HP to offer SUSE desktop Linux to business, education customers
Hewlett-Packard is giving desktop Linux a little lift by introducing it to small business customers. The company said Wednesday that it'll offer Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop to business and education customers.
In a statement, HP said it will offer SUSE's desktop Linux with "a tightly integrated suite of essential applications, including OpenOffice.org, web browser, multimedia tools, and email, collaboration and instant messaging software." In other words, HP's desktop Linux offering will carry about the same stuff as my Dell netbook.
On the education front, HP said it's working with Novell to develop and maintain 40 learning applications.
HP also announced that it will expand its virtualized browsing software. Here's how HP described the software:
The first-of-its-kind Mozilla Firefox for HP Virtual Solution was developed with Symantec and Mozilla for HP customers. The solution uses the standard release of Mozilla Firefox with a Symantec Software Virtualization Solution layer that allows customers to use the Internet productively while keeping business PCs stable and easier to support.
As customers surf the web, changes made to the PC are contained in a “virtual layer,” separate from the operating system, and do not permanently alter the machine. Customers can therefore reset the browser as needed, instantly returning the PC to its last-known good state.
The software was initially offered on the HP Compaq dc7900 business desktop, but now will be expanded to other models.
