Shedding Light on Linux

Some Wall Street types are already bullish on Linux, having profited from related stock market moves, such as the recent, high-soaring IPO (initial public offering) by Red Hat, a commercial distributor of the fledgling open-source operating system.

However, while day traders can cash in on any technology fad enjoying its 15 minutes of fame in the public eye and financial community, publishers and graphic designers count on digital developments with long-term, industry-specific viability.

So, is Linux just a fly-by-night financial fancy, or will it become a staple in print and Web production portfolios, joining blue chips like Mac, Windows and UNIX incarnations?

One industry supplier that’s backing Linux as a professional publishing platform for the new millennium is SGI, a Mountain View, CA-based provider of graphics workstations, servers and displays.