Posted on 03/10/2008 10:06:24 PM PDT by HAL9000
NEW YORK (AP) -- 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.
~ snip ~
(Excerpt) Read more at biz.yahoo.com ...
I have to say quite honestly as one who has used for PCs since 1985 in the old DOS days that going to Linux is a step backwards. For all the brickbats thrown the way of Vista, I have been using it for four months with no problems. I had to be dragged kicking and screaming from DOS to Windows 3.1 which I hated but as it has progressed I would never go back. For the average non technical user, Linux is just not ready for prime time although it is to be applauded for offering a free alternative.
When was the last time you tried Linux?
http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html
“When was the last time you tried Linux?”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
About four months ago. That’s what caused me to move up to new Vista machines. I sold my four year old XP machines and purchased new Vista machines for almost the same as the old ones. The laptop is new, however. I have three machines, all equipped with Vista Home Premium. It is my understanding that Vista Home Basic is essentially a reskinned XP.
I had a dual boot machine of Ubuntu and XP but after working with it for about two weeks I couldn’t see the upside and believed then as I do now that Vista was the future anyway so why wait? I haven’t been disappointed and pleasantly surprised at how seamless it has been. I think it is better than XP or I wouldn’t have changed.
You and I must have quite different needs, then. I find Windows to just get in my way when I’m trying to work, while Linux allows me to work on what I need to get accomplished.
I would agree. That's exactly the configuration I had on my mother's system before she switched over to Linux.
The point is that with a Linux box, which is whats being referred to here, you don't have to do any of that stuff (ok, the routers always a good idea) for a great net access, word processing device. Hence, there's nothing to gain by formatting the device to put an old version of Windows on it.
I spend most of my time on the internet and other work requiring its use. Of course I did my income taxes using Vista the other day and it worked fine. I can’t imagine why you would need an old operating system but each to his own.
Wait, just so I'm clear. You're calling Linux "an old operating system"?
Is that from personal experience or just what you have heard?
Is that from personal experience or just what you have heard?personal experience. If you use linux, then I'm surprised you ask. If you've never used one of the distro's, then know that it's a really powerful os, but sometimes you have to tinker to get things working.
I do use Linux; it’s what I boot to 99% of the time (though I keep an XP partition for when I want to be able to help someone remotely and be able to look at the GUI as I walk them through the “fix” they need).
I don’t think it takes any more effort to manage the user experience in Ubuntu or its derivatives than it does WinXP. It just takes different effort...effort not familiar or similar to XP.
In Linux a user need spend no time managing anti-virus software, because there are virtually none. With XP users spend time and, usually, money, to stay safe. The same is true for Vista.
And all too frequently users lose serious time due to the delays caused by memory hogging anti-virus software. I have many friends who constantly complain about Norton or Trend Micro, though some have had good luck with AVG not being a system hog.
In Linux, there is usually no need to worry about remote exploits cause there are usually no running services open to the Internet. I say usually because there are certainly some that will be wide open.
Certainly if a new Ubuntu user begins to make changes to the default install of the OS they run the potential of problems, and certainly drivers can be a problem, but that is not NEARLY what it was 3 years ago.
Basically, I think most people who stumble or struggle with Ubuntu are struggling with the change of the user interface; the lack of what is familiar to them in XP. You see the same issue with XP refugees who go to Mac and the same from them if they move to Vista.
Anyway, there are trade offs. I haven’t had to buy software for my 2 year old notebook and it works great with Ubuntu.
Cheers.
My first computer was an Atari 1200XL and in some ways Linux is a step backwards, as in back when you could open up the hood of your car and fix it yourself that is! I switched over to Linux last year and I'm never going back!
No, I’m talking about the need to operate in many of the ways that DOS was operated. This is why it is not suitable to the computer user of today. To someone with a lot of time on their hands and a desire to fool around with this stuff it is fine, but to the typical non-technical user of today it is a turn-off.
I think Linux in general has a great opportunity in the next several years to really move forward into the desktop market if they smooth out the experience for windows users, and make it pain free to integrate hardware. We will all benefit if they succeed.
Fixed it for you. My image editing is a little rough, largely because I just don't have the patience for it.
I don’t know if that’s much of a fix. Mr. Linux is looking like a he’s in a D&D role playing fantasy game there!
he’s in a D&D role playing fantasy game there!
Look, I know that hacker/programmer types are more into sci-fi than most, but don't tell me that you've never seen Star Wars!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.