lindows????????????????

[Ghost]

<DIV CLASS="storyhead"> Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled </DIV> <DIV CLASS="storybyline">By <a href="mailto:tina@newsforge.com">Tina Gasperson, Newsforge.com</a></DIV> <DIV CLASS="indexposted">Posted: 14/06/2002 at 16:39 GMT</DIV> <BR> <DIV CLASS="storybody"><a href="http://www.newsforge.com"><img src= "http://www.theregister.co.uk/media/724.gif" align= "left"></a>In a move that appears to be a coup for <a href="http://www.lindows.com/lindows_about_profiles.php">Michael Robertson et al</a>, Wal-Mart's online store is offering <a href="http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?path=0%3A3944%3A3951%3A41937%3 A86796%3A96356&dept=3944&cat=96356&sb=61&bti=0">eight different Microtel PCs</a> with <a href="http://www.lindows.com/">LindowsOS</a> included. The computers sell for USD$299 to $599 and ship in one to seven days.<BR><BR>NewsForge originally reviewed <a href="http://newsforge.com/newsforge/02/04/29/0218241.shtml?tid=7">Wal-Mart's OS-less PCs</a>, a dramatic move away from the standard Windows-based home computer. Now the retailer is advertising systems with the LindowsOS distribution pre-installed, no longer just moving away from Windows, but now directly competing with it: <BR><BR>"These computers do not ship with Microsoft Windows. They ship with an exciting new UNIX based Operating System (OS) named Lindows. This exciting new OS delivers the stability of UNIX with the ease of Windows and the ability to run most Microsoft programs. These computer systems are a perfect low cost alternative to computers preloaded with Microsoft Windows."<BR><BR>To say that Lindows runs most Microsoft programs is a bit of a stretch. Wal-Mart says the PCs come with "mail, word processor, web browser, address book, calculator, cd player, MP3 player, Microsoft PowerPoint viewer, Word viewer, and Excel viewer," and buyers get to select three "free" Click-N-Run applications from the Lindows.com warehouse (of GPLed KDE-based software, we might add.) <BR><BR>No need to be concerned about the PCI 56k modems that come with the Microtel systems -- according to <a href="http://newsforge.com/newsforge/02/05/02/1514240.shtml?tid=7">this NewsForge report</a>, Microtel is shipping Linux-compatible modems in these systems.<BR><BR>For a really cheap setup, get the $299 system, add a USD$49 HP printer (most of HPs printers work with Linux) and a 15" Microtel monitor for USD$119. And if you're especially Wal-Mart loyal, you can even add a subscription to the company's ISP service, called Wal-Mart Connect, for USD$9.94 a month.<BR><BR>© <a href="http://www.newsforge.com">Newsforge.com</a>.<BR>

[Colin]

I believe Lindows is a Linux spin off... You're suppose to be able to run almsot all Windows programs within Lindows. Haha, those systems are pretty cheap! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">

[ohsgaston]

It's just a new distribution of Linux. If you read reviews of it (can't remember where I found the article), they say basically "if you want to run windows programs, use windows". The couldn't get it to run very many programs, so it was kind of a bust for running windows programs. But, the said that it was pretty good for Linux because it was so user friendly. If you already know Linux, it's good, but if you like windows, stick with it.

[Iceman]

I have read loads of review on it and nearly all of them said that Lindows could harly run any Windows software!! Good idea though!<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif" border="0">