HP to Ship Linux PCs in Latin America

Computer maker Hewlett-Packard plans to sell PCs running Linux across 37 countries in Latin America, and has selected Mandriva to provide the open source operating system. Mandriva says it will work with HP on sales, support and marketing in all Latin American territories, including Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

The first HP systems running Mandriva Linux 2006 have already begun to ship in Brazil, the companies said. While Linux has struggled to gain a foothold in North America and Europe, the low-cost operating system has proven popular in developing nations where such technology is not available to most citizens. Technical support will be offered in both Spanish and Portuguese.