[OT] Dell and Gateway selling Linux-based Net boxes?

[Hugo]

I saw a news item reporting that Dell, Gateway and another major vendor/manufacturer would start selling Internet boxes (news, mail, web, IRC, etc.) in Q1/2000. The boxes would have a PC architecture & would _not_ be running Windows.   Last month, John Dvorak wrote in PC Magazine that Linux would be ideal for VICs (Very Inexpensive Computers), as Microsoft would not be willing to sacrifice their cash cow in order to compete with free OSes. Now, I hear rumors that Microsoft is considering publishing the source code of WinCE. Even if they do, WinCE was never meant for "serious" PCs (AFAIK), only for PDAs and mini-laptops.   If Linux finds favor with Dell (for instance) then Dell will make sure there are good Linux drivers for all the hardware in a Dell Net-PC. Perhaps Dell and Gateway will help fund DVD and USB for Linux...?   Perhaps my next PC will come with USB, DVD, Red Hat Linux 7.0 and no more darn DOS, Windows, or even IRQs. :-)