LinuxWorld Conference & Expo Opens This Week

As the new kid on the block, the Linux computer operating system once had few friends besides the stereotypical technology geek whose idea of fun was spending hours rewriting software code. But as that same kid begins to gather dozens of new electronic toys around it, Linux has suddenly become part of the “in” crowd--and an increasing threat to Microsoft Corp.’s Windows monopoly. As the third annual LinuxWorld Conference & Expo opens this week in San Jose, Calif., companies such as Hewlett-Packard are joining Dell Computer and IBM Corp. in designating Linux a “strategic” operating system as each works to gain market share in the high-end server computer market. Linux is moving out of the fringe and gaining even more followers in manufacturers of devices for the consumer marketplace. The show is being used as a forum to introduce how the software will be used in everything from electronic organizers to wristwatches to gaming consoles. But for all its hype, there’s very little chance consumers in the next few years will even know they’re using a device running on its operating system.