Open source software rightly gets a lot of attention; open source hardware has its part to play too. One development drawing increasing attention in both technical and executive circles is RISC-V, pronounced "risk five". While many industries have long relied on established processor architectures such as ARM and x86, RISC-V offers a fresh approach—particularly in areas of flexibility, customisability, and cost-effectiveness. Here's why it's worth keeping on your radar.

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang has announced the company is releasing a personal AI supercomputer in May, called Digits. The device comes with 128GB RAM, up to 4TB of SSD, enough computing power to handle sophisticated AI models with up to 200 billion parameters, yet sits on your desk and plugs into a standard powerpoint taking up no more space than a Mac Mini.

For years, fans and critics alike have debated the question of whether Linux has what it takes to move beyond the developer, hobbyist, and enterprise server space to capture the hearts and minds of average PC users. In 2025, the conversation seems more pertinent than ever. With sleek desktop environments, user-friendly installation processes, and a robust application ecosystem, is the Linux desktop really poised to dethrone proprietary alternatives, or is this another year of “almost” mainstream success?