With this much 'interest' in Linux, thats a good indication that
users, especially Windows users, may be on a snowball growing move toward Linux.
To me it seems an indication of that.

That being the case the software and hardware manufactures better be paying
attention. The hardware folks need to make modifications to their drivers so
they support Linux. The ones that do will have a leg up on those that don't.

It amazes me that a company will design, test, manufacture, distribuate and sell
a piece of hardware, take a fancy Logitech mouse, but only supply drivers for
Windows. The source code, probably in 'C', could easily be modified and compiled
by any good software programmer so it is compatable with Linux.

Amazing they don't want to sell to the Linux market, amazing.

I've always wondered if the reason most manufacturers didn't bother is
because they didn't want to have to "open source" them or support them if
they were closed source binaries. I've also heard that they were
contractually bound (read bullied into) not to write open source drivers by
a major OS company. I have no idea if either of my statements are factual,
just observations...

Your observations are correct and that "company" has been hauled into
court on various occasions for just such manipulations. In the early
days when this "company" was first getting started- every programmer
worth his salt was placed under contract and forbidden to write
programs for anyone else ever after. Having lost their software
support due to the above there were several computer mfg's who simply
disappeared into the sunset.
Companies who now sell computers were being PAID by this company to
only install their OS on the machines they sold. Enough of a
ruckous was made that "Some" of them now give the customer a choice
of either "their" OS or No OS. Im not aware of any that
distribute Linux yet, but there probably is somewhere.
The world is changing, there seems to be a bit of an exodus over to
linux- ubuntu and as the numbers grow Im sure so will the
availability of the drivers and/or anything else we need.

When I was talking with Shuttle they said I had to install XP so they
could help me trouble shoot my cdrom problem. I kinda gave them a piece
of my mind telling them that was crap.

"When I was talking with Shuttle they said I had to install XP so they
could help me trouble shoot my cdrom problem. I kinda gave them a piece
of my mind telling them that was crap."

Warning: To those fearful of developing outside the shadow of MS, not to self,
"Develop Linux software and drivers and keep in a hideaway. When then the time
comes we'll be ready to go."

Last week a member of my extended family sent a virus warning to me, my son and
many others. My son replied that he and I do not us Windows and IE and do not
need anti-virus software. That stuff is for Windows users. Oh, McAfee also
thanks you.

About two years ago, Shuttle was including a Linux CD in the box of a number
of their computers. There was never a question about failure to support.
You shouldn't have to play the XP game.I suspect you talked with a lazy IT
person at Shuttle who didn't know their own record.

As a business watcher I find it amazing that any business owner would be
arrogant and foolish enough to start picking their customers to the
exclusion of others. Seems to me the pickers and choosers are the
customers. When I eliminate some customers because they don't meet some
criteria and some other customers don't pick me that can be a lot of
lost customers and revenue. I would rather loose money on some
customers than send them to my competitor. Most of the time loosing
money doesn't really mean loosing money it just means not making money.
In the mean time these customers have helped to pay the lighting and
heating buills so that all the profitable customers look even more
profitable. So yes I think they are very foolish for failing to
spend the one time cost of writing a Linux driver and then turn around
and spend a fortune on advertisement when they can have both ways by
writing the driver, to get the same 1% increase in sales.

a few years ago there was a confusion of linuxes
but now there's Ubuntu for users
and loads of others for techy nerds
so lets get on hassling all the manufacturers
for things to work easily from ubuntu.

I know that some of the Acer netbooks and notebooks can come packaged with
Ubuntu. There may be some others, I'm not sure. We are slowly gaining ground
and will become a force to be recognized.

Dell also offers Linux on a few computers and I think the flavor is
Ubuntu, but I'm not positive.