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Businesses Hardware

Dell Plans to Sell PCs at Wal-Mart 221

Posted by Zonk from the just-a-bit-outside-the-norm dept.
DJAdapt writes "In a departure from Dell's approach of selling machines only directly to customers, a Dell spokesman said Thursday that the computer maker will begin selling two of its Dimension desktop computers in about 3,000 Wal-Marts beginning June 10. Dell spokesman Dwayne Cox said the Wal-Mart deal 'represents our first step' into global retail. 'Customers want more and new ways to buy our products, and we plan on meeting their needs on a global level,' Cox said. 'Offering Dell Dimensions in Wal-Mart is a great example of this approach.'"
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Dell Plans to Sell PCs at Wal-Mart More

Dell Plans to Sell PCs at Wal-Mart

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  • Increase sales volume, destroy the brand (Score:4, Insightful)

    by traindirector ( 1001483 ) * on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:18PM (#19258113)

    This screams "We want to be the #1 North American computer seller again and we'll just have to deal with the negative effects of that on margins and brand perception".

    I'm sure they'll sell a ton of these because of the nature of Wal-Mart, but this seems like a horrible move in terms of the perception it will create about the Dell brand. I can see those who know little about computers who are looking for quality rather than bargain basement pricing steering away from Dell because they will be the new "cheap Wal-Mart computers". Dell will surely be offering low-end models and will make even less on them because a portion of the purchase price goes to Wal-Mart.

    I imagine they're going with Wal-Mart because

    • Wal-Mart takes less of their profit margin than a Best Buy or Circuit City
    • it's a quick way to sell a lot of computers
    • pushing up sheer quantity of computer sales to achieve the highest number is their primary goal at the moment.

    Either I'm missing something or this is a short-sighted move.

    • Sold at Wal-Mart != low quality (Score:5, Insightful)

      by tepples ( 727027 ) <.tepples. .at. .gmail.com.> on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:27PM (#19258285) Homepage Journal

      I can see those who know little about computers who are looking for quality rather than bargain basement pricing steering away from Dell because they will be the new "cheap Wal-Mart computers".
      Any more than a PLAYSTATION 3 video game console is perceived as the "cheap Wal-Mart console"?

      Dell [...] will make even less on them because a portion of the purchase price goes to Wal-Mart.
      As opposed to a portion of the purchase price going to DHL (or whatever shipping company Dell uses)?

      • Re:Sold at Wal-Mart != low quality (Score:4, Insightful)

        by traindirector ( 1001483 ) * on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:46PM (#19258609)

        Any more than a PLAYSTATION 3 video game console is perceived as the "cheap Wal-Mart console"?

        A PlayStation 3 is a single item with a single manufacturer that doesn't vary in price or quality depending on where you get it. No matter where you buy, you get the same PS3. Do you really think the same is true with computers for someone who doesn't know much about them? I'm going to leave the burden of proof with you, as this doesn't seem worth writing an argument for.

        As opposed to a portion of the purchase price going to DHL (or whatever shipping company Dell uses)?

        It's clearly cheaper for Dell to pay their super cut-rate DHL shipping than to give Wal-Mart a portion of the profit and to ship to their DCs. If it weren't, how would Dell be saving money by only selling direct for so long?

        • It's clearly cheaper for Dell to pay their super cut-rate DHL shipping than to give Wal-Mart a portion of the profit and to ship to their DCs

          You are probably correct that it will cost them more paying Wal-marts cut and shipping, but the shipping isn't a direct comparison. Even with their high volume shipping discount it is still cheaper for them to ship 1000's of PCs on pallets to a Wal-mart distribution center then to 1000's of individual homes.

      • As opposed to a portion of the purchase price going to DHL (or whatever shipping company Dell uses)?

        What I think he's aluding to, is not that Dell hands them a check to do business with them, but Wal-Mart is notorius for being cut-throat on getting the absolute best deal possible. Having visited their HQ in Bentonville, Arkansas, and speaking with all the dozens of corporate lackies that lick Wal-Mart's boots there, they all tell the same story: Wal-Mart drives a very hard bargain. What they get in larger distribution and volumes, Wal-Mart takes out by driving down their margins. That said, they all

        • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

          by BakaHoushi ( 786009 )
          At the same time, I've seen instances, quite a few, where a company produces two varieties of the same item:
          One for a "normal" store
          The other for Wal*Mart.
          The difference being that the Walmart version is always inferior at some level.

          Personally, this does not surprise me, but it worries me. People have a hard enough time dealing with computers now. How well with the average Joe deal with them when Wal*Mart sells them a cardboard box full of rocks and calls it a PC?

          • Re:Sold at Wal-Mart != low quality (Score:4, Interesting)

            by Red Flayer ( 890720 ) on Thursday May 24, 2007 @08:51PM (#19263883) Journal

            The difference being that the Walmart version is always inferior at some level.
            This is because Walmart demands a lower price every year. Sometimes this can be met via economies of scale, but not after a few years. See Snapper mowers [fastcompany.com] for an example of a business owner who said no.
        • What I think he's aluding to, is not that Dell hands them a check to do business with them, but Wal-Mart is notorius for being cut-throat on getting the absolute best deal possible.

          This deserves to be modded up. Not because it's particularly insightful, but because 9 out 10 Walmart shoppers have no frigging idea of how Walmart does business. Or how the manner in which they do business affects other businesses.

          Put another way, Dell's margins will be very thin, but they should expect to make up for the los

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by Manaknight1980 ( 1047630 )
        Actually Wal-mart is really upgrading their electronics section. The store I work at will soon be carrying Sony Bravias along with better lines from Sharp than they've carried in the past as well as some nice looking Phillips TV's. Mind you this may have something to do with the Futureshop opening next door...

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        by macdaddy357 ( 582412 )
        Manufactured garbage and the redneck mall go together like a hand and glove. Dell will be right at home.
      • Some companies have a different opinion [fastcompany.com]

    • Re:Increase sales volume, destroy the brand (Score:5, Insightful)

      by SEAL ( 88488 ) on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:29PM (#19258325)
      Either I'm missing something or this is a short-sighted move.

      You're missing the minor point that HP is killing Dell lately, and HP sells most of their computers through traditional brick&mortar channels. Dell is trying to get back in the game.

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by traindirector ( 1001483 ) *

        You're missing the minor point that HP is killing Dell lately, and HP sells most of their computers through traditional brick&mortar channels. Dell is trying to get back in the game.

        No, that was the point of my post, which I stated pretty clearly:

        This screams "We want to be the #1 North American computer seller again and we'll just have to deal with the negative effects of that on margins and brand perception"

        What puzzles me is that it seems like a bad move in the long run. While selling through Wal-Mart will probably accomplish their sales goals, the damage to their brand could easily hurt worse than the lost sales.

        • While selling through Wal-Mart will probably accomplish their sales goals, the damage to their brand could easily hurt worse than the lost sales.

          Dell's already lost a lot of brand reputation. This isn't going to drag them down much further.

          As for using retailers other than Walmart, most B&M eletronics shops already have agreements with HP or another manufacturer. It doesn't make sense for Best Buy, for example, to add another brand to its PC section.

          Also, it's important to note that Walmart is in

          • It doesn't make sense for Best Buy, for example, to add another brand to its PC section.

            I (kinda) understand what you're saying here, but how the hell did we get to the point where it's better for a major retailer to have less diversity in the products he's selling than more?
            • It's always been true for retailers with limited space. No reason to waste shelf space on more than two products that fulfill the same demand in purchasers.

              Marketing studies have shown that giving customers too much choice is as bad as giving them too little choice in terms of maximizing sales. At a given price level, you want to give your customer no more than two choices for the same product.

              This doesn't always work out, since Sony, for example, might require that you carry their entire line of digita
              • It's always been true for retailers with limited space.

                Again, I see what you're saying, but I can't help chuckle when I think about these enormous boxes the BBs and CCs live in. Hell, the last time I was in Circuit City, I was struck by how much dead space there was in there. I'm not even talking about the ridiculously high ceiling, either (seriously, there's room for a whole freaking second floor there), but how "loosely packed" the store was with merchandise. BB seems to be better at store layouts

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by SEAL ( 88488 )
                It's always been true for retailers with limited space. No reason to waste shelf space on more than two products that fulfill the same demand in purchasers.

                That, and competing suppliers like to ink contracts that exclude their competitors. How often do you find both Coca-Cola and Pepsi for sale in the same restaurant?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by SEAL ( 88488 )
          It really depends on the presentation. HP has been cashing in on their higher end PCs, as opposed to the bargain-basement stuff you'd expect in those retailers. The "media PCs" are the ones that catch eyeballs of people walking by in the stores.

          If Dell can make a competitive offering like that then I it's not only smart, but necessary to stop the bleeding they've endured recently.
      • I don't understand why every company wants to be the biggest company in the world. So what if someone ships more units than you, or has a bigger revenue. The PS2 outsold the GC by a huge margin, but I don't think Nintendo cared, because they were still making lots of profit. I don't understand the logic behind companies who only want to be the biggest, and don't want to be the best.

        • I don't understand why every company wants to be the biggest company in the world. So what if someone ships more units than you, or has a bigger revenue.

          Because it has become the received wisdom that a company should be number one or number two in a given business, or it should get out of that business. Jack Welch championed this notion during his immensely successful tenure at GE, and most management now subscribes to it. Whether or not it's *true* may be another matter, but most CEOs these days run thei

      • Market share is an irrelevant game, there's no point in fighting over Walmart customers when the margins may very well be less than 1% and is likely to undercut the rest of their business.

        Dell may not have the most unit sales, but it seems like they still make more net profits from personal computers than HP does, and I see no reason to throw it away to get market share through low margin computers. I'm still deciphering the numbers from their quarterly reports though. I wish there was an easier way to do

    • Better idea than what Gateway tried. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Shivetya ( 243324 ) on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:33PM (#19258401) Homepage Journal
      I mean, who could have thought that having retail stores without immediate delivery was a good idea?

      I disagree with what will happen to the perception of Dell's brand, they are big enough to withstand any ills that people might associate with Wal-Mart. Hell I am many others shop at Wal-Mart simply because of price. If low price is the story their selling its not something to be ashamed of. Plus Dell could be looking long term, get them into a lower end system through Wal-Mart and upsell them at a later date.

      If Apple can go into Best Buy and survive the perception that many people of Best Buy sure Dell can handle anything from being associated with Wal-Mart

    • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

      by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *
      Wouldn't you just LOVE to be the poor Indian Dell phone support worker suddenly facing a deluge of calls from hillbillies asking "Where's my Tab?"
    • Wal-Mart is ubiquitous. The other places are chumps by comparison. Wal-Mart has more upside. If the deal works, as you say, Dell could sell a lot of PCs.

      Dell doesn't need the retailer to add value with service and support, since they do that themselves.

      Dell has traditionally tailored their manufacturing to order. Now they get to see how many identical computers they can assemble and ship, by filling up a Wal-Mart warehouse or three.

      That being the case, there may not be the kind of quality issues you hint
      • Now they get to see how many identical computers they can assemble and ship, by filling up a Wal-Mart warehouse or three.

        Somebody please mod parent up, it's the first interesting speculation I've read in this thread as to why Dell is doing this. Mind you, they probably already know exactly what that number is (what? another vanilla order? Why doesn't anybody want a custom box, whaaa!).

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by MMC Monster ( 602931 )
      My local Walmart sells iPods.

      'nuff said.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Khaed ( 544779 )
        Same here.

        Not everything Wal-Mart sells is cheaply made. They don't sell cheaper Wal-Mart versions of the Wii/PS3/X-Box 360, or the iPod, or the Sansa, or Sanyo/Sony/whatever TVs and electronics. No one thinks Brand X of TV is crap because Wal-Mart sells them.

        This isn't to say Wal-Mart doesn't sell their own crappy brands of stuff, but to assume everything sold their is cheap crap is ignorance.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by LWATCDR ( 28044 )
      The real problem I see is simply does WalMart sell a lot of computers?
      Yea back in the Commodore-64 days maybe but these days I would think that most people buy computers at Best Buy, CompUSA, or Circus City or any of the other Big Box electronics stores.
      Could be wrong but that is they way I see it.
    • Interesting article about Snapper leaving Wal-Mart [fastcompany.com], because the company saw Wal-Mart pushing them to continually lower prices and supplying Wal-Mart also meant issues with huge inventory. Dell seems to be making a crazy (or desperate) decision here, since one of their strengths was always their low inventory overhead. It's like a complete about-face for the company.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by div_2n ( 525075 )
      Either I'm missing something or this is a short-sighted move.

      No offense, but you are missing something quite subtle yet extremely profound. It is no big secret that the prices of computers have plummeted over the last ten years or so. From the consumer's perspective, this is a great thing. However, this has the interesting side effect of making computer repair less economically attractive. In the age of the disposable society, people just dispose [nytimes.com] of their computer and buy a new one rather than spend money o

      • No offense, but you are missing something quite subtle yet extremely profound.

        Your response was exactly what I was asking for - of course no offense.

        Dell is embracing what it sees as the shape of things to come for computers, which is that most people will buy cheap ones that are disposable. As this is becoming more and more the norm, selling these low-level products direct isn't the best way to go. Who's going to mail order a $150 TV? People in the market for something like this go to Wal-Mart.

        Like you said, it's also a very telling statement about Dell's continuing philosophy

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Peyna ( 14792 )
      Like almost every other product sold at Wal-Mart, I'm sure the Dell computers sold there will be of a much lower quality than the Dells sold everywhere else.

      Just like everything else at Wal-Mart. Yeah, it's sold for less, but it's also a special model sold only at Wal-Mart made with the cheapest possible parts you can buy. So, when people buy your product at Wal-Mart, they are indeed getting an inferior product.

      I remember a great story I read about some lawn mower/tractor company that refused to do busine

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by astrashe ( 7452 )
      Lots of top brands are sold through wal-mart now -- coca-cola and apple ipods come to mind. Dell's brand will rise and fall on the quality of their products.

      I think this is a good move because it addresses a couple of the weaknesses in dell's model. First of all, there are times when you need a computer *now* -- maybe an old machine has died, or whatever. You can't wait 10 days. Now you can go to wal-mart at 2am and buy a new dell. You'll get a good machine at a good price, so you won't be penalized be

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by foxtrot ( 14140 )
      Either I'm missing something or this is a short-sighted move.

      I think this is great. Two Dell stories today:

      1) Dell sells in Wal-Mart.
      2) Dell sells pre-loaded with Ubuntu.

      All we need to do is convince Dell to convince the two and people will actually start buying Linux PCs!

      Hm, or maybe they'll go over just as well as the Linspire ones. Ok, you win.

      -F

  • This represents our first step into... (Score:3, Funny)

    by Datamonstar ( 845886 ) on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:19PM (#19258137)
    ... global dominatio... I mean retail...
  • I wonder how this will affect Dell's business is pursues with the unions, given Wal-mart's rather extreme anti-union track record.
    • I thought Dell had a pretty anti-union track record. They're a Texas based business (right to work state). Am I wrong?
      • All I know is that several union establishments use Dell systems, and these same establishments avoid Wal-Mart like the plague, due to their aggressive anti-unionism. When push comes to shove, I wonder if the unions will have the courage of their convictions to seek another vendor.
        • Ahh... I wonder if this is a case where there are no union shops. And considering the other major vendors are already firmly ensconced at walmart... it will be interesting to watch.

  • Will they offer Ubuntu machines at Walmart ? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by the_rajah ( 749499 ) * on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:21PM (#19258169) Homepage
    I suspect the answer will be no, but a geek can always hope.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by GweeDo ( 127172 )
      Walmart sold Linspire machines for a while, so Linux from Walmart isn't completely out of the question.

  • Wal*Mart Bob (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I sure hope they bring back an elderly Microsoft Bob [telecommander.com] as a greeter for my computer when it boots up.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by SQLGuru ( 980662 )
      I still have an MS-BOB CD (turned it into a clock face). In about 25....err...75...err...1,000 years when the copyright expires, I'll send you an ISO image.

      Or maybe you can start an off-site back-up service similar to Iron Mountain. Then, I can make a personal back-up that I store at your "facility" in case my CD ever becomes unusable (and by unusable, I'm not referring to the actual lack of use of the software, but the inability to read the disk).

      Layne
      • Sorry to crap on your parade, but MS-BOB is abandonware and is freely available here [winhistory.de] (German page, but ms-bob is in english)

  • But will they run Linux? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by solevita ( 967690 ) on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:22PM (#19258187)
    Wow, a genuine reason to ask the question, you don't get one of those everyday!

  • Finally they figured it out (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:22PM (#19258203)
    Somehow those who were purchasing their first computer were unable to buy it online.
    • OOooo I'm going to add one, Dell has these things in malls called Kiosks you can buy them their too. They have a bunch of stuff on display and they have I think at least one computer connected to the net where you can order one. I think thats how it works but I know you can order one there. :)

  • About time. (Score:4, Interesting)

    by kabocox ( 199019 ) on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:25PM (#19258243)
    About time! Dell loses out on those that purchase those instore HP/Compaq machines. It shouldn't take much for Dell to actually compete in that market space, which would be good all round. Web sites + Shipping is good for some people, but for the crowd that travels to Walmart twice a week; it's just easier to buy something from a store that you are always in. Plus think of the builtin marketing of just having the machines in the stores.
    • The problem with the computers that are sold for retail is that the specs are often out of whack with the price, and there are not options for configuration. The strong point of Dell is that you can configure a bunch of things with your computer, and also that they can upsell you by offering you speakers, keyboards, mice, and routers as you go through the checkout process. Most of the advantage of Dell is lost once you try to bring it into the retail market. The time between creating the specs for the ma

  • Oblig new slogan (Score:5, Funny)

    by Degrees ( 220395 ) <degreesNO@SPAMgerisch.me> on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:25PM (#19258253) Homepage Journal
    Dude! You're going to WalMart!

  • Super Walmart Today (Score:2, Interesting)

    by WED Fan ( 911325 )

    Went to a Super Walmart today. Loved it. It reminded me of Itoyokado in Japan.

    Their PC section is o.k., I'd like to see them expand it and actually compete with Best Buy for the market share of "department store" PC retailers.

    So, while there I bought:

    • A ladder
    • Blank DVD-R spindle
    • A new garden hose
    • Sausages for the BBQ tonight
    • The latest Linkin Park
    • Socks
    • Toothpaste
    • and eyeglasses

    Next, I'll be able to replace my aging desktop. Coolness, where else but in America and in a Walmart?

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by geekoid ( 135745 )
      Kmart/Sears, Dozens of 'all in one stores' across the nation. I mean, I would need to pass 10 other all in one places to get to wal-mart. Very often Wal-mart has less value then the other places.

      Lower cost doesn't equal better value. Since Wal-mart has said they want throw away items bought year after year, I will gladly pay 25% more for something I will be using for 5+ years.

    • Re:Super Walmart Today (Score:4, Funny)

      by corbettw ( 214229 ) on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:49PM (#19258657) Journal
      Went to a Super Walmart today. Loved it. It reminded me of Itoyokado in Japan.

      ...

      Coolness, where else but in America and in a Walmart?

      I dunno, Japan in an Itoyokado?
    • In my Atlanta neighborhood, we've got a new Wal Mart where Chamblee-Tucker T's at Peachtree Industrial. It's a true one-stop for just about anything you could want, from food to building supplies. I sometimes go just to walk the aisles, see all teh stuff, and marvel at the prices.
    • What Wal-Mart did you go to? Around here I'm won't venture into a Wal-Mart without extreme need. Even the brand new stores in the area look disgusting and dumpy a week after they open. I've been waiting for them to put up signs in front of the stores for employees and customers alike that say, "ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE"
    • Wal-Mart will only be able to compete with Best Buy if the take more control of their product mix (especially in software) and not rely on third-parties to do it for them.

      [I'll acknowledge that my knowledge of the underside of the Wally-beast is a few years old--they may have changed things today.]

      Not that all staff at big box electronics stores are wizards, but even the least initiated there seem to know more than the typical associate at Wal-Mart. Then, watch their product cycles. Outdated products wi

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by deanoaz ( 843940 )
        I agree that the associates at other stores typically know more about the electronics and computer equipment they sell than the ones at WalMart.

        Strangely, I have found that this becomes a point in favor of shopping at WalMart!

        If I go to a chain electronics store and ask any question about something I am thinking about buying, the associate tries to talk me into buying something more expensive and gives me bullshit reasons why the item I selected isn't any good. I assume there must be some kind of incentive

  • Daddy likes... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by phildawg ( 1104325 )
    Yea, I'm glad somebody will have the opportunity of taking on Best Buy. I mean outside of Best Buy, are there really any PC retailers worth mentioning? It almost seems like you either buy your PC over the internet or from Best Buy... Now you can buy it from Wal-mart or Sam's Club. And if this works out well, you can probably seem some configure to order kiosks placed into these stores as well to add a better variety. Maybe some of you guys like Best Buy more than Wal-mart... But I don't think you understa
    • "I mean outside of Best Buy, are there really any PC retailers worth mentioning?"

      Apple?

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Store_(retail) [wikipedia.org]

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Sciros ( 986030 )
      Best Buy is so evil they stopped sending me coupons! How on earth is lack of "3-day window" coupons a "roadblock to move me away" from Best Buy? That makes NO SENSE :-| No company is going to try and lure customers away, haha.
    • I like CompUSA much better than BB. In my hometown of East Lansing, MI, there are Best Buy, Circuit City, and CompUSA.

      Best Buy is huge and flashy, often crowded, always overpriced for small things like cables and flash drives and blank CDs. And its employees are annoying and ignorant. Product selection at Circuit City isn't as good as Best Buy, but they had very good prices on music CDs, so sometimes I would go there.

      By comparison, CompUSA is *much* more focused on computers as opposed to all other digit

  • Bye dell (Score:2, Interesting)

    by YrWrstNtmr ( 564987 )
    There goes the last shred of any goodness Dell had left.

    1. They will have to compete (on price) with the Walmart eMachines
    2. Corporate sales will suffer. "We use the same equipment you can get at Walmart!"
    3. The clueless will badmouth Dell & walmart for selling them a broken PC. We all know it was THEM that couldn't use it, but that's what the perception will be.

    Maybe they can make it work. I don't see it as an up for them, though.
  • I always wanted to buy a computer from the back of a stolen van in a dark alley, but I've been a bit worried about getting robbed in such situations. Do you think Dell can cater to my needs here?

  • Because... (Score:2, Funny)

    by DriveDog ( 822962 )
    ...we all love shopping at Wal-Mart so much. New Dell-Mart product lines to include the Double-Wide (2.67:1 screen aspect ratio), the RFD (includes special modem suitable for use on party lines and terminals for jumper cable power connections), Distressed (case already has buckshot pellet holes), and of course the American Traditions (deep woods camo case with storage for ammo and lures).

  • SIS working with Dell (Score:5, Informative)

    by Brit_in_the_USA ( 936704 ) on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:35PM (#19258429)
    This announcement seems to go hand in hand with this story: "Dell pulls SIS into cheapo PC deal " http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39 807 [theinquirer.net]

    For those who don't follow links here is an extract:

    TAIWANESE CHIPSET FIRM, SIS said it was working with big US shop Dell, to build a low-cost PC. SIS said its SiSM661GX chip set would form the heart of Dell's EC280 which is aimed at first-time PC buyers.
    • SiS really isn't that bad anymore.

      i remember the days when they were the bane of computing, but they seem to have mended their ways now and are as stable as anything else around, though not quite as good in the performance department, and integrated graphics suck as always, but since they're still shooting for budget work, that isn't a huge issue.

  • Eh? (Score:5, Funny)

    by niceone ( 992278 ) * on Thursday May 24, 2007 @02:41PM (#19258515) Journal
    selling two of its Dimension desktop computers in in about 3,000 Wal-Marts

    Who the hell is going to want to buy 1/1500th of a computer?

  • Wow, I posted this [slashdot.org] today and got modded up. I figured writing something positive about shopping at Walmart would get all sorts of negative mods on /.

    Next you know, praising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer will boost your karma.

  • then the QC went to hell in a hand basket [google.com], now they are partnering with the single most malefic retail entity [walmartwatch.com] on the planet.

    So the next commercial should say "Dude! Why the hell get a Dell?"
  • So there is going to be a NASCAR sporting Linux [slashdot.org], Dell is shipping Linux [slashdot.org], and Wal-Mart is selling Dells [this.article].

    There are NASCAR fans who base their purchasing decisions soley on what logos are sported by their favorite NASCAR driver. If they see that penguin on the car, then see that penguin on a Dell at Wal-Mart, they'll take that penguin over the Dell with Windows.

    Good? Bad? I dunno.
  • Customer: How much memory comes with this model, and can I upgrade that?
    Assistant Manager: Uhhh... we have chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.

  • linux (Score:2)

    by zenray ( 9262 )
    If Dell really supported Linux they should sell them at Wal-Mart also. I've yet to see any advertising from Dell about the new Linux systems for sale. Check out http://linux.dell.com/ [dell.com]
  • Wal-mart = crap.

    It is well known fact that Wal-mart consistently asks manufacturer's to create product lines specifically for Wal-mart. Usually, these lines are of lesser quality (due to price) than the manufacturer's original lines. Think re-badged or OEM product sold primarily on price alone. Over time, the brand dilutes and eventually, many manufacturer's find themselves in a worse position than if they had never done business with Wal-mart in the first place.

    Snapper mowers said no. [fastcompany.com] That's just

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