First Linux-only Retail Store?

Greedo writes "The Toronto Star is reporting that 'Toronto will become home this weekend to what's being touted as the first retail computer store devoted exclusively to Linux-based products.' The store, Sub500.com, will sell PCs and laptop computers based on Linspire. Marc and David Silverman had been selling Linux products over the Web for 18 months. They also operate a car wash and figured they could use surplus office space at that location to open a Linux store."

Comments

Great to see a Linux-only store

[Darragh_IRL]

I think it's great to see a store selling only Linux computers. Fair play to Sub500.com and Linspire for setting this up!

Re:Great to see a Linux-only store

[nocomment]

I'd like to see it, but unfortunately their IIS webservers couldn't handle the crunch.

Re:Great to see a Linux-only store

[Anonymous Coward]

What about 'Reboot The User' http://www.RebootTheUser.com/ Founded Jan 2003

Great

[mothz]

Nothing like a high-profile store in the back of a car wash to raise awareness for Free Software.

Re:Great

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah... but I bet those cars are really clean.

Re:Great

[Anonymous Coward]

And if the car isn't clean the first time through, you can wash it yourself the open source way.

Re:Great

[dasmegabyte]

We have a car wash in my neighbourhood that has a salad bar attached to it.

I expect this store will have about the same impact on the community.

Re:Great

[kfg]

Well, I'm stuck here rubbin' these desktops with a rag,
and walkin' home in soggy old shoes, 'cause I got them, steadily depressin',
low down, mind messin',
hackin' at the carwash blues.

Hackin' at the carwash, hackin' at the carwash, yeah.

KFG

Re:Great

[Anonymous Coward]

There are no black boxes in the trunk, that's for sure

Re:Great

[mackman]

They expect it to directly complete with the Apple Store. Unlike Apple's target of hip urban professionals, however, their sales demographic is guys washing cars.

Re:Great

[xanadu-xtroot.com]

We have a car wash in my neighbourhood that has a salad bar attached to it.

You know where to go get a salad, right?

Re:Great

[JPriest]

Sometime you have to assemble parts of the control panel and program it for the car you are about to wash. But once that part is out of the way it does in fact wash the car.

service carwash start -h -t -presoak -pressure 5
service carwash stop
service carwash start -f -g -foambrush -soap pink
service carwash stop
service cardry start -a -l -auto -speed 10
service cardry stop
./paycalc.sh | grep amount

Re:Great

[dasmegabyte]

Yeah...someplace else. Their salads are TERRIBLE.

Shit. Now I want a salad.

Re:Great

[reezle]

Yeah, except that the OS they push is $59...

(Free as in speech, I guess)

Re:Great

[Anonymous Coward]

>Nothing like a high-profile store in the back of a car wash to raise awareness for Free Software.

I think what the people knocking this are forgetting is that a car wash takes a little time to complete. The people are standing and doing nothing already.

There is already a great interest in linux from people who know nothing about it. This is a perfect opportunity for the curious to find out what this 'linux thing' is all about. What better than to check it out while their car is being washed? During the time that would otherwise be wasted standing around watching someone buff a car, they can poke around the store and ask questions.

I'm sorry, but I think it's brilliant. These guys need a brick and mortar address, and already have the space. I can't think of a better use for it than a real store.

l8,
AC

first store?

[Slyder]

It's not the first one I've heard of - there used to be one in Atlanta, near Georgia Tech, though it went out of business a little while ago. Too bad, they had some cool stuff.

Re:first store?

[Anonymous Coward]

It was called the Linux General Store.

Re:first store?

[Strudelkugel]

Sure would be interesting to see the P&L statement from Linspire. Last I heard MR was looking to raise money via IPO to pay off his loan to the company. The move might only be an attempt to create interest in the IPO.

As for the stores, without something like the iPod, it's going to be difficult to draw customers. The specialty stores are already competing with Wal*Mart, among others.

Re:first store?

[at_kernel_99]

The difference being that, AFAIK, walmart does not offer support or service.

Re:first store?

[GOD_ALMIGHTY]

Anyone remember their name?
I used to make a point of going there every year at ALS. I still have a Tux doll from there. I'm sorry to hear they didn't survive, did anyone in Atlanta pick up the Linux store ball and run with it?

Re:first store?

[tmhsiao]

As detailed in the first reply to the parent, it was the Linux General Store. Right around the corner from my old jerb, it shared a street with two adult entertainment venues, two bars, and used to have a large Tux mural on the side of the building which was a bit unseemly and menacing at night.

Re:first store?

[zaf]

I went to a LAN party there during ALS. I really liked the refrigerators-turned-server-racks

Re:first store?

[NineNine]

A Linux only store going out of business? I'm *shocked*! [note sarcasm]. No way will it work.

A. The customer base is TINY and spread out.

B. The customer base is CHEAP.

C. The customer base generally buys or downloads online.

As a retailer myself, I give this business a year, tops. It's quite honestly, one of the worst ideas I've heard for retail.

Re:first store?

[Anonymous Coward]

Now there is a huge ant(insect) mural on the wall. The street is Marietta St.
Very close to the Library(Bar) at Georgia Tech.

Re:first store?

[selfish]

Right around the corner from my old jerb

Wouldn't that be your old jorb?

Re:first store?

[dasmegabyte]

That's the only difference you can see between WalMart -- a gigantic, soulless corporation that manipulates and underpays its workers and offers inferior merchandise solely to funnel money to their shareholders from those consumers so infinitely stupid that they would prefer to saving eleven cents to getting something worthwhile -- and a Linux store run out of the back of a car wash?

Man, you need new glasses or something.

Re:first store?

[tmhsiao]

Nope--my old jaerb.

Re:first store?

[discstickers]

The ideas behind capitalism seem to escape you...

Re:first store?

[seb249]

We have a store down here in aus caused EveryThingLinux. www.everythinglinux.com.au

They are actually after having been years in business starting to diversify a bit and do more than just linux related stuff. But it can be done and i wish these guys all the best.

Re:first store?

[Photon Ghoul]

Why do you say that? I think "gigantic, soulless corporation that manipulates and underpays its workers and offers inferior merchandise solely to funnel money to their shareholders from those consumers so infinitely stupid that they would prefer to saving eleven cents to getting something worthwhile" sums up capitalism fairly well.

Re:first store?

[Anonymous Coward]

as in - they took my jeorb

Re:first store?

[Cyno01]

That's freak me out too, running into a giant penguin between the bar and the porno shop...

Re:first store?

[Anonymous Coward]

I used to shop at the ony by Georgia Tech. I think it really got most of its business because of the Linux store "thing". The real problem with it, though, is in terms of stuff you could actually buy there it was no up to par with the average white-box store around Atlanta and the prices on everything but used junky stuff were a little high.

Re:first store?

[Anonymous Coward]

..Linux General Store lasted several years. The location was next to a University, and it was in a town with a very active and young Linux community, so that helped a lot. People mostly bought t-shirts, stickers, NICs, Penguin mints and cheap distro CDs. A lot of business was colocation. A lot of people brought in boxes for maintenance; a few bought boxes outright. They had a regular newsletter and a book deal.

The problem is, aside from a bunch of used stuff, that's all their was. I would have gladly shopped there is LGS has maintained the same selection at anywhere near the price range of GIM just on the other side of Tech.

Re:first store?

[Baadfast]

Why is this flamebait? Anyone who's actually run a retail storefront would identify with his arguments, if not agree with them.

It's a business issue not a spray against Linux.

Re:first store?

[NineNine]

Thanks for the support, but I completely expected that response to my post. It's the God's Honest Truth, but people often don't like to hear the truth. I wish somebody told me the TRUTH about retail a few years ago before I started my current store.

Re:first store?

[garagecartel]

Linux Stores are non-existant here in Paducah, KY and there doesn't seem to be any hope for some time...There is a nice sized LUG here to which I am a participant/project manager for [openpaducah.net] and I think that all it would take is someone with some talent in business skills and the money to get it off of the ground.

Re:first store?

[Anonymous Coward]

Well I agree. They're choosing a niche which isn't enough. After all Linspire is a distro targetted a newbies. Typically a newb won't run out to by a Linux machine. They sound like a beigh box dealer which doesn't want the hassle involved with buying Windows licenses.

I believe that getting into the "mom and pop computer shop" business these days should be done cautiously. Doing Linux only online from a web site with international shipping at good rates is a decent idea. When running a mom and pop shop, I would instead focus on a niche which attempts to differentiate me from all the others.

Good ideas include focusing primarily on small form factor. Come up with a small computer which is suitable for DVR and is affordable. Either Windows Media Center or MythTV based is a good idea. Centrino based Mini-ITX is available now and even have HDTV/SDTV/DVI/VGA support. Stick a 1.6 GHz Centrino with HDTV/DVI output into a Hush PC case with a "Electronic Device" hard drive at low dBs. This is the start of a good product.

There are of course a lot of great ideas. But selling REALLY REALLY cheap Linux boxes isn't the best idea for mom and pop since effectively, for the low prices, they're using the cheapest commodity hardware they can find. In today's market, it's expected that a computer should be at least a little upgradable. A $299 PC using the least expensive parts ever is likely to sound like a turbine engine and use parts which are likely to be junk.

I'd rather pay $500 and get a Shuttle type SFF installed with Linux. Even better, the guy should take the Shuttle case covers, send them to a local silk screening shop, get them silk screened with a big ass Tux and "Linux Inside" logo as well as a corporate logo which he can pay a newly graduated graphics artist to design. Make it catch peoples eyes.

Of couse my last point of complaint. The shop looks like crap. The location appears to be horrible, somewhere stuck between two stores in the middle of nowhere. The inside of the store looks like it's made up of whatever he's managed to slap together from liquidation sales of other businesses. Instead of the "Wrap around the wall" look, the peddestal in the middle concept is much more enticing to the typical shopper. Most Mac selling stores use that technique since they want to show off they're style as art. Selling 5 different base configurations with a proper logo on them will stand out better than the "we have it all, let me just slap it together and you can pick it up tommorrow" thing.

Too bad that this little guy won't be around long. I've known too many clueless "Let's start a computer store" type of guys. Things typically would go for a while, but food and house rent would become a problem. They'd go out of business and have a pile of old computer crap and AMEX/Visa/Mastercard bills piled to the ceiling. They would be stuck being a bench tech at some other shop in barely better health making less than $20K a year.

I often say that at least some business courses from a legitimate institution should be a requirement for anyone applying for a business license. They should be taught about "Location, Location, Location". They should also be taught about raising funding. After all, if you can't find someone willing to invest $500,000 or more into your computer business concept, then you're not likely to stay in business. If you can't sell your business to an investor, then it's probably not that good of and idea in the first place.

Re:first store?

[Anonymous Coward]

LGS was a stra-a-a-a-nge place. It was drippy with geek, to the point where a "normal" (meaning, MS-demented) IT person would just feel creeped out. The people that ran it would chain-smoke their way through interviews and would get after employees for the wierdest things, like throwing away empty software boxes. It just wasn't the sort of thing that gave IT management types warm fuzzies about entertaining this free upstart operating system, and there was a strong unprofessionality that might have appealed to the hacker but would have turned anybody who wore a tie to work right off. That's not to say that there weren't good people there - I was particularly impressed by one young woman who worked there in a non-tech capacity (just what I could not tell - sales? - but she was *not* just eye candy even though she was extremely pretty, and she was very professional and mature-seeming) and there were some really good tech types there.

Later, they closed down for remoduling and came back with 20-year-old "salesmen" who tried to look like Charlie Sheen in WALL STREET. They were there to sell servers, both IBM and hand-built. By that time, though, the dot-com bubble was just getting ready to pop.

Re:first store?

[SpaceJunkie]

Lets not get into this..

But capitalism and the free market economy only work when not in the face of huge monopolies and the craziness with virtually indefinate copyright we have.

A very large monopoly starts to represent a communist system better than a communist government ever did. I know - I once worked for a very large software corporation. The internal social and reward structure is very much like a communist state.

Re:first store?

[discstickers]

I didn't mention anything about copyright and neither did the parent.

Re:first store?

[Anonymous Coward]

If I'm thinking of the right place, the Library used to be LGS

Thats very good!

[mw5299]

This is very good! I hope linux gets much more possible.

Uhh . . .

[concatenation]

They also operate a car wash and figured they could use surplus office space at that location to open a Linux store.

A match made in heaven, no?

Re:Uhh . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Absolutely.

surplus office space at that location to open a Linux store

And nothing beats using the surplus hard disk space to install linux
/ducks

Re:Uhh . . .

[zonix]

A match made in heaven, no?

Well, it still doesn't beat "Joe's Wedding Gift Shop And Auto-repair". :-)

z

Re:Uhh . . .

[legojenn]

I remember a place in Detroit on Michigan Avenue called Bill's (I think) Firearms and Auto Parts.

Re:Uhh . . .

[AKAImBatman]

I remember a place in Detroit on Michigan Avenue called Bill's (I think) Firearms and Auto Parts.

In Adam's County, Wisconsin, there's a store called "Al's Guns and TVs". For some reason, it always makes me think of a "ride the rail" video game. Damn expensive hobby, tho.

Re:Uhh . . .

[ERJ]

Near River Falls, WI there used to be a store for Taxidermy and Cheese. Don't know if it is still around or not.

Re:Uhh . . .

[MisterLawyer]

Funny you say that. Check out Marc Silverman's quote at the bottom of the Linspire Testimonials page.

Relevant excerpt: "...The marriage of Linspire and Sub300.com computer systems is made in heaven. Linspire allows Sub300.com to include an operating system at the price some others sell their systems with no operating system at all." -- Marc Silverman, President, Sub300.com[emphasis added].

Re:Uhh . . .

[TrevorDoom]

I don't know... ...in the small town of Nezbit, Mississippi, there's a store named "Grapes of Wrath Liquor and Ammunition"... ...and sure as hell, they sell nothing but booze and ammo...

Re:Uhh . . .

[LinuxHam]

Relevant excerpt: "...The marriage of Linspire and Sub300.com computer systems is made in heaven. Linspire allows Sub300.com to include an operating system at the price some others sell their systems with no operating system at all." -- Marc Silverman, President, Sub300.com[emphasis added].

Can't be cooperating too closely if they don't even know their name.

Re:Uhh . . .

[ibullard]

I don't know if it's still there but when I was younger and living in northern NY there was a store that sold Gas, Gun, Guitars and Groceries. Maybe we could convince them to add GNU to the list.

Re:Uhh . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

scrolled down and... oops! didn't rtfa.. sub300 it is.

Re:Uhh . . .

[BigBir3d]

There are many such places all over the USA. The best are the drive thru ones.

"I would like 2 boxes of Remington AA 12-gauge #8 shot, and... a case of Bud."

True story.

Oh yeah, linux and a car wash? Do you think the computers running the car wash side of the biz are using linux? If not...

Re:Uhh . . .

[dasmegabyte]

Around here we have Brown's Pianos, Organs and Waterbeds. Here's a whole list of other wierd stores, which hopefully will include this one shortly.

Re:Uhh . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

I believe that store is still there; I seem to recall ocassionally driving by it on the way down from Somerset to La Crosse.

For some reason (maybe because I was raised in Wisconsin) I didn't seem to find it very odd that there was a store that sold both Taxidermy and Cheese.

Re:Uhh . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Sarasota, FL: ritzy, artsy, sleepy, hyper-segregated town in Tampa Bay.

We have in the middle of downtown, two adjacent co-owned parcels (as in, separated only by drywall): a guns and ammo store named "Bullet Hole" and a travel reservations agency named "On Target".

I wonder if the Feds gave them any special attention after September 11.

Re:Uhh . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Theres a shop near dayton ohio whose name is Dentistry and Vacuums

Re:Uhh . . .

[cK-Gunslinger]

When I moved to Texas, one of the first things I saw was a little strip-mall in a rural town with the followings signs out front:

Donuts
Guns
DayCare

I always wanted to get a pic of that, as I passed it every couple of months. Sadly, by the time a got a DigiCam, they had replaced DayCare with Video Rental, which in a way is even more Texas typical, but not quite as funny.

Re:Uhh . . .

[kfg]

In Vermont we'll do you one better, we'll sell you a Jeep to put them in. Now that's one stop shopping.

But remember boys and girls, saftey first, so don't drink the beer until you stop driving and start shooting.

KFG

Re:Uhh . . .

[Atraxen]

Actually, it's right either way - sub300.com appears to be the US site, and sub500.com to be the Canadian one. (I thought the exchange rate was better than that...)

Re:Uhh . . .

[tindur]

Or Prisse's hamburgers and tombstones.

Re:Uhh . . .

[gui_tarzan2000]

Outside Midland, MI there used to be a store called Don's House of (motor)Oil that also sold pizza and p0r-n videos and movies.

Re:Uhh . . .

[senatorpjt]

There is an "Al's Hot Food and Wigs" in Rochester, NY.

Also a "Roger's Clocks and Pianos"

Re:Uhh . . .

[bhtooefr]

Well, the computers running the e-commerce side of the biz are using Windows. Running IIS, in fact...

Re:Uhh . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

There was a John's Grocery and Auto Body Repair in Cincinnati. I don't know if it's still there.

Re:Uhh . . .

[Syntax Heir]

On the MO-OK border there is a store named "The Black Market", which is a DRIVE-THRU liquor, tobacco and fireworks outlet.

Re:Uhh . . .

[IncohereD]

My personal favourite was a 'Computer Parts and Submission Fighting' store in Oshawa, Ontario.

Leftorium?

[decipher_saint]

Will this be something akin to the Leftorium (a la Simpsons) where a retail store opens to an exclusive market?

Re:Leftorium?

[taniwha]

well given that there are now reportedly more Linux machines than Macs it can't be any worse than having the Apple Stores (well except for the markup - which is probably either too low or obscenely high depending on your political leanings :-)

Of course there is the difference that lefties don't suddenly change their stripes after getting too many viruses ....

Re:Leftorium?

[the_weasel]

I am not familiar with the Simpsons reference, but I was in London, England recently, and in my wanders I saw a shop dedicated to products designed for left handed people. I can't recall the name of the place now, but it was in the area of Soho, Piccadilly Circus, I think.

Re:Leftorium?

[jpmkm]

It is no more exclusive than a game store(exclusive market: people who play games) or taco bell(exclusive market: people who like fast food tacos). I doubt that the owners will require customers to present proof that they run linux at home. Therefore, it is open to anyone.

Re:Leftorium?

[British]

Will this be something akin to the Leftorium (a la Simpsons) where a retail store opens to an exclusive market?

If they wanted an even more exclusive market, they could cater to just left-handed Linux customers.

Re:Leftorium?

[b-baggins]

Only when including servers. If you just count desktop installations, Linux is such a distant third you have to use a microscope to see the market share.

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

You are a liar.

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

A fucking liar.

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

That sounds very sinister.

Re:Leftorium?

[soxos]

No, they should call it Copy-Leftorium

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, you should call yourself Ass-Hole.

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

We ACs are all involuntarily celibate.

Re:Leftorium?

[fcw]

Although Flanders didn't succeed with his store, there's nothing wrong with it in principle. The left-handed shop in central London has been in business since the 1960s.

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

Damn you -- betting me to the Leftorium reference! (Which I was just thinking about the other day while in a recumbent bicycle shop.)

Re:Leftorium?

[chochos]

I happen to be a left-handed Linux user... you insensitive clod!!! (no, really, I use Linux every day, and I am left-handed)

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

does that have anything to do with the left-handed scissors you bought?

Re:Leftorium?

[AstroDrabb]

Dude what crack are you smoking? Linux on the server is giving MS on the server a tough run for the money. And Linux on the desktop is on the heels of Mac. Nice try with spreading your Mac FUD. Oh, and according to some sites Linux on the desktop is already ahead of the Mac. It is time to step out of 1995.

Re:Leftorium?

[westlake]

The May Google Zeitgeist has the Mac at 3%, Linux at 1% and XP at 50%. It isn't talked about much here, but for XP to have gained 50% of the market in under three years is really quite extraordinary.

Re:Leftorium?

[AstroDrabb]

How is it extraordinary for MS to gain market share from themselves? That 50% accounted for users of other MS oses, so I don't see how it was "extraordinary" for MS to get their users to just upgrade. That basically happens when their users get a new computer. So all those Win98 users got tired of their current, slow, spyware, adware and virus infected computers and went out and bought a new computer. Where is the "extraordinary" in that? Now if MS's _total_ market share was only like 10% or so and they made it grow to 50% in three years, then yes that would be impressive. But to get thier _current_ users to just upgrade? No, there is nothing "extraordinary" there.

OS numbers also depend on what type of sites you are getting stats from . If you look at your typical "Joe User" site then Google's numbers should be correct. If you look at more technical sites, then Google's numbers are not correct.

As for the parent poster I was replying to who said:

If you just count desktop installations, Linux is such a distant third you have to use a microscope to see the market share.

I don't think a 3% to 1% share would need a "microscope to see the market share" difference.

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

Well dear, he is simply pointing out that it's a tiny market. The whole side of the brain theory suggests that you would not actually be able to use the computer anyway since the power switch is designed for right-handed user mentality. Therefore....

Wait maybe Linux is the perfect solution for you, since the reset switch is also for righties, you need an OS that doesn't need to be rebooted. Of course, I have seen left handed ergonomically correct mice (I can't frigging use them), but I haven't seen left handed keyboard.

This in fact gives me an idea for the perfect security device which would be most effective against people missing their eye sight in one eye. Stereogram monitors. You'll have to stare past the monitor to read the text on the screen. I'm going to open a shop and sell these. Anyone got some money to invest?!?!?!?!

Re:Leftorium?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's in Brewer Street, Soho -

http://www.anything-left-handed.com/ALHSite/info rm ation/About_Us_Shop/

Wait a minute...

[slashrogue]

You say I can get a car wash and buy Linux-based software at the same time! Now will those car wash babes be geeks too?!? I think my car's dirty...

Re:Wait a minute...

[justkarl]

No, car washes will be administered by outsourced programmers who desperately need work.

Re:Wait a minute...

[Short Circuit]

I wonder if they'll perform the installation for those PCs that fit in the radio slot... :)

Re:Wait a minute...

[FyRE666]

Car wash babes direct from the Ministry of Sound ;-)

(If it stops after the title screen, hit the "Next"/"FF" button in WMP)...

Re:Wait a minute...

[lukewarmfusion]

"Now will those car wash babes be geeks too?!? I think my car's dirty..."

From your comments, it looks like your car's not the only thing that's dirty.

Re:Wait a minute...

[Anonymous Coward]

# emerge wmp

First Linux Store Sets a New Record....

[Anonymous Coward]

World's smelliest clientele.

Online stores

[Anonymous Coward]

Too bad all the online stores are almost all out of business that started a couple years ago, selling only Linux products.

People just aren't going to pay for 'free stuff'.

I remember when Indelible Blue sold OS/2 stuff, exclusively. That ruled.

cczz

Re:Online stores

[eugene ts wong]

People just aren't going to pay for 'free stuff'.

You are right. However, they already have the store running online, plus they are using retail space that is already being paid for by the car wash. So, the only extra expenses are the employees + management. It shouldn't be too bad. It will be hard, but they have a better chance than people who are just starting out with only a computer store.

Sub500

[doublesix]

Can't see the site as it's /.'d, but I'm hoping the URL is a reference to the pricing, in C$ no less.

Re:Sub500

[generic-man]

It is. Their American counterpart is sub300.com, with systems starting at $222.

Re:Sub500

[MoonBuggy]

Not only Slashdotted, but showing the IIS error screen. I didn't think you could run that server on Linux.

Re:Sub500

[Anonymous Coward]

$1511 for a hard drive bundled with Linspire. If that's not a deal, I don't know what is! Oh wait.

Linux General Store in Atlanta?

[Anonymous Coward]

What about the Linux General Store that used to exist in Atlanta? I know they were still around in '99, but now they're gone. IMHO, the title of "first" should go to either the LGS or any other stores which predate them.

Also "Sub300.com"

[mcgroarty]

The same people also run Sub300.com, for any who find Canadian currency to be challenging.

Re:Also "Sub300.com"

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Both sites might as well be SubSurface or SixFeetUnder, the way they've been slashdotted.

Re:Also "Sub300.com"

[Anonymous Coward]

I find Canadian currency to be challenging -- challenging to pay for anything with it, that is.

probably so!

[Anonymous Coward]

Probably the first... And definitely now!

Sweet

[JoeShmoe950]

Linux is finally getting somewhere. Sure, it was backed by IBM, and countless other business were using it. Unfortunetaly they were using it as a server. Finally, Linux is being offered to the general public (and not next to a myrad of Windows based PC's at Walmarts). Once you have a good Mandrake (probably Lindows too, never tried Lindows) install, its just as easy as Windows, and comes with a lot more software. Now that users don't need to worry about the installation, it will probably catch on more (understandably, this is just one shop, but its a good starting point).

um....

[daevux]

First Linux store? There used to be a Linux General Store here in Atlanta, GA (home of the wonderful LUG@GT). I remember buying a mouse pad there and even a bumper sticker (which is still on my car). They also had weekly meetings, and Linux-related classes. Unfortunately they closed down a couple years ago or more, for reasons unknown. I've heard through the grapevine that the owner fled the country :-/

Re:um....

[sulli]

I remember buying a mouse pad there and even a bumper sticker (which is still on my car). ... Unfortunately they closed down a couple years ago or more, for reasons unknown.

Maybe because their customers only bought bumper stickers and mousepads? Not a lot of profit in those items, ya know.

Re:um....

[bongoras]

Wow, a mousepad and a bumper sticker... with big-ticket sales like that it's a shock they went OOB! :-)

Re:um....

[molarmass192]

Actually, there's a huge profit MARGIN on those items since they're dirt cheap to buy in bulk. The problem is that you'd need to sell an insane amount of bumper stickers and mouse pads to make a viable business out of it. Which brings to mind some other odd retail stores such as a place near here that ONLY sells bar stools. If somebody had dropped that business plan in my lap, I'd have bust a gut laughing, but they've been in business for 8 years ... on second thought they're probably a front for a money laundering operation, otherwise I can't explain it.

Re:um....

[MAXOMENOS]

I've heard through the grapevine that the owner fled the country.

I'm not saying the man did anything illegal, untoward, unseemly, scandalous or even slightly icky. But knowing Joe, that wouldn't really surprise me.

Re:um....

[Art Tatum]

Are there a lot of violent barfights in your area?

Re:um....

[piecewise]

Oh wow. I just gave up my last mod points yesterday. I'd kill to get them back. You'd get 5 for Funny. That had me rolling!

Re:um....

[Anonymous Coward]

A bumper sticker??? You small, pathetic man...

Re:um....

[bn557]

After having worked in 2 bars and frequented more than can be healthy, I'll say drunks are VERY hard on bar stools, and most bars need to replace them every 1-2 years, if not more often. Most bars figure those into the equipment repair budget every year. There's also the fact that in house bars are a popular item. It'd really only take a place like that 4-6 out the door sales a day to staf afloat. I'd also be less than surprized to find out that that place has either a web store or mail-order catalog which makes up the difference.

pat

Sub500!?

[TheVidiot]

"Where Linux works less than half the time!"

In other news...

[revery]

A sweat soaked Steve Ballmer announced that many stores that sell Windows will also be opening car washes to compete with this most recent threat from Linux.

--

Was it the sheep climbing onto the altar, or the cattle lowing to be slain,
or the Son of God hanging dead and bloodied on a cross that told me this was a world condemned, but loved and bought with blood.

Re:In other news...

[mothz]

"I put two dollars in the machine, pressed the button, pulled forward... and the roof collapsed on top of my car."

Re:In other news...

[Anonymous Coward]

OMFG, is that really Ballmer? that's hilarious

Re:In other news...

[Anonymous Coward]

OMFG... my heart is pounding too hard, i can't stop laughing, i keep watching it over and over and over...

Re:In other news...

[happyfrogcow]

A sweat soaked Steve Ballmer announced that many stores that sell Windows will also be opening car washes to compete with this most recent threat from Linux.

And thus, security flaws in Windows are blamed for soaked car interiors.

(man, that Ballmer video is downright disturbing)

Re:In other news...

[fiftyfly]

A sweat soaked Steve Ballmer announced that many stores that sell Windows will also be opening car washes to compete with this most recent threat from Linux.

Are you sure it was car washes and not photohuts?

Re:In other news...

[Lispy]

Looks like IE is not the only thing with a leak at Microsofts...

Re:In other news...

[vivek7006]

and here is the monster-remix of the same tape !!
ballmer-remix

Workin' at the car wash...

[sczimme]

From the summary:

They also operate a car wash and figured they could use surplus office space at that location to open a Linux store.

Live wash: $5
Full wash: $6
Professional Wash: $7
Pro. Wash + Source: $8

Buy a Pro+Source on Tuesdays and get a free wax or a 32MB USB pen drive!

Re:Workin' at the car wash...

[finse]

Don't forget about your copy of "Car Wash Unleashed": $39.99

Re:Workin' at the car wash...

[Anonymous Coward]

Good job they don't run a funeral directors and a car wash. We had such a combination in our city. One day the signs outside each shop read:

"For a complete and affordable service" | "Spare body parts bought and sold".

Re:Workin' at the car wash...

[gcaseye6677]

If SCO finds out about this they'll start demanding $699 per wash. Hey, it's no less reasonable than their other demands.

Re:Workin' at the car wash...

[concatenation]

Good job they don't run a funeral directors and a car wash.

Must... resist... *BSD... troll... UNGH!

Re:Workin' at the car wash...

[suso]

What about Free Wash: Free

But you have to find your own sponge and hose.

Re:Workin' at the car wash...

[AKAImBatman]

What about Free Wash: Free

You don't understand. The wash isn't free like "have some free beer!" No! It's free as in Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness! To that end, you can wash your own damn car! Think of how much free-er-er you'll be!!!

Hmm... maybe I'll pay the kid next door to do it while I'm busy doing a market analysis.

Re:Workin' at the car wash...

[suso]

Haha, now that's a funny parody. ;-)

Re:Workin' at the car wash...

[dasmegabyte]

Er, no. The source would always be free. And nobody would buy a wash. Instead, they would spend several hours compiling their own from water, soap and wax.

You know. To save $5.

That's way too much for a car wash, especially since they don't even innovate that much at car washes anymore!

Not first Unix store...

[artlu]

I think Apple holds the title for selling first *nix/*bsd based store, and I think they did it quite successfully too. What about online vendors that have "locations" and not stores exactly. I don't think I give these guys the title slashdot has bestowed upon them.

GroupShares Inc. - A Free Online Investment Community

Re:Not first Unix store...

[athakur999]

The article doesn't claim it to be the first Unix store. The word "Unix" isn't even mentioned once in the article.

The claim in both the Slashdot story and the article is that this is the first *Linux* store.

Re:Not first Unix store...

[happyfrogcow]

Yeah, but if you walk into the SoHo Apple store in NYC and ask some Apple Grrl what Unix is, she'll have no clue what you are talking about.

It's a pretty store for pretty products. It has next to nothing to do with Unix regardless of what OS X is built on.

Re:Not first Unix store...

[Anonymous Coward]

That has to be the stupidest Mac = UNIX assertion I've ever heard. In case you didn't notice, there were Apple Stores before OS X. Just because OS X has a BSD core doesn't mean that it's interchangable with Linux, Solaris, or even a proper BSD.

Re:Not first Unix store...

[Chanc_Gorkon]

You'd be surprised. Alot of the people in my Apple store actually knew what I meant when I asked them about Terminal.app

Linux General Store

[MAXOMENOS]

I used to work there.

Re:Linux General Store

[phreakmonkey]

Yeah, I used to co-locate a server there. Neat place. {sniff, sniff.} I seem to remember it dating back to about 1997.

Re:Linux General Store

[Tmack]

Yeh...great place. Visited the online store many times, then when I finally decided to go there (the store front wasn't exactly the most friendly looking place, with the massive chain-link fence around it) it had closed. Ohwell, they had a bunch of neat T-shirts and stuff, along with many distro's and would even build you a computer specifically for linux (iirc). Was also right across the way from Ga Tech. Think the biggest issue was lack of publicity and that they weren't exactly in the best part of town to attract customers. If they were still here I would most deffinately be a customer.. while I was a student I was just too poor.

Tm

Re:Linux General Store

[papercut2a]

Went there a few times, nice place, sorry to see it go.

Just for kicks, I e-mailed the Toronto Star article's author and the paper's ombudsman about their little error. Wonder if they'll bother to note the correction....

Re:Linux General Store

[Sabalon]

Yup...remember hanging out there a bit. Still have a T-shirt and few other itms from there.

I believe Joe was the name of the guy who ran the store along with his wife or girlfriend Mandy. Used to show up at the ALS meetings a lot.

Re:Linux General Store

[Anonymous Coward]

I worked there for a while also. It happily lead to me working with others from the store after we left as well as to my current job. Haven't really had to work with windows since then.

Linux-only?? Umm, another moron makes it through

[Anonymous Coward]

Keep wet dreaming slashdot that its a linux only retail store... Actually, it clearly states on the site that "Affordable Computers with a CHOICE of Operating System!" And it never claims it is linux only.

Wash Me

[rute_1]

The question is: Do they do Windows?

Re:Wash Me

[violajack]

Oh, that's it....I give up all the mod points I already used on this article just becuase there is no option for "horrible horrible pun."

Eat your own dog food?

[jhkoh]

Ah, too bad their web site looks to be running on Windows.

Re:Eat your own dog food?

[pdaoust007]

If you traceroute to their IP you will notice that the webserver is in Montreal. Since the store is physically in Toronto chances are that they are just using a Montreal-based hosting company which happens to use Windows...

Re:Eat your own dog food?

[Rick and Roll]

Most hosting companies allow you to choose whether you use Windows or UNIX. I have/never will buy a hosting plan that uses Windows or that doesn't say what it uses.

I think the grandparent raised a good point.

Hopefully Steve doesn't pick up on this and decide it's time to deface the website.

Sub500.com

[scottennis]

I think it's hilarious they also have a US version of their store called sub300.com. Do they have to buy new domains whenever the exchange rate shifts?
In Japan they're known as sub32000.com
In Italy they're sub477777.com

Re:Sub500.com

[Anonymous Coward]

Ehhh....

> In Italy they're sub477777.com

More like sub280.com. (Hint: Euro)

Re:Sub500.com

[ehiris]

With that though In Romania they should be sub15mil.com or sub15mil.ro.

Re:Sub500.com

[donscarletti]

It's great that there wern't websites back in the days of the Weimar Republic. They would have probably needed to upgrade DNS to fit all of those digits.

Cool

[neon777]

Just another sign that maybe the tide is turning in the war for Free software.

What web server are they running?

[Theovon]

Is it just me, or does it look like sub500.com is running on IIS?

Re:What web server are they running?

[Anonymous Coward]

wget -S http://www.sub500.com/
--15:44:18-- http://www.sub500.com/
=> `index.html'
Connecting to www.sub500.com:80... connected!
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
2 Server: Microsoft-IIS/5.0
3 X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
4 MicrosoftOfficeWebServer: 5.0_Pub
5 Cache-Control: no-cache
6 Expires: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 19:50:01 GMT
7 Connection: keep-alive
8 Content-Location: http://www.sub500.com/index.htm
9 Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 19:50:01 GMT
10 Content-Type: text/html
11 Accept-Ranges: bytes
12 Last-Modified: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:13:01 GMT
13 ETag: "1a3aaf564559c41:99d"
14 Content-Length: 15735

If only...

[DrTobes]

They used some of their surplus merchandise to run their website....

http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph/?host=www.sub5 00.com

What a combo!

[Anonymous Coward]

They also operate a car wash and figured they could use surplus office space at that location to open a Linux store

You can have Gentoo compiled while your car is being detailed!

FrontPage?!

[JebuZ]

Did anyone else notice the meta tags on this page?

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<meta http-equiv="keywords" content="cheap, inexpensive, computers, new, computer, system, upgrade, replace, buy, AMD, Intel, looking, buy, sale, tower, industry, bulk, volume, rebate, deal, deals, special, compute, new, lindows, Microsoft, burner, 299, sub300">
<meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 4.0">
<meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document">

Oh the irony..

Re:FrontPage?!

[Anonymous Coward]

"frontpage websites and pages are crap. the look like crap, they load like crap and they are designed by crap."

The solution is simple. Simply change:

to

then everyone would be happy ;).

Re:FrontPage?!

[Anonymous Coward]

Seems slashcode stripped your comments out. To bad because it ruined the value of any joke you might have made.

Re:FrontPage?!

[sydb]

Yeah, but they're selling Lindows, which is hardly a true geeks distro.

Re:FrontPage?!

[hey]

I assume they are running FrontPage on WINE.

Re:FrontPage?!

[hey!]

Dude, not only did you post exactly what I was going to say, you have almost exactly the same user name as I. I have a lower user number though.

Re:FrontPage?!

[XryanX]

As someone else already pointed out, the page is hosted with IIS on a Windows 2000 system.

Re:FrontPage?!

[SethJohnson]

Parallel universes approaching too closely. Must veer away. Please walk from your computer in a random direction.

Re:FrontPage?!

[symbolic]

Kind of sad just the same, since there are plenty of linux-based hosting companies available.

A true story about linux gifts

[aardwolf204]

True story...

Me: So what did you get for Christmas last year?
Friend: My uncle gave me a copy of Red Hat 7.
Me: Ohh, sorry man.
Friend: Yeah, sucks. might as well have gotten a gift card with ftp.linuxdistrohere.com
Me: Its the thought that counts, right?
Friend: Guess so...

...

Me: So what did you get him?
Friend: Free Pepsi music download.....
Me: Word.

Good luck to Sub500.com.

Re:A true story about linux gifts

[neon777]

Friend: My uncle gave me a copy of Red Hat 7.

Might as well have gotten a copy of XP complete with port 445 open on the install and a "hack me" sign.

Re:A true story about linux gifts

[Anonymous Coward]

At least Windows XP is worth money...

Re:A true story about linux gifts

[neon777]

At least Windows XP is worth money...

If by money you mean $10's that are blue and $5's that are pink. :p

Re:A true story about linux gifts

[drinkypoo]

If someone gives you Windows XP, you can take it back to the store for some money.

It's possible that without the receipt you can't even get store credit, but you could always take it to wal-mart and claim it was a gift purchased there; they'll give you a gift card for the amount without a receipt. This opens up possibilities for all kinds of scams, like stealing anything also sold at wal-mart from any store, and "returning" it to them, so I'm kind of surprised they do it, but I guess given their volume it's all the same to them.

Re:A true story about linux gifts

[John Courtland]

I actually did something along those lines that was quite funny... on accident, of course.

I bought a camera for my then-girlfriend for Christmas. I found out she wanted a different model but I had bought the camera in Wisconsin (retail tax rate: 5.5%) and we had just moved to Chicago. I returned it at a nearby Walmart, and ended up getting a return PLUS local tax (@ 8.75%) back! Hell yeah. Now do that a couple hundered thousand times and you're rich!

Linux PPC

[mainfr4me]

There was a Linux PPC in Waukesha, WI also for some time. Met one of the guys who ran it to after it had closed about 3 years ago? Maybe?

But their web server is IIS

[jzilla]

HTTP 404 - File not found
Internet Information Services

Re:But their web server is IIS

[Mz6]

While it is on the ASP.NET platform, why is it running 5.0... Why not 6.0? Why not Apache? :)

Sub 500

[American AC in Paris]

They live up to their name:

HTTP 403.9 - Access Forbidden: Too many users are connected

403.9 is indeed below 500...

Re:Sub 500

[dasmegabyte]

It's only because they aren't using PHP. Believe me, they'd be getting 500s left and right.

Hopefully this will catch on

[queenofthe1ring]

I'm sure there are lots of people out there with problems finding hardware that will all be compatible with Linux. This is a great solution.

I am all too familiar with hardware compatablity problems. I have a Dell all-in-one printer that is utterly useless in Linux. Wish we had an all Linux store around here!

Oh yeah...

[MAXOMENOS]

...and our web servers ran Apache, not IIS. (grumblegrumble)

Makes perfect sense for a retailer to do this.

[deacon]

Pluses:

Your customers are more likely to have a clue

Not much local retail competition

Make extra profit with classes/support

Lower software costs

Most important: no worries about software audits.

Re:Makes perfect sense for a retailer to do this.

[Anonymous Coward]

Those with a clue don't use Linspire (Formerly Lindows of "all root, all the time" fame)

3 months later...

[Anonymous Coward]

The linux store has gone out of business when consumers realized they could get everything for free...

Re:3 months later...

[Anonymous Coward]

30 seconds later complete idiot windows user realizes that hardware is not free no matter what his idol/love billy gates says.

all linux users around shake their head in knowlege that awindows user that makes the free remark is actually dumber than a small salad bar without croutons.

duh.... i am amazed at the complete stupidity of you... and you continue... what are you a marketing manager for Microsoft?

No way are they "the first"

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a vendor who I purchase my notebooks through who have 5 other customers who don't touch ANYTHING other than *NIX. Which due to this article, I will now have to ask them who those vendors ARE so I can contact them and give them a chance to defend themselves and/or go after them for false advertising.

GOD I hate it when people don't check their BS marketing stuff out.

Topless Wash n' Install!

[MooseByte]

"They also operate a car wash and figured they could use surplus office space at that location to open a Linux store."

Because nothing screams "classy" like the world's first Topless Carwash/Linux Install Promo Day.

Pray that Ballmer isn't a part of that....

Less consumer confusion ?

[TheUncleBob]

If they only stock linux pc's and linux software, it could provide a one stop shop for locals pc needs without the confusion of "will this (windows) software run on my pc?" Sometimes less choice is better.

Re:Less consumer confusion ?

[Anonymous Coward]

PC stands for "Personal Computer." They sell computers for personal use. Any other questions?

Re:Less consumer confusion ?

[eugene ts wong]

That's exactly the 1st thing that I thought.

Another thing that they may be interested in trying is organizing game tournaments. What better way to demonstrate Linux games?

They could demonstrate office software too.

Re:Less consumer confusion ?

[sloanster]

LOL - I know lots of people call any computer a pc, just as they would call an airbus a300 a chicken coop if it has chickens in it, but still....

Re:Less consumer confusion ?

[AstroDrabb]

huh? not sure what you mean by "pc's", as they are not dealing in pc operating systems, but linux.

PC == Personal Computer. Where in "PC" do do you see MS Windows? You can have a Linux PC and/or a Windows PC. It is still a PC i.e. based on x86. Now if it was PWC (Personal Windows Computer) or something I could see your point. But a PC can be Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, Dos, etc.

Re:Less consumer confusion ?

[Anonymous Coward]

what the hell are you on about?

pc, workstation, mac, mainframe, cluster

all these terms might bring to mind a specific operating system.

but traditionally they refer to hardware...and not neccessarily specific hardware.

anyone who LOLs should be automatically modded down.

Re:Less consumer confusion ?

[westlake]

If they only stock linux pc's and linux software, it could provide a one stop shop for locals pc needs without the confusion of "will this (windows) software run on my pc?"

The responses to this post are missing the obvious: In the general consumer market there is the PC (running Windows) and the Mac. Linux isn't in the picture at all.

Will it have a GENIUS BAR?

[callipygian-showsyst]

And will there be skinny, pimply kids with their Linux iPods hanging around out front?

Poor IIS

[n17ikh]

Linking to an IIS page on slashdot makes baby Jesus sad. HTTP 403.9 - Access Forbidden: Too many users are connected Internet Information Services Isn't it ironic how it's a site for selling Linux computers but runs on a Frontpage-generated, IIS served page. I bet it's the 5 connection version too.

Re:Poor IIS

[normal_guy]

Apache-hosted servers are Slashdotted every single day. Not sure if any single-server site could withstand a Slashdotting.

Re:Poor IIS

[Nasarius]

I suspect the weak point in many Slashdotted sites is bandwidth rather than CPU power. I'd bet good money that a site without heavy CGI on a dual-Opteron with plenty of RAM and a SCSI RAID setup would have no trouble handling the Slashdot crowd if it has tons of bandwidth. :-)

#1 phrase overheard at the Linux store?

[The Ultimate Fartkno]

Hey! Come back! You have to *pay* for that!

live cd?

[Stallmanite]

Check out their "Business Station". It doesn't even come with a hard drive and they say the CD drive is for the operating system.

I didn't even know lindows had a live cd.

Got my hopes up...

[MisterLawyer]

Sub500.com has opened!!! Woo hoo!!!

"Computer systems for well under $500"!!!!!

No... wait... it's just the same as Sub300.com but 200$ more expensive.

"Computer systems for under $300!"

On that note, it seems Lindows needs to update their Linspire testimonials page. "The marriage of Linspire and Sub300.com computer systems is made in heaven" -- Marc Silverman, President, Sub300.com

Re:Got my hopes up...

[ProudClod]

That's because they're canadian dollars.

The USD is not the only dollar.

Re:Got my hopes up...

[Anonymous Coward]

The USB is not the only bus.

Re:Got my hopes up...

[bigjnsa500]

No, but it's the only one that matters.

Re:Got my hopes up...

[generic-man]

Sub500 is the Canadian store, so they sell computers for under C$500. Sub300 is the American store, so they sell computers for under US$300.

Coming soon: their Turkish subsidiary Sub550000000.com.

Lindows strange choice

[jdallien]

Perhaps Toronto's nerds will make a special trip to a Linux-only store, but I don't think many others will be introduced to a new operating system from a small store that's attached to a car wash. That said, Lindows seems like a strange choice of distribution to focus a business on (though they do mention supporting others in the future, but they aren't pushing them for this store opening). Nerds will likely avoid it, even if it is good, since its seen as not worth using if it makes things easy enough a non-nerd could do it. (ie. Mandrake was labeled a "newbie's Linux" at first, though opinion seems to be changing on that one.) Hopefully they find success but they're going to have to evaluate and evolve... people aren't going to be lining up outside just because they can now buy some linux stuff in a store.

Shave and a Haircut...

[SuperChuck69]

Introducing the world's first computer store and car wash!

And Linus Torvalds won't see a dime from it...

[the_skywise]

Wow, what a "brilliant" decision. Hey, we wash cars... lets take this free stuff off the net, throw it onto a computer and sell the computer at going Windows rates! We'll even charge them more money to help them install additional "free" Linux games and software!

I'm all for Open Source in theory. Because, as a software engineer, I know that stuff I put into the "pool" might help people make other/better stuff that goes back into the pool I'll draw from which will hopefully make my stuff better. But what do any of us engineers get from this?

Re:And Linus Torvalds won't see a dime from it...

[shepd]

>But what do any of us engineers get from this?

I don't know. What did albert einstein gain from discovering relativity?

Re:And Linus Torvalds won't see a dime from it...

[Stallmanite]

1. Linux would have never taken off if it was proprietary.
2. Linus considers freeing linux to be the single best decision he ever made.
3. Linux has made linus millions (as a thank you from redhat). He bought a bigger house.

Re:And Linus Torvalds won't see a dime from it...

[SuiteSisterMary]

Ooh! Ooh! I know the answer! Assuming you mean special relativity, NOTHING! Not even a promotion to patent inspector 2nd class, nor a position as a lecturer, nor a position as a high school science teacher.

Re:And Linus Torvalds won't see a dime from it...

[shepd]

So. It got him a job.

Didn't Linus get a job at transmeta because of what he learned from developing Linux?

Re:And Linus Torvalds won't see a dime from it...

[SuiteSisterMary]

Actually, it didn't get him a job; he was already a patent inspector 3rd class. This was his hobby.

He didn't start getting the props he deserved until several years later, possibly (I forget offhand) not even until he busted out the theory of *general* relativity.

WTF??

[Mipsalawishus]

A Linux-only store that is running on Windows/IIS??
http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph/?host=www.sub5 00.com

The store will be successful ....

[DARKFORCE123]

selling Linux products until RMS and some hippies show up boycotting the store because they don't sell GNU/Linux products.

One question...

[Anonymous Coward]

Is everything free? :-)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

[JLavezzo]

Let me be the first to say;

I welcome our new Canadian Overlords.

Re:Toronto, Ontario, Canada

[mainG]

Well, thanks, eh!

(But what do you mean by new Canadian Overlords?)

Their site... M$?

[Whatthehellever]

I tried to get to the sub500.com site and received this message:

The page cannot be displayed
There are too many people accessing the Web site at this time.

Please try the following:

* Click the Refresh button, or try again later.
* Open the sub500.com home page, and then look for links to the information you want.

HTTP 403.9 - Access Forbidden: Too many users are connected
Internet Information Services

Technical Information (for support personnel)

* Background:
This error can occur if the Web server is busy and cannot process your request due to heavy traffic.

* More information:
Microsoft Support

Wait... They're running Windows as a web server?!?!?! What gives?

No!

[stefankoegl]

As Heise reported (translated version) on June 1, there is already a store which sells all about Linux in Berlin, Germany.

two words of advice

[subzero_ice]

Ship to US and keep the prices low and you can add me to your customer list.

hypothetical

[jeffehobbs]

...if I rob the store, is that allowed by the GPL?

~jeff

Expectations

[Rick Zeman]

...and the shoplifting rate will be astronomical since most people expect to get what they want for free.
Better hope they don't have a music department....

Speaking as a Torontonian

[HarbV7.0]

Let's see as far as I know there are only 3 Apple stores in downtown T.O. I doubt that a Linux store/ car wash on Dufferin has a Penquins chance in hell of making it (yes even those cute little guys you see on the beaches of Australia). There a ton of cheap computer stores in the College/Spadina area right downtown that'll be more than happy to sell you a cheap machine sans OS. Face it most Linux users know how to download the distro of they're flavour of Linux and in most cases it wont be Lindows. If your a M$ user and want to switch I'd recommend Mac. Me? I'll keep using Mac and Linux (SuSe), but I doubt I'll be visiting this store. Oh, and I don't own a car, not even a Windows one.

Re:Speaking as a Torontonian

[CaptainPinko]

are they real Apple Stores or just stotres that sell Apples? If so do you know the whereabouts? because enxt time I go down I'd love to check it out

Where are they getting the parts from?

[Anonymous Coward]

Everytime I look at building a new computer the price of the parts is greater than buying the thing pre built from somebody else. Is the volume discount on parts that great? Yes this is off topic but I think of it everytime a story is published about retail linux computers.

ummmm...

[TheHonestTruth]

But what do any of us engineers get from this?

The warm fuzzies for knowing that not everything you do has to involve being paid for it? The joy of contributing to a great operating system because you want to?

-truth

Re:ummmm...

[mingot]

Does that taste good and is it nutritious?

Does it look good when your 13 year old daughter wears it to school on her first day or does she get to be the laughing stock?

Does it comfortably seat four? If not, how many?

Will it keep the rain off of my family members' heads?

It gets cold here, can you at least burn it for heat if the answer to the questions above happened to be no?

Re:ummmm...

[TheHonestTruth]

My response was obviously geared towards someone that writes OSS code as a hobby, not as their primary source of income. The parent to my post implied that anyone that coded OSS software should be compensated for their efforts now that someone has opened a linux.

your reply, while humorous, missed the point I was making. kthnxbye.

-truth

First all-linux store...

[rattler14]

Let me guess, it's a room with a computer in the middle of the room, much like a mall kiosk. When you open mozilla, it brings you right to sourceforge.net, where you proceed to download the linux software you want. To make sure you're not a microsoft spy, you need to recompile the CD-R drivers before you're allowed to burn your CD. This is a test to see if you're heart and mind are pure. A 10% discount is given if you can do it all in perl. 20% off if you can do it in less that 6 lines like DVD-Jon. Upon leaving, a guy dressed like Gary Busey beats you up for $10.

I bet I'm at least 50% right :)

Linspire ? Excuse me?

[phoxix]

Is this some sort of insult or something? The distro that has the absurdly expensive yearly-lockin, super annoying marketing practises, and does thing as root ?

As a linux user, I feel offended. I think the likes of Mandrake or Suse would be a MUCH better idea.

Sunny Dubey

PS: Just for kicks, Pricewatch supports LinBullShit too, *cough**cough*

Re:Linspire ? Excuse me?

[CaptainTux]

The distro that has the absurdly expensive yearly-lockin, super annoying marketing practises, and does thing as root ?

As someone who did a bit of business with the company when they still operated under the "Lindows" name I can say you're totally wrong.

First, there *is no yearly lock-in*. After you purchase your copy of LinSpire you never *have* to spend another penny on software or services. Nothing prevents you from downloading, compiling, and installing your own software. If you want the convenience that Click-N-Run offers (which takes some work on the part of the LinSpire team) then you can choose to pay for that convenience. But you don't have to be locked in if you're willing to do your own work.

Secondly, in case you haven't read their site for like the last two years, you *don't* have to "do everything as root". As of version 2.0 you could create individual, restricted, non-root accounts. So, until you actually know what you're talking about please don't spread FUD just to spread FUD.

Lastly, LinSpire might not be exactly what we all want in a distro. But it *is* doing a great job at getting people - average newbies - to take a serious look at Linux where they might not have done so if it weren't for the distro. It might not be *your* favorite distro but it is helping to break the MS monopoly and gently introduce people to Linux. It allows people to ease into Linux at their pace instead of tossing all sorts of stuff they have no clue about like some distros do. The average Windows user is *not* terribly technically literate. They can be educated but it has to be at a gradual and easy pace. I think that LinSpire does a great job at this. Handholding where it's needed but letting the user go on their own when they're ready.

Re:Linspire ? Excuse me?

[osssmkatz]

I thought I would add that Linspire has no open ports (iptables), and no compilers. Given that they do not use a standard filesystem that everyone would know their way around, it would be hard, though not impossible to attack them. although their simplistic explanation of the filesystem gives me worry about flaming from you uber-geeks of Slashdot. http://www.lindows.com/filesystem

Destroys my weekend...

[colinmc151]

'Toronto will become home this weekend to what's being touted as the first retail computer store devoted exclusively to Linux-based products.'

As a Toronto resident I had planned on a quiet weekend, with nothing more than seeing FAHRENHEIT 9/11 now it looks like I will have to attending a store opening...

For the transit bound, looks like the best way to get to 2930 Dufferin St. address of the new store would be to go to the Laurence West subway station, then take any west bound bus (52+, 58+, or 59+) to Dufferin, then take the Dufferin (29+) bus south.

This will be about as successful

[00squirrel]

as a refrigerator store in Antarctica.

Wishing them well

[Platinum Dragon]

This store isn't too far from where I live, by transit anyway, so I may have to give it a look sometime soon.

The realist in me questions how long this store will survive considering the array of cheapie computer outlets strewn across the GTA that will happily toss in Windows, but getting mentioned in the TorStar may help draw the curious. If the quality of the machines themselves is better than the crap sold by MDG and its ilk, the good reputation alone could help this store ride out the first year.

My greatest concern is that people who have no clue about how Linux operates will walk in expecting a Windows clone, and freak out the moment they can't install, say, DVD X Copy or Farcry. However, I also hope this will be overridden by clueful folks bringing their friends to help buy a new box, people who are willing to help newbies get over the initial bumps and learning curve. It sounds like this store sells Linux-based machines preinstalled, which pretty much eliminates the issue of installation difficulties that many critics still like to point out. For some time, I've thought that Windows preinstalls were the greatest barrier to increased Linux adoption.

Most of all, when I start making a bit more than just-above-minimum-wage, I'll want to get a newer machine than the Pentium II I'm still slogging away on (happily, I might add, with FC2). I'd like to know what I can get for about Cdn$600-$800, since I'd like to use that machine for testing things like Ardour. If I don't have to pay the MS tax, and the machines are guaranteed to work with Linux out of the store, then I won't have to worry as much about playing hardware roulette--someone else did it for me:).

Re:Wishing them well

[zeropointentity]

Factory Direct is a decent place. They have an actual store in Orangeville (about $18 round trip from Union on the GO Bus), and probably elsewhere, if you want to check out things first hand. Monitor and everything else aside, you can find some decent, and warrantied, systems for under $500.

Most interesting combination...

[Anonymous Coward]

... since Dayton Bait & Deli (formerly Dayton Bait & Video).

OT: Apple dealers in Toronto

[Platinum Dragon]

Let's see as far as I know there are only 3 Apple stores in downtown T.O.

Two non-chains come to mind:
-Computer System Centre, Inc.
-Northstar

CompuSmart/Compucentre deals in Apple products, though I'm not sure if you had them in mind.

Who else sells Apple stuff?

Re:OT: Apple dealers in Toronto

[HarbV7.0]

Ok, ok, put that way. There are only 3 stores that sell Apple products in the downtown core that I know of. Hey at least I got the number correct! The third store I was thinking of is Carbon Computing.

Re:OT: Apple dealers in Toronto

[Anonymous Coward]

CPUsed comes to mind and they have another location I can't remember the name of. My old roomate bought a Toshiba Satellite from their sister store PCUsed about 4 years ago. They tend to have prices that are ridiculously high for their used systems.

Site Slashdotted

[canfirman]

Looks like the site is Sub000.com right now. My guess is that everybody's trying to deal with the server overload and nobody's watching the lineup of cars are waiting to be washed. So hey: we've /.ed both of their operations!

Not a joke!

[Nasarius]

It really is IIS for some strange reason.

Re:Not a joke!

[goates]

Do they host the site, or does their ISP?

Re:Not a joke!

[nocomment]

I know. That why I said that ;-)

at first I thought, "hey, maybe it's their hosting provider or some odd proxy thing" but if you cick on netblock owner, only their domains are listed there.

Re:Not a joke!

[chadm1967]

If it's their hosting company, then they need to switch to an all Linux hosting company. There's a lot of them out there.

A Linux-only store should not be running on MS products.

Re:Not a joke!

[Anonymous Coward]

That is right. They should definitely choose a BSD hosting company, not that ugly MS stuff.

Well...

[MAXOMENOS]

...Linux General Store lasted several years. The location was next to a University, and it was in a town with a very active and young Linux community, so that helped a lot. People mostly bought t-shirts, stickers, NICs, Penguin mints and cheap distro CDs. A lot of business was colocation. A lot of people brought in boxes for maintenance; a few bought boxes outright. They had a regular newsletter and a book deal.

I frankly think the main reason that it failed was poor management. Moralle was the lowest there I have ever seen at any business.

Re:Well...

[mingot]

...Linux General Store lasted several years. The location was next to a University, and it was in a town with a very active and young Linux community, so that helped a lot.

"a lot" is a bit of a fucking understatement. The GT campus is ground zero for georgia nerds. With that location it should have been as successful as selling condoms in a whorehouse.

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

...as long as the condoms were free (as in beer)!

Re:Well...

[mingot]

Not a requirement, as the herpes are DEFINATELY free as in beer (and freedom).

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

I KNOW the reason it failed was poor management. Joe in particular. If he had backed off and let a few of us do the job that needed doing it would have done much better.

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

If he hadn't blown off his goddamn contracts (IBM, Sun), moved people into roles for which they were very poorly suited, and lied to people about stock options, he would have done much better. There's rumors that he fled the country. I wonder if he's in the process of eluding a certain Navy SEAL.

Re:Well...

[Anonymous Coward]

Very true. I would run from Lord too. Not fast enough I'm sure though.

Re:fp...

[picklepuss]

What I'm failing to understand here, is how some anonymous coward can repeatedly get first post when subscribers are able to view stories first? That is, assuming that the subscribers aren't clicking on the "Post Anonymously" checkbox. If that's the case then what's the point? What's the glory in getting first post if no one knows who you are?

Windows only, eh? Lets see what their site runs...

[Yenhsrav_Keviv]

lets see what netcraft.com has to say about their server:

http://www.sub500.com was running Microsoft-IIS on Windows 2000 when last queried at 24-Jun-2004 19:34:58 GMT

http://www.sub300.com was running Microsoft-IIS on Windows 2000 when last queried at 24-Jun-2004 19:03:06 GMT

so much for linux only. very interesting indeed.

But, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Do they have free beer?

(sorry, had to ask...)

Circus Show!!!!

[taxevader]

with Spinal Tap.

What about Click N Run?

[Vandil X]

I thought Linspire used Click N Run as its primary means of software acquisition and installation.

I doubt the software being sold at the store would be instantly installable on Linspire machines from CD -- they're probably sourceforge/freshmeat CDRs. The software would have to be compiled first -- something Linspire's target market (Joe SixpackWindowsSwitcher) doesn't regularly do...

Just my reaction to the news..

Okay, try the reverse...

[the_skywise]

Then why don't these guys give away the computers and their services for free or AT COST?

Re:Okay, try the reverse...

[shepd]

Because they're in business and aren't that generous; whereas Linus was in school and appears quite generous.

Sorry, not there yet

[macemoneta]

"Due to the constantly evolving hardware and software industries, 100% compatibility
between hardware and software can not be assured."

While I don't care, this disclaimer will put a lot of people off. When's the last time you bought a PC that said "Oh, some of that stuff might not work".

This is why a large vendor, like Dell or HP needs to push Linux. They can force hardware vendors to provide drivers, where the little mom and pop shops can't.

Everythng Linux in Sydney probably comes closer

[AReilly]

It's been going for several years now: I bought my "Happy Hacker" keyboard from them, and that's nearly worn out now. They're still going, too. Bricks, mortar and all (and a web presence, of couse).

Re:Everythng Linux in Sydney probably comes closer

[farzadb82]

Whereabouts are they located in Sydney ? - I don't remember there being such a store...

Re:Everythng Linux in Sydney probably comes closer

[kephunk]

They're in Five Dock. Been there for years. Definitely one of my favourite shops in Sydney %-)

Should be in the College St Getto

[hey]

Too bad it isn't in the College St Computer Store Getto (in Toronto). That's where it belongs.

Beowolf Cluster possibility?

[funk49]

Maybe they can work out a franchise model and create a Beowolf Cluster from all the participtating car washes/computer stores? Huzzah!! Serious number crunching and armor-alling for everyone!!

Not the first by a long shot

[vandan]

http://www.everythinglinux.com.au is a Linux-only retailer in Sydney that's been open for years.

Perhaps they are the first Linux-only retailer in the US?

Re:Not the first by a long shot

[FullCircle]

We haven't invaded Canada just yet.

Re:Not the first by a long shot

[vandan]

Ah. Toronta is in Canada, eh?
Yes, it's only a matter of time then :)

Re:Not the first by a long shot

[Anonymous Coward]

Assuming you're from the U.S., you did invade. It was called the War of 1812. Guess why the Whitehouse is white, eh?

Re:Not the first by a long shot

[burns210]

SHHH!!! What are you trying to do, spoil our surprise attack on the northern border? Someone didn't get the DO-NOT-DISCLOSE memo sent to every red-blooded american, aye?

New guy on the job...

[noidentity]

So, they clean your windows and also offer a replacement for them? Let's just hope the new guy doesn't remove the windows and install a command-line in your car by mistake. I'd hate to be a pedestrian in its path...

Mouse pad? Bumper sticker?

[gr8_phk]

No wonder they went out of business....

$1111 !?!! Too costly

[vijaya_chandra]

PCs will cost from $299 to $979, while laptops will sell for as low as $1,111.

Hell!! I would go buy a dell laptop for $800 and install linux on it.

Support!?! I don't need no support. what is the irc for anyway??

Store in Sydney

[LinuxFixer]

EverythingLinux (http://www.everythinglinux.com.au/) has a retail store since about 1996....

Re:Store in Sydney

[kephunk]

Actually they've only been going since 1999

Re:Store in Sydney

[kephunk]

Atleast they did the right thing when they launched their shop though. They bought some bloody advertising instead of getting it posted to /. as "news".

The Computers are Crap, Who Cares if it's Linux

[Anonymous Coward]

Linux is a fantastic operating system, but for the price of those computers and the specifications, it makes no sense to buy anything there just to get Linux preinstalled on it. Check out the great deal business system for $299 CA which doesn't even have a hard drive or any name brand parts. You're better of building one yourself and not being so lazy and putting Linux on yourself. If you are looking for cheap name brand parts go to Canada Computers where you can build your system with name brand components for less than $500 CA. I guess people will always try to cash in on something, in this case it's Linux.

Re:$1111 !?!! Too costly

[vijaya_chandra]

Well I the '$' with 1111 seems to be canadian
as the sub300.com for the american masses shows the price as $828. But still
1Ghz VIA processor, 256MB RAM, 40 Gig HD
shouldn't be costing me $800

In other news...

[Chapium]

In other news, sub500.com is the first linux only computer store to file bankrupcy...

anyone notice they seem to be on a MS IIS web srv?

[Anonymous Coward]

kind of humorous

Looking at this a little while back.

[anlprb]

I was looking at the linspire notebook a couple of weeks ago, the 1Ghz one. I knew it was 828, then I went to www.sub500.com, and nearly pooped my drawers, the notebook was now $1111. I thought they were just trying to gouge the /. crowd. Then someone said that they run www.sub300.com too. Those prices looked more reasonable. Originally got to them from www.linspire.com because of a very favorable linux journal review.

Re:Looking at this a little while back.

[n0wak]

Both prices are reasonable. I think you're failing to take the CDN$->USD$ conversion between the sites into consideration.

clean kernels and rims

[gwhynott]

Nice, it is great to see stuff like this.

my 2 cents.

Hardly the first one...

[Anonymous Coward]

Linux Store (http://linuxstore.se/) in Stockholm, Sweden has exclusively been selling linux-based systems (and software) since 1996. Typical of you Americans to think you're ahead of other countries, when in reality us Scandinavians are always first.

Their servers should be running...

[Anonymous Coward]

... something better.

Re:Their servers should be running...

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree with you.
FreeBSD would be able to handle all requests in a timely manner.

What about licenses?

[Pros_n_Cons]

What about SCO licenses? are the wholesale prices?

They aren't the first

[exekewtable]

Everything Linux here in Sydney had a linux only store for ages. Not sure they have a retail presence still. You can check it out: http://www.elx.com.au

dave

sub477777.com? Wrong!

[Anonymous Coward]

Italy is a State of the European Union since 1950.
The euro is the currency of the European Union since Jan 1st 2002.
Well, excepting UK, DK, SE and the new member states (SI, CZ, PL, HU, SK, EE, LV, and LT).

Re:sub477777.com? Wrong!

[IncohereD]

Italy is a State of the European Union since 1950.

Nineteen...FIFTY??? What?

Hey, wasn't that place a photo-mat before?

[Anonymous Coward]

I recognize that little place. It was a photo-mat, and before that it sold sno-cones and churros. I wonder what it will be next year. Maybe a pornography store. I hope it'll be a porn store.

Definitely not the first...

[EmagGeek]

The Linux General Store in Atlanta was the first Linux-only shop that I saw.. I know it was in business in 1999, but went out of business sometime in 2001 or 2002.

Actually, "Jewish Overlords"

[Anonymous Coward]

That Dufferin area is predominantly Jewish, with quite a few Orthodox/Assidic folks around there.

Ask for the "Aryan Nation" special. See what they offer.

Re:first store? I had one five years ago

[Anonymous Coward]

I opened one in Massachusetts about five years ago
http://www.free-comp-shop.com
and closed it about two years ago.

You forgot:

D: There's no glory in retail sales

E: Low margins, inventory obsolete in a month.

F: The customer is always self-rightous.

G: I'd rather be programming

but if I had the marketing skill/chutzpa to get
newspapers to write me up as big news, and the
alternative was running a car-wash, I might be
still at it.

-- Programmer in Chief

A new class of ripoff joint

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, according to the description:

No Hard Drive Needed!*

Yes kids, they're selling computers with no hard drives and saying you don't need one! Explain THAT to your mom and dad when they want to know why you want them to get that computer with a fancy-schmacy "hard drive" in it.

In atlanta in midtown...

[zogger]

... across from the old sears store which is now city hall east,there used to be (might still exist, I don't know) a store called "S & M Clutch and Brake", which is doubly hilarious if you know the nature of midtown.....

Re:In atlanta in midtown...

[joeljkp]

Well, there's a place in Starkville, MS called "Lube Doctor". Next door is "Muff Doctor".

Re:In atlanta in midtown...

[zogger]

HAHAHAHAHAHA! that's a good one too! this whole subthread is a gas!

Over to the last place I lived in north georgia is a store, I forget the real name of it now, but it was a combo pawn shop with mostly guns and a liquor store, so I called it "booze-n-bullets".

Re: Linux only store

[Anonymous Coward]

Netcraft stats on the site:

http://www.sub300.com was running Microsoft-IIS on Windows 2000 when last queried at 24-Jun-2004 19:03:06 GMT - refresh now FAQ
OS Server Last changed IP address Netblock Owner
Windows 2000 Microsoft-IIS/5.0 24-Feb-2004 207.61.11.25 Time Sensitive Express

No uptime is currently available for www.sub300.com

Not a good stat for a "Linux" only store...

Re:Mouse pad? Bumper sticker?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmh. Yeah, puzzling.

Umh, oh yeah, I think I got it figured out: maybe he was NOT THE ONLY CUSTOMER they had?

Re:$1111 !?!! Too costly

[Anonymous Coward]

But still 1Ghz VIA processor, 256MB RAM, 40 Gig HD shouldn't be costing me $800

Maybe you are forgetting the $699 component from your calculations?

Re:first store? I had one five years ago

[NineNine]

As a fellow retailer, I feel your pain. My store has stuff that expires, exceedingly annoying customers (although not as bad as computer geeks), and low margin stuff that people compare against loss-leaders they find online. Retailing is *not* easy in these days. I have a relatively large customer base. I can tell you hands down that I would run away screaming from a business that had such a small, particlar and yes, cheap, customer base as this (and your former) business has. My customer base is quite broad, and my products are unique, but trying to have a brick & morar compete against every mom-and-pop online is a hell of a challenge these day. We've been open for 2 years, and I think I've aged 10 years.

We have a linux-only retail shop in australia!

[LordChaos]

Go to Everything Linux
It's been around for several years as well.. It sells linux distros, linux compatible hardware, and linx related software (vmware/etc)

DFW Texas

[jxliv7]

.
actually had a Linux store about 2 years ago over in the Irving area. Went down faster than a Hollywood hooker.

When they closed, they left a nasty note on the door blaming the Linux community for not supporting the store.

jon

It's sub300.com in the US

[gelfling]

No - seriously it is.

What dose this mean anyway?

[Felinoid]

First Linux store? Actually there has been at least a few preveous. Va Linux systems anyone?
A bunch poped up in the 1990s when Linux was still new. But everything that went on at the time eroded that.
I remember using an obsolete XT connected to the internet to use lynx to visit a Linux store website and find they'd gone out of business and directed me to Va Linux systems.
I don't know if VA ever had a brick but at least one Linux store I knew of did.

Eventually Va bought out Slashdot and found more money in Slashdot than system sales.
Everyone else found they couldn't stay alive and the Linux stores were gone.

Years later...
Dragonix what was originally offered freely (if you don't masproduce) is now sold commertally. (You get the parts and the scematics so you can modify or rebuild, It's a good deal really I doupt you'd find the parts if you didn't buy em from SwissEmbedded anyway)

Also if you DO have a commertal application just pay em a consulting fee and they'll whip up what ever you need with an appropreate liccens for your intentions (in other words you can masproduce if you get a liccens from them to that effect).

I've considered getting the SwissEmbedded MP3 player built on the Dragonix base system. But I've desided not to.
(Going to build my own)

But the Dragonix won't make a decent laptop or a remotely worthly server.
And it's just an imbeded company making specalised machines for a consulting fee. Not quite up to snuff with the exposure of a Linux retail in real life.

Now?
Now we have a Linux PC shop in real space in the back of a carwash.
Yeah ok it's got all the polish of a gass station food cort on the other hand it's there in the public path. Maybe not clean or fancy but thies guys get to pitch Linux to avrage people who may have nothing better to do and more than likely never heard of it before or never heard the Linux side.

And a plus, Unlike a lot of people they are selling desktops for avrage people. When you CAN get Linux from one of the big PC venders it's always a server configuration.
What dose the avrage person use a PC for anyway? Browsing the web and reading e-mail. Internet stuff. That's what thies guys are leveraging. Cheap Internet desktops.

And it looks to me like they are making a proffit.
Also it's been pointed out the sad details thies guys use Windows for a web server and Frontpage to make the website.
That means? They don't eat the dogfood. They are Windows users themselfs. Not Linux advocates. Not geeks. Just avrage jo users who can see the value in selling Linux PCs. They know EXACTLY why people would want to use Windows over Linux becouse THEY DO.
Maybe they'll switch when they themselfs need to upgrade. They'll buy a system from themselfs. Untill they they use what they've had already and don't really care to upgrade just yet.

In short it's Linux boxes out there where the avrage user can see it, the way the avrage user wants it, sold by the avrage user.
No more "Geek" Os in a geek store sold by geeks. Hell try to find Windows sold by nonGeeks or at least salesmen who aren't pretending to be geeks.

Ballmer Monkey Music Videos

[superyooser]

Monkey Dance Disco Remix

Developers Techno Remix

The link vivek7006 gave is not a "monster-remix."

Correction

[Anonymous Coward]

You cant Invade Canada , Because Canada as Beaten the crap out of you every time you tried ;-)

Luckily for you last time you tried whe where a colony. Whe did burned down your capital and defeated your entire armed force do.

Whant to try , now that where a country, go ahead
You will loose your entire country this time.

Re:Correction

[Anonymous Coward]

Dear god man, go back to grade 8.

It's spelled WE and WERE.

Re:Mouse pad? Bumper sticker?

[Anonymous Coward]

...yeah, the other one bought the t-shirt.

Sam and Max: Hit the Road

[Anonymous Coward]

If you've ever played Sam and Max: Hit the Road, just as you exit the office building in the beginning, there's a store sign that says, "Guns, Liquor, Baby Needs"

Not the first

[Mind Socket]

Thou touteth incorrectly

Everything Linux

[CelestialWizard]

Everything Linux in Sydney,Australia has been operating as a retail store (with webfront) for many years now and is totally devoted to linux and linux related products.

Nothing new. Again, our North American cousins believe they are the only people in the world. Been on that page already folks, catch up.

Sad day for OSS

[FullCircle]

I wish them luck, but getting this much press for a store in a car wash is a big black eye on OSS.

Can you just think of how bad MS and friends will spin this? Lets just keep it quiet and forget about them until there is a serious retail outlet.

Exclusive linux distro?

[yet_another_nickname]

From: http://www.linspire.com/builder/builder_overview.p hp

(snip)
Revenue Share Eligibility
For Gold Builders -- To become a Gold Builder, you must agree to sell Linspire as your company's exclusive Linux-based operating system. Gold Builders are eligible to participate in our Revenue Share Program which pays you commission from add-on purchases made by your customers at the Linspire.com web site. Commission percentages are based on a sliding scale - the larger your Linspire customer base, the higher your commission percentage. You will earn commission from each of your customers from the moment they turn on their new Linspire computer up to 18 months.
(snip)

Isn't this what Microsoft was doing? Doesn't seem right.

Another before this in Berkeley Springs, WV

[Anonymous Coward]

Vander Jagt Computers November 2nd, 2003
I submitted this and the editors didn't put it up.

gewg_

Not the first

[Hunter555]

Everything Linux in Sydney has been around for years:

http://www.everythinglinux.com.au/

Too bad Red Hat did not think of it first

[Anonymous Coward]

All the joking you want is not going to change the fact that Lindows.com is taking the desktop by storm. Linspire is the best linux desktop out there and has more users than any other distro.

Facts speak for themselves.

I do not see a Red Hat store or a Mandrake store. Look out world, here come the next desktop leader.

A Linux store in a car wash?

[Anonymous Coward]

That'll do a lot for Linux's trailor trash image! :)

I'll try posting this in the -right- thread now.

[Dylbert]

Everythinglinux.com.au , selling all things linux related.

Kind of like a Thinkgeek for Australia (and they accept BPAY!) :D

$500 Canadian

[NimNar]

That's $500 Canadian dollars.

Hmm!!

[vijaya_chandra]

Do I hear people starting to say FreeBSD !?!?

I'm not shopping at that store

[Anonymous Coward]

$49 for 128MB of CF Flash memory? what are they smoking? I can pick that up for $25 at Frys Electronic.

Rule of shopping - get the greatest and latest at the cheapest price. Linux smilux who gives a crap!!!

newthinking store opened in Berlin

[Knuckles]

In Berlin, Germany, newthinking store opened on June 1 (in German, Google translation). Here is the annoucement on Heise (in German, Google translation). It is aimed mainly at the general computer-interested public and sells distros, preinstalled hardware, documentation, and merchandising. Hardware components that are guaranteed to be supported under Linux will also be included in the range of products. newthinking store is part of the newthinking network, which includes the modules communications, IT systems, and design.

[yes, blatant plug]

This is the future

[theolein]

I think that once this gains traction, very much like the new music did in the 90's after everyone had gotten verilly sick of hair farming rock and roll excesses, there will be nothing to stop it. Imagine, you walk into a Linux store and your Linux DJ guru behind the bench cooks you up your own custom distro with tools to suit your particular addiction.

Yo.

A wish about this store

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope they'll declare bankruptcy soon. Fuck linux.

Small rebuttal from the store itself.

[Sub300-Sub500]

HI. Marc from Sub300/Sub500 here. Firstly I'd like to thank all of the supporters here. To answer a few items that were brought up: 1) We don't host our own web server. We pay a company to do so, and until being slashdotted yesterday, I had no idea of what software they were using. I will be speaking to them today about perhaps making the changeover to Linux. 2) About the car wash. We happen to be in a building with a car wash in it. (We also happen to own the car wash). The two companies have nothing to do with each other. We won't be washing computers, and we won't be installing kernels in our drive-thru. The article made it sound like our store was an afterthought. The truth is that we've been doing wholesale of computer parts for the last 12 years, and we've been doing online sales through our websites for the last 18 months. The tennant renting the store space at our car wash recently ended his lease, so the space was available. The location is actually quite good, and there is plenty of parking. The idea was well pretty much well thought out. We didn't just say one day "Let's open a computer store in a carwash!" 3) We will be featuring other distros than just Linspire. We just believe that an absolute newbie coming in to our store for the first time will be much more familiar with the look and feel of Linspire. We know the "geeks" don't dig it, but very often, the geeks can fend for themselves. We are trying to convert more people to Linux. I don't see that as a bad thing. 4) Sub300 is in US Dollars, Sub500 is in Canadian dollars. I've noticed some people confused by the issue. Have to do comparisons correctly. 5) As far as the website, it's being redone (without Frontpage). We've seen the error of our ways. We also made the site before we became Linux exclusive. That's about all I have to say. Feel free to contact me via our website if you have any questions or concerns. Again to the supporters, thank you! Marc Sub300/500

Re:$1111 !?!! Too costly

[Anonymous Coward]

I am writing this /. article on one of these Lindows labtops (slightly older model with C3 Ezra CPU) bought from sub500 in Toronto. It was picked up at the sub500 location even if they did not officially have a retail store back then a year ago.

It is a actually a very nice laptop. I would gladly trade som CPU speed for less weight. It is only 2.9 lbs or 1.3Kg (Canada is supposed to be metric).

It did have a problem with a loose HD connector but hopefully this is corrected in the newer model.

If Sub500 is doing OK and have custumers from Toronto that would prefer to pick up their stuff instead of having it mailed this could work. Especially as long as Wall-Mart only carries linux-products in their www-store.

It's a good thing their website looks like

[Anonymous Coward]

crap.

Absoute Crap

[Anonymous Coward]

The first retail store to my knowledge opened in Atlanta in 1998 - the Linux General store. I think the guy behind it was Joe daVita.

Even Omaha already has one!

[IrishMASMS]

first retail computer store devoted exclusively to Linux-based products

Sure, in Toronto... but there are plenty of other places in other locations that have already done the same thing. Nice to see Toronto finally catching up. Hell, even in Omaha we already have one!

http://www.reboottheuser.com/

Not the first.

[Rip!ey]

I have a Slackware 7.1 CD and three CDs for Mandrake 7.2 here, that were purchased from a retail linux shop when they were 'current'. In Perth, Western Australia. They had a good range of boxed sets, linux games, and paraphanalia as well, but made most of their money from custom hardware/software solutions using linux. The shop front was closed down eventually so they could concentrate on their core business and work from home.