is it big news for gnu?
Thu, 2006-09-07 07:57 — danieljames
I would like to get a forum going here where we can table some stuff that we find in the broader gnu/linux news. We might discuss wether something really is big news, or if we are lucky we might engage some good discussion about the issues.
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sony ps3 running linux out of the box?
I do not get the time these days to play games and I really avoid the good ones knowing my weakness for a bit of gta or rts. But there is some news I think is big coming from the Sony Corporation, and its not blue-ray.
The Sony entertainment chief has put foward that he wants PS3 to come out of the box with Linux ready to go. Sony Entertainment wants to market the machine as a supercomputer and says that he wants the system to run linux, like any good supercomputer would. This positioning could blow, what is being refered to in Xbox circles as Xbox 1.5, out of the water. With the help of Free Software they will be able to show the machine's versitility and make their big 'game machine' price of about $800 or so, a very cheap price for a fully functioning computer.
Implications of this for the company seem to be they are having to do there homework with making the blue-ray disc work nice with the free os, meaning a delay in release. But the bad news is, they will not be making the drivers open and what might amount to their own special distro, will be going out with proprietry software. But it is going out . . . Sony here stand to benefit from their exploitation of gnu/linux but it will be massive exposure for Free Software with every ps3 potentially being a linux pc in people's lounge rooms. Also, it could act as a great message to the broader Sony church that there is big value in gnu world thinking and eventually we may see better communication and support from the organisation.
sony does linux
Hmm. Regardless of Sony's motivations and agendas in utilising Linux, ps3 would definitely increase Linux's exposure in the mainstream and in pop culture. A dominant and successful corporation such as Sony utilising and accepting Linux code legitimises the validity of Linux code to the consumer.
I feel, however, that the validity of Linux code has never been the issue. I think the solidness of Linux code has long been accepted. What hasn't been accepted, however, is the culture of Linux. Sony is just adopting 'Linux code', and not 'Linux'. Sony is doing Linux the sony way – closed source, propriety, shiny and marketable. Maybe its like mcdonald's offering organic vegie burgers with coke and fries on the side.
I am unsure and not very optimistic about any positive effect this move will have on the Linux community. What I do think is that ps3 will benefit from Gnu Linux and Sony will really piss off the makers of Xbox 1.5.