Mini-itx Specialist Finds Linux A Good Fit

Quoting:Q: Are you doing much in terms of in-house Linux development?

A: Frankly speaking, we do very little on the Linux side. I mean internally. Our opinion is that the Linux community consists of software experts. We think they simply require robust hardware. They do not need our help with the OS or compilers.

On the other hand, they know how to use software and develop programs by themselves. In addition, they get a lot of software for free. Of course, we have some firmware developments for Linux, but from a business perspective, we have no wish to support free software. Because it does not help us boost sales. This is the point. This is why, if we bundle an OS with our server products, it is Microsoft's OS. Tyan is a Microsoft OEM, despite their market share expected to only reach 15% after some time. Now, it is almost zero, and the general feeling is that it will actually take Microsoft a couple of years to get to 15%.

Q: Does it mean the remaining part will still belong to Linux? Why do you think it can eventually become a mass market?

A: The whole supercomputing business is now a Linux business, but I think if we want to see the annual market for personal supercomputers growing from 200,000 to 1,000,000 systems, that should be a Microsoft market. If seriously considering the concept of "killer application," we want to find such an application for the personal supercomputer market, we have to admit it will likely come from Microsoft. I mean the killer application for the commercial market, of course.