get them with Firefox, Java, Flash, etc. built in, they can’t see the point of keeping a PC around.
Things are most definitely changing. HP could very well succeed here.
Oh bite me with the Palin bits already, good grief, what a bunch of babies! Absolutely chomping at the bit here to send that flea bag and her fashion glasses back to Alaska for good. Fifteen minutes of her has been way to much. Hang on world, it’s almost over now. Let’s see… HP, pigs, lipstick, linux…Oh I give up!
Go Apple!
After reading about the rubbish MS are pulling in their desperate $300 million marketing blitz to try to sell Vista I got the hint that MS have begun a downward spiral of desperation. ‘Guru’ marketing dweebs who can’t even answer your Vista user questions. HA!
An now we get the hint that HP want out of the Windows hegemony.
I don’t see MS dying. Sorry all you DOOM mongers. But I do see them fading into irrelevance if this decay mode keeps up. I expect to see steam blasting out of Ballmer’s red ears by the middle of next year. Maybe then we can get back on track with the actual computer revolution MS has stalled.
HP better get their act together.
The last time they neglected a star employee, ie, Woz, he ended up starting Apple
>>Funner??? That’s a word?
Sure.
Sounds like a word “Dubya” would use.
In my experience with HP peripherals, they don’t make very good software. Anything they layer on top of Vista can only make Vista work, and I don’t see them as having credibility as OS designers. Software is just not what they do well.
Typo. I mean make Vista *worse*.
and I’m still a pig!
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