Turns Out The Wal-Mart Crowd Just Isn't That Into Linux
from the who-knew? dept
You have to admit that it seemed like a mismatch from the very beginning: Wal-Mart selling a Linux-based PC? The idea, of course, was that it was crazy cheap: $199. However, the gPC from Everex clearly wasn't in huge demand. While it did eventually sell out, Wal-Mart has chosen not to restock the machines in its stores, though it will continue selling it off the Wal-Mart website. Wal-Mart tends to be pretty thorough about these things, so clearly it recognized that the shelf space dedicated to these machines would be better served by some other product. While the machines were cheap, apparently Wal-Mart customers recognized that price wasn't the only factor driving purchasing decisions for PCs, and convincing people to take a chance on some no-name computer with an alternative operating system didn't set the world of Wal-Mart shoppers on fire.
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Filed Under: cheap computers, gpc, linux
Companies: everex, wal-mart
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Re:
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Re: Re:
The fact is that the PC is so popular, the whole credit goes to Microsoft whether you like it or not.
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Yep
Great Idea walmart but stock a better product!
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Re: Yep
Great Idea walmart but stock a better product!
The highlighted parts are ironic on so many levels...
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Re: Yep
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Re: Re: Yep
Even if I spend a lot of money on toys that I like, I shop at Walmart as well. And for curiosity, I might end up doing the same thing, buy the cheap PC just to check it out. If that did not work, it takes a lot of time to send it for recycling. Therefore, for a while it would become paperweight for me.
I have higher end Quad-core computers at home to do more serious work that runs on Windows Vista! See I do not blame the poor fellow who burnt his ass buying this crap.
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never on the shelf
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I read a good commentary on this on Slashdot
For those Linux boxes, it's either already built-in, or easily grabbed through apt-get.
Ref
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Better alternatives
All the reviews of the gPC I could see were less than effusive.
What has been doing extremely well is the Asus Eee. Several competitors are scrambling to join the market, including Everex with its new Cloudbook machine. And a more highly-specced Eee model is coming soon, too.
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If you're going to run a Slashdot story
Efficiency.
Not only is Wal*Mart continuing to sell the Everex desktop on-line, they're also selling the $400 Everex laptop. What Wal*Mart's not doing is selling the machines in-store. While the store believes they can earn more profit per linear foot of shelf space with other products, they haven't dropped Everex' Linux machines; they've only found a more efficient means of distribution.
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Re: If you're going to run a Slashdot story
Um. That's exactly what I said in the post.
But, honestly, since when do you take the word of the guy who's PC's just got pulled off the shelf as not being marketing spin?
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Intarwebs authorities
Thank you for that detailed analysis. Can you also tell me if McGriddles are good or bad? I know you haven't actually eaten one either (because to eat something like that you'd have to be pretty drunk, something few of us are at the times McD's actually sells the things), but you appear to be an extremely knowledgeable fellow with keen insight.
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Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse
CPU
Memory
Hard Drive
CD-ROM
all this for $200.00 ???
Either it is stolen,used or Junk.
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Junk PC
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Buy Linux Now
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Re: Buy Linux Now
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Re: Buy Linux Now
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Re: Re: Buy Linux Now
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Walmart''s Key Demo...
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Missing the Point When Buying a Computer
For example, if you don't want WINDOWS on should be able to demand that it not be included in the purchase price of the software. Unfortunately, the way computers are sold you are forced to buy both, as well as all the trial junk, at the time of purchase. So far I only know of two vendors (small companies) who are willing to sell you the computer without the operating system.
Stores, such as Walmart, Staples, and Best Buy need to sell, at least some of their computers, without an operating system so you can install your own.
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History...
Smart vendors only allow Walmart to have a small percentage of their output. Smarter vendors just say no. Dumb vendors allow Walmart to squeeze them completely out of business in a very painful, protracted manner.
BTW, they treat their other suppliers (builders, shelving vendors, etc) the same way. They dangle a bit of business with the 'possibility' of follow-on business, and the contractor bids a loss-leader in hopes of some long-term business. Guess what? The follow-on business goes to another contractor with a another loss-leader bid. I have a friend who got shafted that way; he now sends Walmart RFPs directly to the round file (I suggested that he bid normally, and tack on a 20% "Walmart surcharge", but he didn't want to waste his time "making a statement").
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RE really evil canine
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Duh!
The EEE from Asus is another fad, meant for geeks, and talked about by geeks. I don't know anyone in the general non-tech audience that even cares about the damn thing.
I look at the EEE this way. At it's original price point of $399, I'd rather just buy a Playstation 3 (yuck!) and hack Yellow Dog onto it. Much bigger bang for the buck. Sure it's not small and portable, but who cares. It's not like the EEE can be used for productive work without massive hacking and modification.
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Wait, what?
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Re: Wait, what?
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WTF?
Comparing McGriddles to Computers? Ok - sure, if the McGriddle was sold for 15 cents - wouldn't it make you wonder why it's so cheap?
But see - you're saying the 'computer' is a household name like McDonalds - when, regardless that it's sold at Wal-Mart the PC isn't a name brand.
So let's compare a bit more fairly..
You can buy a McGriddle for $2.50 - or you can buy 'Mama's Phat Sausage Biscuit with Syrup' for 25 Cents. You may be ok with risking the cheap one, but personally - to me, there's a lot of influence on my purchase with known good brands. You may decide to get the cheap food, but almost always - you get what you pay for.
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If it's such crap then why does it keep selling out? Why would WalMart stock the laptop version? Your constant screaming that cheap = crap has a total and complete lack of logic and a departure from reality. I could go into a long analysis of why you are wrong but I have feeling my efforts would be wasted. You can keep screaming that cheap = bad but it won't make it true.
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You're reading too much into the article...
The article DOES say that they "didn't attract enough attention from Wal-Mart customers" and that "This really wasn't what our customers were looking for", which tells me that it wasn't popular, that it probably took them months to sell what few they had, and that they determined that the shelf space could be better used for things people actually want.
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Facts or no facts?
First off, it doesn't come with a monitor so take that out of your argument for it being too cheap.
I pulled the specs from Wal-Mart.com and then priced building one retail from a pc parts website.
I could build a similar system retail for 150.00 and that isn't using the cheapest parts or I could have gotten down to $100.00.
That is logitech keyboard/mouse, corsair memory, maxtor HD, etc.
So if you can order the parts and build it retail for $150 then you know Wal-Mart and their bulk buying power is getting for at least 1/2 that. So, buying at around $75 and selling for $199 not a bad deal.
Oh, and I happen to know 2 people who bought these PCs when they first came out and both are still running perfectly.
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linux
Linux is, cheaper simpler, better and more trouble free than Vista and yet we choose Vista
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Ubuntu was just one more of a doomed line of Linux flavors wasting the time of talented developers who could have been doing something worthwhile with their talents than reinventing a crappy version of the wheel that will never be used by more than a few extremeists.
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I personally am a Windows user for life, but I'm all for computers that give people choices. All OS's have their place, and I believe in choice. But, if you continually try to push Linux into the laps of consumers on the most worthless pieces of hardware you can find, people are not going to see it for what it could be. Instead, they will see it as something as cheap and flawed as the hardware it's running on. No, the push needs to be for Linux on major OEMs like Dell and HP. Only then will it get the respect it deserves. A $199 can never hope to bring any respect for Linux, no matter what kind of spin you put on it.
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linux: ready for primetime?
sorry, but Linux is still not ready for prime time. linux guys always say it is and it never is. i got the new release of Ubuntu (7.10) and it works great, but getting it to see my Verizon datacard was a 2 day ordeal involving 2 computers, ISO disks, and tech support at Verizon who simmply hate linux calls. im about to get my mom a computer but it wont be a linux box. i can just hear my mom calling on the phone and asking, "It says it needs drivers for my modem. You told me it came with a modem. Am i supposed to drive it?" shes getting my old XP laptop.
honestly, i dislike Vista as much as the next guy, but A.) it works out of the box for grandmothers all over America, and B.) my mom (who's VCR still flashes 12:00 all the time) cant handle Linux. ill use a make. i can get to the BSD shell, use Applescripts, and do ANYTHING linux does.
you linux fanboys need to step back and realize that we are not all Sys Admins.
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Not good
I mean, I like Linux and all and use it whenever I can, but for the AVERAGE computer user, it is hard to learn and a pain to deal with. So the Linux fanboys need to back off and realize this little experiment of a Linux box sold to the masses was a failure (I bet the number of Linux boxes they sold to the number of Windows machines they sold with a little higher price would be not contest in favor of Windows).
Most of us may know how to load a driver onto a computer to make your camera work in Linux, but most people want to just plug it in and be ready to go (beside I doubt the software that came with it would work). Walmart was stupid to even try this in the stores to begin with. Keep selling it online.
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WTF?
I say if people don't want to mess with Linux, fine.
The low market shares will keep the virus and malware away.
I think the biggest problem was that the system for one is Everex and two...no monitor.
But like I said... whatever.
I'll keep my Kubuntu and you can have Windohs. There, problem solved.
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Look at the reviews. Only a couple blame hardware for their problems. Most of them are people who didn't bother to read what they were getting and ended up with a Linux OS and copies they bought of a bunch of MS apps. That's not even the fault of the OS but rather the consumer for not reading the most basic description provided both in store and on the website. It is also a well accepted rule that those who have problems are more likely to do things such as write a review or tell their friends. The sampling of complaints off of a website proves very little. How many have they sold? After all they did sell out of the machines more than once and are still selling them on the website. How many complaints are written on the website compared to how many were sold? You cannot even extrapolate any data from either of those numbers. You can't make an accurate assumption of any level of satisfaction given the data available.
With the dropping of price in hardware, the lowered cost of OS using gOS (again no comment on the stability), the power of WalMart's distribution center, the wholesale buying power of Everex, there is a cost level that a consumer can come nowhere near matching when building a PC. The claim of a 400 cost for building a decent PC is based on consumer level buying and comparing that to an assembled machine purchased at wholesale cost is lunacy.
The arguments against the cost of this machine are based in anecdote and pure fantasy and do not play out in the real world. Thanks for trying though, it has amused me today.
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Linux
I know what you mean about vista, but if you feed it what it needs (which is ALOT of RAM) it starts to behave quite nicely.
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Re: Linux
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Re: Re: Linux
What do you have to gain from that? Why do you care? Is it the concept of free software?
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Re: Re: Re: Linux
There is actually more to my arguments but since I really tried to stay out of the Linux debate, and still got sucked in, I'll just throw out my selfish reasons and leave it be.
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Re: Linux
In my experience, linux is far easier to administer and just as easy to use as window as long you don't do crazy **** with your desktop.
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Sure are a bunch of dumbasses in here!!!
Windows ROCKS!
Love the Illegal Aliens with Mullets line though.
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OK, WHO looked up the system on WALMART.
Its a Whitebox..Nothing except the System/tower/desktop.
Its VIA chipset ALL THE WAY THROUGH
Its a 1.4Ghz system.
It has gOS on it??
And if you read the site..
NOT available online
NOT available in stores.
1. Via isnt a friendly environment.
2. Under powered.
3. gOS??
4. consumer penetration, The consumer DONT KNOW what it is.(good for them)
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I have been a Linux server-side developer for 15 years, but haven't used the Linux Desktop regularly for about 10(!) I use Windows (SecureCRT for Linux Development), although I thoroughly test out every Ubuntu and Suse release to see whats new - I'm often impressed but never swayed.
The only open source software I prefer on the desktop is Firefox - other than that, there is really no other app that I use where I would rather choose the Open Source alternative to the freeware, shareware, or commercial Windows alternative. There is almost always a better choice there.
Also, when running a Linux desktop I find myself spending hours surfing support sites to do something very specific (or simple!), and often wind up breaking my X config or (much worse) bootloader. Its just an unproductive time sink.
It even still has its hardware issues - wireless especially - and the most popular sound card for the last 3 years (X-Fi) - Linux still cant make that thing beep.
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Everex gPC
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