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Earthlink Sponsors Cheap Linux PCs
prostoalex writes "Earthlink and Microtel are offering cheap Xandros-based computers to anyone who's willing to sign up for Earthlink dial-up service at $22 a month. The desktops on Microtel Web site start at $70 for a basic AMD Sempron machine, Microtel laptops start at $399. ExtremeTech says there is also a SkypeOut gift certificate: 'All Xandros PCs and laptops include free Skype-to-Skype calling worldwide, plus an exclusive bonus voucher for up to 120 minutes of SkypeOut calling to any phone number in the world.'"
Could Bill Gates be right about hardware costing dirt in the future? Since they are selling this on software Gates is kind of 100% right.
I'm glad that more companies are starting to pick up on cheap hardware combined with free software. This will be great for the "moms and pops" who don't care about what they use as long as it works. By offering lots of cheap (with specific hardware) companies can reduce costs for support since there arn't options. It's undercutting the competition just like Ford did, you can have "any color you want, as long as its black". Looking at the specs on the system they don't seem that bad, comparable to a deal Frys had a few weekends ago where you could pick up a full system for $100 (Sempron, CD-Rom, Harddrive, case etc). Some ram upgrade and those machines would probably be plenty for most users.
If they make it so simple that they send it to you, you plug it in, and it works, that's really great for unsophisticated computer users.
I wish them the best of luck.
http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_
I understand the purpose of this, however I cringe whenever I see dialup being promoted into longevity.
The internet content of today chokes on dialup. The internet content of the future will not be able to live without broadband.... so why promote expanded use of any kind of dialup? Are we still in an age where there are enough people without broadband (or the cash to afford it) that we must cater in this fashion? Should this be so, efforts to bring prices down in the broadband market and increased efforts towards greater availiability (though less of a problem now) are far more meritorius than taking a dead horse and pulling a Frankenstein on it.
The Crimson Dragon
Well, at least it's running Linux. Because on dialup, it'd probably take at least 12 months to download the patches to secure XP.
If you've got $21.95/month for dialup, but don't have an extra $2-4/month for DSL from your phone provider (or $20/month from your cable provider), you've got no business spending $333.39 ($69.99 + 12 * 21.95) or "$69.99" for a low-end PC with no monitor.
Use $300 to buy a year's worth of broadband, and with the remaining cash, support your nearest surplus store ($50) or computer recycler ($10), garage sale ($50), or even lighten the load on your apartment's dumpster ($0.00).
All Xandros PCs and laptops include free Skype-to-Skype calling worldwide
:^)
Wow, that's generous! Now if only their internet access offered free access to CNN.com and slashdot.org, worldwide, I'd be putting in my order right away!
Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
I worked for an out sourced call center for Earthlink in late 03. At that time, Earthlink didn't support Linux at all.
I had about 3 calls about people wanting to set up Kppp, but I was told by my supervisor to not say anything but "Earthlink does not support any linux distribution"
One other call was someone calling for a number, but at the time we had to ask what OS they were using, and I did as my supervisor told me to do....
Right after I gave the statement, the caller gave me an ass chewing, saying that he just needed a number because he just moved to a new state.
I'm glad to see that one of the bigger dial up companies has changed their stance on Linux... or have they? Anyone know?
Didn't PeoplePC try and fail at this just a few years ago? I don't remember if they were using Windows on the boxes, but the business model of dial-up and "free" computers didn't pan out then. What has changed?
It worked so well for PeoplePC and freepc.com. They'll be losing money on every unit, but heck, they'll make it up on volume, right?
What the mom-n-pop's-mom-n-pop crown really need is a machine that skips the os and boots straight to Yahoo!
It's a little unnerving when I view their website and realize they stole their "Customize It" buttons from Dell.
Under 'processer', it says 'AMD 2.0GHz Sempron Processor 2200+'.
Do even a tiny ammount of Googling, and you will see that the Sempron 2200+ is a 1.5 ghz chip. So, this means one of two things... either A) they're blatently lying about the clockspeed, or B) they're pre-overclocking the chips... which is the case?
If they're saying it's equivelant to a 2.0 ghz Intel chip in speed (which most AMD fans, myself included, would agree with), that's one thing. If they're pre-overclocking the chips, that's another (which some people will support, and others won't)... but in either case, they should be clearer in what they're saying and doing, since the way they're saying things now is somewhat suspicious.
I've had a lot of seat-time with Xandros (Corel Linux) and have been pretty impressed with its abilities out-of-the-box. It's got a decent debian style package builder, which isn't completely reliable with rpms straight-through, but works well with deb packages. 3.0.1 OC runs KDE 3.3, which isn't my cup of tea (wmaker) but works well for those used to a pure GUI environment. It lends its flexibility quite well for those who are used to a *nix environment, as it builds source just like any other, but has the easiest install program this side of Mandr(ake/iva), and it all fits on one CD to keep costs low for a machine as one would only need a CD-ROM drive. My biggest gripe is that the CUPS network printing tool is pretty craptacular, as it takes some screwing around to make it not just find but print to the network printers, but Samba seems to be right at home. Overall, it's probably one of the better Linux standalone operating systems that Grandma Smith could probably handle installing and using on a daily basis. It's no OS X, but isn't a Gentoo bitchfest.
-Yim
Some nice things about these boxes:
They're actually cheaper with Xandros than with XP. Not by much, but I guess that means they're actually paying Xandros and not Microsoft.
They all come with OpenOffice. Even the versions with WinXP. And MS Office is clearly listed as a (very) pricey option.
This makes it very clear that, even for users not ready to adopt Linux, there are big cost savings to be had by adopting OOo.
Now if all vendors would start offering Firefox and OOo on their boxes (with or without WinXP), that might make a real splash.
Posted from my Android phone. Oh, I can change this? There, that's better...
1. Get customer to sign up and get a cheap computer
2. Get customer hooked on your service and *SUPPORT*
3. Years go by
4. ???
5. Profit !!!
Linux is not that easy to use and they will surely need to provide some support, but the profit in having the customer this hooked on your support is probably worth it.
9/11: Never forget it was a false-flag operation
I'm sure that skype is going to work great over Earthlink dialup.
So you pay $70 for the desktop (plus shipping) and $21 per month for the dial-up service.
I can imagine a lot of people wanting a cheap server or another pc in the home hopping on this, even if they already have broadband.
Hell, if I needed another machine, I'd do it in a heatbeat. And I'd never log into the Earthlink account, and would cancel after a year.
Yes. I've been installing Xandros on essentially anyone who's computer I got tired of fixing hag ridden copies of windows on.
It installs from a single CD.
It looks and feels a lot like windows
It just works, out of the box. I have yet to have it fail to find and install the correct video, monitor, and sound on any computer which was running win95/98/me or 2000.
It runs just find in 128 meg of ram, and WILL run in 64.
But since I don't give Aunt Bee and Counsin Fred the root password, they can't hopelessly screw it up. OOO, Firefix, T-Bird, GNUCash, and a few other simple tools, and they're set for life.
Works great. Not reccomended for Linux wonks. But for Aunt Bee, it's great stuff.
is the question I need answered.