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$200 Linux PCs On Sale At Wal-Mart

Posted by kdawson on from the testing-the-holiday-waters dept.

Placid sends in a Wired blog entry on Wal-Mart's new sub-$200 Linux-based PC. Wired calls it "a custom distribution of Ubuntu Linux," and the AP identifies the distro as gOS, made by a small company in Los Angeles. Wal-Mart began selling Linux PCs in 2002 but they have been out of stock for a while. From the Wired blog: "It has a 1.5 Ghz VIA C7 CPU embedded in a Mini-ITX motherboard, 512MB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. Normally, this would simply mark it as unacceptably low-end for use with modern software. By using the fast Enlightenment desktop manager (instead of heavier-duty alternatives like Gnome or KDE), the makers say it's more responsive than Vista is, even on more powerful computers."

6 of 537 comments (clear)

  1. "Modern" software? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What is this "modern" software they speak of? Just how much horsepower do you need to browse the Web, type something in a word processor? Is there some sort of super Solitaire with realtime physics simulation and ray traced graphics that I don't know about?

  2. On the Contrary ... by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wow! Are we trying to convince people that Linux sucks? On the contrary, the article points out the hilarity that would ensue if someone would install Vista:

    If users want to install Windows on it, they can, though Everex cautions that Vista will not run well without a RAM upgrade. Recent games will not run well, if at all, on the gPC: the requirements of even humble titles like World of Warcraft exceed the system specifications. I think that people are soon going to realize something that speaks to their pocket books about Linux: it runs on the slowest of hardware. Sure, webpages and plugins will require more resources but that's the great advantage Linux will always have over Windows--that minimum requirements is nearly unbeatable. So keep tweaking that kernel and you'll start to see a $150 machine go on sale that will do nearly everything. Then a $100 machine. Then an $80 machine. And so on and so forth until you'd have to be a raving lunatic (or fat rich American) to pay the beefy cost of a premium machine just so you have the resources that the latest Windows needs to consume.

    How much precisely will you pay to have your UI look like glass and all your games run at the highest resolutions? I think we're approaching the point where only avid gamers & people with too much disposable income will support the ladened OS that is Windows.
    --
    My work here is dung.
  3. Summary missed the most part: Case by bagofcrap · · Score: 5, Interesting

    These computers are in cases that would fit a full-size ATX motherboard. Supposedly Wallmart did a survey, and found that most of their customers believe "Bigger is Better", even when it isn't. It is not a terrible deal given that it's a mini-ATX motherboard, but using that big a case for it is just wasting space.

    Even better than that, the computers being sold as 'green PC' meaning thats the mfr's product name, and has nothing to do with being enviromentally conscious.

  4. More .... by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 5, Funny
    • More responsive than Vista!
    • More responsible than Congress!
    • A better parent than Britney!
    • More reliable than IE 1.0!
    • More secure than walking down an alley in the South Bronx at 2 AM!
    • More fun than a root-canal at the Albanian Dental School!
  5. Marketing Madness by rueger · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Normally, this would simply mark it as unacceptably low-end for use with modern software. By using the fast Enlightenment desktop manager (instead of heavier-duty alternatives like Gnome or KDE), the makers say it's more responsive than Vista is, even on more powerful computers.

    You're taking an underpowered machine, with a non-standard desktop, OS and software, and selling it to what is likely the least tech knowledgeable market that you can find.

    a) Sell crappy Linux box to unsupecting mark.
    b) Mark can't figure out why it isn't like every other computer
    c) Mark can't make $9.99 computer game install
    d) Mark can't make MS Word document open.
    e) Profit?

    Ever consider that there was a reason why Wal-Mart's last cheapo Linux PC has been "out of stock" for so long? It's because they can't sell them without having them returned.

    --
    Three Squirrels
  6. Re:Only terrorists and hackers use Linux by CatsupBoy · · Score: 5, Funny

    The year of Linux on the desktop is never.
    Uh... you spelled nigh wrong.