Comments for: Wal-Mart starts selling $199 Linux PC

#35. Posted at 08:47 PM on Nov 1st 2007, Edited at 09:29 PM on Nov 1st 2007

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snowdog

Cool, cheaper than a retail copy of Vista, and more than adequate for the majority of people.

As to why they are using this interface instead of Gnome, it is because it is ultra lightweight. The interface is probably faster than Vista on a quad core beast.

Eee Pc is likewise using custom Mandriva Linux and is getting rave reviews. Windows is becoming less and less necessary.

I installed Kubuntu two weeks ago and I haven't got around to booting back into windows since, and I figure I will only do so to play games and the occasional unique app, but all the internet/media/productivity stuff is fully in place.

I wonder if the fact that you can buy a computer for less than the price of window will inspire Microsoft to lower prices. I doubt it.

#29. Posted at 01:22 PM on Nov 1st 2007

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eitje

the C7-D in this system has an interesting marketing project attached to it. Basically, for each of these systems sold, VIA will donate some money or resources to local reforestation efforts, to offset the CO2 used in the production of energy for these systems.

It's really weird, but also kind of interesting. They even have a benchmark for it:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/greencomputing/treemark_rating...

#29, oh, btw - Damage, do you think we can start seeing the TreeM... : eitje (#30) «

#30, Damage, can you start planting a tree for every benchmark... : ssidbroadcast (#31) «

#31, that would actually be a pretty awesome charity event ... : eitje (#32) «

#2. Posted at 06:43 AM on Nov 1st 2007

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blastdoor

I wonder how many of these things get returned because the users discover that they don't run Windows apps.

#2, I would think they're more likely to just install a pirate o... : cheesyking (#3) «

#3, Actually most people do need the apps they use on Windows... : Master Kenobi (#5) «

#5, Right but if you're a lambda user you don't need Outlo... : poulpy (#7) «

#7, Yea, but when Joe Six pack wants to run Turbo Tax (... : Master Kenobi (#19) «

#19, However, I would say that there is a growing tre... : BiffStroganoffsky (#21) «

#19, There are many browser based tax software that w... : ew (#22) «

#22, Not really. I catch several of my Senior VP's... : Master Kenobi (#24) «

#24, By product I was talking about the $200 PC... : ew (#28) «

#19, I agree that some users will be disappointed not... : poulpy (#26) «

#5, I don't think you appreciate the market for this produ... : DrCR (#11) «

#5, This machine is targeted at first time PC buyers who h... : ew (#18) «

#18, What a funny typo in "spoiled". :) : Grigory (#23) «

#2, Most users will probably never miss Windows. Ubuntu is fully... : AMDisDEC (#20) «

#20, You made my point for me, you dual boot for a specific pi... : Master Kenobi (#25) «

#2, My point, which I guess I didn't really make very clearly, i... : blastdoor (#27) «

#6. Posted at 07:23 AM on Nov 1st 2007

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Master Kenobi

The best chance Linux has of making it mainstream is by finding a way to emulate the Microsoft environment so that windows apps can run, even if using a shell emulator like EA is doing with OSX.

#6, I used to think this way. I have learned it is simply better... : DrCR (#12) «

#6, How about Wine? It works for a great deal of applications as... : Firestarter (#14) «

#14, It doesn't support everything, though. For example, the o... : bthylafh (#16) «

#16, Yea, in the corporate world we use hundreds of softwar... : Master Kenobi (#17) «

#15. Posted at 10:05 AM on Nov 1st 2007

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crabjokeman

Ugh, They could have at least used a Sempron and Geforce 61x0 board.

#13. Posted at 09:12 AM on Nov 1st 2007

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Jeff Grant

I smell a cheap smoothwall.

#9. Posted at 07:55 AM on Nov 1st 2007, Edited at 07:55 AM on Nov 1st 2007

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BenBasson

Why on Earth didn't they just use GNOME, or for that matter, vanilla Ubuntu in the first place?

#9, And an up-to-date version of Ubuntu, at that. They must be u... : bthylafh (#10) «

#4. Posted at 07:06 AM on Nov 1st 2007

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poulpy

Funny to see one of the first Linux for the masses attempt in Wall-Mart boasting a "custom Enlightenment E17-based interface"!
E17 has been in development for -almost- as long as I can remember, and it's still not in any kind of "stable" revision either :p

#4, Yeah, never thought I'd see the words 'E17' and 'Walmart' in... : CheetoPet (#8) «

#1. Posted at 06:04 AM on Nov 1st 2007

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danazar

Yeah, well, unlike Dell's $549 Ubuntu-powered Inspiron, you can buy your own monitor of your choice and still come in under $500 total. (This assumes you're not buying a giant widescreen monitor, which would be kind of ridiculous since this machine would have to strain to drive it.)