Wal-Mart Selling MS-free Computers

[John Corn]

Wal-Mart is selling computers either OS-free or with Lindows installed.
Hmmm...this could get interesting. You think that this is a smart move, or will it bomb and WallyWorld will go back to selling only computers with Windows installed?

Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer must be climbing the walls. In February, Wal-Mart, one of the few PC vendors big and powerful enough to defy Microsoft's market bully hegemony, began making its house brand Microtel PCs available without a pre-loaded operating system.

These computers ship completly assembled but without the operating system or any other software loaded on the hard drive.

[Bob Haller]

How much $ does that save on the cost of the system? Ahh most folks have a windows disc around, since one comes with every new computer. 95 98, ME...... etc

Can be big way to save $ and work over MS at the same time.

Hw many would BUY a OS? Few most would use whatever is handy.

[Chris Blount]

Here is the cost of the computers from the article:

Microtel SYSMAR708 1.8 GHz P4 PC CD-RW
• 1.8GHz Intel Pentium 4
• 256MB 266MHz DDR Memory
• 40GB Ultra DMA Hard Drive
$599.00

Microtel SYSMAR707 1.7 GHz P4 PC
• 1.7GHz Intel Pentium 4 Processor
• 128MB 266MHz DDR
• 20GB Ultra DMA Hard Drive
$499.00

Microtel SYSMAR706 PC With 1.53 GHz Athlon
• AMD 1.53GHz Athlon XP 1800+
• 256MB 266MHz DDR Memory
• 40GB Ultra DMA Hard Drive
$499.00

Microtel SYSMAR705 PC With 1.3 GHz Celeron PC and CD-RW
• Intel Celeron 1.3 GHz Processor
• 256 MB Memory
• 40 GB Hard Drive
$499.00

Microtel SYSMAR704 PC With 1.3 GHz Duron and CD-RW
• AMD Duron 1.3 GHz Processor
• 256 MB Memory
• 40 GB Hard Drive
$499.00

Microtel SYSMAR703 PC With 1.3 GHz Celeron
• Intel Celeron 1.3 GHz Processor
• 128 MB Memory
• 40 GB Hard Drive
$399.00

Microtel SYSMAR702 PC With 1.3 GHz Duron
• AMD Duron 1.3 GHz Processor
• 128 MB Memory
• 40 GB Hard Drive
$399.00

Microtel SYSMAR701 PC With 850 MHz Duron
• AMD Duron 850 MHz Processor
• 128 MB Memory
• 10 GB Hard Drive
$299.00

[Steve Mehs]

Ahh most folks have a windows disc around, since one comes with every new computer. 95 98, ME...... etc

Not so much anymore Bob, most vendors have moved towards sys restore discs instead of windows discs.

[Adam Richey]

What other operating systems are there besides Windows? I must lead a sheltered life because I don't know of any others except for maybe 1 or 2.

[RJS1111111]

Originally posted by DBSOgre
What other operating systems are there besides Windows? I must lead a sheltered life because I don't know of any others except for maybe 1 or 2.

There are some good Windows emulators for Linux;
both freeware and commercial.

BEOS is just about the only alternative that comes to mind.

[Steve Mehs]

Once on TechTV there was a college kid who called up and said he had 12 OS' running on the same PC, pretty cool! The OS' that come to my mind are, MS Windows/NT/DOS, Mac OS, Linux (all 30 some distributations of it), BeOS, Amiga, KremlinOS. And for PDAs theres MS WINCE/Pocket PC and Palm OS

[Adam Richey]

Thank you very much for the information. My curiosity was killing me.

[John Corn]

I think we all thought that M$ was going to drop the legal hammer on Lindows. They may still have to change their name.
I don't think of WalMart customers being terribly computer savvy (although I have been known to stop by from time to time). I think something like this is more suited for a BestBuy or something.

[gcutler]

I do think that most of those machines will end up with a illegal copy of Windows running on them. Chances are the OS in the house would be several years old (Win98 lets assume) and they would borrow WINME or W2KPro from a friend. But I guess MS feels that the Authentication code on XP is secure enough that no one would be able put a bootleg copy of XP on these machines???

What is the talk about bootleg copies of XP Home or Pro, have people been breaking the code successfully?

[Chris Blount]

Originally posted by gcutler

What is the talk about bootleg copies of XP Home or Pro, have people been breaking the code successfully?

Don't need to break the code. After 4 months of any given installation the codes are erased from the Microsoft servers allowing a copy of WINXP to get re-installed on another machine.

[gcutler]

Wasn't aware of that... I guess a reinstall after 4 months is necessary.

[MarkA]

"What other operating systems are there besides Windows?"

Linux (Many versions of which exist)
FreeBSD
MacOS
BeOS (basically dead)
OS/2 (basically dead, thanks to MS stealing OS/2 technology for Windows NT)
HP/UX
Solaris

...and many more tiny little ones.

[MarkA]

"What is the talk about bootleg copies of XP Home or Pro, have people been breaking the code successfully?"

Yes. In a word. Yes. The corporate version needs no activation (though companies keep the key secure (because they're in big trouble if it gets out I'd bet), and Service Pack 1 won't install on the most commonly pirated CD key). In addition, a certain well-known keygen can make alternative valid Pro corporate keys, as well as Home and Pro keys which are unique and Microsoft can't tell if they're real or not (therefore - you can activate on them). Read something like Slashdot more often. Like I believed from the start. XP Product Activation hurts us legitimate users and does NOTHING to stop piracy

[gcutler]

I wouldn't mind so much is they had the eval SW of 120 days like they had with NT 4 and Win2000. But If I'm studying for an MCSE exam or just to familarize myself for work the 30 day before shutdown makes me go out and find a bogus key (Thus my good intentions turn me into a Pirate when last version I had no need to hunt down a real key, and thus I stay a "Good Little Boy")

[MarkA]

Of everybody I know, I'm the only one using a legal XP Pro (my aunt is using a legal XP Home, all my friends use XP Pro Corp with a custom key generated with Blue List to avoid being blocked from updates). So, in conclusion I can say Microsoft hurt people like me, and didn't help themselves any.

[Steve Mehs]

Mark, I forgot all about OS/2. That was the first OS I ever used. It came with my IBM, which also had WIN3.1. While OS/2 wasnt the greatest, it was very reliable from what I remember. Then a few years later, I reformated and said byebye to OS2 and 3.1 and installed WIN95. I still rerember using AOL 1.0 on WIN3.1

[gcutler]

As someone who supported OS/2 as a both a client (from 1.1 Extended Edition to Warp 3) and as a server (IBM Lan Server) I don't miss it. While it was more stable at the time, making changes was always a pain. I worked for mongo big insurance company that had several full time IBM sales and tech reps on site. Way toooo many times the solution to a problem (like can't get the network card to be recognized) was "Fdisk the drive and reinstall everything.

Part of my positive experience with WIN95 was also related to Plug and Play and the internet. Since my life got easier with Plug and Play and easy to find drivers on the internet, I just remember my OS/2 days as being stressed and always something making me lose sleep.

And I had attended IBM classes for support, and that was often their official recommendation for way to many problems (fdisk) and they were running on 100% IBM equipment (PS/2 Model 60-95s with IBM Token Ring Cards)