Operating Systems > Linux and UNIX

PCs sold with NO preinstalled software.

(1/3) > >>

Calum:
From News Forge:
quote:Thursday May 02, 2002 - [ 03:18 PM GMT ]
Topic - Hardware - By Russell C. Pavlicek -
On Monday, we published the article, "Installing Linux On a Wal-Mart OS-less machine." The review was positive overall, but it highlighted a problem: that the modem included in the machine has no functional Linux driver.

Less than three days later, the builder of the Wal-Mart systems, Microtel Computer Systems, announced that it has heard the voice of the Open Source community and will soon begin shipping Linux-compatible modems in its Wal-Mart PC packages.
--- End quote ---

What do we think?

creedon:
I haven't been posting for a while (I stayed out of the juvenile pissing contests that were going on), but I'm ambivilent about this.  Walmart's business methods strangely paralell Micrsoft's; it strikes me as passing strange that a "middle America"-type company like Walmart would recognize a fairly small element in the computer world that WANTS computers without O.S.'s (read:Windows).  Maybe it's just paranoia (or Alzhiemers), but I do not trust Walmart's motives.

psyjax:

quote:Originally posted by creedon:
I haven't been posting for a while (I stayed out of the juvenile pissing contests that were going on)...
--- End quote ---


A bunch of us (including me    )were made moderators to thwart lamers. Their gone for good now... or are they?

Calum:
oh come, come, my feelings are harshly divided over this one and i thought that people would have some interesting opinions about it, i mean, like creedon says, why are WalMart (huge) trying to pander to the nonwindows (particularly linux) faction?
Have they just identified a niche early? Or is it some other thing? Surely they would make more mony by shipping ready made linux PCs, which would not cost them a cent more, but would sell a lot more units to people who don't want to install an operating system?

Calum:
just to throw fuel on the fire; click this link.
quote:Indeed, Wal-Mart operates as a massive wealth extractor. Instead of profits staying in town to be reinvested locally, the money is hauled off to Bentonville, either to be used as capital for conquering yet another town or simply to be stashed in the family vaults (the Waltons, by the way, just bought the biggest bank in Arkansas).
It

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page