IDC analyst Al Gillen questioned the effectiveness of Lindows’ Wal-Mart distribution strategy: “I don’t understand why the Linux buyer is going to be … at Wal-Mart,” he said. Hmm, maybe because Lindows does not market itself as a Linux distribution, but simply as a cheap home computer solution (which fits perfectly to Wal-Mart)? Anyways, you can read the article at NewsFactor.
New Lindows Release Stands Alone
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Eugenia Loli
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You can only buy them at walmart.com. If you buy a computer at a Wal*Mart store it will come with WindowsXP Home on it.
Wal*Mart will *never* sell Lindows machines in their retail stores. They don’t want to deal with the support nightmare of someone buying a Linux based machine and a passel of software, only to get home and realize that the software doesn’t work on the PC. The average Wal*Mart consummer will never understand that the OS is incorrect for the software. They will just think that their appliance is broken and either want it fixed or want a new one that works right.
Wal*Mart is not being a Linux evagenlist here. They’re not even sticking their corporate neck out for Linux. They’re promoting Linux in a very obscure place online. They’re also probably charging Lindows a nice price to get placement online. For Wal*Mart it’s $ in pocket without any worries about support issues.
the lack of knowledge some people who insist on depreciating Lindows without first necessarily trying/buying it.
I, for one, am giving Lindows the benefit of doubt and wish them well in getting Linux to break out of its geek and nerd segment it has been for these many years.
If you take this memo from the Lindows CEO at face value, it seem to indicate they may not be doing that badly….but then again he could be lying….right?
——————-
Dear friends,
A few days ago in my most recent Michael’s Minute, I told you about a $229 LindowsOS computer being sold by TigerDirect and how it had been the #1-selling computer for TigerDirect since it’s introduction a couple of weeks ago.
TigerDirect today contacted us and let us know that they have completely sold out of thousands of these machines. They have, therefore, temporarily had to stop taking orders. However, because of the overwhelming reaction they received for this LindowsOS computer, TigerDirect will be coming out with a new, even fuller line of LindowsOS machines very soon.
If you would like to be notified as soon as TigerDirect has introduced their new line of LindowsOS machines, please signup for our low-cost computer mailing list at:
http://lindows.com/lowcost
Our apologies to any of you who went to order this computer and couldn’t find it. I wanted to send out this letter so that everyone would know of the situation.
If you just can’t wait, you can today order LindowsOS 3.0 from our web site at http://lindows.com/buy or purchase other low-cost computers from other retailers, such as WalMart.com by visiting: http://lindows.com/featured
Thanks for your ongoing interest in Lindows.com.
Michael Robertson
CEO, Lindows.com, Inc.
Cut the crap. I definitely give credit to this OS for making some headlines, but for nothing else. Their whole marketing structure has a bunch of lies in it. Remeber, when it was advertising the ability to run windows programs? If you want a good Linux OS, that’s cheaper, and DOES RUN a lot of Windows apps properly, get Xandros. 129 bucks for this gimmick is a waste of money.
I give them credit for really pushing Linux to the masses. I give them credit for improvising with the current tools available to Linux. But until I see Lindows really contributing back to the Open Source community they are just another corporation looking to make billions using false advertising and marketing tactics, every single company does it, but realistically even Apple has contributed more back to the Open Source community than Lindows.
damn, I hate reading my posts and realizing i look like a flamer, anyways, I’m not praising apple they use all kinds of false advertising to push their own hardware products. But Apple has provided a lot of jobs to Open Source programmers (gurus) and has been in constant communication with projects like FreeBSD and I’m sure there has been some kind of generous donation from Apple to FreeBSD.
Lindows has taken Linux and KDE put then together with their own cute propietary software, and hasn’t released any source and doesn’t seem to be helping out any other projects but their own, I’m sure their flirt with WINE didn’t improve WINE’s code base just left WINE with a lack of fulfilled promises.
Apple has propietary software of their own, but granted that’s what their selling but, the defining point of my whole spew here is that Open Source is about sharing and collaborating and competition. It never gets anywhere if it’s missing one of these.
For us non-amercians … what is walmart ? some cheap computer store ?
Walmart is a huge, high volume, put-all-the-little-guys-out-of-business style store that sells everything from toys to clothes to fishing poles. They thrive in rural areas, where they are hugely popular. I can’t stand ’em. I’ve always had a thing against Walmart, and I won’t buy one of their Lindows computers.
for be short, does lindows have break the gpl ? they are suposed to give all the source code of their product as they used some gpl software.
isn’t it ?
I, of course, have no idea what deal Lindows and Wal-Mart made. However, now even lycoris is bundled on these Microtel computers at wal-maert.com, as is Mandrake. I don’t see how Lycoris could pay much to do this, as small as they are.
Now that Lindows has officially released it’s commercial distro, it is time for source code. We’ll have to see what happens.
The comment about Xandros is absolutely correct – the only problem being that Xandros is almost silent as far as getting the word out about their release. They came out with a really good product, but there’s something I don’t understand about how they go about things.
for the international crowd: their revenues are between $38-40 BILLION dollars a year, and it’s estimated that they account for 10-11 percent of ALL retail transactions in the US.
They’re big.
They also like to move into smaller towns, plant their warehouse sized store and are often criticized for harming the “local” economy with respect to local merchants serving smaller customer bases with a more personal touch.
A REAL computer seller is in the UK selling Lindows. The place is called evesham.com, they i suppse would provide support since they ONLY sell computers.
the wal-mart here where i live used to sell mandrake boxed sets (some kinda deal with macmillan publishing) .. and it was the ONLY place within about a 50 mile radius that i could just “walk in” and buy a ‘nix… of ANY kind…
havent seen any for a good while though… so now if i want ‘nix i HAVE to download it… with my lil piddly 56k dialup…. or else order it…
i for one would like to see them pick back up with selling it… or any other free ‘nix for that matter…something to be said for convenience
so yes, mr. Gillen.. there ARE reasons a linux user might be at wal-mart
Walmart owns ASDA altho I’m not sure whether ASDA will be recognised anywhere outside of the UK.
Selling Lindows (dumbest name ever) to someone who knows what she is buying is totally ok with me. But what happens when the buyer (who might not be on the top of the food chain…) goes home with the new computer, and can’t use any windows software properly?
I just have trouble seeing the business sense. I’d rather see they market it with a linux desktop distro called something that makes it clear that it is _not_ windows.
(besides, I’d rather buy it straight and download a free gentoo, but that is just me I guess)
But I guess the target market doesn’t know any better. Lindows is really just repackaged Debian, and anyone can get the real thing for free by going to http://www.debian.org and doing some downloading and a bit of reading. I would urge anyone who considers buying Lindows to just install Debian, homework and all, and send a contribution to the Debian project, rather than paying a lot of money to a company that just repackages other peoples’ work.
btw, don’t interpret the above as a slam of Lindows. Due to the good gracees of Debian, anyone has the authorization to release a Debian-based distro with very few restrictions. For that matter, even Debian is mostly just a re-packager of free software into .deb packages, but with utmost respect.
I just want credit to go where credit is due. Also, I hope Lindows users realize that they can use apt to tap into the real free software repository rather than being taxed to death through click n run for the rest of their computing lives.
People, please please please do a little research before hopping on the “Lindows, Inc. is bad because” bandwagon.
I read a number of comments about the GPL and source code contributions. Wise up – you don’t know what you’re talking about.
1. The GPL does NOT furnish that one must share the source code openly nor does it specify that it must be available over the internet. It simply specifies that access must be mde available. LindowsOS source code IS available to those who purchase the OS. That’s perfectly legal. Just because it isn’t the traditional implementation of the GPL does not make it wrong. The sourse is there where it needs to be. Proprietary programs developed from scratch (e.g. Click n Run) do not have to share their source, and they don’t.
2. LindowsOS HAS contributed source code, but as I understand it, so far, only to WINE. Contact the WINE project and ask them.
For those of you complaining above, don’t be a hypocrite – I’ve just debunked your main concerns. Now go try LindowsOS and let us know what you think.
We’ve currently got an interesting Lindows discussion going on at PCLinuxOnline.com:
http://www.pclinuxonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid…
If so, that is the number one reason to shun it. I realize that Windows users aren’t used to having separate accounts for administration and running apps. Windows users are also subject to a number of exploits, many of which could be avoided by running with more restricted, user-level privileges. Even Mac OS X doesn’t run as root by default.
I must say, really, Lindows does a perfect marketing job.
🙂
I bashed Lindows before I tried it out. I’ll admit. Though I’m bashing it even more after trying it. I never heard of TigerDirect before Lindows.com told about it. And looking at their product line, I’m not suprised.
Besides, I’m taking this opportunity to say good bye. I won’t be wasting my time here. Its been enjoyable. Educating. I may be coming back say next year, who knows? One thing for sure, I’m quite sure some people would miss me, some people would sigh of relief and others couldn’t possibly care.
Thanks you guys for the best few months on the Net.
I’m not a Lindows fan, but they have released their source code on the Internet. I saw a link to it a few days ago, perhaps on this site?
Good luck, rajan!!
http://www.fortune.com/lists/G500/index.html