OPERATING SYSTEMS
Last fall, a Dell Computer spokesperson quietly admitted that the company was shipping servers and PCs preinstalled with the Linux operating system. The disclosure barely caused a ripple in the hardware industry but marked an important milestone: It was the first time a major server manufacturer publicly acknowledged factory-installing the free Unix-like OS.
Linux already has a strong following in the networking and ISP markets, where downtime has a direct bearing on the bottom line (a single server failure can easily affect hundreds of users). Jon Oltsik, a senior analyst with Forrester Research, believes Linux will remain "limited to the techie community." However, it's precisely such businesses, with technically adept staff, that are using Linux and its open-source relatives so successfully. By some estimates, Linux currently whirrs away on more than 7 million servers and PCs.
Linux's low-key endorsement from Dell heralds increasing acceptance elsewhere; for example, while it's not preinstalling the OS (yet), Compaq is considering providing telephone support for Linux running on its Intel- and Alpha-based servers.
Windows NT is expected to reach 60 percent of Fortune 1,000 company servers by 2000. Nevertheless, the Redmond giant is worried: An internal Microsoft memo leaked in November stated that "Linux poses a significant near-term revenue threat to Windows NT." Skulking around the OS melée, Linux is proving that marketing clout doesn't equal functionality.
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