Panasonic opts for Linux ahead of Windows

By RICHARD WOOD

OSAKA - Consumer electronics giant Panasonic will use Linux instead of Microsoft's Windows Media Centre operating system as a base for multimedia entertainment systems that combine TV, video, and stereo with computers and internet access.

Panasonic executive vice-president Yukio Shohtoku told a news conference in Japan that it was working with Sony and other Japanese electronic firms on a Linux-based system.

He said Panasonic would also use Linux for digital home networking systems that would communicate within the home and across telephone lines.

Shohtoku said the key to designing consumer products was having a system that was simple and affordable and did not make people pay for features they did not use.

Panasonic's development focus is on devices such as TVs that have built-in browsers for accessing the internet and built-in "SD" memory card readers for displaying photos. Shohtoku said these devices would form the centre of home entertainment systems and link into an internet portal with shopping and information services.

He said the integration of computer technologies into consumer electronics devices was an area where Panasonic had advantages. The company has thin hard-disk-drive technology, significant intellectual property and market share in plasma display panels.