Computers that run the Linux operating system instead of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows didn't attract enough attention from Wal-Mart customers, and the chain has stopped selling them in stores, a spokeswoman said Monday. "This really wasn't what our customers were looking for," said Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien.
To test demand for systems with the open-source operating system, Wal-Mart stocked the $199 "Green gPC," made by Everex of Taiwan, in about 600 stores starting late in October. Walmart.com, the chain's e-commerce site, had sold Linux-based computers before and will continue selling the gPC.
This was the first time they appeared on retail shelves.
Paul Kim, brand manager for Everex, said selling the gPC online was "significantly more effective" than selling it in stores. Wal-Mart sold out the in-store gPC inventory but decided not to restock, O'Brien said. The company does not reveal sales figures for individual items. Walmart.com now carries an updated version, the gPC2, also for $199, without a monitor. The site also sells a tiny Linux-driven laptop, the Everex CloudBook, for $399.
View: Full Article @ SMH
To test demand for systems with the open-source operating system, Wal-Mart stocked the $199 "Green gPC," made by Everex of Taiwan, in about 600 stores starting late in October. Walmart.com, the chain's e-commerce site, had sold Linux-based computers before and will continue selling the gPC.
This was the first time they appeared on retail shelves.
Paul Kim, brand manager for Everex, said selling the gPC online was "significantly more effective" than selling it in stores. Wal-Mart sold out the in-store gPC inventory but decided not to restock, O'Brien said. The company does not reveal sales figures for individual items. Walmart.com now carries an updated version, the gPC2, also for $199, without a monitor. The site also sells a tiny Linux-driven laptop, the Everex CloudBook, for $399.
View: Full Article @ SMH
These weren't in any local WalMart in my area. I checked their store stock locater and there was nothing within any sort of reason (250miles or so).
I think that WalMart would just prefer higher-margin items on their floor (where there is a premium on floorspace). Online, stock can be in a dark corner of a warehouse. Relatively cheap that way.
Wiped everything clean and installed XP Pro and Linux Blag70000 on it. Runs as sweet as a 1.5ghz computer can run. Video on it is rather weak, but doesn't matter much as I'm not a gamer anyway. Not a bad "customized" computer though.
Definitely not a bad idea to do this. Someday!!
Vista is such a good target since it's a steaming pile, let the man have his shots.
Obviously hardware can't be free like software. Software is only a concept, after all, whereas hardware is made up of different materials that can be touched and seen. Technically numbers are merely abstract objects that represent an amount of concrete objects, so the 1s and 0s that make up the software are merely concepts as well. My brain hurts now...
and i would not be suprized if a decent percentage of people bought them and then installed windows to them.
Well gee, they didn't really have to put Linux in the store to find this out. But you have to give Wal-Mart credit for trying especially since Linux is about as far from "mainstream" as you can get.
Last edited by lbmouse on 11 Mar 2008 - 16:34
unless you don't think sites like Neowin are "mainstream".
...
As far as usability, I think that modern Linux can be used by a grandma without usability problems. Most of what holds Linux adoption back is Microsoft-inertia.
unless you don't think sites like Neowin are "mainstream".
...
As far as usability, I think that modern Linux can be used by a grandma without usability problems. Most of what holds Linux adoption back is Microsoft-inertia.
Exactly what I was going to say. Even though i'm a LAMP developer i'm about as interested in Linux as a desktop as a swift kick to the danglers. The Linux desktop offerings need to improve VASTLY to really compete with any of the Microsoft or Apple offerings.
Linux is making very measurable progress in sub-server emerging markets (both peoples and products). I just don't feel that decision making process of Dick and Jane Smith in Whitetown, USA should be the only measurement for "mainstream".
Interesting read. But me, I'd complain right away if I saw OpenOffice. Office 2007 FTW.
That being said, I have to agree with the rest of the article on how well Ubuntu does out of the box.
That being said, I have to agree with the rest of the article on how well Ubuntu does out of the box.
unless you don't think sites like Neowin are "mainstream".
...
As far as usability, I think that modern Linux can be used by a grandma without usability problems. Most of what holds Linux adoption back is Microsoft-inertia.
My mother is a great-grandma and she's using an Eee PC from Asus with Xandros Linux on it and she loves it.
Your customers just prooved that the saying 'thick as s**t' does have a marketing style
Linux is much more than it was and is becoming real competition for Windows and Mac OSX.
I don't know what you are smoking but linux is not even close to becoming any sort of real competition for the desktop against neither mac or M$.
Yet another person who hasn't tried Linux lately..... The only thing that Windows has over it are games, and all Macs have are looks. I had said, "Becoming real competition...." Maybe you should take a reading comprehension course?
Yet another person who hasn't tried Linux lately..... The only thing that Windows has over it are games, and all Macs have are looks. I had said, "Becoming real competition...." Maybe you should take a reading comprehension course?
You're actually comparing a Linux distro to Leopard (or even Tiger)??
Try it and see. Now that Macs are PCs you can even install Linux on them. You have an even bigger choice now. You can even set Linux up to look and act exactly like either of them.
Last edited by Foub on 11 Mar 2008 - 22:35
and IC an tell you, it's still not a very good user OS.
sure if you have techie friends or do NOTHING more than surf the web it's ok.
butother than that ... not really, config tools varies from either too complicated to too simplified (a big Ubuntu problem where the config tools areso limited you can barely change the desktop backround(it's an exaggaration don't get too excited)).
The increased treliance on Linux apps to be installed with package managers are also nto a very good thing. sure the linux guys will say "oh but everythign gets updated through one program and blah blah bla". it also limits you to only programs in the package manager, and makes it a real mess to find just that program you want, especially if you're lookign non specifically. at leats when surfing the web you get screenshots and descriptions and all that on the site.
I remember when I could just dump the Opera bin file in a directory and it'd run on pretty muchany distro... not so anymore...
Despite packagemanagers there's still dependency hell.and many apps are only pre compiled for a few select distros, and with distros divergin more and more and the common package thing becoming less and less of a reality...
Linux looks impressive for the geeks who care abotu hiding their desktop behidn a thousand useless desktop plugins, and does the job on pre-cofniger single or near single purpose work computer, and for regular users who just surf the web and maybe grab some photos of a camera andwrite some mails. steop outside those boundaries, and non geeks may easily find themselves needign help from the geeky.
http://www.getdeb.net/
And, in the end, never know that if a bugfix or improvement is released, because apps in Windows don't have a central manager to keep things updated - it's every app for itself (minus Microsoft Update, which is a good idea, just limited in scope).
If that's what customers what, who am I to make them switch. Let them be happy in Windows-land.
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