Slashdot Mirror
$199 Linux Device in Prodigy deal
Eric Maag sent us a news.com
article that talks about another
$199 Linux Box
(and unlike the last one we mentioned, this one apparently
actually does run Linux, and isn't simply taking the name in
vain to gain publicity). This might come about as
part of a recent prodigy push to add cheap PCs to their roster.
My family used to use Prodigy a LOOONNNNGGGG time ago... At that time, they could hardly be considered an ISP, therefore, is it right to call them one of the oldest ISPs? Certainly old, but not in the ISP biz for long.
About the 2 gig HD, it's probably the smallest that they could find these days!
I figured it was a slightly different ad, but I believe everything was the same. And yes I am aware that it CAN run Linux. It was not in the ad however.
I'm sorry - at this point, we haven't really tried using the box as a firewall/router. So far, it's just been used as a lightweight desktop box.
Stephen Hindle
Director Of Linux Product Development
The Linux Store
Stephen Hindle
Director of Linux Product Development/CTO
AMD chip, what speed? 266? 300? 450?
Any slots? How many? Does it have a CDROM drive? Floppy?
(This is about the only way you'll get an x86 box in my house, sell it dirt cheep and preinstall Linux on it.)
-- Dirt Road
-- Dirt Road
-- Dirt Road
Improvise - Adapt - Overcome (unofficial USMC motto)
Please let me assure you it *DOES* run Linux. The product has not been released yet, so it must have been something else you saw in Best Buy.
:-)
If your still skeptical - watch the demo on "Good Morning America" july 15
Stephen Hindle
Director Of Linux Product Development
http://www.thelinuxstore.com
Stephen Hindle
Director of Linux Product Development/CTO
I've been with Prodigy since December 25, 1989... The second year of operation I believe, way back in the DOS days. I've been through the switchover to Prodigy Internet in 1995 when I got a newer computer (my original computer I had for 6 years... a 386/20 box. I still have it, too. Makes for good parts) and I can't say I've ever recieved much spam mail from them. I've gotten a few ads here and there, but usually it was something I signed up with. No one else I talk to from Prodigy has trouble with spam either... I'd like to know where you got that from? Also, the connection, I have two dial-up numbers for 56K access... One's for Flex and one's for V.90. I hardly, if ever, get below the mid 40's for my connection speed. Perhaps its your phone line, or maybe you're using a 56K modem thats incompatible with the modem you're dialing into. K56Flex and X2 are incompatible and result in lower speeds. Anyways, I hardly have problems with Prodigy, except their updates cut into my online time (3 am to 6 or 7 am... my peak hours, dammit!) and occasionally their dns server doesn't work. Otherwise, Prodigy's a perfectly fine service. Oh, and also, they don't sell your information to mailing lists, I believe it's stated in the membership agreement.
A few months ago, they confirmed an outage. Like others have said, they didn't have any Linux-specific help. It seemed I was unable to connect for longer than it should have taken. (I think I was able to connect from a Win '95 box.) Ultimately I discovered that I had to prevent either pap or chap from being used (I removed one of either the pap or chap config files). They never told me about any change on their servers that would have implied this, but it just started working again.
it's better than a Microsoft WebTV!!! Am I right or am I right??
I wonder how much it will cost to buy without the internet service? Was there anything there about a moniter?
-Toby
"To know what you know and know it, and to know what you don't know and know that. That is wisdom."
"Linux, a rebel open-source operating system"
I guess Windows is the Empire then!
yeah, and then when they're hooked, they get to soak more $ out of them to buy the monitor, and then the upgrades, and then the 3D card, for all those cool games they'll end up wanting to play (Q3 for Linux... ?), and then they'll just buy a new PC, and then..
Insert mind here.
I've been with the same ISP for over 4 years. I really like the
fact that they run BSD, so I can telnet in from anywhere to
read my email. Also, it's a small outfit run by real computer
geeks; so I can send mail to 'root' at almost any time of day or
night, and get a response back in a few minutes!
It's actually $199 + $20*24 = $679.
Bleah, now if they sold it without the internet access I would buy.
It's just a Linux WebTV.
Anyway, the email I received stated that the PIA will have a full install of Linux (unknown distro), will have a spreadsheet, word proc., email, internet pre-configured. But it did not say if it was set up for a specific provider.
My thoughts are that you should be able to alter any funky setup on this box and at the least have a decent machine for email, net and basics. Might be a step up for some people using a 486 or 386 with low RAM.
--Somewhere there is a village missing an idiot.
Nope, i had a v.90 56k modem (upgraded via firmware) and lucky you for having access numbers to both modem pools. I was not as lucky as they (tech support) could not figure out what they were.
I know it was prodigy that sold my name and mailing address because i put different company names on different purchases (in order to track spam).
They say they wont sell your info, but funny how they do it anyway.
AMD/Linux Machine for 200 Bucks!! what a deal for the consumer who thought packard bell was the cheap alternative to $1000+ machines.
I submitted that article almost a week ago, and it never got posted. When somebody removes an entry from the article queue, does it disappear from the rest of you? If so, you really need to fix that, because alot of good articles are probably being lost.
Very nice... very nice... This sorta seems like the neighboorhood crack dealer selling rock at a discount...
"Hey kid, I'll give ya this one for a special low price..."
When in fact, he's thinking:
"Haha! Once he gets hooked, he'll want more and more! 'Come on man.. just 1 more meg of ram.. come on... I'm having shakes without a 450mhz box!' Hahah!! Then they'll pay!! Bwahahahhaha"
Or maybe I just carried the analogy a bit far...
I think the company (CPU Micromart) is ready for some great things. Definitely worth considering as an investment.
I'm currently a Prodigy customer for dial-up internet. The service is good, but when it came down to setup the connection in Linux, I basically got no help whatsoever. Fortunately, there was a page setup by someone that had managed to do it by himself, and it got me up and running as well. They aren't Linux-hostile, but certainly not friendly, either. Maybe it's going to change now?
Prior to the oversubscribed one, I was with Compuserve - dropped that after it became two $ and my brother ran up a $90 bill - he rang up a bunch of outside hours looking at naked people!
(then tried to deny it and said someone was using my computer as a porn repository...yeesh!)
Prior to that experience, I had free access thru my college.
I saw in a MicroCenter circular, that they will give you a $400 coupon toward a PC purchase (allowing a $200 PC at the low end)if you commit to two years of $20/month Internet access - thru MSN!
;-) ), and isn't as good a deal as it looks - a $400 coupon in return for a $480 commitment, and many good ISPs have $10/month plans these days. And who stays with their first ISP for 2 years?
This is probably completely funded by MS (and therefore suspect
Then there are the Gateway ISP/PC packages. It appears that there is real competition in this area.
I went to www.resellerratings.com, and CPU Micromart had a dismally low average rating of 1.7 on a scale from 1 to 7. Many many comments from people who didn't receive what they ordered, received dead-on-arrival machines, had huge trouble dealing with staff trying to return things, simply got ripped off and didn't receive anything, etc...
What supercheap-preinstalled-Linux-box vendors would people here actually recommend based on personal experience?
I saw in ad for this in a BestBuy flyer this weekend. (http://www.bestbuy.com) I don't remember the exact details of the ad, but I do know that it was not running Linux. And surprise surprise it was at least $100 more. I wish they would have some of these price cuts for higher end pcs with larger HD's and more RAM, but beggars can't be choosers.
If I recall correctly, reprinting knowingly false information is cause for a libel suit... ahh, here it is...
This information was taken from a handout I received in a journalism class. An interesting point about criminal libel is that you can be held liable for libel even if what you are saying is true. Obviously, what Microwerkz is saying is *not* true- has anyone bothered to tell news.com? If news.com knows that their iToaster is not a Be/Linux hybrid, then they could be held liable for making false or misleading statements, I believe.
--Robert (rames@utdallas.edu)
The PIA is, in fact a linux box. It has NOT hit any retail outlets yet, and does NOT require any ISP agreement to purchase. The machine will be demo'd on "Good Morning America" july 15. At this point it is anticipated that the machine will ship with Debian, though that is open to change. The machine is expected to be available in August for $199 in a base configuration. This includes video, sound, 2G HD, and modem. Processor will be in the 300Mhz range. Monitor Extra(tm).
For more information about the PIA, please visit the linux store web site: TheLinuxStore
Stephen Hindle Director of Linux Product Development http://www.thelinuxstore.com
Stephen Hindle
Director of Linux Product Development/CTO
They are also working on an advanced model of the "Pia". It will be called the "Zadora".
:) )
(You might be a child of the 80's if you get that joke.
Save the whales. Feed the hungry. Free the mallocs.
Obviously MW screwed up. More specifically, the sales droids screwed up because they didn't understand what it means to have BeOS with ported GNU tools from or similar to those from Linux. To them, that means it's a BeOS head and heart with Linux fingers and toes. So the droids say "hybrid" and the techs roll their eyes. It's not a stretch to see where they're coming from.
I'm just not sure why you're all worked up about it. I quote loosely: "Call me whatever you want, just make sure you spell my name right." At this point, any vendor uttering "Linux" because they think it will help sell product (and any news org blindly repeating it) is extremely good news.
J
I think not...(*poof*)
Clueville...forget Bill Gates, he doesn't exist...the Pia is one of the first examples of the Internet appliance (and who would have thought an "appliance" would have 2GB?) that runs Linux and will basically kick ass, not because it's better than MS but because it really doesn't care that MS is there...it's compact, quick and dirty and that makes good biz sense...
(aside...ebiz will become a much higher evaluated stock once it fixes its horrible customer service inadequacies...the big dogs are watching...)
diva Pasty Drone NewsTrolls, Inc.
So CPU Micromart is bringing the cuisenart computer to the masses. It E-mails,surfs the web,browses newsgroups and chat. And it's only $199.99. Get yours at this incredibly low price and we'll throw in a free penguin sticker.
Man i subscribed to their dial up 56k service, always got a consistant 33.6 connection and they sold my info to mailing lists. Im now getting twice the email and snail mail spam.
Funny how i put "Goat A$$ Productions" on the signup, maybe i'll get a credit card soon in that name since everything else i get has that moniker.
Dixons (UK electrical retailer & 'free' ISP) have also announced that there will be a sub-£200 access box on sale before the end of the year.
I haven't found any details of OS/browser, though.
The report was in the (paper) edition of the Guardian, Thursday.