True story about the $199 Linux (LindowsOS) computers at walmart.

[notfred]

My fiancée's mom and her boyfriend wanted a computer, however, they're rather poor. So, they saw what they thought was a great deal on a computer... it was new, and it was $200. That's all they cared about, not performance, or features or looks. They figured it would work fine, since it's brand new, and it's damn cheap.

So they bought it.

Upon unpacking it, they tried to use it. Their reaction was basically "Lindows? WTF? I need to use word and AOL..."
So, they contemplated putting windows on the machine instead of linux, but they ran into another problem. Neither of them had the slightest idea how to go about replacing the operating system.

So, the machine sat there, with no one using it, for a few days, after which it was returned to walmart for a refund.

And that's my tale of the "typical end-user" and their linux experience.

 

[Spoooon]

No, not linux experience... lindows experience.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Someone who didn't read about the product that they were considering purchasing before they purchased it? No wonder...

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
Someone who didn't read about the product that they were considering purchasing before they purchased it? No wonder...

See: "average end user" or "Average consumer".

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Sure it wasn't Ameesh?

 

[CarpeDeo]

Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
Someone who didn't read about the product that they were considering purchasing before they purchased it? No wonder...

See: "average end user" or "Average consumer".

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: CarpeDeo
Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

You must have missed it a few years back when the original iMacs were selling like hotcakes. They sold because of how they looked, not because of their features or specs. They were pretty and blue and round, and a lot of people liked that enough to buy one.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CarpeDeo
Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

You must have missed it a few years back when the original iMacs were selling like hotcakes. They sold because of how they looked, not because of their features or specs. They were pretty and blue and round, and a lot of people liked that enough to buy one.

I heard that some suckers actually pay money to put neon colored lights and "windows" in their computers!

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CarpeDeo
Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

You must have missed it a few years back when the original iMacs were selling like hotcakes. They sold because of how they looked, not because of their features or specs. They were pretty and blue and round, and a lot of people liked that enough to buy one.

I heard that some suckers actually pay money to put neon colored lights and "windows" in their computers!

Dude, don't you know? That's what makes you a power user!

 

[Pilsnerpete]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CarpeDeo
Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

You must have missed it a few years back when the original iMacs were selling like hotcakes. They sold because of how they looked, not because of their features or specs. They were pretty and blue and round, and a lot of people liked that enough to buy one.

Are you saying that Imacs SUCK?!

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CarpeDeo
Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

You must have missed it a few years back when the original iMacs were selling like hotcakes. They sold because of how they looked, not because of their features or specs. They were pretty and blue and round, and a lot of people liked that enough to buy one.

I heard that some suckers actually pay money to put neon colored lights and "windows" in their computers!

Dude, don't you know? That's what makes you a power user!

Damn! I got the wrong OS AND I lack accessories!

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: PilsnerpeteAre you saying that Imacs SUCK?!

No, I'm saying people bought them almost entirely based on how they look.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CarpeDeo
Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

You must have missed it a few years back when the original iMacs were selling like hotcakes. They sold because of how they looked, not because of their features or specs. They were pretty and blue and round, and a lot of people liked that enough to buy one.

I heard that some suckers actually pay money to put neon colored lights and "windows" in their computers!

Don't you know? Adding windows on teh cases makes the CPU run 15% faster!

 

[AkumaX]

Originally posted by: Jehovah

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CarpeDeo
Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

You must have missed it a few years back when the original iMacs were selling like hotcakes. They sold because of how they looked, not because of their features or specs. They were pretty and blue and round, and a lot of people liked that enough to buy one.

I heard that some suckers actually pay money to put neon colored lights and "windows" in their computers!

Don't you know? Adding windows on teh cases makes the CPU run 15% faster!

i hizz3rd it was 18.9% fastur!!!

den each of dem dere n30n liightz are like optimizing ram per reflective beat!!

t00tally w00tz0rzzz

 

[pray4mojo]

Originally posted by: Jehovah

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CarpeDeo
Hmm . . . i'd imagine even the "average consumer" would look at the features and spec's of a computer before dishing out the $. <even if it's only $200 . . . or rather- ESPECIALLY because it's only $200>

You must have missed it a few years back when the original iMacs were selling like hotcakes. They sold because of how they looked, not because of their features or specs. They were pretty and blue and round, and a lot of people liked that enough to buy one.

I heard that some suckers actually pay money to put neon colored lights and "windows" in their computers!

Don't you know? Adding windows on teh cases makes the CPU run 15% faster!

Each sticker adds 100mhz!

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: PilsnerpeteAre you saying that Imacs SUCK?!

No, I'm saying people bought them almost entirely based on how they look.

I'll say it, Imacs SUCK!

 

[Pilsnerpete]

I've never used one but they look silly. Plus I'm sure the os has memory maenagement problems.

 

[manly]

You should have helped out the hick in-laws.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: FFMCobalt
Someone who didn't read about the product that they were considering purchasing before they purchased it? No wonder...

See: "average end user" or "Average consumer".

I would bet that the "average end user" doesn't know what an OS is, much less that a computer might come with something other than Windows.

 

[ghostman]

I've never used one but they look silly. Plus I'm sure the os has memory maenagement problems.

Huh? How can someone be sure that the OS has memory management problems, yet have no experience with it? And are you referring to MacOS 9 (original iMacs) or MacOS X (that can also run on iMacs)? I'm not really wild about Macs, but I hear a lot of Mac bashing from people who have never used one.

As for the Lindows situation, I have a feeling they'll end up paying $300+ for a new machine running WindowsXP, then still have no clue how to get Word and AOL going. Word probably won't be installed on a machine that cheap and it's guaranteed that it won't come with MS Office. If they have to install Office anyway, it'll install on the Lindows machine as well. They'll probably figure out AOL sooner or later, but they could've just switched to a cheaper dial-up service and connected with Lindows. Heck, they'll still be able to use AIM, which is probably why they wanted AOL in the first place.

In any case, why didn't you help them out with a Windows install? Could've gained points with the in-laws.

 

[newbiepcuser]

info from other notFred's thread -->pc dilema

Give them or sell your AMD machine then. Wait til Half Life 2 comes out and see how the reviews are from ATOTers/gamers, etc. Then build a new machine or get a cheap Dell P4 with non pro 9800.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: notfred
My fianc&eacute;e's mom and her boyfriend wanted a computer, however, they're rather poor. So, they saw what they thought was a great deal on a computer... it was new, and it was $200. That's all they cared about, not performance, or features or looks. They figured it would work fine, since it's brand new, and it's damn cheap.

So they bought it.

Upon unpacking it, they tried to use it. Their reaction was basically "Lindows? WTF? I need to use word and AOL..."
So, they contemplated putting windows on the machine instead of linux, but they ran into another problem. Neither of them had the slightest idea how to go about replacing the operating system.

So, the machine sat there, with no one using it, for a few days, after which it was returned to walmart for a refund.

And that's my tale of the "typical end-user" and their linux experience.

Aol is crap, get a real ISP and install openoffice for word processing among other things

 

[BigSmooth]

They figured it would work fine, since it's brand new, and it's damn cheap.

You don't have to know much about PCs to know that "damn cheap" electronics at WalMart might not "work fine".

 

[Sealy]

The fact that your fiancee's mom bought a 200 dollar computer from Walmart leads me to believe that she dropped out of highschool.

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: Sealy
The fact that your fiancee's mom bought a 200 dollar computer from Walmart leads me to believe that she dropped out of highschool.

So what?