$200 Ubuntu Linux PC Now Available

from WinCustomize Forums
Is it me or are there more articles lately about Linux and the availability of it loaded on computers?

Okay, you are only going to be able to get it selected at Wal-Mart for now and yes no monitor. For $200 you are lucky they have a keyboard and a mouse. Oh look it has speakers!

Alright, I'm not really making fun of this article. Remember I'm the one that at times seems to go out of his way to find Linux articles.

Most if not all of us will probably consider this no more than a toy. The inside of the box doesn't sound like it has much. Come to think about it the $100 laptop that people want to make available in third world countries doesn't sound like much either. Wonder if Linux will be on those also? Could we be witness to the start of something?

The article is on Wired News posted yesterday morning.

Everex's TC2502 gPC is the first mass-market $200 desktop computer, featuring a custom distribution of Ubuntu Linux and headed for selected Wal-Mart stores.

"It's $200, with no gimmicks or subsidies," Everex spokesman David Liu said.

The gPC aims to joins a popular gang of low-end economy computers leading into the holiday season, such as Asus' $300 EeePC Laptop and VIA's $600 Nanobook. Unlike these machines, however, Everex's latest model is a full-size desktop, and $100 cheaper than even the slightest models from Dell or HP.

WWW Link

Okay so lets see some comments here. Is this a a real kick start of Linux or just something that's going to fade away after the Holidays?  
42,711 views 25 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think most people will ignore it.........purely because it ain't got Microsoft written on it   
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Philly,

Nice catch. As for Linux, I personally think it's something to watch. And yes, FYI, the OLPC laptop (which is actually coming in, unfortunately, at $200 instead of $100) has a Linux based O/S. It's a project I'm following closely (and hoping to get in the door on development).

Will Linux "overtake" M$. Not anytime soon. But will Linux create a low end alternative operating system? I don't think that's in doubt.

Everex is also a brand to watch. While I have NOT heard good thing about their $300 system (already in release), I have noticed it contains a VIA chip. Is this a harbinger of VIA's reentry into the world outide of mini-ITX computing? We'll see. In the meantime, I'm tempted to buy the machine to get a look at its guts.

Thanks for this article. I love your Linux finds.
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Gideon MacLeish I just try to do what I can to keep these forums active, and maybe allow folks to offer up their opinions of OS.  

We all know that there are alot of folks out there with varied opinions on the subject.  
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Leo - people love cheap. they will buy it and load Windows on it.

I work at Walmart. we have 2 of these on the shelves and thaey haven't sold yet although they have only been out there a day.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Whoa very interesting...


Hubby is definitely interested now.... Great... .heheh LOL




Interesting though

Anne
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
OK, I have my answer...It IS a mini-ITX mobo. They made the machine full size apparently because that is what the consumers expect.

I may buy one of these machines for a mini-ITX project I have in mind because, frankly, at that price point, it is cheaper than purchasing the components separately. OK, for you geeks out there, what I am looking at is case modding an old, bulky laptop into a "modern" laptop (the only sticking point right now is the power supply)...but I digress.

For a $200 machine, it's pretty impressive...512MB RAM, 80GB hard drive, DVD burner. The integrated proc is a turnoff, but I haven't heard modders complain about performance from their mini-ITX mobos, so I'll have to say I'm willing to give it a go.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It dosen't have a DVD Burner. It has a DVD/CD-RW combo drive.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
The article I read stated it had a DVD burner.

Coulda been a misguided reviewer, though. Who knows?
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Hi, Gid....a question! A little off topic, perhaps, but still Ubuntu related.

OK, here goes! I have a copy of Gutsy Gibbon and want to know if I would be able to install it on an external hard-drive and still have full functionality via my main box? The reason I ask is because my other machine from Tasmania won't be arriving until Feb - March 08 now, and I'd like to be able to tinker with it prior to then without having to install it on my main box.

Given that it'll run via a 'live CD, I would have thought so, but then my logic doesn't necessarily follow true course when it comes to puters.

Anyhow, I look forward to your words of wisdom.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Gid - I read the specs straight from the box at work this evening. It's not a DVD Burner.
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
OK, here goes! I have a copy of Gutsy Gibbon and want to know if I would be able to install it on an external hard-drive and still have full functionality via my main box?


I don't see why not. If you want to boot to it you may want to make the USB a boot device.

Another scenario I would try is VMWare. I run Ubuntu and Vista on virtual machines through VMWare. Eventually I plan to take an external HD and make it a big virtual machine. I burned up all my "splurge" points on the laptop, though, so I'll have to wait a bit before I can clear that purchase with the wife

Gid - I read the specs straight from the box at work this evening. It's not a DVD Burner.


Oh, I believe you, kona. I wasn't doubting you, just saying my info about it being a DVD burner came from the review. You know and I know that reviews have been known to be wrong.

Still, I'm gonna try to get my hands on one. I could use the mini-ITX mobo!

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I don't see why not. If you want to boot to it you may want to make the USB a boot device.
End of quote


Thanks for that, Gid. Sounds like I'm good to go, then...being that it's just for a relatively short time and I didn't want to be messing with boot priorities on what would then have been a triple boot box. The external drive seemed like the perfect solution, and when my other box arrived I could just download Ubuntu onto there as was.

Another scenario I would try is VMWare. I run Ubuntu and Vista on virtual machines through VMWare.
End of quote


I have no real experience with VMWare, but it seems like it might be very well worth investigating for further down the track. Eventually, I want this to be a dedicated Vista box and put XP on my other machine as the primary OS, with perhaps Ubuntu as a secondary OS on a VMware virtual machine.
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
The DVD burner confusion comes from the fact that there's a $300 version with monitor, DVD+-RW and Vista.

The $200 model has only a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo.

You wouldn't really want to run Vista with those specs, but Linux ought to fly.

Booting linux from a USB hard disk isn't trivial, I wanted to do so with a laptop and had to modernize an old kernel patch. The problem is that USB device detection is done asynchronously because some USB devices initialize slowly (as they don't even receive power until the host-side xHCI driver loads), and you get a kernel panic "root device not found".
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You sure the 300 dollar model has Vista? I heard it has XP.

Strangely enough the Dells coming into the store have XP on them instead of Vista.

I wish I had a computer that allowed USB boot up options...
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Booting linux from a USB hard disk isn't trivial
End of quote


I wouldn't be booting from Ubuntu Gutsty Gibbon on the external drive, which was the point of not installing it on the spare partition where Feisty Fawn was. Essentially, I just want to be able to access and become more acquainted with it prior to installing on my other box when it arrives.
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
You sure the 300 dollar model has Vista?


It has Vista Home Basic. At least the ones at our store.
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
While this is obviously not a high end machine there are a lot of people out there who simply can't afford high end equipment. For the average person, say on a fixed income, who just needs a machine for email and surfing the web, it's a very good affordable choice for them.

While I am a Slackware fan I can say that Ubuntu is very user friendly and easy to maintain so that the average "Mom and Pop" user would have no trouble using such a machine.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
They should have put Mint or Mandriva or even PCLinuxOS if they wanted user friendliness...
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top

They should have put Mint or Mandriva or even PCLinuxOS if they wanted user friendliness...


Why? Ubuntu is quite user friendly and probably the best choice for the Linux novice.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Why? because for starters Ubuntu won't even play a MP3 unless you add repositories and download the codecs.

Mint and Mandriva have all the little dirty codecs installed upon first boot. I think PCLOS does as well.

Don't know about you but I like listening to my music without tweaking my system...
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
Why? because for starters Ubuntu won't even play a MP3 unless you add repositories and download the codecs.


You haven't used 7.04, have you?

I had zero problems with it playing MP3's instantly.

6.06 was the last time I had to update codecs.
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top
You haven't used 7.04, have you?

I had zero problems with it playing MP3's instantly.


Ditto.
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well then try watching MPEGS or AVIs or even a DVD...

Ubuntu isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I have used 7.10 - I found it a bit unstable. It didn't want to play any of my MPEG videos.
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
Well then try watching MPEGS or AVIs or even a DVD...


Try watching a DVD on Media Center in XP natively.

I don't know about you, but I use Power DVD (an add on) to watch DVD's.

I haven't tried with MPEG's, but it's possible they may have installed the codecs on this machine. Certainly not out of the realm of the possible.

Is it perfect? Certainly not. But then, you have to remember it's a $200 machine.
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yeah we had 2 of these at my store. We sold one recently. I would buy one then install XP over the top of Linux. Either that or install Fedora 8.