OT - Wal-Mart notebook -- selling Freeware?

[Helen]

Leave it to Wal-Mart (mega billionaire Walton Family with their own bank) to
bundle FREEWARE and sell it to people via their cheap shell.... here's an excerpt
from an
article hawking their low priced notebook: Here's the link:
http://www.integratedmar.com/ECL.cfm?item=DLY122004-05
"...According to Simon Yates, senior analyst computing systems, for Cambridge,
Mass.-based Forrester Research Inc., "it won't take long for a student to realize
that they purchased an under-powered machine. For instance, for $999, the Averatec
3200 is a much better deal -- AMD Athlon XP 2200, 60 GB hard disk, 512 MB of
memory, internal DVD burner."

The Balance notebook includes a 1 GHz processor, 128 MB RAM, expandable up to 512
MB with included SODIMM slot, a 14.1-inch LCD screen, the Linspire 4.5 operating
system, OpenOffice.org (a full-featured Microsoft file-compatible office suite
with word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation programs), an Internet suite
including e-mail with spam blockers, the Mozilla Firefox Internet browser, and a
built-in firewall. Moreover the Balance offers over 1,900 free software programs
for download, with guaranteed software updates for three months, officials said.
The laptop is available for sale online only. ..."



"

"According to Simon Yates, senior analyst computing systems, for Cambridge,
Mass.-based Forrester Research Inc., "it won't take long for a student to realize
that they purchased an under-powered machine. For instance, for $999, the Averatec
3200 is a much better deal -- AMD Athlon XP 2200, 60 GB hard disk, 512 MB of
memory, internal DVD burner.".. "

 

[Pit_Bull]

Leave it to Wal-Mart (mega billionaire Walton Family with their own bank) to
bundle FREEWARE and sell it to people via their cheap shell.... here's an excerpt
from an

AFAICT, Wal-Mart is not selling the software. The price is only for the
hardware.


P_B

 

[El Gee]

"

"According to Simon Yates, senior analyst computing systems, for
Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research Inc., "it won't take long
for a student to realize that they purchased an under-powered machine.
For instance, for $999, the Averatec 3200 is a much better deal -- AMD
Athlon XP 2200, 60 GB hard disk, 512 MB of memory, internal DVD
burner.".. "

Also, it is Lindows that is on it and you normally pay for Lindows
anyway. Who can argue with a sub $500 laptop, whether it has software
or not?

--
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
El Gee

Boycott the American Civil Liberties Union.
Disband the United Nations.
Fight for the Freedom God gave you.

Remove yourhat to reply ... but it may take a while.
Best to go to www (dot) mistergeek (dot) com and reply from there.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[Chrissy Cruiser]

Leave it to Wal-Mart (mega billionaire Walton Family with their own bank)

Back in the 70s, Hubby built some of the first WalMarts outside of
Arkansas. Sam was very active in overseeing the development of these
projects. We got to know him all too well.

He died. Good.

 

[Mister Charlie]

Back in the 70s, Hubby built some of the first WalMarts outside of
Arkansas. Sam was very active in overseeing the development of these
projects. We got to know him all too well.

He died. Good.

Wow.

 

[Mark Carter]

Back in the 70s, Hubby built some of the first WalMarts outside of
Arkansas. Sam was very active in overseeing the development of these
projects. We got to know him all too well.

You've got us all curious now.

 

[Mark Carter]

OTOH, anything that gets people using something other than Microsoft
can't be a bad thing.

AFAICT, Wal-Mart is not selling the software. The price is only for the
hardware.

That reminds me of a story I heard some time ago. According to British
laws as it existed at the time, it was illegal to sell certain goods on
a Sunday. So one retailer took to selling tomatoes, which came with free
ladders. Needless to say, the tomatoes were quite expensive as tomatoes
go. It was OK to see food on a Sunday, but not DIY equipment.

That's what I heard, anyway.

 

[MAMEngineer]

He died. Good.

I knew Sam real well... his death was *not* good. He was a kind and
charitable man, unlike his spoiled children. He believed in supporting
Americans, by purchasing from Americans, unlike his spoiled children. Sam
Walton was a good man. You, on the other hand saw something else in my
friend? What was it?

 

[Mark Carter]

I knew Sam real well... He believed in supporting
Americans,

I had seen a documentary on British TV in which Walmart was heavily
criticised for some of its business practises. It might plant itself in
a small town, and then undercut local businesses. It drove them into the
ground. Of course, it could well afford to do this, selling stuff at a
loss. Sometimes, it would then loose interest in a town, and close the
store, thus leaving a vast trail of destruction behind it.

Just what I heard, anyway.

 

[Mike Andrade]

I had seen a documentary on British TV in which Walmart was
heavily criticised for some of its business practises. It might
plant itself in a small town, and then undercut local businesses.
It drove them into the ground. Of course, it could well afford to
do this, selling stuff at a loss. Sometimes, it would then loose
interest in a town, and close the store, thus leaving a vast trail
of destruction behind it.

Just what I heard, anyway.

I lived in a town of 5000 for a while. No WalMart. They tried.
Offered a man ridiculous sum of money for his land. Town council got
together and offered the man same amount+one dollar. He sold it to
the town and they built a park. Good town.

 

[Mike Andrade]

That would be post-Sam Walton.... Sam cared about communities,
his children care about the almighty dollar....

So you're saying he was a great humanitarian but a crappy father?

 

[MAMEngineer]

I had seen a documentary on British TV in which Walmart was heavily
criticised for some of its business practises. It might plant itself
in a small town, and then undercut local businesses. It drove them
into the ground. Of course, it could well afford to do this, selling
stuff at a loss. Sometimes, it would then loose interest in a town,
and close the store, thus leaving a vast trail of destruction behind
it.

That would be post-Sam Walton.... Sam cared about communities, his children
care about the almighty dollar....

 

[MAMEngineer]

So you're saying he was a great humanitarian but a crappy father?

Apparently so...

 

[Frank Bohan]

OTOH, anything that gets people using something other than Microsoft can't
be a bad thing.


That reminds me of a story I heard some time ago. According to British
laws as it existed at the time, it was illegal to sell certain goods on a
Sunday. So one retailer took to selling tomatoes, which came with free
ladders. Needless to say, the tomatoes were quite expensive as tomatoes
go. It was OK to see food on a Sunday, but not DIY equipment.

That's what I heard, anyway.

I remember this being reported. There was another case involving caravans
(which carried a heavy tax) and teaspoons (tax free). The teaspoons (with a
free caravan) were rather expensive. British trading laws are crazy. It is
legal to buy pornography but illegal to buy a bible on Sunday (or should it
be Sinday).

===

Frank Bohan
¶ Windows is just another pane in the glass.

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

here's an excerpt from an
article hawking their low priced notebook: Here's the link:
http://www.integratedmar.com/ECL.cfm?item=DLY122004-05
"...According to Simon Yates, senior analyst computing systems, for Cambridge,
Mass.-based Forrester Research Inc., "it won't take long for a student to realize
that they purchased an under-powered machine. For instance, for $999, the Averatec
3200 is a much better deal -- AMD Athlon XP 2200, 60 GB hard disk, 512 MB of
memory, internal DVD burner."

Yup. The CPU is a Via C3 (Via bought Cyrix some time ago) which
according to an AnandTech benchmark is woefully underpowered compared
to either the AMD Duron or the Intel Celeron at the same or even lower
MHz.

In other words, a dog.

On the other hand, for some people, such a low-powered but very cheap
laptop might be the ticket. I'm not sure, however, that they might
not be better off looking around for a used laptop in the same dollar
range and paying fifty bucks to a kid to install Linux on it if that's
what they want. Laptops hold their resale value, so it might be hard
to find even a decent used machine for $500, but it might be possible.
Most of the laptops I see for around $300 tend to be older Pentium I
and Pentium II boxes with sub-500MHz CPUs and hard drives in the
2-10GB range.

 

[botsing]

I remember this being reported. There was another case involving caravans
(which carried a heavy tax) and teaspoons (tax free). The teaspoons
(with a
free caravan) were rather expensive. British trading laws are crazy. It
is
legal to buy pornography but illegal to buy a bible on Sunday (or should
it
be Sinday).

I remember something similar a few years ago in the Netherlands when petrol
stations weren't allowed to sell flowers. At one station you could rent
flowers instead. They didn't mind if you did not bring them back though.

 

[Lizard]

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[Box134]

The PBS program Frontline had one episode called "Is Wal-Mart Good For
America?" (or very close to that). Not a pretty picture... driving suppliers
into the ground, mistreating employees.

A friend just sent me his Christmas newsletter. He was fulsome in his praise
of Wal-Mart, where his wife works; competitive wages ( competitive with
what? minimum wage? ) great company. However, they couldn't get home for
Christmas. Reason: Wife had to work, as she does most weekends and holidays.

 

[Robert Bunn]

[something wildly unrelated to the thread]

What . . . you don't know where the "Post new message" feature in your
newsreader hides?

 

[Rod]

[something wildly unrelated to the thread]

What . . . you don't know where the "Post new message" feature in your
newsreader hides?

If he doesn't: press P