At last, a major laptop manufacturer has pledged Linux compatibility in the here-and-now. Naturally, there’s a catch. IBM announced on Monday September 13 that its Thinkpad 600E will be certified Red Hat Linux compatible. A web page has been set up to host how-to documents for installing Linux on the 600E and other Linux-related news. So what’s the catch? The 600E uses an Mwave MDSP3780i DSP chip, which requires the cooperation of the digital signal processor (DSP) and host software in order to work. As yet, there’s no Linux driver.
That leaves the onus on the developer community to come up with the necessary software before 600Es running Linux can connect to the internet. It’s a bit of an oversight, really. Big Blue has promised that forthcoming Thinkpad models will be compatible with Red Hat Linux, but it won’t commit to publishing the source of any driver releases, according to a report in Salon magazine. Leaving aside the thorny issue of whether you’d actually want a Linux laptop without network access, this announcement leaves IBM one jump ahead of Dell, which has promised Linux on its Inspiron laptop family – but not until the end of 1999.
Meanwhile, TheLinuxStore.com, a division of EBIZ Enterprises Inc, has relaunched its Element-L Ion at $399 instead of $450. The system runs on an Intel Celeron 333 Mhz microprocessor with 6.4GB hard disk drive, 32MB RAM and a 24-speed CD ROM. It comes with Red Hat 6 and a choice of the KDE and GNOME graphical user interfaces. The Ion is TheLinuxStore’s entry-level system in a line which extends up to the Alpha-based Eclipse series.
