“Computers that run the Linux operating system instead of Microsoft Corp.’s Windows didn’t attract enough attention from Wal-Mart customers, and the chain has stopped selling them in stores, a spokeswoman said Monday,” The Associated Press reports. “‘This really wasn’t what our customers were looking for,’ said Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Melissa O’Brien.”
MacDailyNews Take: Yeah. They were looking for Slim Jims, pro wrestling posters, 56×29 Faded Glory jeans, and beer helmets.
AP continues, “To test demand for systems with the open-source operating system, Wal-Mart stocked the $199 ‘Green gPC,’ made by Everex of Taiwan, in about 600 stores starting late in October. Walmart.com, the chain’s e-commerce site, had sold Linux-based computers before and will continue selling the gPC.”
Full article here.
It’s where you buy stuff for your walls…..
just kidding
http://www.walmart.com/
LOL! This doesn’t surprise me in the least. I tried Ubuntu on 3 separate occasions and Kubuntu and OpenSuse Linux once and it was awful. That of course was when I was a Windows users but thank God for the Mac!
With a current 0.67% desktop market share and little to no third party support by the major software developers, this will never appeal to the GP.
I’m looking for Dell in the near future to follow Wal*Mart and cease to sell it’s current line of Linsux computers.
I have to say I’m disappointed in MDN too. Something crossed the line. This will affect my interest in reading your articles to some degree.
Wal-Mart is capitalism at its finest. It was once a small business itself, you know. Economies will adjust. It is great being able to go to Wal-Mart and Costco and buy food at sometimes a third or half the cost. But even these companies can’t be everything to everybody. Savvy small businesses will adapt and prosper, new small businesses will be born, the ones that don’t know how to adapt will be put to rest.
Who are you going to complain about next, Amazon?
Stop crying and believe in capitalism.
See how it starts, the party line being droned out like zombies. Bunch of lemmings being led to the cliffs, and Mac fanbois cant be happier. Man you guys need to check your pompous attitudes at the door and realize you put your pants on one leg at a time.
Oh and der Fuerhers time will end as does everyones, then where will you bois be? Goodluck on your continued indoctrination.
Jim-
I heartily disagree, Wal-mart is capitalism at its worst.
Pure, unbridled capitalism is as bad as pure unbridled communism. I don’t want to live in a world with no controls in terms of economics, I’m sure most people will agree when they really think about it.
Heres a good example of capitalism in its purest form: Drug Cartels. Pure capitalism. Because in that “business” one can do anything or undertake method to eliminate their competition.
In this sense Wal-mart is predatory & abusive… sound like any other companies we know of?
Crash-
Goodwins Law. We win. Thanks for playing you may now leave this thread.
The Dude is bang-on except that it is Godwin’s law. Ignore Crash…his mom wants him in by curfew.
Jim….”This will affect my interest in reading your articles to some degree.”???
To some degree? WTF does that mean. You will only read half the article? You will ponly be 72% interested in any MDN article? You will be 100% interested in some but only 42% interested in others?
I find MDN’s comment section totally irrelevant now.
3 or 4 good comments that actually have anything to do with the article, hundreds that are tired spewing of political delusions or elitist crap that confirms windows/linux users opinion of Mac users.
Shouldn’t we be talking more about Linux and less about Wal-Mart? Anyway, for those of you have tried or want to try Ubuntu, you really should take a look at <https://help.ubuntu.com/community> Much better documentation than exists for Windows or Mac — IMHO…
Walmart didn’t pull the Linux PCs because of poor sales. The boxes regularly sold out. I suspect that they were pulled because they’re too hard to support and that’s also why they’re still selling them online. If you’re tech savvy enough to order a PC online then you’re gonna need less support. Linux boxes are great if you plan to take up personal computing as a hobby. I’ll bet that because of the super low price, most in store purchases were made by people buying their first computer. And no matter what the operating system, first time computer users need a ton of support.
I use Ubuntu at work for scientific applications (e.g. ARD, oligopicker etc) . This is because the software was written for it not because it is sooooo user friendly. Other than geeks or for someone who believes 100% in open source software or cannot afford to buy an OS and software, I do not see why anyone would think it is better than OSX or that crapola of crapola OS…Windows.
I get the distinct impression that most of you have never tried Ubuntu Linux 7.10! Unless you’re into the latest Windows-based games — in which case you wouldn’t be using any Mac except maybe a Mac Pro with Boot Camp — Ubuntu provides a very nice user experience. OpenOffice, Firefox, Evolution (email), the GIMP, lots of puzzles & games, and much more are pre-installed in Ubuntu. Add to this a “smart installer” that can automatically detect and install additional programs you need as you need them… Now, I’m the first to admit that Ubuntu still has a few major bugs to fix. But most of them should be eradicated with the release of Ubuntu 8.04 in April.
The main problem with the Wal-Mart Linux machines is that they use an unstable version of Linux called gOS. Imagine what people would say if Apple released a buggy beta of OS 10.6 tomorrow, but marketed it as a stable release. That’s what the gOS version of Linux is at the moment. Furthermore, the hardware in Wal-Mart’s Linux PCs comes from perhaps the LEAST Linux-friendly manufacturer in the entire computer industry. Perhaps whomever has been in charge of Wal-Mart’s newest Linux PC strategy wants Linux PCs at Wal-Mart to fail. Or, maybe her/she is just ignorant of Linux issues. Regardless, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if one or more of the people involved in the Linux project for Wal-Mart are paid “consultants” of Microsoft.
Lastly, I wouldn’t go so far as to say Ubuntu is BETTER than OS X or Windows. But it is definitely EQUAL to them in many respects. I’m not a Ubuntu apologist. From time-to-time, intermediate Linux users will need to use the command line. And advanced Linux users will probably find themselves using the terminal on a daily basis. But novice PC users probably won’t even open the Ubuntu terminal except to enable DVD playback — an easy copy/paste procedure using instructions from the URL in my previous post.
None of today’s operating systems are flawless. And any Mac user who argues that OS X is perfect is simply delusional.
I mean no disrespect, but I think all of you Linux guiys posting about Ubuntu etc. would fall under the umbrella of the geekier users . . . I’ve tried it, and I took a peek at the stuff you’ve posted, and for me, it only proves the whole point. This is NOT how I want my computer to work! Sorry! It may very well be perfectly intuitive for you, and that rocks, but I do not want to have to deal with any of this stuff, pretty much at all. I’ve been using the Mac now for about 12 years, and I am so grateful they didn’t fold, forcing me to choose between Windows and Linux. Honestly, believe me, take my word for it, friends: I’ve done my homework with Linux, and I just don’t want it.
@ Forgive me…
Well, I cannot deny that I’m a bit geeky. But I think that your premise of Linux equals geeky is flawed. In fact, I have personally helped three of my friends switch from either Windows or Mac to Ubuntu. None of them are geeks. And their ages range from 12 to 65. To be fair, I did help in the initial configuration of each of my friends’ Ubuntu PCs. But in the past, I’ve had to help these same friends setup their Windows and Mac machines too.
You say that Ubuntu is “NOT how I want my computer to work!” What do you mean? Are you talking about the need to use the command line for certain tasks? For most Ubuntu 7.10 users, the only reason to use the command line is for one-time tasks like enabling Medibuntu and installing the Adobe Flash Player. 99% of everything else a normal user will ever do in Ubuntu can be done graphically.
I too am a longtime Apple user — since the Apple IIe in fact. And there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that OS X is better than XP/Vista. Incidentally, OS X and Linux are both based on an operating system called Unix. That’s why they’re both immune to viruses.
I don’t think that it’s fair for you to tell people that they don’t want Linux. Let them try Ubuntu for themselves with a LiveCD. A LiveCD contains the Ubuntu operating system itself as well as the installer. So you can test Ubuntu without installing it.
By the way, when is the most recent time that you’ve tried Linux? Was it Ubuntu? I’ll agree that some Linux distributions aren’t very user-friendly. I’ll also concede that until about 12-18 months ago, no version of Linux was ready for the consumer desktop. But Ubuntu Linux 7.10 is worth trying on a LiveCD before dismissing.
@facts
I’m happy to address your points (I was away from my Mac when I posted the above). No, it’s not the command line; at this point I am indeed a power user and I take trips (though mind you, they would be entirely unnecessary to the average user) to the terminal, it is the way Linux and Windows work, as in the way the user interacts with them. I use my Mac in my profession as an artist, and it is just so intuitive for me to use, I’m talking GUI and system mechanics here, not installing drivers and what have you. As a tool, it feels very natural. I have been in situations where I’ve been forced to use Windows for the same tasks, and from the user interaction standpoint, it makes EVERYTHING more difficult. From that same standpoint, Linux works very similarly to Windows, and though this is a separate issue and not any Linux developers fault, the software just isn’t there yet. I’m sorry, but for most pro work, Gimp just doesn’t suffice (and that may be a yet).
I am well aware of OS X and Linux’s common Unix underpinnings, but friend, I’m not doing my art in the command line, and for this discussion, for now, basic functions such as email/internet/office work aren’t relevant. They are both very solid systems, to be sure, but we have finally reached a point where I can do my work and not even feel like I’m using a computer, and that’s saying something.
I realize that this perspective may sound very singular in regard to my profession and how we have evolved toward using digital tools in contexts they were perhaps not envisioned for in the beginning, but there’s a caveat: EVERYTHING works this flawlessly and intuitively in OS X. I think this will only be more so when touch has been integrated into the desktop OS.
This is where I think the division in our thinking is. A lot of the wonderful things that have been pointed out about Linux just don’t matter all that much to users like myself-I don’t need an OS that is endlessly configurable IN THAT WAY. Do you get what I’m trying to say? I’ve been using OS X from it’s initial release; it has nearly everything I want right now, and it continues to get better.
And that’s why it’s my preference. I am not telling anyone else they should avoid Linux-by all means give it a try. It will certainly evolve as well (and I’m all for it-healthy competition is always good). I’m really not trying to put anyone down, but this is a no brainer for me, and with all of the exposure these past few years, many of my other friends and acquaintances as well; I’m sure there are other pro users out there who might have similar views.
@ James,
I’m writing this at a really late hour my local time. So forgive me if I fail to make much sense. Anyway…
The main fact that I’ve been trying to present in my posts is that Ubuntu and some other Linux distributions today are more than capable of catering to average computer users and their needs. Wal-Mart’s Linux computers are NOT indicative of today’s Linux — for reasons that I’ve already mentioned.
I also feel that each individual has his/her own unique computing needs. Mine have led me to prefer Ubuntu Linux. Yours have led you to choose OS X. And I think that it’s important to remember that neither Ubuntu nor OS X are flawless.
I suppose I’m in the Linux heartland doing scientific computing but I prefer Linux over OSX, it’s just better suited to what I do.
I realise that artists would prefer OSX but saying that everything works better with OSX just isn’t true.
I really can’t believe that so many people have trouble running Ubuntu (It’s on a live CD for gods sake). At best it’s just Mac fans spreading Linux FUD at worst it’s people who can’t handle a seven step install process. Scary.
@ James
It has nothing to do with Linux FUD, thats Microsoft, not us. Fact remains for the AVERAGE or even novice user (read 95% of the computing public) Linux is waaaaaaay over their heads. Nor are they prepared to even come to grips with it.
I have Linux on a couple machines and its interesting, but in no way shape or form going to appeal to the masses on the desktop.
Installing is over t most users heads. Installing aps is a joke. Ask Joe Wal-Mart shopper to unpack a .tar? Yeah they’ll give you the right answer on that one… More likely they will wonder if its related to some sponsor of Chewing Tabacky in NASCAR…
Until there is a well thought out GUI installer for the major Linux distros there is no way the masses are going to adopt Linux on the desktop.
Linuxes greatest strength is also is greatest weakness. Anyone can write a distro, anyone can add to it thus it can be in any state of flux depending on how aggressive people are behind it. At the same time that very freedom causes no end of confusion for even people who are moderately tech savy.
Just to clarify guys-I didn’t say everything necessarily works better in OS X, just more intuitively and easily; that very well may be tantamount to ‘better’ for a lot of people. I’m not spreading FUD about Linux; as a matter of fact, Linux-based servers are often used for the number crunching aspects of many projects such as rendering and the like. You’d be hard pressed to find it on a work machine though, and when people break to do something fun or check their email, it’s not usually a Macbook with a fresh Ubuntu install they pull out. A lot of the people I’ve encountered who still fear computers have the mistaken belief that ‘Windows’ and ‘computer’ are synonymous; I’ve yet to see Linux change anyone’s mind (doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened), but I know a lot of folks that have been astonished when they try a Mac.
I also wanted to say that I feel a lot of this backlash is due to the fact that during the last couple of decades the personal computer had it’s day as the central factor in the shaping of our future cultural landscape; I think a lot of the resistance we see stems from our shifting away completely from the PC paradigm; with technology such as the iPhone, which I consider to be in its infancy, the tools will become invisible to the point where doing what I do digitally will be virtually indistinguishable from the traditional way in it’s implementation–that is to say the reliance upon what is traditionally thought of as a ‘PC’ will have ceased altogether. Touch, and smaller, integrated technology is the future, make no mistake. This will make end user systems that do not evolve with the shifting, user oriented landscape increasingly irrelevant in the mainstream. I think this makes a lot of technicians very nervous–it’s funny to see luddites within the community that brought the word back into parlance to begin with, techs and geeks aren’t enjoying the rock star status the boom of the ‘nineties engendered anymore. I on the other hand am excited at the possibilities and am very confident that Apple is among those at the forefront of delivering these things to everyday users. Again.
I wish you guy would take your Linux discussions to the appropriate forum.
This sight is for partisan political arguments…….
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Other than the Linux slight, the tone in this thread is starting to resemble slashdot. LOL. Maybe if all the Walmart shoppers were given a Linux PC free and forced to learn all about it, they could get more geek jobs that pay more and afford more expensive sh*t and shop elsewhere – that’s why Wallmart pulled the Linux PCs.
@Dude
Here are some examples of Linux FUD.
“Installing is over t most users heads. Installing aps is a joke. Ask Joe Wal-Mart shopper to unpack a .tar?”
The average Joe Wal-Mart will never have to unpack a tar file, if it’s not included with the distro they probably don’t’ need it.
“Until there is a well thought out GUI installer for the major Linux distros there is no way the masses are going to adopt Linux on the desktop.”
Hmm the 7 step GUI installer in Ubuntu is a little bit too complicated is it?
“Linuxes greatest strength is also is greatest weakness. Anyone can write a distro, anyone can add to it thus it can be in any state of flux depending on how aggressive people are behind it. At the same time that very freedom causes no end of confusion for even people who are moderately tech savy.”
You can try this out. Go add some random code to Ubuntu and see if it makes it into the next release
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” /> If open source software had such poor organisation I don’t think Apple would use it as extensively as they do.
“It has nothing to do with Linux FUD, thats Microsoft, not us.”
Apple would love to see Linux die as much as Microsoft. It’s a little bit uncomfortable when your competition is giving away a superior product.
#1 – People want a name brand
#2 – People want a Laptop
Try again walmart. giving up is not the best answer