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Lindows Webstation

Posted by michael on from the only-free-if-your-time-has-no-cost dept.

dr.karl.b writes "Lindows.com has announced the WebStation, a hard-disk-less pc that boots from a CD, similar to the now dead ThinkNIC, for $169 (no monitor). Different versions are available from 2 vendors, TigerDirect and iDOTpc.com. The TigerDirect version has a 1.1GHz Duron, 256MB PC2100 DDR, 56X CD-ROM, 10/100Mbps NIC, floppy, modem, keyboard and mouse. The iDOTpc.com version has a 800MHz C3, 256MB PC133 SDRAM, 56X CD-ROM, 10/100Mbps NIC, but without a floppy, modem, keyboard or mouse. The TigerDirect looks like a better deal, at least now ($169 = $189 - $20 rebate). The 2 different versions seem to have confused the authors at C/Net and The Register, who only report the specs of the iDOTpc.com version."

6 of 340 comments (clear)

  1. iDOTpc by yardgnome · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've ordered several things from iDOT and never been disappointed. In fact, when I first ordered from them, someone noticed that I lived only 15 miles away from their warehouse. So they offered to refund my shipping costs and hold the parts for me to personally pick up! Even more surprising, they noticed that I had separately ordered the parts for a more-than-barebones system, and offered to assemble the hardware at no extra charge.

    So consider this customer satisfied. If you're going to order one of these diskless PCs, you certainly won't have any reseller problems if you order from iDOT.

    --
    4-star general in a one-man army.
    1. Re:iDOTpc by MikeFM · · Score: 3, Informative

      I agree fully. I've ordered several things from iDOT and never been unhappy.

      On the other hand I've worked for TigerDirect in the past and I can tell you that they will screw their customers at any chance they get. Even employees don't like to buy from them (and they get a discount). I'd suggest definately buying from iDOT instead of TigerDirect.

      --
      At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
  2. Re:Add a hard disk? by yardgnome · · Score: 5, Informative

    Both iDOT and TigerPC allow you to add a HD before purchase. The base model is HD-free, though.

    --
    4-star general in a one-man army.
  3. Re:Huh?? by svara · · Score: 5, Informative

    Lindows recommends to save the data either over a network or to a USB Memorykey. Actually this is not a bad idea, one can imagine a lot of possible uses for an extremely cost-effective PC ... with 64MB or so on a MemoryKey, that's nice, especially as you can carry those around.

  4. As a matter of fact... by poptones · · Score: 3, Informative
    Very early in lindows launch they made this quite clear. They offered the lindows "developer kit" for some ridiculously low price (I think it was $99) and, after signing a licensing agreement you could develop and market your own co-branded lindows distro.

    Back then most people laughed. And described like that it still sounds laughable, doesn't it? Why would you pay money for an SDK and then sign a license for X$/install to sell a linux distro when you can put one together, based on debian (as lindows is) or redhat, for free?

    Well, now look: lindows has a reasonable amount of brand recognition and press. You can put together a distro of redhat and try to get your compu-idiot clients to use it, or you can offer the same thing with a distro that is being sold at wal-mart and gets favorable press in all sorts of consumer press. Which do you think offers the better marketing opportunity when it comes to the technically challenged?

  5. Re:Huh?? by Viceice · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's actualy an idea borrowed from Kinoppix. Basicly, all you need is a Kinoppix CD and a USB Memory Monkey(TM). You keep your home directory on the Monkey and there you have it. Your desktop anywhere. .. Oh, i ment Memory Key

    --
    Sometimes I wish I was a plumber, then I'd know how to deal with other people's shit.