Computer maker Sun Microsystems Inc. will announce on Wednesday plans for inexpensive desktop computers based on the free Linux operating system in a bid to undermine archrival Microsoft Corp.
Marking a second plunge into world of Linux, a free, collaboratively developed operating system, the Sun machines will be based on cheap commodity parts and ship in a few quarters, Vice President John Loiacono said in an interview.
Sun"s announcement came at the start of a user conference, SunNetwork, beginning Wednesday in San Francisco.
Sun is known for its million-dollar machines that manage networks and a fast, Internet-fueled rise to prominence that the dot-com bust spoiled, sending Sun"s stock down more than 90 percent from its 2000 high.