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Erica Ogg CNET News.com
Published: 15 Sep 2008 10:44 BST

HP is reportedly considering building an alternative operating system to Microsoft Windows, based on Linux.

An article appearing in BusinessWeek this week cites anonymous sources who say HP is at least looking into it. "Sources say employees in HP's PC division are exploring the possibility of building a mass-market operating system," the article states.

The operating system would reportedly be Linux-based, but would be tweaked to be more accessible to mainstream users. Those same sources say it's part of an HP plan to become less dependent on Windows, and to compete with Apple for the same type of user who would consider a Mac, which has its own operating system on its computers touted as more user-friendly than Vista.

HP isn't confirming the report, but had previously been open about the formation of a new group within its Labs that developed the touchscreen technology and special software used in its TouchSmart PC. The software lets users get around certain features of Vista to complete certain multimedia tasks more easily.

Phil McKinney, chief technology officer of HP's Personal Systems Group, did not deny the company is looking into it, but said it didn't make much sense to build its own operating system. "Is HP funding a huge R&D team to go off and create an operating system? [That] makes no sense," he told BusinessWeek.

HP is the world's leading purveyor of Microsoft software, through the approximately 50 million PCs the company ships around the globe each year. The article also points out Intel's recent support for netbooks, mini-notebooks that use its Atom processor and run Linux, and Dell's decision to offer Linux as a Windows alternative on some of its PCs.

HP, Intel and Dell are not the only companies offering Linux and Windows on a single machine. Asus makes a motherboard called P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP. It allows a PC to boot directly to Windows or any other operating system installed on the hard disk. This alternative operating system, provided by DeviceVM to Asus, is another way to do an end-run around Windows.

Whether Windows's dominance is in any danger of disappearing, Microsoft has already begun to fight back. Last week it rolled out the beginnings of a high-profile and expensive ad campaign starring its co-founder Bill Gates and comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Original Link: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000 ... 203,00.htm