Wal-Mart and PC supplier Microtel Computer Systems won some hearts in the Linux community this week with their customer-focused response to a review about their operating system-less PCs. It all started with Russell C. Pavlicek’s review of one of the machines here on NewsForge/Linux.com.
Russell noted that several versions of Linux installed easily on the machine, but the modem that came with it was a Winmodem without a functional Linux driver. The review got a lot of response, and within a couple of days, Microtel’s president emailed Russell, promising the company would change those modems. That quick response got tons of kudos from Linux fans, along with promises to buy the PCs through Walmart.com.
Another way to keep customers
Maybe Microsoft could take a lesson in customer service from Microtel. Microsoft has been telling schools who get used PCs donated to them that removing Windows is illegal. Call it marketing, call it a bold-faced lie. After The Register caught Microsoft in the fib, our favorite monopolist revised its stance just a bit.
Total cost: Linux wins
One argument Microsoft has made against switching to Linux is that you have to look at the “total cost of ownership,” not just how much less Linux costs out of the box. Not so fast, Mr. Gates. Cyber.com.au has a study saying Linux can have up to a 34% lower total cost of ownership than Windows.
All kinds of security issues
C|Net suggests that a security problem in an old version of Winamp — surprise, surprise, another Windows security hole — may help users move to the Open Source audio format Ogg Vorbis instead of MP3.
Of course, Open Source projects aren’t without their security problems once in awhile. This week, a Mozilla/Netscape hole was found that could potentially allow an attacker to view documents on the user’s PC.
Moving on
Jordan Hubbard, a founding member of the FreeBSD project, resigned from its core team this week, saying he lacked the time, energy and fun needed to continue.
Red Hat announced that Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is using Linux to power its design studio and other digital projects.
Newly released
The much anticipated 1.0 version of the OpenOffice office suite was released this week.
Newly reviewed
New at NewsForge/Linux.com
Among the other stories we reported first this week:
Stock news
The Nasdaq ended the week at 1,613.03, skidding more than 50 points from the April 26 close of 1,663.89, mostly coming from a Friday drop of more than 31 points. The tech heavy market has been on a downward slide since April 16, when it closed at 1,816.79. The last time the Nasdaq was this low was Oct. 9, 2001.
Of our 11 Open Source related stocks, only three posted gains, including Hewlett-Packard, which closed its controversial merger with Compaq this week.
Taking a huge hit this week was Wind River Systems, which dropped from 10.69 to 7.00 for the week on warnings of a larger-than-expected loss.
French Linux company MandrakeSoft’s stock dropped slightly for the week, even though the company reported “a strong increase in consolidated revenue.”
Here’s how Open Source and related stocks ended this past week:
| Company Name | Symbol | 4/26 Close | 5/3 Close |
| Apple | AAPL | 23.01 | 23.51 |
| Borland Software Int’l | BORL | 10.78 | 10.29 |
| Caldera International | CALD | 1.09 | 1.00 |
| Hewlett-Packard | HWP | 16.96 | 17.44 |
| IBM | IBM | 84.71 | 81.78 |
| MandrakeSoft | 4477.PA | e2.65 | e2.60 |
| Red Hat | RHAT | 4.62 | 5.16 |
| Sun Microsystems | SUNW | 8.05 | 6.77 |
| TiVo | TIVO | 4.04 | 3.96 |
| VA Software | LNUX | 1.27 | 1.18 |
| Wind River Systems | WIND | 10.69 | 7.00 |
