"Being the largest OEM of PCs on the planet and pushing GNU/Linux -- albeit a distro shrouded in non-free layers -- HP can put the last nail in the coffin of M$'s monopoly," predicted blogger Robert Pogson.

If the ruling is upheld, it would almost certainly stifle software innovation on a global scale and make development the preserve of corporations with large legal departments and their own patent arsenals available for countersuing.

ASUS is said to be embracing Linux for tablets, HP carries on with Linux in tablets (or another form factor), and Microsoft will use its own employees as guinea pigs for phones

It's about time. Dell and HP have recently made very strong declarations of OS independence from Microsoft.

Palm, and it's Linux based WebOS, are being acquired by HP in a $1.2 billion deal

Now, HP has partnered with Likewise to bring plug-and-play Linux file servers to mid-size and enterprise businesses

Further analysis of the revelation that Microsoft does not permit any competition to even exist

In looking back over the more than 15 years that HP has been involved in FOSS, I conclude that, what has changed is that licenses are no longer the hard part.