PCLinuxOnline Interviews Lindows CEO Michael Robertson
Our friends over at PCLinuxOnline are hosting an interview with the Lindows CEO, Michael Robertson. Nothing really new is revealed by Robertson, but an interesting read nonetheless.
Linspire Archive
LindowsOS Backs Off its Claim to Run Most Windows Apps
A short while after the report of the appearance of Microtel PCs with LindowsOS pre-installed at Walmart.com, both Walmart.com and Lindows were claiming that LindowsOS "delivers the stability of UNIX with the ease of Windows and the ability to run most Microsoft programs." Today, that last phrase has gone missing and there is no more talk of running any programs designed for Windows, let alone Microsoft products. Our Take: Oh, they realised that WINE can't run all Windows apps because not all the Win32 APIs are public? Why did it take them more than one year to realise this?
Wal-Mart Shipping PCs with Lindows Pre-installed
"In a move that appears to be a coup for Michael Robertson et al, Wal-Mart's online store is offering eight different Microtel PCs with LindowsOS included. The computers sell for USD$299 to $599 and ship in one to seven days." Read the story at NewsForge. Our Take: I noticed that they offer an AthlonXP system, similar to the one we tested a few days back. In order to use the X11 with its SavagePRO+ DDR graphics card, they needed to use a third party driver. The driver works, but it still has limitations.
FSF asks Lindows, “Where’s the source?”
Bradley Kuhn, vice president of the Free Software Foundation, says the organization is contacting LindowsOS representatives because the company has not included source code with its "sneak preview" releases. Lindows CEO Michael Robertson says his company will comply with the GPL when the product is released to the public. Read more in the NewsForge article. Update by ELQ: Open letter to Lindows' CEO Michael Robertson from Bruce Perens has just been published at NewsForge.
LindowsOS Sneak Preview 2: Some Good stuff, but I’m Still Root
"On April 9, Michael Robertson announced the release of LindowsOS sneak preview 2. "Lindows.com is not about selling an operating system," the Lindows CEO says in the press release. "It's not too different from needing a car. Nobody says, 'I need an engine,' they say, 'I need a car,' and most times, what they really mean is that they need transportation. It's the same with a computer." I think I know what he's getting at." Read the rest of the mini-review at NewsForge.
Ruling Questions Protected Use of the Name Windows
"Windows, one of the best-known trademarks in the world, may not be a name Microsoft Corp. can own and use exclusively, a federal judge ruled yesterday. In a narrow, preliminary ruling that could change at trial, Chief U.S. District Judge John Coughenour wrote that there are "serious questions regarding whether 'Windows' is a non-generic name and thus eligible for the protections of federal trademark law." This probably means that Lindows won the case and they would be able to continue use the Lindows.com name. Read the report at NWSource.com.
Lindows Sneak Preview Released
OSNews reader Dave Merrill was lucky to get access to a preview version of the Lindows OS and inform us with his findings. Read more about Dave's mini-preview. In the meantime, NewsForge also published a more extensive preview of the Linux-based OS which aims to run Windows software out of the box without the need of a Windows operating system installed. The NewsForge article also includes three screenshots.
Lindows Pleads for Technical Dismissal
"Lindows.com, an OS software startup sued by Microsoft last month for alleged trademark infringement, is hoping to have the case thrown out of court on a technicality, its chief executive said Friday. Lindows.com, which is based in San Diego, California, has since argued that it can't be sued in a state that it has never done business in, Lindows.com Chief Executive Officer Michael Robertson said. Lindows.com filed a motion to dismiss the case on Jan. 2 in which it urged the Washington court to throw out Microsoft's case because Lindows.com is outside the Washington court's jurisdiction." Read the rest of the story at InfoWorld. In the meantime, the Lindows company gave to Microsoft the names, snail mail addresses and email addresses of the people who have registered so far to have access to the Preview version of LindowsOS, when that would be available. They were compelled to do so, the Lindows CEO said.
Lindows Done Right
You may or may not have heard about Lindows already.
Lindows (the company)
is a new Linux start-up, launched earlier this year by former MP3.com CEO Michael Robertson. The promise of Lindows (the Operating System) is to be an affordable alternative (Operating System) to Microsoft Windows. And, as an extra boon, this alternative to Windows (which promises to run all your Windows applications), will run Linux applications as well.
Microsoft Sues Linux Start Up “Lindows” Over Name
"Microsoft asked a court on Thursday to stop a Linux start-up from using a name the software giant contends infringes on the Windows trademark. The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant filed a motion with the U.S. Court for the Western District of Washington against Lindows, which is developing a version of the Linux operating system that will run popular applications written for Microsoft's Windows OS. Microsoft contends the company, which plans to formally release its product next year, purposely is trying to confuse Lindows with Windows." The story is at CNet|News. In related news, the Editor-in-Chief of NewsForge and Linux.com wrote yesterday that he decided his web sites will not report on Lindows because he believes that the Lindows product is pure... vaporware. OSNews have recently contacted the Lindows CEO for an interview with some important questions on the Lindows product, its development & licencing, but we have not heard back. Update: The Lindows CEO, Michael Robertson, replied to our request for an interview, read on.