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$199 Internet Linux Box
Karpe writes "You
can read it in news.com. Microworkz
will sell a $199 computer
for surfing the Web. It's called iToaster, and will run
Linux." They aren't giving out much real data except that
its x86 based, and it won't feature tons of advertising as part
of your web browsing experience (as most of the "Free" PCs floating
around seem to want).
Even though you're using retail pricing, you're probably right.
If it's anything like the WebTV, they lose money on the hardware, and make back on the ISP service (which you have to sign a 12 month contract for). That and Ad revenue and you could possibly make some money (although WebTV hasn't, if I heard correctly).
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Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
But isn't that exactly what the computer industry has been doing for may years now? I am not saying that the iToaster is some quantum leap in computer technology. It is only another step in the continuing trend toward faster and cheaper hardware.
And keep in mind that because it is running Linux, the iToaster should still perform well on lower end hardware. I've removed Windows from old 486 systems and replaced it with Linux. The effect on web surfing and general system response time was dramatic. That, combined with the *no license fee* thing, make Linux a perfect fit for the Internet Appliance market. I've been predicting that something like the iToaster would come along, and in exactly this price range. I expect this and similar devices to make a serious gouge into MS's desktop market share.
Thad
The Bolachek Journals
If MS wants to give an OS away for free, we can't really complain. Although we'd prefer source code, getting a buggy OS for free is better than getting a buggy OS for $70. Then again, I doubt MS would ever be so generous.
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With the falling prices in hardware, the cost of a windows 95 license from microsoft becomes increasingly significant. I think we will see lots of manufacturers using free operating systems on their low-end machines. When the people who have purchased a cheap machine decide to upgrade to a more expensive computer, they'll probably feel more comfortable with having linux or *BSD on their new machine rather than windows 95 because they are used to linux or *BSD (or whatever OS was on their cheap computer). This should not only dispel the rumors that linux is hard to use, but should also convince more computer manufacturers to offer linux on their entire line of computers.
According to the article, the company claimed that, because that platform was new, it has no viruses or bugs. I agree that it has no viruses, but all nontrivial software has bugs. The company needs to recognize this and work to fix the bugs, or else the platform will end up like windows.
-- Paperwork is the embalming fluid of bureaucracy, maintaining an appearance of life where none exists.
I can understand trying to sell affordable computers, as I manage a computer store, but this stuff is really starting to annoy me.
When these type of machines come out, they market it as the greatest invention since sliced bread, and maybe 80% of the consumers buy into this wonderful invention that only cost $200. In reality, the devices are about as powerful as a LeMans powered by a hamster wheel. The consumer gets unhappy and taken again, can't return it because of the "no refunds" policy, and gets paranoid about the computer buisness and these fly-by-night operations in general.
Where it really annoys me is when people buy into the marketing, come to my shop, and ask for a Quad-PIII-500 with Warp Drive and expect to only pay $200 for it. No. It don't work that way. Personal computers, like it or not, are extremly individualistic machines. There are many options and many price ranges. You can't buy a '99 Camaro for $1000 from the dealerships, and the same type of reasoning applies to PCs. Get over it, consumers! Next time you by a computer, please get someone PC literate to go shopping with you. Quit looking for the cheapest way out. If you do, these marketers will keep on riding you, just like a bad car salesman or insurance salesman....
I hate when articles criticize Linux for the nonexistance of 3rd party apps. What do they call Wordperfect? What about KOffice? Civ:CTP? There aren't many, but that doesn't mean there are *none*.
æeee!
What in the world do they mean by "runs on a hybrid operating system, taken from both Linux and BeOS"?
Are they licensing some features of BeOS and making them run on Linux? Highly doubtful. Did they write something from scratch? Yeah right. Do they have some sort of BeOS-looking GUI that runs on Linux? (non-X-based?)
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From someone peripherally involved in this, the machine runs BeOS, but with Microworkz' own window dressing on it. I don't know what the "hybrid" deal is - as someone mentioned, BeOS is POSIX compliant, so many Unix or Linux apps could be provided. However, no X windows.
They'll be bundling our BeOS office package, Gobe Productive. Which most definitely does NOT run on Linux.
I know what you mean.
Geez. Every time I see a frustrated hypersensitive consumer in a PC store I run. It's not really fair to either consumers or PC technicians. And I said PC techs not PC enthusiasts. We have P -techs because the 30 year old stale designs of systems we work with are the result of Luddite refusing to read. If more people would read we'd be vacationing on the moon by now.
For those of you who'll probably flame me about untested theories, I've seen you people before. Let me just say this, I don't need to step in a pile of shit to know it's a pile of shit, and I certainly don't need run lab tests on how people think to get an idea of how they think. I see people every day, and believe me some of the things they put themselves through scare the shit out of me. I really feel sorry for Luddites sometimes as much as they piss me off.
The world isn't complicated. It's complex meaning all the difficulty arises from having billions of participants who behave according to quite simple rules of sociology.
The ship sank. Get over it. (This sig was cut out from another's shirt and painstakingly hand-posted)
I can't fit bagels in the slots. Half of the time, my toast comes out charred and burnt. There's no easy way to clean out the crumbs without making a mess....
Save the whales. Feed the hungry. Free the mallocs.
I see this as an attempt for M$ to spread future FUD about Linux. "Once again, Windows is the only OS for serious, high end users. Linux is only used on some commercial dirt cheap systems because it's cheap and power is not important on those systems. Use Windows NT: Creating innovations of the future."
Pull out the FUD shield!!
Linux: Long live the source code.