After a two-year trademark dispute with Microsoft, embattled Linux-based software vendor Lindows.com Wednesday formally changed the name of its desktop operating system from LindowsOS to “Linspire.” ...

designed for Microsoft Corp.'s Windows. The gist: No Microsoft purchase necessary. Lindows is being built to run on the Linux operating system.

"Maybe [the new name] is playing off of 'inspire,'" theorized Dan Kusnetzky, vice president of the systems software team at research firm IDC. "Or maybe they're playing off 'perspire' or even ...