,COREL ,LINUX OFFICIALLY ,COREL ,,LINUX ,,OS WAS THE STRANGEST BID OF THE BOXED-SET ERA3 A DESKTOP OPERATING SYSTEM BUILT NOT BY A ,LINUX COMPANY1 BUT BY THE MAKER OF ,WORD,PERFECT AND ,COREL,D,R,A,W1 ONE OF THE FEW SOFTWARE FIRMS ON ,EARTH WITH BOTH REAL DESKTOP APPLICATIONS AND A CORPORATE REASON TO WANT ,WINDOWS TO LOSE4 ,IT LASTED LESS THAN TWO YEARS4 ,IT IS STILL ONE OF THE MOST INSTRUCTIVE FAILURES IN DESKTOP HISTORY BECAUSE THE PRODUCT WAS GENUINELY GOOD1 AND IT DIED ANYWAY4 ,WHY A WORD-PROCESSOR COMPANY BUILT AN ,,OS ,COREL'S FOUNDER ,MICHAEL ,COWPLAND SPENT THE LATE #AIIJ;S AS ONE OF THE FEW ,C,E,OS WILLING TO SAY THE QUIET PART3 ,MICROSOFT ,WINDOWS HAD A MONOPOLY PROBLEM1 AND SOMEBODY OUGHT TO SHIP AN ALTERNATIVE4 ,COREL HAD MOTIVES NO PURE-PLAY ,LINUX VENDOR COULD MATCH4 ,WORD,PERFECT THE OFFICE SUITE THAT ONCE OUTSOLD ,WORD NEEDED A PLATFORM ,MICROSOFT DIDN'T CONTROL4 ,COREL,D,R,A,W NEEDED A FUTURE THAT WASN'T HOSTAGE TO A COMPETITOR'S ,,OS ROADMAP4 ,SO ,COREL WENT ,LINUX-FIRST YEARS BEFORE IT SHIPPED A DISTRO4 ,WORD,PERFECT #H ARRIVED FOR ,LINUX IN #AIIH A FULL COMMERCIAL OFFICE SUITE ON A FREE ,,OS1 A GENUINE EVENT4 ,COREL CONTRACTED ,CODE,WEAVERS TO PUSH ,WINE FORWARD SO ITS APPLICATIONS COULD RUN WITHOUT ,MICROSOFT UNDERNEATH1 SENDING IMPROVEMENTS UPSTREAM ONE OF THE EARLIEST SUSTAINED CORPORATE INVESTMENTS IN ,WINE4 ,IT EVEN BOUGHT A HARDWARE PLAY1 THE ,NETWINDER ,,ARM NETWORK COMPUTER1 IN #AIII4 ,THE ,LINUX,O,S WAS SIMPLY THE KEYSTONE OF A STRATEGY ALREADY UNDERWAY4 ,THE INSTALLER WAS THE PRODUCT4 ,REVIEWS OF THE ERA CONVERGE ON ONE POINT3 ,INSTALL ,EXPRESS WAS THE FRIENDLIEST ,LINUX INSTALLER THEN SHIPPED ROUGHLY FOUR CLICKS1 AUTOMATIC PARTITIONING1 HARDWARE DETECTION THAT MOSTLY WORKED4 ,COREL UNDERSTOOD SOMETHING THE COMMUNITY RESISTED ADMITTING3 THE DESKTOP WOULD NOT BE WON BY THE BEST KERNEL1 BUT BY THE LEAST FRIGHTENING FIRST TEN MINUTES4 ,COREL ,LINUX,O,S ..> ,COREL LAUNCHED ,LINUX,O,S AT ,COMDEX IN ,NOVEMBER #AIII TO AN AUDIENCE PRIMED BY THE ,RED ,HAT ,,IPO THREE MONTHS EARLIER4 ,Z,D,NET COVERED IT UNDER THE HEADLINE 8,COREL PUTS A PENGUIN ON THE DESKTOP0 AND CALLED IT 8THE FIRST END-USER ,LINUX0 THE PHRASE 8,LINUX FOR THE REST OF US0 ATTACHED ITSELF IMMEDIATELY4 ,UNDERNEATH THE POLISH IT WAS HONESTLY BUILT3 A ,DEBIAN BASE1 A CUSTOMIZED ,,KDE #A4X DESKTOP1 APT PACKAGE MANAGEMENT BEHIND A FRIENDLIER ,COREL ,UPDATE TOOL1 THE ,COREL ,FILE ,MANAGER STANDING IN FOR ,,KFM4 ,IT COMPETED EXPLICITLY AGAINST ,WINDOWS #IH AND #BJJJ AND ALSO AGAINST ,MANDRAKE AND ,RED ,HAT1 WHO WERE FIGHTING FOR THE SAME SHELF SPACE4 ..> ..> ,SECOND ,EDITION ARRIVED ,AUGUST #AE1 #BJJJ IN THREE FLAVORS3 A FREE DOWNLOAD1 A REGULAR BOX1 AND A ,DELUXE EDITION BUNDLING ,WORD,PERFECT ,OFFICE FOR ,LINUX THE FULL 8ALTERNATIVE STACK0 VISION IN ONE ,,SKU3 FREE ,,OS1 COMMERCIAL OFFICE SUITE1 ONE VENDOR4 ..> ,IT REVIEWED WELL4 ,IT SOLD1 BY ,COREL'S OWN NUMBERS1 ALMOST NOTHING3 ,LINUX,O,S REVENUE WAS ABOUT @S#B4G MILLION IN FISCAL #BJJJ ROUGHLY #A4E.0 OF THE COMPANY AND FALLING4.3 ,LINUX,O,S-RELATED REVENUE @9@S#B4G;,M1 DOWN #BD.0 YEAR OVER YEAR4.>.> ,THE @S#ACE MILLION HANDSHAKE ,ON ,OCTOBER #B1 #BJJJ SEVEN WEEKS AFTER ,SECOND ,EDITION SHIPPED1 WEEKS AFTER ,COWPLAND RESIGNED AS ,,CEO ,MICROSOFT ANNOUNCED A 8STRATEGIC ALLIANCE0 WITH ,COREL3 @S#ACE MILLION FOR #BD MILLION NON-VOTING CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED SHARES1 JOINT 4,,NET WORK1 AND A SETTLEMENT OF LEGAL DISPUTES BETWEEN THE TWO COMPANIES4..> ,BURIED IN THE ,,SEC FILING IS THE CLAUSE THAT TELLS THE REAL STORY3 ON ,MICROSOFT'S REQUEST1 ,COREL WAS OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE THIRTY FULL-TIME ENGINEERS TWENTY DEVELOPERS AND TEN TESTERS TO PORT THE 4,,NET PLATFORM TO ,LINUX4 ,THE COMPANY THAT BUILT A ,LINUX ,,OS TO ESCAPE ,MICROSOFT WAS NOW CONTRACTUALLY AVAILABLE TO PORT ,MICROSOFT'S FRAMEWORK ONTO IT4. TO PORT 4,,NET FROM ,WINDOWS TO ,LINUX ON ,MICROSOFT'S REQUEST1 THROUGH ,OCTOBER #BJJC4.>.> ,WHETHER THE INVESTMENT DIRECTLY KILLED THE DISTRO OR MERELY MADE THE DECISION EASY IS ARGUED ABOUT TO THIS DAY4 ,WIRED'S REPORTING WAS BLUNT3 ,COREL HAD DECIDED 8NOT TO ENTER INTO A HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLE WITH ,MICROSOFT40 ,WHAT IS NOT ARGUED IS THE SEQUENCE ,COWPLAND OUT IN ,AUGUST1 ,MICROSOFT IN ,OCTOBER1 AND THE ,LINUX DIVISION GONE BY THE FOLLOWING SUMMER4 ,THE ,XANDROS AFTERLIFE ,IN ,AUGUST #BJJA1 ,COREL SOLD THE MAJORITY OF ITS ,LINUX DIVISION CODE1 TEAM1 AND ROADMAP TO ,XANDROS1 A STARTUP ASSEMBLED BY ,LINUX ,GLOBAL ,PARTNERS LARGELY FROM THE SAME ENGINEERS1 FOR A REPORTED @9@S#B MILLION PLUS A #E.0 EQUITY STAKE4 ,THE STRANGEST BID OF THE BOXED-SET ERA ENDED WHERE MANY SUCH STORIES DO3 THE PEOPLE KEPT THE TORCH AFTER THE COMPANY DROPPED IT4..> ,AND THE CODE KEPT WORKING FOR YEARS4 ,XANDROS ,DESKTOP SHIPPED IN #BJJB ON THE ,COREL FOUNDATION AND IN #BJJG1 A VERSION OF ,XANDROS CAME PREINSTALLED ON THE ,,ASUS ,EEE ,,PC #GJA1 THE LITTLE NETBOOK THAT SOLD OUT WORLDWIDE AND BRIEFLY MADE 8A MAINSTREAM ,LINUX LAPTOP FOR NORMAL PEOPLE0 A SHIPPING FACT RATHER THAN A PROPHECY4 ,THE FOUR-CLICK INSTALLER'S ,,DNA MADE IT ONTO MORE ORDINARY DESKTOPS THAN ,COREL ITSELF EVER DID4 ,WHAT IT PROVED ,COREL ,LINUX DEMONSTRATED1 EARLY AND AT REAL EXPENSE1 THREE THINGS THE DESKTOP FIGHT KEPT RELEARNING3 - ,POLISH WAS POSSIBLE4 ,A REAL COMPANY COULD SHIP A FRIENDLY1 WORKING1 FOUR-CLICK ,LINUX DESKTOP IN #AIII4 ,THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM WAS NEVER THE BLOCKER EVERYONE ASSUMED4 - ,MOTIVE WAS THE BLOCKER4 ,THE PRODUCT DIED NOT OF BUGS BUT OF INCENTIVES A STRUGGLING APPLICATION COMPANY COULD NOT SUSTAIN AN ,,OS WAR AGAINST ITS LARGEST INVESTOR4 ,EVERY LATER ATTEMPT "<,LINSPIRE1 ,UBUNTU'S ,UNITY PUSH1 THE NETBOOK WAVE"> RE-DISCOVERED SOME VERSION OF THIS4 - ,THE CODE OUTLIVES THE COMPANY4 ,DEBIAN UNDERNEATH1 ,,KDE ON TOP1 ,WINE UPSTREAMED1 THE TEAM ABSORBED INTO ,XANDROS1 AND ,XANDROS ONTO THE ,EEE ,,PC NOTHING ,COREL BUILT WAS WASTED1 EVEN THOUGH ,COREL ITSELF KEPT ALMOST NONE OF IT4 ,THE ,YEAR OF THE ,LINUX ,DESKTOP NEVER CAME4 ,BUT THE BOXED SETS STILL EXIST1 THE SCREENSHOTS SURVIVE1 AND SOMEWHERE OUT THERE THE INSTALLS STILL BOOT4 ,QUIZ - .< .> ,COREL ,LINUX,O,S WAS BUILT ON ,DEBIAN WITH A CUSTOMIZED ,,KDE DESKTOP4 - .< .> ,COREL'S ,WORD,PERFECT AND ,COREL,D,R,A,W WORK HELPED FUND EARLY ,WINE DEVELOPMENT4 - .< .> ,MICROSOFT'S #BJJJ INVESTMENT INCLUDED AN OBLIGATION FOR ,COREL TO PORT 4,,NET AWAY FROM ,LINUX4 - .< .> ,THE ,COREL ,LINUX CODEBASE SURVIVED AS ,XANDROS1 WHICH LATER SHIPPED ON THE ,EEE ,,PC4 - .< .> ,COREL ,LINUX,O,S WAS DISCONTINUED BECAUSE ITS INSTALLER WAS TOO DIFFICULT4 #A4 "9"9,TRUE"9"9 ,DEBIAN BASE1 CUSTOMIZED ,,KDE #A4X1 APT BEHIND THE ,COREL ,UPDATE TOOL4 #B4 "9"9,TRUE"9"9 ,COREL CONTRACTED ,CODE,WEAVERS AND UPSTREAMED THE IMPROVEMENTS4 #C4 "9"9,FALSE"9"9 IT WAS THE REVERSE3 ,COREL WAS OBLIGATED TO PORT 4,,NET "9TO"9 ,LINUX ON ,MICROSOFT'S REQUEST #CJ ENGINEERS' WORTH4 #D4 "9"9,TRUE"9"9 SOLD ,AUGUST #BJJA2 ,XANDROS SHIPPED #BJJB AND LANDED ON THE ,EEE ,,PC #GJA IN #BJJG4 #E4 "9"9,FALSE"9"9 THE FOUR-CLICK ,INSTALL ,EXPRESS WAS THE FRIENDLIEST INSTALLER OF ITS ERA2 THE DISTRO DIED OF INCENTIVES1 NOT USABILITY4 ,NOTES - ,ALL SCREENSHOTS BY ,ROCKY ;,L4 ,OLIVER4 - ,WHETHER ,MICROSOFT'S INVESTMENT DIRECTLY KILLED THE DISTRO IS CONTESTED2 THIS ARTICLE REPORTS THE SEQUENCE "<,COWPLAND'S RESIGNATION1 THE ,OCTOBER #BJJJ ALLIANCE1 THE ,AUGUST #BJJA SALE"> AND THE ,,SEC-DOCUMENTED 4,,NET-PORT OBLIGATION1 AND LETS THE READER WEIGH CAUSATION4 - 8,LINUX FOR THE REST OF US0 WAS THE ERA'S FRAMING "<,Z,D,NET'S LAUNCH COVERAGE">2 EXACT BOX COPY VARIED BY EDITION4 - ,THE ,NETWINDER1 ,WORD,PERFECT #H1 AND ,WINE SPONSORSHIP ARE COVERED AS MOTIVE CONTEXT2 EACH DESERVES ITS OWN ARTICLE4 ,REFERENCES #A4 ,Z,D,NET 8,COMDEX '#II3 ,COREL PUTS A PENGUIN ON THE DESKTOP10 ,NOVEMBER #AG1 #AIII4 #B4 ,COREL ,CORPORATION ,,FY#BJJJ"AJ-;,K "<,,SEC"> ,MICROSOFT SHARE PURCHASE TERMS2 THE #CJ-,,FTE 4,,NET-TO-,LINUX PORT OBLIGATION2 ,LINUX,O,S REVENUE @9@S#B4G;,M4 #C4 ,MICROSOFT PRESS RELEASE 8,COREL AND ,MICROSOFT ,ANNOUNCE ,STRATEGIC ,ALLIANCE10 ,OCTOBER #B1 #BJJJ4 #D4 ,WIRED 8,XANDROS ,BUYS ,COREL'S ,LINUX10 ,AUGUST #BJJA4 #E4 ,COREL ,LINUX,O,S ,SECOND ,EDITION RELEASE1 ,AUGUST #AE1 #BJJJ DOWNLOAD1 REGULAR1 AND ,DELUXE "<,WORD,PERFECT ,OFFICE BUNDLE"> EDITIONS4 #F4 ,SCREENSHOTS BY ,ROCKY ;,L4 ,OLIVER ,,LILO1 BOOT SPLASH1 ,INSTALL ,EXPRESS1 AND THE ,,KDE DESKTOP OF ,COREL ,LINUX,O,S #A4B4