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Walmart Expands Low-End Linux Notebook Offerings
Posted by
timothy
on Fri Feb 04, 2005 10:28 PM
from the cheap-at-the-price dept.
from the cheap-at-the-price dept.
startleman writes "A story on Tom's Hardware reports that Walmart apparently will offer a Linare-equipped notebook below the $500 mark. Manufacturer Linare said that it will bring a Linux-based device to the retailer 'within the next few days.' Specs include an AMD Athlon 1800+, a 40 GByte harddrive, 128 MByte memory, a CD-ROM drive, an Ethernet port and the firm's Linare OS as well as Open Office."
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They already offer a $550 notebook (Score:4, Informative)
Remove windows and you got your self a sub $500.
Re:They already offer a $550 notebook (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
they are still bad (Score:3, Insightful)
My, the ambivalence! (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, how to feel?
Re:My, the ambivalence! (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Re:My, the ambivalence! (Score:5, Funny)
MS would win major karma and popularity points by displaying a "Wal-Mart is evil" or "Wal-Mart ate my community" message on bootup or something. Meanwhile Wal-Mart will pull MS products from its shelves.
The raw well-lubed power of MS OEM dominance will finally be pitted against a hypnotically deteriorative superpower capable of harnessing the buying power of the worlds lowest common denominator.
Parent
Re:My, the ambivalence! (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh wait, I'm NOT, but every other sotre is out of business now...
Re:My, the ambivalence! (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:My, the ambivalence! (Score:5, Insightful)
Heck, let's do the same thing with CD-R discs and the RIAA!
Oh wait...
Parent
Yes but does it ... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yes but does it ... (Score:3, Funny)
But... (Score:3, Funny)
Put it in the store! (Score:3, Interesting)
Thank you.
Warranty? (Score:5, Insightful)
I worry that the money saved might be done so foolishly.
Re:Warranty? (Score:4, Interesting)
It takes a gutsy business to promise to refund almost everything it sells, in any condition, ever, in cash (even if you pay with a credit card, as I usually do). They've made a lot of money from me because of it.
Parent
Can you put your own linux on these? (Score:4, Interesting)
Sometimes when you buy a linux machine, it comes with binary drivers that make it hard to run with a mainstream distro.
Why? (Score:5, Funny)
You're right about that... (Score:3, Insightful)
I initially thought that it didn't look so bad, but then it became painfully obvious it was just trying to be like Windows, down to the logoff/shutdown/restart scree
It's just a throw away for them (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:It's just a throw away for them (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course Wal-Mart is doing it because they don't want to pay the Microsoft tax. Wal-Mart has a long history of not going into a business until they can offer the lowest price, and Wal-Mart simply can't compete with Dell as long as Windows is part of the bargain. Remove Windows from the bargain, however, and all of a sudden Wal-Mart is a serious contender.
Heck, I know that I am interested. A low end Linux-compatible laptop is exactly what I want. Now I won't have to buy something that's been used. Personally I am glad to see Wal-Mart stepping up to the plate to make me the offer.
Lots of people want to be able to buy hardware without paying for software. Many of them already have a Windows license. Purchasing a computer with Linux pre-installed is about the only way there is to get a new computer without paying the Microsoft tax.
Sure, these laptops will almost certainly promote software piracy, but that's hardly Wal-Mart's problem.
Parent
Re:It's just a throw away for them (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:It's just a throw away for them (Score:5, Insightful)
I think that's cool. If big, evil corporations are using Linux because it fills a need, not from an advocacy position, Linux is really gaining momentum.
Not many people buy Windows because of advocacy.
Parent
Low End Trend? (Score:4, Interesting)
MegaB GByte (Score:5, Funny)
if you're going to write out Byte, you might as well write out Mega as well. but mixing and matching like this? i find the flagrant lack of consistency to be unsettling.
THE STICK UP MY ASS IS TWITCHING AND I DEMAND A CORRECTION!
No USB ports? (Score:4, Informative)
1 x External VGA port, 1 x Modem Jack (RJ-11), 1 x Built-in MIC
Did they forget to list it, or do they really think a notebook without a USB port would actually sell?
Re:No USB ports & 1000? (Score:5, Interesting)
Something else that looked strange: Linare said it will ship "more than 1000 notebooks" to Walmart stores in the US.
We are talking about all of the USA. Doesn't 1000 seem like a rather small number? That is NOT a real Walmart level shipment of product. What is that all about? (Considering the margins are small on this thing, the total profit on that volume would probably not even buy a street legal used car here in the USA.) They might as well have said they will ship more than a dozen notebooks.
Parent
Re:No USB ports? (Score:3, Informative)
Also, look at what you get. They give you ethernet, FIREWIRE, and no USB? That makes NO sense. You basically HAVE to have USB on a computer to sell it today.
Um, it's still $500 dollars (Score:3, Insightful)
Did they get the right Lin* (Score:5, Interesting)
Power!!! (Score:3, Interesting)
Now for gaming, my laptop and these machines are not good, but for a student who needs OpenOffice and net, or someone who wants mobility away from their gaming desktop... why not?
Universities won't like it? (Score:4, Interesting)
Moreover does it have at least wireless drivers built in? Retrofitting Linux drivers into a notebook machine for a PCCard NIC is not a pretty sight even for well known distros that support it. And if I can't at least use wireless at home then a notebook is largely useless to me.
It's really $600 for a 256MB RAM unit.
Last but not least how does this compare with a more mainstream refurbished notebook machine? This unit is a little on the low end side and compares with maybe a 2-3 year old maintstream unit.
Re:Universities won't like it? (Score:3, Interesting)
In answer to your question, the $600 version has "wireless support".
Also, I don't think this is really all that low-end, it's a 1.8ghz processor, the 256 ram is "nice" but upgrade that to 512 and you've got a very nice laptop on your hands (for cheap).
Re:Universities won't like it? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Universities won't like it? (Score:4, Interesting)
For instance, my school (GTech) allows us to download XP Pro if you are enrolled as a student in some of the departments.
Parent
colleges... (Score:4, Informative)
I work for a college's tech services department. We require Windows users to run a CD that includes Symantec AV and Checkpoint VPN software to log into the network.
Right now, for Mac and Linux users (as well as people with networked XBoxes, Playstations, ect), they just give us their IP and MAC addreses and we unblock their MAC address.
Our network security guys are for the most part unix geeks. They work pretty closely with the Linux community here, speaking at LUG's, ect. I would think many other schools would be the same way
Parent
Cheap "home gateway"? (Score:3, Interesting)
Imagine someone having several computers in their home. Maybe one of these laptops could be used as a relatively cheap file/backup/mail server. Throw in a PCMCIA card and you may even use it as a gateway or firewall.
The reason I say it's cheap, by the way, is the form factor. Naturally a desktop system with similar or better specs would be even cheaper. But this seems to me it's cheaper than other alternatives with comparable form factors. You could configure this laptop to run with the lid closed and that gives you a relatively sleek box which also draws little power.
Walmart News Gives Me A Headache. (Score:3, Interesting)
What they do seem to do rather effectively, is fuel price races to the bottom in every field they enter. This can't be good for any community. I would rather pay a few dollars more to buy a product from a local business, or a local geek to provide the same product or service.
http://injoke.org/index.php?title=daily_show_wal_m art_piece [injoke.org]
Returns, returns (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:fp (Score:4, Insightful)
Parent
Enough power for some (Score:5, Interesting)
I like my desktops, and have stayed there so far, but something like this could almost convince me to try my hands at a mobile work/hobby environment. Hell, the lack of wireless would not only make it more secure, but less of a distraction than my laptop usually proves to be.
Whether or not I get one, there is plenty of reason to believe this machine is a good thing, much as the $100 PC Projects that have been touted by several groups as the next great humanitarian effort and have been reported here on here on Slashdot.
Parent
Re:yes, but does it... (Score:5, Funny)
(seriously)
Parent
Re:yes, but does it... (Score:3, Interesting)
I've seen MANY un-PC-edumacated people kicking away on Windows boxes that never changed the default wallpaper. The Linare puke-green-flem-ball pic wouldn't (L)inspire me to even WANT to use that PC.
Anyhews, I hope this goes over well regardless. Seeing more and more cheap boxes with Linux preinstalled is DoublePlusGood, right?
Re:Typical user? (Score:5, Insightful)
It didn't matter what the specs were. All the customers cared about was web (pr0n and music) and email, with a minority interested in chat.
These machines, running linux satisfy all the needs of this customer, provided they can come up with $500 all at once.
Parent
Re:Typical user? (Score:5, Interesting)
I tend to see this as one giant corporate bully giving another giant corporate bully notice. Walmart pushes everyone they buy from to lower their prices. This is just their way of trying to muscle MS.
Before Christmas, I saw a complete HP system at Wal-Mart for $468. It was a WinXP box with 256MB of RAM and a monitor. It even came with a CD burner.
Wal-Mart's just trying to break through that price level. It probably ain't going to happen unless MS takes a smaller cut.
Parent
Re:What kind of MBA retards are in charge of the (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:What kind of MBA retards are in charge of the (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:What kind of MBA retards are in charge of the (Score:5, Insightful)
There's money in under specing a system then overcharging for upgrades.
Parent
Re:fp? (Score:3, Interesting)
Most people who complain about speed, complains about start-up times, which isn't a problem on Linux, since you can start all the applications you need and leave them running forever. There is no need to quit an application - just switch desktops.
If you use Linux, then you should think
Re:Many Things Missing (Score:3, Interesting)
I agree, they seem rather fishy, I can't find any reference to GPL or ANY license for that matter on their site, even when trying to purchase the product. According to their list of software they are also including some commercial apps (i.e. RealPlayer). I would think they are legally obligated to include some sort
That's not a proprietary window manager. (Score:5, Interesting)
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