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Intel invests in Be, Inc.

It looks like Red Hat Linux isn't the only non-Windows operating system that Intel has taken a shine to. On Friday, the microprocessor giant announced that it was taking an equity stake in Be, Inc., makers of the BeOS, a multimedia operating system for content creators. Also, four venture capital firms are providing an additional $25 million in backing for the tiny company that hopes its OS will become popular as a dual-boot option on Windows machine. Next week, Be will introduce BeOS Release 4 at Fall Comdex. BeOS R4, as it's called, will offer a host of new Windows compatibility features in a nod toward the user base that will ultimately decide its fate: Previous versions of the BeOS were hard to use because of their heavily Mac-centric way to doing things (no keyboard shortcuts and the like).

On another positive note for Be, Hitachi has agreed to install the BeOS on its systems in a dual-boot configuration with Windows. Be says that other leading hardware manufacturers will be signing on soon as well.

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