Microtel to Build LindowsOS Boxes

[Madtripper]

Sounds like a scaled down E-Machine and I'm sure most of us know how they run, or maybe I should rephrase that to "don't run". I think making computing options for people on low income is a nice "idea" but the technology is expensive for a reason, it works and it seems the more you pay, the less hassle it is. I frequently hear people say, "You only buy AMD for the name" or "you buy Intel for the name." Lets be honest, I use major brands because they are proven quality. I've had a Cyrix, they suck. If you don't believe me, try overclocking one. Sorry to rant but if these people want cheap computers, get webTV. At least you'll have something that works.


Tripper

[durock]

I think Wal-Mart wants to show Microsoft that there are other options out there. I hope they are successful in this venture.

[Zorcht]

Ok, I'm all for competition in the markets. If Lindows is successful because it offers a powerful and yet user friendly option to Windows on the PC,awesome! But will the feds sue them for anti-trust? It seems like this operating system comes bundled with extra software or has links to certain vendors selling software for the operating system. If everyone is going to jump down Microsoft's throat for being a successful company, then they had better be ready to do the same for the next success story. I've always believed the Microsoft lawsuit and wishes for Linux and now Lindows to overtake and "kill" them is more to do with people's personal hate for Microsoft and Bill Gates than with a true understanding and love for the free market system. Yes, they did some "questionable" things, but a true free market system is about survival of the fittest, not the government stepping in to protect "victims" and punsishing success. Name one person who really did "suffer" due to Bill Gates? Seems like a vast majority of the computing world must be really hurting then. Anway, I'm ranting and I'm sure I've stirred up trouble. More power to Lindows and competion. Someone just needs to actually work to write a better operating system (for the PC) that is as user friendly. Once that is done the market will take care of itself.

[Nick CPU]

but a true free market system is about survival of the fittest, not the government stepping in to protect "victims" and punsishing success.

Someone just needs to actually work to write a better operating system

Well my friend, the reason why no one has steped up to make a decent OS to compete with microsoft is because they cant. When Microsoft started to bundle exclusive software like Internet Explorer and other applications exclusivly with new PC's any possible competition was eliminated. Learn a little more about the "True" Free Market system before you start ranting about poor Microsoft Corp.

[Zorcht]

Nick CPU,

Ok, Microsoft bundles its browser with its OS. Lindows is doing this and my main point is that if Microsoft is going to be demonized for this, then everyone needs to get in line and do the same to Lindows. As far as no one has stepped up with a better OS because they can't...... Well, I know Microsoft strong armed OEMs like HP, Compaq and others to put Win95 which was bundled with IE 3.0 on systems. But do you mean to tell me that if there was another equally good OS at that time which was just as "user friendly" that these companies wouldn't have just laughed at Microsoft? Name the OS that the home user could have easily used at the time? (Not counting MAC a whole other topic.) Is Microsoft standing at the local CompUSA preventing customers from buying another browser? No. Does its operating system prevent users from downloading other browsers? No. Microsoft has the right to design its own software and market it how it chooses. Even though it is not an equal comparison because Apple builds the computer too, but it seems their OS comes with a lot of pre-bundled software. Maybe that is why the software shelves for Apple/Mac are so bare.

People are just too impatient to let the market to fix itself. Microsoft dominates the market. Everyone wants to have a choice, but there hasn't been one. Linux has been out, but is too complicated for the average user. I'm personally excited that Lindows is coming out. Competition is a good thing because companies get complacent without competition. But the impatience for competition does not mean we need an ever expanding government to boss a private company around.

Since Lindows is bundled with Microtel, did they muscle them? Nope, I think computer manufacturers are wanting to offer choice. And Microtel thinks this just might be it.

Also, if computers were not bundled with an OS I know a lot of people that are just too plain scared to even try undertaking that task. When something is easy to use by the masses, it gets bought by the masses.

[smily_03]

Thumbs up to zorcht! If you'll notice, a lot of new computers come bundled with all kinds of different software. Linux includes Netscape. Even though you can download linux for free, it's still bundling. And what about all these new computers that come with tons of programs already installed that no one wants or uses because some company paid to get a trialware or slimware version of their products put there? Not to mention different ISP's; i think just about every new computer comes with AOL preinstalled whether you ask for it or not. Not just installed, but threaded into WIndows. Have you ever tried to uninstall AOL from one of these machines? I know I have and it'd nearly impossible! All I can say is as soon as some company can make software as easy to use as microsoft has, software that my 80-year-old grandmother can sit down with and be using in some form within an hour or so when she's never used another computer before, then there will be competition in the market. There is also tremendous support out there for M$ products, which is wonderful for those of us in the IT industry who don't want to have to analyze the code of some product to find out why it's not working right with our network. Also, the huge installed base of m$ products makes it stupid to use anything else, because everyone knows how to sit down and use word. or windows. or excel. try transferring that over to other software. i hate using netscape because it runs slower (yes, i have tested this out.), and also i can't use my cool timesaving shortcuts (like just having to type sysopt then hit ctrl+enter; whereas in netscape i have to actually type in www.sysopt.com) IBM was the last big company to have a virtual monopoly like this, and they are on their way out of the consumer market. given enough time, m$ will surely follow in their footsteps whensomething better comes along. i'm climbing down off my soapbox now.

[fasttoon]

Think about this for a second.

There is that microsoft tax of about $80 per computer, even if you didn't want that MS and were going to install another system like Linux you have to fight to get a refund and you might be lucky to get it. So if you were a manufacturer and were paying this tax for each and every computer you sold how much sense does it make to bundle your computer with another os and increase the costs? This is one reason why competition dried up, not the only reason but one of the bigger reasons.

Another thing to think about.

WalMart was selling Microtel computers without software prior to the Lindows coup, and you can still buy the computer without software at $199, with Lindows its $299 it includes the OS and up to 5 other programs you can pick, yes thats right 5 other programs you pick so you make your own bundle, Lindows is fully certified to be 100% compatible on these Microtel systems that Walmart is selling. While I agree that these are not high performance machines they are well tuned enough to get some kind of significant market share by year end, think dell, gateway, compaq, etc, their products are not that much better, break one open and you'll see, 250w psu, ATI Xpert 200, Nvidia tnt2 or Geforce2 video cards, integrated sounds or older type sound cards SB Live 5.1, even semi proprietary sound cards, other semi proprietary periphial cards, etc, sure the high end machines going for over $1500 may have more of the up to date components, but I can build a better, faster, stronger computer for way less than that. However they have been tuned and engineered to work well at lower tolerance and give better performance then what you can do with off the shelf components of similar caliber, is any enthusiast going to use these type of components? NO WAY! However the companies have to make money somehow so they research and test using older technology or have the mfg make it specific for their needs, same as Microtel.

If you have been keeping up on new software you'll have found out that Lindows is trying to be compatible with MS products and all other products that run on windows and linux, according to their website they are over 90+% compatible with MS Office and can run MS files 100% of the time no problem, heck even AOL is compatible with Lindows and anyone who knows computer wouldn't run that garbage unless for some reason it was absolutely unavoidable. True they are running some kind of wine emulation to get it done for the most part but who cares as long as windows/linux software can run out of the box without any type of compiling thats good for everyone. I'd like to have Konquorer on my system as well as IE and Mozilla, btw I'm not talking Netscape.

I'll try Lindows when they release it to the public as a production OS instead of trying it now as a beta, also keep in mind that WinXP and even Win2000 is not 100% compatible with 100% of the components/software that is out there and designed for the Windows world. Heck Win95/98/ME is not 100% compatible in all combinations of hardware/software.

Ok, thats the end of my rant.