ITPro is reporting that System76, a company specializing in building Linux desktop, server and notebook systems saw a 61% revenue increase over the first quarter of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008.

The revenue breakdowns aren't readily available (System76 is privately held, so public earnings reports aren't required), but the figure's significance stretches beyond the bottom line. It obviously suggests impressive growth for the company, and it isn't an unreasonable leap to imagine that other OEMS focusing on Linux-powered machines are seeing some degree of growth as well. The recession undoubtedly plays a role in this growth. But how much does it factor in really?

A short piece on Xbit Labs directed me to an interesting post by Chris Kenyon, Canonical's Director of Business Development. In this piece, Kenyon tackles another absolutely critical factor in marketing Linux netbooks (I discussed a few of the others on Tuesday) -- offering quality engineered hardware and carefully configured software that's ready to go, right out of the box.

Kenyon's post offers advice and points to consider to OEMs, consumers, and yes, even Microsoft. It's sound, it's reasoned -- perhaps to the point one wonders why it needed to be said -- and it paints an encouraging picture of the future for Linux netbooks.

As news of Openmoko's harsh but realistic look at the road ahead ripples through the open source and mobile technology sectors, there will be, beyond a doubt, much speculation on how the project's challenges could have been minimized and its successes built upon. Perhaps Openmoko's attempt to bring a completely open mobile phone to the world was Quixotic. Perhaps it was a good idea that simply launched at a bad time. Perhaps it was (and still is) a very workable idea -- or maybe it will always have an extremely niche appeal. Openmoko's pulling away from FreeRunner phones (and looking toward its "Plan B") might well work out just as Michael Lauer writes on his blog -- not at all as a death sentence, nor as any sort of indication that free platforms don't work (or aren't desired) on mobile phones.