The Linux aspect is only a real story to industry types and those anti-Microsoft monopoly types. The big appeal was the $199 commodity price. Everyone's always interested when the base price for commodity PCs and laptops go down. That's why the eee PC is so interesting to people now. It's adequate, but it's also mondo cheap. My guess is that if WalMart can get a PC down below $200 (or even $100), it'll be interesting -- but most regular users (your typical customers) need to see PCs that are powerful enough to actually do what they need to get something done.

Windows stinks and is unstable! UNIX and Mac OS X are far more stable platforms. 

There are an awful lot of people who don't need to pay the "Microsoft Tax" in order to get their work done. Many of us who use Linux think that we (and these potential customers) are better served in that fashion. That said, having "a market" requires some customer enthusiasm, some buzz. Nobody out there has a clue WHY they should buy something other than the traditional Vista Home based PC. That's the challenge.

Also, I note that the walmart.com page for the system in question never uses the word Linux. Nobody knows what gOS is, and frankly, I'd think it was deceptive, were I to get such a system and not be greeted with what I expected.

Let me take a moment also to tell you that I appreciate and enoy this blog, and the insights it gives.

Unfortunately, Linux is not going to succeed in the home market unless it's a carefully controlled kiosk-style front end. As an internet or word processor appliance, it has hope. But standalone OS, no.

     I would be very interested in trying Linux and seeing what it can do. Is there any way Wal-Mart would consider a display showing how easy/hard/different/etc. from Microsoft it is? That might prompt me to give strong consideration for purchase.

Kudos to Walmart for trying to move a few of these non Windows computers. How do you know until you try? Now, that said, it would be my view that overall the Linux operating system is not readily suitable to the vast, home market. Linux is fine if you are a bit of a technofile and have the knowledge and resources to set it up. The average home user is far, far more suited to using a system such as Windows. After all, Windows made it's bones by adapting to the average user. So I think Walmart probably has done the right thing too by offering the Linux machines on it's website. As I have watched this Linux scenario unfold, I have wondered several times how many people bought these machines in their local, friendly Walmarts without realizing they were getting a non Windows operating system until they got it home and discovered such. Truthfully, if you would ask most home users what operating system their computers used, they could not tell you for sure. They recognize the Windows name, but that is about as advanced as they are.

oka.. the truth hurts.

the next time you are in a Walmart take a look at many of the folks that shop there.

Most of them don't even know .. the simpliest things about computers.  They are not capable of even the simpliest maintenance tasks for Unix OS systems.

Who are they going to get help from if they run into problems?

I'm betting that some folks bought these things not knowing what they were and promptly returned them when they saw that they were not Windoze when they booted up. (and that would also explain buyers at Walmart.com... where I suspect folks don't "blunder" into buying the "wrong" unit (for them).

Linux is much, much better these days but in my view - it's still "geek-ware" and the stuff you buy at Walmart is not exotic or sophisticated technology - on purpose..

Walmart is a mass marketer of commodity items.. primarily.. and that means.. a limited selection of mainstream products.

Besides if you can get it at Walmart.com, you can get it shipped free through their site-to-store option - which I don't think has been "discovered" yet by many folks but that's another story.

:-)

I am a Linux user and was very excited to hear about this product being available in Wal-Mart stores.  Over the past few years Linux has gained popularity and with the negative reactions Microsoft is experiencing with their latest OS more and more people are looking for alternatives.

It is unfortunate that no matter how user-friendly Linux becomes, most people will avoid it just because it is different.  There is a stigma that it is inferior because it is free, and the same powerful features that make it so desirable to the geek culture give it such a steep learning curve that it lends to the inferiority viewpoint.

Personally, I try not to be anti-Microsoft, but I often wonder how things would turn out if the company were to go under or be forced to abandon the home OS market.  There's certainly a lot of competition out there that is ready to step up to the plate, and the potential gains from such an event could very well usher in a new era of Operating Systems.

I'm glad that despite flagging in-store sales Wal-Mart will continue to make this PC available online.  More consumer exposure to Linux may make in-store sales a possibility once again.

Admin Note: Jason is a Wal-Mart Associate

Part of the reason Linux systems aren't selling as well has to do with consumer assumptions of what a quality PC requires. Everyone is used to hearing that you need 1-2GB of RAM to run Windows Vista most efficiently, yet those Linux systems only come with 512MB - 1GB of RAM. In the eyes of an unaware, "know enough to be dangerous" consumer, the system is already at a disadvantage. Then you couple in the smaller hard drives (80GB ?!) and lower Processor numbers, and you really have yourself in a hole. Not to mention the cases for the Linux machines make those of the old eMachines look sexy by comparison. Everex either needs to provide some consumer awareness on just why their systems function better with seemingly lower stats, or they need to offer comparable hardware configurations with those systems running Windows.

Part of the reason Linux systems aren't selling as well has to do with consumer assumptions of what a quality PC requires. Everyone is used to hearing that you need 1-2GB of RAM to run Windows Vista most efficiently, yet those Linux systems only come with 512MB - 1GB of RAM. In the eyes of an unaware, "know enough to be dangerous" consumer, the system is already at a disadvantage. Then you couple in the smaller hard drives (80GB ?!) and lower Processor numbers, and you really have yourself in a hole. Not to mention the cases for the Linux machines make those of the old eMachines look sexy by comparison. Everex either needs to provide some consumer awareness on just why their systems function better with seemingly lower stats, or they need to offer comparable hardware configurations with those systems running Windows.

Part of the reason Linux systems aren't selling as well has to do with consumer assumptions of what a quality PC requires. Everyone is used to hearing that you need 1-2GB of RAM to run Windows Vista most efficiently, yet those Linux systems only come with 512MB - 1GB of RAM. In the eyes of an unaware, "know enough to be dangerous" consumer, the system is already at a disadvantage. Then you couple in the smaller hard drives (80GB ?!) and lower Processor numbers, and you really have yourself in a hole. Not to mention the cases for the Linux machines make those of the old eMachines look sexy by comparison. Everex either needs to provide some consumer awareness on just why their systems function better with seemingly lower stats, or they need to offer comparable hardware configurations with those systems running Windows.

Linux it's ready for primetime.  Checkout Ubuntu for example. It only needs a tipping point to go mainsteam. Could the begining be Vista's floop? It certainly has benefited Macs

The main point that I think everyone is missing here is that you don't need to sell an operating system with a computer.  A smart consumer will be able to install an operating system from a used copy of Windows and save tons of money in the process.  If Walmart starting selling 1 or 2 of their computers with no OS, (I understand that Walmart only carries about 9 or 10 for sale), they would avert having to deal with Microsoft and make tons of money in the process.

Do not underestimate the resourcefulness of the American consumer to beg, borrow, and steal.  Give the decision back to the customer by selling PCs without operating systems preinstalled.