OStatic

Every year or two, some hardware component comes down the line that truly takes my breath away. On the past few occasions, these bits of circuitry have all used open source software in some capacity, though whether that's due to my tendency to notice such things, or a measurable increase in hardware developments that feature open source technology is uncertain.

TMCnet introduced me to this year's take your breath away device, the Marvell SheevaPlug. This plug computer (it's designed to hang comfortably from a household wall socket) features a 1.22 GHz Kirkwood (Sheeva-based) processor, 512 MB DRAM, and a Gigabit ethernet connection. In addition to its onboard 512 MB Flash storage, the plug has a USB port for external storage. The hardware, the multiple Linux distributions it currently supports, and the API framework (called Raindrop ) that is currently being developed for running third party applications -- are all open source.

Why? Because, as Marvell's product manager, Raja Mukhopadhyay told TMCnet, ...[open source] is what we see going forward.

Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, and the analysts at RedMonk presented the results of a recent survey conducted on Ubuntu's use in server deployments. Nearly 7,000 people (representing the same number of organizations) participated in the survey, which was promoted on Ubuntu's web site and several Linux server-specific forums.

Canonical's marketing head, Gerry Carr, says that the survey is essential reading for any organization using (or considering using) Ubuntu's Server Edition. After taking a closer look at the survey, I'd recommend it to anyone interested in current server technologies, or where the server market is headed -- even if Ubuntu Server isn't part of the equation.

Christopher Dawson has been thinking aloud about Linux in the classroom at his ZDNet Education blog. Dawson, the technology director of a school district in northern Massachusetts, had sixty new Classmate Convertible PCs fall into his hands, and wonders if the Linux-powered machines are a better option for the district.

The Linux Classmate PCs run Edubuntu with a customized version of Ubuntu's Netbook Remix user interface. Dawson is suitably impressed with the educational software included by default in Edubuntu and how well the school district's necessary Windows-based software runs in WINE. Intel says that the software stack offered on its Windows XP Classmates is similar to the Linux machines.

Unless there are serious issues raised in testing, Dawson plans to purchase the Edubuntu-powered Classmates. He admits the teachers are a little hesitant about the decision.

Speaking from experience, the adults are always hesitant. He needn't worry about the students.

Obama's inauguration must have brought out the optimist in tech journalists. In the last week, Ron Miller and Charles Babcock have written to implore Microsoft to open source Windows. While inspired and with some solid reasoning, I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. Here's why.