Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • PC Hardware
    • Servers

    Intel, IBM Make Workstation Push with Linux Laptop

    By
    Rob Enderle
    -
    June 7, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Disclaimer: Intel, AMD, Dell, Microsoft and HP are all clients of mine.

      For years, true workstation users—folks tied at the hip to Unix—really didnt have an acceptable mobile solution.

      They had the option of buying huge, luggable products from companies such as Dolch. In weight and size, they were more like the original suitcase class of portable computers of the late 80s, but regular laptops were simply too underpowered for their use.

      Performance has made great gains over the past couple of years, and engineers were increasingly found using high-performance laptop computers, which took Dolch out of the business and found high-performance consumer companies such as AlienWare and Apple creeping in.

      Interestingly enough, engineers using Apple laptops comprised one of the fastest-growing groups, because those laptops ran a version of FreeBSD Unix.

      Clearly, this didnt sit well with either IBM or Intel, particularly since both companies have extremely high concentrations of engineers who would likely be shot on sight if they were found using an Apple computer for company business.

      As a result, the two companies announced Monday that they have collaborated to build a Linux-based IBM T42-series laptop on steroids.

      They say it will meet the engineering communitys need for a truly “laptop class” portable computer that will adequately run the necessary engineering applications and will be supported by a company that truly understands engineers. They also announced that Intel is in broad trials with these laptops internally.

      /zimages/5/28571.gifClick here for a review of IBMs T42.

      IBM is one of the market leaders for workstations, and Intel has been slowly working its way into the workstation market for some time, so its not surprising that both teamed up to make this happen.

      Next Page: Linux is not ready for the desktop yet.

      Linux Desktop

      What is interesting is the top-down approach to a Linux-based product. Typically, you would expect the first official offering on a low-cost software platform to be bottoms up, but Linux is simply not ready for the general desktop yet, and vendors such as Dell continue to report that Linux-based laptops are unprofitable.

      /zimages/5/28571.gifTo read about IBMs Linux SMB incentive program, click here.

      But the workstation class of laptop computers carries strong margins and sells to an audience willing to pay for the performance it needs.

      Engineers have also shown a willingness to pay for the software value they are receiving, regardless of the platform they are receiving it on. For instance, CAD products maintain the same prices on Windows and Unix, suggesting they would maintain these margins on Linux as well.

      This position was exemplified at the recent SIIA conference, where professional products were reported to hold prices much better on Linux then general productivity products or consumer offerings.

      Of course, to make this happen, they also needed a software application vendor, and for this they chose Cadence Design Systems, one of the leaders in electronic design automation. Cadence is not only heavily used by Intel but by competing firms such as National Semiconductor.

      /zimages/5/28571.gifClick here to read about Intels enterprise chief leaving to join Cadence.

      This is likely the tip of the iceberg. HP, Sun, Dell and others also lust after this workstation market, and AMD has being making inroads into the desktop segment of this space for some time through its relationships with Sun and HP.

      This is just the first salvo, and we will likely see a number of technology providers—and hardware vendors—jump into this space over the next few months.

      This is a segment with unique performance needs, but the high-resolution screens and some of the graphics technology required by it should migrate down to the general desktop over time.

      One other player who may be interested in this space is Microsoft. Windows NT started out targeted at workstations, and that focus was largely lost when NT was shifted to the desktop. This could be a wake-up call for Microsoft because where engineers go, their companies often follow.

      Rob Enderle is the principal analyst for the Enderle Group, a company specializing in emerging personal technology. Full disclosure: One of Enderles clients is Microsoft as well as Advanced Micro Devices, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Transmeta, VIA and Vulcan. In addition, Enderle sits on advisory councils for AMD, ClearCube, Comdex, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and TCG.

      /zimages/5/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms Desktop & Notebook Center at http://desktop.eweek.com for the latest news in desktop and notebook computing.

      Rob Enderle
      https://enderlegroup.com
      Rob Enderle is a principal at Enderle Group. He is a nationally recognized analyst and a longtime contributor to eWEEK and Pund-IT. Enderle is considered one of the top 10 IT analysts in the world by Apollo Research, which evaluated 3,960 technology analysts and their individual press coverage metrics.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×