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The grandmas are much more likely to get a Nextar for $25 if they're going to get a discounted mp3 player.

Zune is still #1 in the market for $250 brown music players at Steve Ballmer's house.

Zune is stupid. People who want a cheap plastic player are going to buy one from Walmart(cheaper still, and rocking bottom). Even there, they are probably going to get an ipod unless they go for the very bottom price range. Quality and feature wise, people are better off with just about any other player.

Thanks Bill, I'm glad the market has not rewarded you this time.

Zune is still #1 in the market for $250 brown music players at Steve Ballmer's house.

Zune is stupid. People who want a cheap plastic player are going to buy one from Walmart(cheaper still, and rocking bottom). Even there, they are probably going to get an ipod unless they go for the very bottom price range. Quality and feature wise, people are better off with just about any other player.

Thanks Bill, I'm glad the market has not rewarded you this time.

Zune is still #1 in the market for $250 brown music players at Steve Ballmer's house.

Zune is stupid. People who want a cheap plastic player are going to buy one from Walmart(cheaper still, and rocking bottom). Even there, they are probably going to get an ipod unless they go for the very bottom price range. Quality and feature wise, people are better off with just about any other player.

Thanks Bill, I'm glad the market has not rewarded you this time.

Also... is he aware that Wal-Mart has its own online music store? Even my mother-in-law knows about that one, and she's about as non-techy as they get.

A lot of people poo-poo the idea of getting a bundle deal (like http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5303671), but that's one of the best (and in some cases the only) way to get a Wii at all. Stand alone Wiis are impossible to locate...and if you do and fail to buy it, you're a moron because it'll be spoken for in about 2 seconds. Save the hassle, buy the bundle, and if you follow the link I posted, you get to choose 6 items to go with the Wii--you're bound to find a game you like in there.) That's how I got mine...one week after the Wii came out.

I bought one a few weeks ago at walmart.com -- showed up in a few days. I tried calling around to all the stores in my area for about a week first, with no luck.

The only downside is its a bundle with about $300 of games and accessories that you were probably going to buy anyway.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5303671

Ben--thanks for the review. I'm considering getting one of these, either to use as a small server (like this guy describes) or to take out the guts and put them into a more size-efficient case. I would *love* to see some pics of the inside of this machine to see how small the components are and/or how much free space there is inside. Have you taken any?

Like everyone else here will probably say, you can build a pretty basic NAS with any old PC. I like the old corporate Compaq Deskpros--those things last forever. Load it up with a distro you are familiar with (I used to use RedHat, now I use Ubuntu, others will probably suggest FreeNAS) and two big drives. My old one has two 120 GB drives--one has the OS and data, it runs rsync each night to copy /home/ to the other drive.

The computer you buy will be dictated by how much space you need--if you want multiple 500s, 750s, or 1 TB drives, you'll need something newer. AFAIK the Everex that WalMart now offers has two SATA connectors. If I were to build one today I'd go that route. A comment on the product page describes using one as a FreeNAS server and booting from a USB thumb drive.

This is what $800 will buy at Walmart.com:

Dell Inspiron Desktop

Vista Premium. 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor. 2.3 GHz Athlon Dual-Core CPU. 2 GB DDR RAM. 500 GB HDD. DVD Burner.

The buyer who has been out of the market will be looking at tech that didn't exist when he was last out shopping or was priced hopelessly out of reach. The $200 Linux PC at Walmart has come - and gone, once again. What remains is Vista, and I can't believe that Walmart thinks that the Vista GUI is a significant barrier.

I think not.

Walmart is a deep discount retailer with a split personality: a chain that is trying to move up-market.

It is perfectly willing to unload a carload of otherwise unsaleable low-end PCs on to the Geek - who will, quite predictably, post rave reviews on their website. That there is no matching printer kinda gets lost in the shuffle.

The HP All-In-One Printer for XP, Vista and OSX is $50.

The fundamental problem with the $200 net appliance is that Internet service costs at least $20 a month. If you can afford the Internet, you can afford a "real" PC.

The Vista Premium desktop at Walmart.com starts at $500. Dual core Athlon CPU. 1 or 2 GB of RAM, 320 GB HDD, DVD burner and so on. The next step up is integrated WiFi and you won't get lost hunting for a driver.

The $300 version claims Vista as 'more efficient, more secure and more fun'. Time to polish up those false advertising claims.

" # Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Edition Makes your computing experience more efficient, more secure and more fun "

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7754613

Also, what's so 'Additional' about the RAM in

" Additional Specifications Hard Drive Size: 80 GB System RAM: 1024 MB Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic "

Throw that bad boy in a nice case with some ram and a decent hard drive, and it's not a bad deal. You could probably put together a machine with maxed out ram, decent storage and a much more attractive case for the same amount if not less than you'd pay for the Walmart version. And while the processor isn't a powerhouse, I'm sure any distro could do allright on there. Gentoo might not be the best choice, but otherwise... (Just kidding there. While the gentoo crowds seem to have calmed - it really was a joke.)

So... wal-mart's business practices are pretty incorrigible. However, I do think there should be some sort of public response. Without wanting to get into a huge sociological discussion about things, a large part of wal-mart's client base are from the lower and lower-middle class.

With the holiday shopping season is quickly coming up, this product is a trap for parents who otherwise may not be able to afford exactly what their child truly wishes for. I'm not going to say they're going to confuse this for a Wii, but given marketing and appearance, there may be some who see this as a cheaper alternative. I think it's pretty unethical to base your entire company policy on providing lower prices on products and then abuse their confidence by providing a useless, dressed up alternative during a season where loving parents are known for going to extreme measures to provide for their kids.

I think there should be some recourse, and in addition to the parent's address I've grabbed a customer service hyper-link to a web form. Please express yourself constructively. http://www.walmart.com/cservice/cu_commentsonline.gsp?cu_heading=8

First, FTA: "The gPC is built using tiny components, but put inside a full-size case because research indicates that Wal-Mart shoppers are so unsophisticated they equate physical size with capability." Funny or sad? You decide.

Second, some links about the system: buy it from WalMart, here's a big screenshot of it from the manufacturer's site, and although Everex doesn't list it among products, the model number and specification list makes me suspect it's kin to their GC2500 series, which doesn't appear to have any expansion slots (other than another RAM slot).

Holding out for what, may I ask?

The 52" 1080i Rear Projection RCA is $700 at your local Walmart.

The 47" 1080p Vizio LCD $1600.

The 1080p 60" Sony SXRD Rear Projection set $2100 at Circuit City.
xvYCC color, 120 Hz refresh. PC and 3 HDMI 1.3 inputs, etc.,etc.

Another thing, pretty tangential, that occurs to me is that forced conversion to digital TV will probably cause more civic unrest than anything else the US government has done lately

Try counting the number of small dish/big dish TVRO antennas in the outer suburbs and rural areas. Well, heck, try counting the number of dishes in the inner city.

Holding out for what, may I ask?

The 52" 1080i Rear Projection RCA is $700 at your local Walmart.

The 47" 1080p Vizio LCD $1600.

The 1080p 60" Sony SXRD Rear Projection set $2100 at Circuit City.
xvYCC color, 120 Hz refresh. PC and 3 HDMI 1.3 inputs, etc.,etc.

Another thing, pretty tangential, that occurs to me is that forced conversion to digital TV will probably cause more civic unrest than anything else the US government has done lately

Try counting the number of small dish/big dish TVRO antennas in the outer suburbs and rural areas. Well, heck, try counting the number of dishes in the inner city.

Um, Walmart.com does have an online music store. And, IIRC, they recently announced they are offering DRM-free music, as well.

But Everex has a Via-based desktop PC that draws 2 watts average, 20 watts peak, and absolutely out-specs this little guy--for $300. And you can pick it up at Wal-Mart. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7754613 1.5GHz Via C-7 80GB hard disk, SATA 1GB RAM Dual-Layer DVD±RW 10/100 Ethernet 56K Modem Windows Vista (included even if you consider it throwaway) It only really loses on the side factor, of course.

The Geek always quotes the list price for the retail box when he wants to slag Microsoft.
This isn't "insightful," it is ignorant and foolish:

The Vista Basic laptop at Walmart starts at $400 Everex StepNote w/VIA CPU

The Dual-Core Vista Basic desktop with 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD and a DVD burner at $350. Compaq Presario w/ Dual-Core Athlon CPU

The Vista Premium HP Pavilion desktop with 3 GB RAM, 2.6 GHz Athlon Dual-Core CPU, 500 GB HDD, and nForce motherboard graphics is $670.

The Vista Ultimate HP Elite Media Center PC with an Intel Quad Core CPU, 3 GB RAM. 1 TB of storage and ATSC tuner is $1900.

The whole point of buying the OEM system bundle is to get a fully configured system, all the new tech and the latest Microsoft OS at a very attractive ptice.

I look at these specs and prices. I look at the price I paid for a mid-line refurbished PC four years ago and I wonder why the geek wastes his breath screaming about the "Microsoft Tax."

No one is listening. No one gives a damn.

The Geek always quotes the list price for the retail box when he wants to slag Microsoft.
This isn't "insightful," it is ignorant and foolish:

The Vista Basic laptop at Walmart starts at $400 Everex StepNote w/VIA CPU

The Dual-Core Vista Basic desktop with 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD and a DVD burner at $350. Compaq Presario w/ Dual-Core Athlon CPU

The Vista Premium HP Pavilion desktop with 3 GB RAM, 2.6 GHz Athlon Dual-Core CPU, 500 GB HDD, and nForce motherboard graphics is $670.

The Vista Ultimate HP Elite Media Center PC with an Intel Quad Core CPU, 3 GB RAM. 1 TB of storage and ATSC tuner is $1900.

The whole point of buying the OEM system bundle is to get a fully configured system, all the new tech and the latest Microsoft OS at a very attractive ptice.

I look at these specs and prices. I look at the price I paid for a mid-line refurbished PC four years ago and I wonder why the geek wastes his breath screaming about the "Microsoft Tax."

No one is listening. No one gives a damn.

The Geek always quotes the list price for the retail box when he wants to slag Microsoft.
This isn't "insightful," it is ignorant and foolish:

The Vista Basic laptop at Walmart starts at $400 Everex StepNote w/VIA CPU

The Dual-Core Vista Basic desktop with 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD and a DVD burner at $350. Compaq Presario w/ Dual-Core Athlon CPU

The Vista Premium HP Pavilion desktop with 3 GB RAM, 2.6 GHz Athlon Dual-Core CPU, 500 GB HDD, and nForce motherboard graphics is $670.

The Vista Ultimate HP Elite Media Center PC with an Intel Quad Core CPU, 3 GB RAM. 1 TB of storage and ATSC tuner is $1900.

The whole point of buying the OEM system bundle is to get a fully configured system, all the new tech and the latest Microsoft OS at a very attractive ptice.

I look at these specs and prices. I look at the price I paid for a mid-line refurbished PC four years ago and I wonder why the geek wastes his breath screaming about the "Microsoft Tax."

No one is listening. No one gives a damn.

The Geek always quotes the list price for the retail box when he wants to slag Microsoft.
This isn't "insightful," it is ignorant and foolish:

The Vista Basic laptop at Walmart starts at $400 Everex StepNote w/VIA CPU

The Dual-Core Vista Basic desktop with 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD and a DVD burner at $350. Compaq Presario w/ Dual-Core Athlon CPU

The Vista Premium HP Pavilion desktop with 3 GB RAM, 2.6 GHz Athlon Dual-Core CPU, 500 GB HDD, and nForce motherboard graphics is $670.

The Vista Ultimate HP Elite Media Center PC with an Intel Quad Core CPU, 3 GB RAM. 1 TB of storage and ATSC tuner is $1900.

The whole point of buying the OEM system bundle is to get a fully configured system, all the new tech and the latest Microsoft OS at a very attractive ptice.

I look at these specs and prices. I look at the price I paid for a mid-line refurbished PC four years ago and I wonder why the geek wastes his breath screaming about the "Microsoft Tax."

No one is listening. No one gives a damn.

Attach a tiny video camera onto one and you'll get one nice blurr effect. I would imagine anyways.

I don't doubt you could design a tiny dragonfly drone that could fly from point A to point B successfully to, say, deliver a message or something similar, assuming minimal air movement as well. But to be able to "spy" with it with any kind of succes?

Easy to say "YA! mini bugs as spy robots!", then you actually try and fly a mini RC device and realize how stupidly difficult it is..

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5978953

Please, anyone who thinks this is a reality, go to Walmart and pick one of those up (Target carries them too, as well as Toys'R'Us, etc)

Once you get this badboy home, power her up and fly her around! Make sure you do it inside. Oh ya, make sure the AC/Heat is off as well. Also make sure no fans are on. Please also ask everyone around to not walk near it. If any of these happen, it'll make it nearly impossible to fly.

Why am I bringing this up? Well simple. People want to believe in these dragonfly, big brother is watching, micro tech, James Bond style toys. However, they have no idea how difficult it is to actually FLY them.

Indoors, I can fly my (see link) around for quite a while and have a good time at it. It's especially fun to turn on a fan to start a slight breeze just to try and navigate the air currents. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible, but it is a challenge and I like challenges.

Now, if a slight breeze, from a steady fan makes it impossible to fly, what will it do outside in a 2 mph wind with GUSTS to 4mph? The thing, at 6", is stupid hard to control in a house, with a fan on. Now you want me to believe the govt has dragonfly sized "spy" bots flying around OUTSIDE? And that they have any reliability at all?

I'm serious when I say this.. No.. It's just not going to happen. UNLESS you can GUARANTEE zero wind. Nadda, zilch.. Then, ya, might happen. But unfortunately, outside weather is rarely perfectly still and again, the slightest breeze at all, will totally throw it around to the point it is impossible to fly.

$100 bucks is cheaper than my friggin blackberry!

Neither.

OEM Linux disappeared from Walmart.com in late January.

Walmart.com's cheapest Compaq Presario has an Athlon Dual Core CPU, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD, DVD burner, GeForce 6150 SE graphics and runs Vista Basic. $348.

Top of the line at $1900:

The HP Elite with Intel Core 2 Quad CPU, 3 GB RAM, 2 500 GB HDDs, ATSC tuner, etc., running Vista Ultimate

And where are Wal-Mart's national advertisements for this product line?

Where they have always been: In Limbo. Non-existent.

With keyboard, mouse, DVD +/- R/W, display, 80 G HD, 512 M RAM, ethernet, audio, modem, slow VIA processor. This appears not to be well made, but price point and features are instructive.

I agree. Unlocking a phone is not hacking or cracking. Even Wal-Mart advertises and sells unlocked phones. Just because Apple does not like the practice or unlocking does not fit into their business plan or revenue stream does not make it illegal, immoral, or wrong for you to do it. Willfully or negligently bricking an unlocked phone is immoral. If they know a phone may be bricked, they should take action to avoid it. If they did not know, they can claim ignorance. The simple fact that they acknowledged it could be bricked shows they are aware of the situation and may not have taken action to correct the issue.

Upgrading firmware on any device is a risk, some companies take better controls than others to avoid problems. If error checking, check-sums, verification, initial status checking etc are not used, there will be an increase in problems. All Apple would have to do is get a check-sum on the current firmware and if it is not a valid Apple load, throw an error code and abort the firmware update process. There, no bricks on hacked firmware. They should be doing this anyway. Problem though is Apple may actually want to get rid of the hacked firmware and may proceed to attempt an upgrade that is of an unknown status. At that point, the motivation changes from "here is a helpful update" (first scenario) to one that "you are skirting our business model and we want it to stop" (second scenario). Which will they choose?

"At $200 I might have been able to scrape up enough to buy my oldest one for Xmas,but at $399? I could just buy a much more powerful Dell."

Actually you could. Walmart has 1.0 GHz VIA C3 laptops for $398 in stores or a 1.86 GHz Intel Celeron Acer Aspire for $428 with 14" LCD, 512meg, 80gig HD and dvd-rom/cdrw with Vista.

Walmart was selling $400 laptops way back in 2005, so to hear that someone's trying to sell a 433mhz, 1gig flash memory, 7.5" display laptop-sized device for $400 sounds a little nuts. Yes, I know half that is for charity, but I still pay $400 and get one laptop.

"At $200 I might have been able to scrape up enough to buy my oldest one for Xmas,but at $399? I could just buy a much more powerful Dell."

Actually you could. Walmart has 1.0 GHz VIA C3 laptops for $398 in stores or a 1.86 GHz Intel Celeron Acer Aspire for $428 with 14" LCD, 512meg, 80gig HD and dvd-rom/cdrw with Vista.

Walmart was selling $400 laptops way back in 2005, so to hear that someone's trying to sell a 433mhz, 1gig flash memory, 7.5" display laptop-sized device for $400 sounds a little nuts. Yes, I know half that is for charity, but I still pay $400 and get one laptop.

The suggested retail price for Windows 3.1 in 1992 was $149.95

Microsoft Announces Worldwide Availability of Windows 3.1

Vista Home Basic Full Version is $183 at Amazon.com and $139 at Royal Discount Technologies

Windows is approaching one billion users on the desktop - one Windows PC for every 6.5 people on the planet. Microsoft Antitrust Settlement Is a Success!

There are enormous economies of scale in building and marketing for the Windows platform.

The $800 Dell Inspiron Vista Premium Laptop will feature a dual core CPU, 2 GB RAM, a 120 GB HDD, and a DVD burner -- tech that simply isn't imaginable at mass market pricing in 1992.

We're sorry, your operating system is incompatible. To provide the best download experience, we can no longer support Windows 98, ME or NT. Please visit again after you upgrade to Windows 2000 or XP. Visit our Help section for complete system requirements information.

We're sorry, your operating system is incompatible. To provide the best download experience, we can no longer support Windows 98, ME or NT. Please visit again after you upgrade to Windows 2000 or XP. Visit our Help section for complete system requirements information.

at least until the price of HD monitors comes down.

Yeah, because $213 is SO expensive.

There is no bullying required.

The OEM system install puts the Windows PC on a billion desktops. PCs sold to customers as a ready-to-run home appliance or office machine. Not a kit of parts.

WalMart sells a $2000 Vista Ultimate HP Pavilion laptop with HD-DVD Drive. DX 10 NVIDIA 8600 video. Integrated WiFi, Bluetooth, webcam, HDTV tuner, fingerprint reader...

You plug this beast in and you are good to go.

You don't have to install the OS. You don't have to de-bug a failed install You don't have think about hardware compatibility. You have a functional set of drivers, set to intelligent defaults.

You have a warranty, a service contract, if anything goes wrong.

In a ridiculous double standard, you can also find them at Walmart

Joe Sixpack will buy whatever is on sale at Wal-mart. At $298 vs $698, it looks like a win for HD-DVD.

http://www.walmart.com/search/browse-ng.do?ic=20_0 &ref=125875.331064&catNavId=62055

What "everyone knows" is often wrong.

Acer Aspire 3680 14.1" Widescreen Laptop PC w/ Intel Celeron M Processor

Vista Basic
512 MB RAM (expand to 2 GB)
80 GB HDD
DVD Burner
WiFi
$449

Compaq Presario 15.4" Widescreen Laptop PC w/ AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor

Vista Premium
1 GB RAM (Expand to 2 GB)
120 GB HDD
DVD Burner
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics
WiFi
$600

What "everyone knows" is often wrong.

Acer Aspire 3680 14.1" Widescreen Laptop PC w/ Intel Celeron M Processor

Vista Basic
512 MB RAM (expand to 2 GB)
80 GB HDD
DVD Burner
WiFi
$449

Compaq Presario 15.4" Widescreen Laptop PC w/ AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor

Vista Premium
1 GB RAM (Expand to 2 GB)
120 GB HDD
DVD Burner
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics
WiFi
$600

1

Vista entered the [consumer] market January 31st.
You were expecting an 11% share in less than six months?

To put this in perspective:

Vista 3.0% in June Up From 0.0% in January 2007
Linux 3.4% in June Up From 2.7% in January 2004 OS Platform Stats

2

The Vista system sold in January was a warmed-over XP box. Not a "new" PC at all.

"Destined-For Vista" systems like HP's Vista Premium TouchSmart PC and the Vista Ultimate DX10 Pavilion Laptop with HD-DVD and 340 GB HDD began reaching the market only late this spring.

3

Vista missed the prime Back-to-School and Christmas shopping seasons in 2006. This year OEM Vista will be on the shelves with Windows Home Server which went gold {RTM] about a week or so back.

Fun with numbers: W3Schools shows Vista with a 3.0% share in June. Up from 0% in January 2007. Linux at 3.4%. Up 0.4% from January 2004. OS Platform Statistics

It is worth taking a look at W3Schools Display Statistics

While surfing the content-rich web - the media-rich web - in 2007 is fundamentally a middle-class experience, the demands of the browser are trivial even at entry level - and have been for years:

Compaq Desktop PC w/ Intel Pentium 4 Processor

Vista Basic
3.2 GHz P4
512 MB RAM 160 GB SATA HDD.
DVD Burner
Intel integrated graphics (Pathetic, but upgradeable)
$328

You can get close to you are looking for today:

HP 17" Pavilion Widescreen WXGA+ Laptop PC w/ Intel 2 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor

Vista Ultimate
ExpressCard ATSC/NTSC tuner
HD-DVD ROM/Multilayer DVD burner
2 GB RAM. 240 GB HDD.
Intel WiFi and Bluetooth
NVIDIA DX10 GeForce 8600 GS 256 MB/1 GB shared
GiB Ethernet. 3 USB 2 ports. S-Video. SP/DIF audio. Firewire.
Media card reader. Fingerprint reader. Integrated webcam.
$2000

A footnote:

Windows Home Server has gone gold {RTM] and there are some impressive add-ins available now. Have it your way with Windows Home Server add-ins, We Got Served

You of course could get a better compaq for http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_ id=5750873

If your trying to dodge crapware wasting money on an already out of date machine isn't the way to do it. I prefer the Dell as it has future expandibility I do not think the Everex has. You can pop 4gb on the Dell board. The Nvidia 6150LE chipset is very well known and good. The dual core processor will have more longevity.

Frankly, if one of us had the choice and had to buy one of these who would not go with the Dell and just wipe it? If my parents were looking I would make them get the Dell, at least I know the components and crapware isn't but a few minutes of work to ditch

The Geek may someday get it pounded into his head that in Microsoft's core middle clasx market there is no need for a home user to pirate Office: Home Use Program, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 $122 US Three-seat license. No 1 in software sales at Amazon.com

He may also learn that mass market pricing can make Vista Ultimate look attractive and affordable: HP 17" Pavilion Widescreen Laptop PC w/ Intel Core 2 Duo Processor"

2 GB RAM 240 GB HDD
HD DVD-ROM / Multilayer DVD Burner
HDTV Tuner Card. Integrated Webcam, Fingerprint reader, and remote control.
NVIDA DX 10 GeForce 8600 GS w/ 256 MB dedicated RAM/upto 1 GB shared
1000 GiB Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
8 cell Lion batteru + 90 watt AC adapter
$2000

• # Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
• # NVIDIA GeForce 6150 integrated graphics
• # Dell USB keyboard and USB 2-button mouse
• # Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
• # Integrated 7.1-channel audio
• # 56k PCI data/fax modem
• # Microsoft Works 8.5
• # Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0
• # Roxio Creator Basic
• # McAfee Security 30-day trial
• # Earthlink application software
• # Windows Vista PC-Restore
• # 1-year limited warranty and at-home service

And 32" SD CRTs cost about half that.