“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.
You do us no favor with your take, quite the contrary.
Why don’t you go down to the store again and find the man, woman, or child you feel got here by some way different than you.
And then, spend the rest of your living days counting your blessings, you arrogant, condescending excuse for a human.
I think the following site says it all about Wal Mart
http://www.hel-mart.com/
Geez people take a chill pill. Rapidly judging comments before understanding their meaning in the grand scheme of things and trying to belittle people by profanity is a little harsh (….ummmm right Ben Dover?).
Ironically Walmart exploits the hell out of the people that work for them in order to sell cheap crap even cheaper. That is why I buy my beer helmets, polyester pants, Hulk Hogan posters and Celine Dion CDs elsewhere.
Funny, I actually bought my PlayStation 3 at Wal-Mart. And I noticed that they sell the full line of Apple iPods there as well. So no MDN, it’s not only hillbillies that shop there, not even close.
<< and “Never Forget” bumper stickers. >>
Apparently- we HAVE forgotten.
Macromancer, jjjj and the rest of you 3inch studs- could you please pass the Grey Poupon… or in your case- the Gay Mustard.
Walmart’s existence is based solely on our government’s desire to outsource all manufacturing so big business can dodge taxes.
Just my $0.02
The hostility and vehement comments between Walmart haters and its defenders is second here only to what is seen when Bush/Cheney is mentioned. Their is truth in what the Walmart detractors say, but the hysteria is nuts. What I am wondering is how MDN is going to report the eventual news when Walmart begins stocking the Mac Mini in place of those loser Linux machines.
@jjjj
Nice try, but it was Bill Clinton that signed NAFTA into law, making it far, far easier to send jobs outside the US and across our border.
Don’t let the truth hit you on the way out.
This started as a comment about Linux sales being curtailed and rapidly dove into the mirk of elitism. While my opinion of those who shop at Wal-Mart is low – Mr Reeee said it best with the “ass-cracks” comment – I occasionally shop there and at similar places (looking totally out of place). Many of the people who shop there have made poor decisions their entire life and will continue to do so. Many others are just looking for a bargain, perhaps a rather specific bargain.
Linux is a bargain. But! It comes at a price. You need to be quite competent to benefit from it – more than a little computer literate. Thing is, if you have the needed skills, you are only in Wal-Mart looking for a specific bargain. Those others who have been making lousy choices their entire lives will stay in their comfort zone and buy the system that is so much easier – a Windows box. When it slows down due to being infested they will go out and buy another to replace it. It’s easier.
I freakin’ hate Walmart, but sometimes find myself forced to go there. Where else can you buy a fishing lure, frozen pizza, and a Realtree (TM) camoflauged condom at 3AM?
“And I noticed that they sell the full line of Apple iPods there as well. So no MDN, it’s not only hillbillies that shop there, not even close.”
While your point may be correct, the evidence you supply does not prove it.
Hey, MDN, don’t be so tough on poor rednecks. They provide a big part of the listener base for a certain limp-dicked, drug addicted sex tourism-loving radio host you are fond of, and certainly could use a good, affordable computer for posting the latest racial humor to FreeRepublic.
Finally. Can we put this Linux is just as good as Mac OS X for most users to rest? Linux us great for the super geek squad, but lets get real folks, you can’t tell the average consumer or office user to use Linux and say its better than OS X.
@Sixvodkas….Just to make a correction here…it was George Bush that signed NAFTA, Clinton just helped its ratification. Moreover, please be more specific about the job loss border which happens to be Mexico and NOT Canada as per two incredibly stupid comments made by both Obama and Clinton. They both knew that and were posturing for the cameras. I hope Americans are not so stupid as to believe it especially as many of our manufacturing jobs went there. We were pretty pissed in Canada after hearing it. Besides, numerous studies have shown that the US had benefited much more than Canada by NAFTA (which was forced down our throats by Bush’s bosom buddy Mulroney).
I live in a small town in the South. Wal-Mart has done more to raise the standard of living for folks in my area that any other thing. People around here can buy stuff at Wal-Mart that they could never afford otherwise.
If one doesn’t want to shop Wal-Mart that’s certainly understandable, but it is a real blessing to millions of people that can’t afford better.
Think about it.
That was just ugly. It’s not funny and I’m shocked and disappointed by the responses on here.
Wal-Mart has a good business plan because it is based on a near-infinite causality loop.
Wal-Mart forces suppliers to outsource jobs to China, thereby resulting in closings and layoffs in the US. This further depresses in the economy in the areas where Wal-Mart is located, thereby increasing the number of people unable to afford other stores and having to go to Wal-Mart. As their buying power decreases, Wal-Mart forces more suppliers to outsource more jobs, creating even more Wal-Mart customers.
But you know what, as objectionable as Wal-Mart might be, what fscking excuse does Apple have? Sure, Wal-Mart pushes suppliers to outsource jobs, but both Wal-Mart and the suppliers are selling at paper-thin margins. Apple, on the other hand, sells merchandise at huge margins but is still assembling all of its products with cheap Chinese labor. If any modern manufacturer should be able to assemble in America it is Apple–and, indeed, Apple did make products here in the US until not too long ago. Every time I see that “Designed in California” label or whatever on Apple’s packaging I want to spit on it.
Everyone bitching about Wal-Mart and outsourced jobs needs to explain this to me–if you think Wal-Mart could profitably sell $2 plastic bowls having them made by American workers, please tell me why Apple can’t sell a $3299 workstation at a good profit without having the thing made in China by people making 20 cents a day?
regarding: MacDailyNews Take: Yeah. They were looking for Slim Jims, pro wrestling posters, 56×29 Faded Glory jeans, and beer helmets.
MDN, maybe you should buy a new server from walmart, it couldn’t hurt your web performance.
Perhaps some families try to save money to put kids through college, etc.
We don’t all get rich selling adds of Obama on our sites you know. Keep cutting and pasting other’s work, that’s what we Don’t pay you for after all!
If something is less expensive at Walmart why not buy it from there? With gas costs going thru the roof cutting back in other areas is mandatory. Inflation is outpacing my paycheck so I have to make decisions that are the best for me.
Let the flaming begin….
I used to refer to Walmart as- “The land of unwed mothers”.
But now I’m more PC and just think that but don’t say it.
Seriously though, I shop at Walmart for some stuff, dog food, kitty litter, camping stuff.
Last year I thought they had some really cool xmas decorations- kind of 18th century gothic. I was shocked that they would have something so un-mainstream.
I have to wonder what distribution of Linux was on the machines. If they were installed with Ubuntu then they would have been relatively easy to use.
That said, this was doomed to fail. Ubuntu, the easiest linux distro, is still a work in progress and relatively unheard of. It needs to get more “mindshare” so that the average joe-six-pack actually knows wtf it is. And even then, it’s not as easy to use as OS X and novice trying to install it on a new machine would be lost if there were some hardware dependacy issues.
It’s hard for me to understand some of the comments on here. I live in Canada, near Toronto (Between Detroit and New York), and I have not seen a single Walmart “up here.”
Might be too expensive for them to operate here because they would have to pay more taxes than in the states. Everyone just shops in Canadian Tire if they want cheap.
wow lot of bitching about the MDN take….
truth hurts sometimes don’t it?
america made walmart. the land where “more, cheaper” rules, and quality is hardly a concern at all, has made a store in its own image. and then you get laid off because that stores kills cities and economies.
so no quality america, you made your cheap composite board bed, or rather you had it made by companies with no morals exploiting labor in other countries. now sleep in it.
instant karma is a bitch ain’t it?
While I do feel MDN’s take is condescending, I am like many who would never set foot in a Wal-Mart. That chain is evil. It ruins communities, it is predatory, it abuses their employees who are often marginal workers and fear for their jobs. Hell even M$ is a better “citizen” than Wal-Mart.
Open your eyes people and do some studying. At least attempt to make an informed opinion, as opposed to one fed to you by marketers. If you conclude that Wal-Mart is okay, then by all means continue to shop there. My guess, is that many would choose not to.
56×29? That’s cold!
I tried Linux about five years ago, and thought it had real potential. All they had to do was fix up the UI a bit, make it easier to use, and they would have a Windows-killer. But five years later Linux still hasn’t gotten their act together. Every distro is either ugly as hell or too hard to get simple things to work. I can only conclude that Linux developers simply don’t get it.
Yes, it’s great that you can customize everything, down to recompiling the kernal. But the user shouldn’t have to; it should just work well enough as is without spending hours customizing.