Taiwanese hardware maker Elitegroup Computer Systems Co. Ltd. is shipping 300,000 low-cost laptops to the U.S. bundled with
Lindows.com Inc.'s operating system, the software provider said Thursday.
Elitegroup's A535 laptop will come with the LindowsOS Laptop Edition software, built-in Wi-Fi support and DVD dual drive for
$699.
Deployment of the Linux laptops comes despite the software maker's ongoing trademark dispute with Microsoft Corp. over the
similarity between the Lindows and Windows names. The two companies are scheduled to go to trial in the U.S. over the matter
March 1. Judges in Finland and Sweden have already ordered preliminary injunctions barring the Linux provider from using the
Lindows name.
Lindows has signalled that it will not be deterred by legal woes, however, and has claimed 2004 "the year of the Linux laptop."
Its deal with Elitegroup will put its software in laptops distributed to retailers in the U.S. as well as Canada, Lindows
said.
Lindows is not the only vendor pushing Linux on the desktop. Sun Microsystems Inc., for example, has recently introduced its
Linux-based Java Desktop System.
Lindows has been busy sewing up distribution deals and rolling out new products, such as its most recent desktop OS with free
calling services, however.
Its latest agreement with Elitegroup is being seen by the company as an opportunity to introduce its new laptop OS, introduced
in December, to the U.S. market.
The Linux notebooks feature an Advanced Micro Devices Inc. 4, 1400+ processor, 128M bytes of memory and weighs in at 6 pounds
(2.72 kilograms).
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