TechWatch: Linux Desktop; RFID Printer; Quiet PC

Just when we thought the market had gone all commodity, a bunch of innovative offerings hit our desk to wash away those February blahs. Got any products that are making you sit up and take notice? Send them to awolfe@cmp.com.

OPEN-SOURCE CLIENT
Dubbed Novell Linux Desktop 9, the operating system completes Novell's objective of fielding a complete product lineup ranging from desktops to servers, and sits alongside the company's flagship SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 OS. The appeal of Desktop 9 should boost Novell's decision to bundle a rich set of applications and productivity tools with the basic OS. The package includes a copy of OpenOffice.org--the open-source office suite that's compatible with Microsoft's Word, Excel and PowerPoint file formats. The OS is also bundled with Mozilla Firefox, an open-source Web browser that has lately gained ground on Microsoft's Internet Explorer because it incorporates a pop-up ad blocker. On the administrative side, Desktop 9 is integrated with Novell's ZENworks Linux management program to help IT departments remotely control and update the OS across their enterprises.
NOVELL LINUX DESKTOP 9, www.novell.com Price: $50 ($68 with ZENworks)

RFID RISING
Now that Wal-Mart has boarded the RFID bandwagon, many customers are sure to be giving the technology a closer look, either willingly or under enforced mandates from retailers and the Department of Defense. While there are any number of specialists ready to install expensive radio-frequency identification systems, there has been a dearth of low-cost point solutions for VARs seeking a quick way to satisfy demand. Now, Avery Dennison Printer Systems has come to the rescue with its high-speed 64-05 RFID label printer. The unit prints out labels embedded with RFID chips at the same speed many conventional printers roll out standard bar codes. It delivers 305-dpi resolution and has a "jump the bump" feature, which avoids damaging labels by automatically lifting the print head over the RFID chip.
MODEL 64-05 RFID PRINTER, www.ris.averydennison.com Price: $6,000

SEEN BUT NOT HEARD
Gateway has brought Intel's new, cool and quiet BTX form factor to the business PC world via its E-6300 desktop. BTX, which stands for Balanced Technology Extended, a new motherboard specification designed by Intel, changes the layout of components to maximize cooling. As a result, slower fans can be used, and the units run more quietly than today's ATX systems. The E-6300 certainly does that. The whisper-quiet PC is equipped with a Pentium 4 hyperthreading processor, Intel 915G chipset and up to 4 GB of DDR2 memory. Another plus for VARs: One-time direct giant Gateway has re-emerged as a slimmed-down company working to create pricing parity between the channel and retail.
E-6300, www.gateway.com Price: $989