COMPUTER maker Sun Microsystems Inc. yesterday announced 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 the 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.

　　It has guaranteed a market for its big computers by establishing its operating system, Solaris, as a favorite among developers, and it expects to sell even more expensive machines and sophisticated software as parts of system packages including commodity Linux-based desktops.

　　“The primary motivator for enterprise customers (to buy Sun Linux desktops) will be reduction in costs and freedom from Microsoft,” Sun said in a statement on the user conference.

　　(SD-Agencies)