In probably one of the biggest pieces of Linux-related news in weeks, the Washington Post revealed an apparently reliable rumor that AOL might be in discussions to aquire RedHat, Inc. “AOL Time Warner Inc. is in talks to buy Red Hat Inc., a prominent distributor of a computer operating system, an acquisition that would position the media giant to challenge archrival Microsoft Corp., according to sources familiar with the matter.”
“The Red Hat negotiations — which are still fluid — are the latest indication that AOL Time Warner, the world's largest media company, is looking for alternatives to software made by Microsoft, whose Windows operating system runs 90 percent of the world's PCs. The longtime competitors have fought over an array of rival consumer technologies lately, including online subscription services, instant-messaging systems and Web-based video and audio players.”