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Mandrake Hits Wal-Mart (.com)
caveat writes: "The Register is reporting that Wal-Mart is shipping PCs with Mandrake preinstalled. 'Prices range from $391 for a 900MHz Duron machine to $648 for a 2GHz Pentium 4 with CD-RW.' more power to them." So now walmart.com customers seeking a pre-installed Free OS aren't limited to Lindows. I wonder if any Wal-Mart manager is brave enough to actually set up a few machines in-store. Update: 07/15 15:35 GMT by T : As many people have pointed out, the systems running Mandrake -- just like the Lindows machines on offer -- are only available through Wal-Mart's website.
I think Walmart is the company that could best challenge Microsoft Window's monopoly. They are big enough not to cave to Microsoft. They are diverse enough that loosing wouldn't kill them. They have a huge customer base and lots of stores. If Walmart sold you a computer, it would be cheap. They could preinstall any software they sell on the shelves. If you have a problem with it, you can just bring it to a Walmart. You're never that far from one in the US. If selling Lindows and Manrake increases their hardware sales, would they consider writing their own operating system? or maybe just Walmart Linux?
The masses are the crack whores of religion.
It's a 1.1 Gig Celeron and it comes with ThizLinux. Its been on the front page of their ad for a few weeks now.
I'm probably gonna suggest my computerless newbie friend pick one up.
I just wish it was Mandrake ore Redhat with OpenOffice and a cvs of Winex pre-installed.
I wonder if any Wal-Mart manager is brave enough to actually set up a few machines in-store.
Why is the bravery required? Are you suggesting its hard to install Linux? Are you suggesting its hard to use Linux?
If a manager can't setup demos, then the whole idea of selling Linux in the stores is flawed and will ultimately fail.
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
Easy. They sell him Windows for another 200USD.
The masses are the crack whores of religion.
Even though they are clearly in Linux for a buck, that is the ideal situation for retailers. IBM, Sun and the rest, should and do support us technically, Walmart and hopefully soon others by portraying linux as a viable option at the POS.
Other than some extra RAM and a CDRW the pricing is pretty much the same between the Mandrake comps and the M$ Windows comps .. and the Mandrake one is loaded with loads of pre-installed bloatware software .. I would have expected a big difference in price / not a small difference in components ..
Microsoft Windows XP Home
AMD 1.3 GHz Duron processor
128 MB memory
40 GB hard drive
$499.00
Mandrake Linux OS v8.2
AMD 1.3 GHz Duron processor
256 MB memory
40 GB hard drive
$498.00
Reasons for setting up a Linux Demo PC at Walmart
1. Fear Reduction. If customers can *see* it working, and see a few neat demos (one of the few linux games, Open Office, etc...) then they will be much more likely to buy it.
2. Employee Knowledge. The majority of Walmart employees are not really encouraged to be knowledgeable about their products or their store. If electronics department managers took the dive and installed a Linux PC for their departments, employees who worked there could play with it and learn about it. They'd be in a lot better position to deal with it.
3. Zealots. Go to any Bestbuy or Circuit city that happens to have a Mac section, and you'll find one or two Mac Zealots there to 'encourage' people toward buying a Mac. If you put Linux PC's in stores, you'll probably get Linux Zealots there too to show people how wonderful Linux can be.
Reasons AGAINST setting up a Linux Demo PC at Walmart
1. su -; password; rm -rf *.*
2. When Linux breaks, (or is broken) you've got to be knowledgable to fix it. If you installed it, you've got no problem, but can you really count on someone who works at Walmart to know how to edit files? In my experience, non techies who sell computers would rather *not* fix a broken software demo by reinstalling. If they can't make it 'right' again with a few mouse clicks, they'll turn it off.
3. 133t k1dd135
4. Customer: "So, which of this software can I run on this Linux PC?"
Walmart CSM: "Uhmm... None of it, I think. I dunno. Are these things compatible with normal PC's?"
Walmart carries a few boxed Linux distros. I've seen Mandrake and Redhat shrinkwraps before, but that is the long and short of their in-store linux support. Joe Sixpack doesn't want to download Open Office. He wants to buy it off the shelf and have it work without thinking. Unless Walmart starts carrying some of the shrinkwrap Linux software packages, and maybe some 'collection' CD's, they're shooting themselves in the foot by displaying a Linux PC next to reams of Windows-only software.
The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
I know that for most people here, finding software for linux is no problem. However, I can't help but feel that not having a "linux" section in the software is going to hurt the sales of these machines. Especially when the customers are going to find out that the vast majority of the software you can buy will probably not work with these machines.
How long until we have a good sized shelf to sit next to these machines with software that can be loaded on them without trouble?
-josh
Why doesn't Slashdot do an "Ask Slashdot" with the person responsible for all this Linux in wal-Mart? Or, at least an interview.
OK, so an Unknowning customer buys this Linux machine and takes it home.
Problem 1. Connect to the Internet. The customer calls his local internet provider, Cable, DSL, or dial-up and says he want's to setup his system to connect to the net. The Internet provider sends him the software. Hmmm, where's the Linux install. Call back the provider. The provider asks what Operating system he's running. Customer repsonds "Linux". Click!
Problem 2. Swapping files. The customer's best friend just downloaded this cool program and wants him to try it. Hmmm, just stick the disk in and and run setup?
Problem 3. U.S. Federal Income Tax Software, Quicken for Linux, MS Office for Linux, Wheel of Fortune for Linux? While there are alternatives, they aren't mainstream.
Problem 4. Computer crashes. No problem take it to the local computer repair center. Ooops, they don't support Linux.
Problem 5. Ohhh, there's a new cool USB 2.0 gadget out for the computer at my local store. I'll buy it and connect it to my system. Hmmm, Linux doesn't recognize the new hardware and there's no Linux install software included with the gadget.
The point is, that Linux, at this time, is only for people that want to download it/buy it, install it, and spend alot of time learning Linux. It's not for people that just want to use it as part of their computer and don't really care what's running in the background as long as they can e-mail, surf, do finances, play games, etc. We Linux zealots often forget that the majority of the population could care less if they're running Wndoze, Linux, or Mac, as long as they can do what they need to do with their computer.
There's a difference between saying Rednecks shop at Wal-Mart and saying everyone who shops at Wal-Mart is a Redneck. The insult to all Wal-Mart customers is only in your mind. Plus I don't think saying Rednecks shop at Wal-Mart falls into insulting someone on their Race/Color/Creed/Religion/National Origin/Sexual Orientation.
It's too close to.....well you know. And Walmart has a strict policy of protecting us from dirty words and evil thoughts.
Come to think of it, kill will have to change too.
Early in 2002, Walmart starts to sell PCs without Windows
"Oh my god, all the software won't run!, they are doomed!"
A couple of months later, they start selling PCs with Lindows.
"Oh my god, all the software won't run! Nobody will buy them, everybody will return them!"
A couple of weeks later, they start selling PCs with Mandrake Linux.
"Oh my god, all the software won't run! They do this only to sell them Windows extra!"
Are people around here really so stupid not to realize that if everybody would want Windows preinstalled, Microtel/Walmart would have stopped selling Windows-less PCs A LONG TIME AGO? Is really anybody so stupid to think that if too many Lindows-PCs were returned they just go ahead and ship PCs with Mandrake?
Face it: This is a big win for Linux, a big win for competition and a big win for all computer users (including Windows users, strong Linux adoption will force Microsoft to drop Palladium, believe me.)
It's not a singular event, it's a series of events (first OS-less, then with Lindows, then Mandrake) that is enough evidence that there is a market for it and is successful in the market.
Microsoft is on the decline. On every market (including desktops) they are in the defensive. They have pissed off so many companies (IBM with Windows, Sony with XBox and AOL/TM with MSN, plus tens of others) that they are the underdog.
$399.00 Microtel 1.3 GHz Duron No OS
$399.00 Microtel 1.3 GHz Duron Lindows OS
$428.00 Microtel 1.3 GHz Duron Mandrake Linux 8.2
$499.00 Microtel 1.3 GHz Duron Mandrake Windows XP Home Edition
I also suspect that Walmart's license negotiations with Microsoft may be more difficult in the future....
Not that Wal-Mart is any sort of "Mecca High-Technologique", but Microsoft needs Wal-Mart a LOT more than Wal-Mart needs Microsoft. Why?
Check this out.
Yup, that's right. Wal-Mart is FIRST in the world with annual revenues of $219 billion. Microsoft was 175th with revenues of $25 billion.
Ladies and germs, that's an order of magnitude difference in revenue.
Also, notice that the difference between Wal-Mart and #2 (Exxon-Mobil) is $28 billion, which is also > MS revenue. The truth is that Microsoft is "big", but Wal-Mart redfines "biggest". In the accompanying Fortune article, they point out that $220 bil is more than any company ever made in a year. Ever.
This is important because among the long list of gripes people levy against Wal-Mart is their notoriously cutthroat approach to strong-arming manfacturers and distibutors. They dictate what, how, when, where and how much. Unless you own your own country where you can lock them out, you pretty much do what they want or give up the opportunity to have your products sold off their shelves.
Think about it this way. If MS sold eveything they made direct thru Wal-Mart, they would only provide about 10% of Wal-Mart's revenue, and that's at high margins Wal-Mart wouldn't be willing to pay.
WM: "You want to charge us *how much* for WinXP Home Edition? BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! That's, like, a 90% markup over your per-unit costs! You'll take $10 a copy and like it or go elsewhere and take your stupid X-boxen with you.
The two questions to which I wasn't able to find answers while typing this are: what are the top ten US Computer System Retailers (# of units/year) and is Wal-Mart one of them?
Anyone know?
"Lawyers are for sucks."
- Doug McKenzie