“Red Hat puts its freeware on the street, but will investors
bite?”
“Though it’s unlikely Red Hat’s version of Linux will surpass
Microsoft Corp.’s Windows, it may have more buyers than stock to
sell, says Irv DeGraw, research director at StocksToWatch.com, a
financial Web site. “The idea of a new operating system challenging
Windows has investors interested,” he says. “This is one of those
gotta-haves.”
“VARs say Red Hat’s IPO increases visibility of Linux and
legitimizes the OS in the corporate world, but it won’t result in
more business. They hope Red Hat uses its new resources to lead the
market by improving its software.”