winkydo.net

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

think outside the box

Walmart has quit selling the gPC line of computers in their stores.  The gPC hit the Walmart shelves back in November as a pilot with Everex to present a sub $200 desktop loaded with a Linux operating system called gOS.

A lot of people are blaming Linux for not being ready for prime time, or the sales associates for not knowing enough about Linux to even push the Linux line on incoming buyers.  I partly agree with both, but I think the blame lies more on Everex and less on Walmart.

Here’s the problem, gOS looks nothing like Windows.  If you sold it as an Apple Mac Pro replacement, maybe it would fly considering price comparisons, but who is really in the market for a Mac Pro that’s willing to go with any product that is not made by Apple?

I think that someday, one of these companies making the sub $300 pc’s running Linux might just catch on that people want a replacement for their old Pentium 3 or even Pentium 4 machines that the Nerdherd told them would be impossible to run Vista and unless they can find the 6 year old Windows XP media, they would need to buy a new copy to reinstall on their broken machine or worse, just purchase a new Vista compatible machine.  Have you seen one of those, prebuilt on a store shelf for under $500 yet?

Here’s what I think.  Go with the Everex gPC build of the Via machine, but instead of running something like gOS, go get an Ubuntu like operating system instead.  (Not an Ubuntu Fanboi, okay maybe I am, but think about the online support community willing to help out fellow Ubuntu’ers, compared to the online community willing to help out fellow gOS’ers. I dont even want to mention the Faqly community.)  Take that Ubuntu like operating system and put icons on the desktop of the default logged in user for Open Office tools, and work with people like Turbo Tax to certify their web based tax app on this operating system, preinstall Pidgin and provide a first time use pop up that actually explains how to get your messengers up and running.  Put a link on the start menu for the Linux Cisco VPN client.  Preinstall a PDF reader and include a good Pop3 email client like Thunderbird, but make sure there is a first run pop up explaining how to get things setup and connected.

I really think that if the time is taken to get this type of Linux build on one of these computers, it would be a seller, but here’s an important part not to be forgotten… include an internet connection to the demo computer!  Ever notice that when you demo a Windows computer at the local Best Circuit everything works?  The down side to most of the Linux apps people are using right now are heavily web based, without a reliable internet connect for people to tinker with the new computer they are thinking of buying you might as well be showing them how fun it is to type the same old reports that have been done on every computer since a caveman drew a picture of his horse on the wall of his cave.  I get a kick out of walking up to a brand new install of a computer and cant get anything to work because updates need to be done and software must be activated online before they can be used.  Finally, Microsoft has figured out that it’s best to offer up a full working piece of software for at least 60 days, know why?  You’re darn right it sells, especially after you’ve had 60 days to bring work home and the kids have had plenty of time to create all of that homework on the working, unrestricted software.

I digress.

What do you think?