Walmart to start selling computers with out any operating system installed!

[Dreadogg]

<< hard to see how this can go anywhere. For the average Walmart shopper there is no choice of OS. THis will actually put more $ in M$ pocket - not less. The price on the puters will look good though... >>

No this will cost Microsoft about the same considering they will be suppling large amounts of tech support!

 

[mcveigh]

I like this anouncement because it weakens the MS monopoly with PC manufacturers. By creating competition for MS the consumer will benefit.
Competition forces prices to lower or features to be added / improved, or both.

 

[RedFox1]

I'm happy -- part of the reason I was always hesitant to buy a retail PC is that you generally don't get an actual copy of the OS. You pay for the OS, but you get some form of "recovery disc."

It makes more sense to me to buy the OS seperately, so that you'll get the disc.

Hopefully these OS-less PCs will come with a collection of appropriate drivers for some of the OSs you might end up using. That would make things much easier.

-Russ

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Give me one GOOD thing that I am missing by avoiding Microsoft products? I bet you cant. If you do I will convert ALL of my machines to Windows and sell the Mac.

selling your soul of course. >>



The Catholic Church already got that.

 

[azkiwi]

I do remember see Redhat in the software rack at Wallies last time I was there, so I have surely underestimated a paying segment of the clientele. The world's #1 retailer surely wouldn't offer products that won't move. They may be (quite intelligently) angling to the existing installed Windows base who own Win98 or better, and are quite happy with Quicken 99 and Office 2000, but would like a faster machine, USB etc, but don't want the learning curve of hardware tinkering, or the privacy concerns of XP and Media Player, From that persepctive, its not a bad idea.

If Joe Sixer wigs when it won't run out of the box, he'll take it back to Walmart first, and pretty soon they'll have a big red sign saying 'no dummies'.

 

[themadmonk]

It's good because you won't be stuffing OSes down the consumer throats.

 

[azkiwi]

this will be great if it inspires a competitive OS. But by and large, as I said once already, most folks have no real choice. How many people on this forum have no M$ products on their system? And what percentage of this user group is that?

More power to you nOcmonkey, but most of us just wanna go to the corner store, bung the new CD in the drive and start grumbling. Thats the main reason Bill is the richest man in the world and Linus is not.

 

[NorthenLove]

<< this will be great if it inspires a competitive OS. But by and large, as I said once already, most folks have no real choice. How many people on this forum have no M$ products on their system? And what percentage of this user group is that?

More power to you nOcmonkey, but most of us just wanna go to the corner store, bung the new CD in the drive and start grumbling. Thats the main reason Bill is the richest man in the world and Linus is not. >>



Speak for yourself I haven't booted into windows for the past couple of months now and really do not feel a need to do so.

 

[JellyBaby]

Some I suspect those buying PCs at Walmarts really ought to have an OS preinstalled for them. But I do hope Walmart sticks with it. To me it sounds like they may be sending a "cheaper licensing please" message to MS Central Command but who knows?

BTW I purchased Windows 98 at Walmart. I felt really weird going through checkout...like I should be buying a bag of Cheetos instead of a computer OS.

 

[mcveigh]

<<

BTW I purchased Windows 98 at Walmart. I felt really weird going through checkout...like I should be buying a bag of Cheetos instead of a computer OS. >>


LOL

 

[copyfixer]

Quit banging Wal-Mart shoppers. I believe most people are smart enough to know how to install and what
OS they want on their computer. So much so that they would opt for Linux over M$ True some softwar
is not available for Linux (yet), but if I really wanted to only play games, I'd buy another Nintendo.

 

[ultimatebob]

<< Quit banging Wal-Mart shoppers. I believe most people are smart enough to know how to install and what
OS they want on their computer. So much so that they would opt for Linux over M$ True some softwar
is not available for Linux (yet), but if I really wanted to only play games, I'd buy another Nintendo. >>



You don't get out much, do you?

Do me a favor. Go to an average Walmart's in small town america, and see the kind of people who shop there. Sure, they're nice people, but they're NOT the kind of folks that can correctly install an OS on their own. Windows OR Linux, for that matter.

Also, please take a look at the system specs on these pieces of crap.

The no-name intergrated junk on that motherboard isn't even supported all that well under Windows. What makes you think that Linux would work any better on it?

 

[manly]

<< I'm happy -- part of the reason I was always hesitant to buy a retail PC is that you generally don't get an actual copy of the OS. You pay for the OS, but you get some form of "recovery disc."

It makes more sense to me to buy the OS seperately, so that you'll get the disc.

>>



Except that you've just paid significantly more for Winblows by buying the retail version that requires product activation and is limited to one PC.

If you want licensed WXP, it might as well be pre-installed, even if you only get a crappy recovery disk.

 

[manly]

<< Quit banging Wal-Mart shoppers. I believe most people are smart enough to know how to install and what
OS they want on their computer. So much so that they would opt for Linux over M$ True some softwar
is not available for Linux (yet), but if I really wanted to only play games, I'd buy another Nintendo. >>



You're totally wrong.

Most people aren't that smart to begin with, and certainly they don't have the training to install an operating system on a computer. It might seem like a simple task to you, but it's not something most people care to get involved with.

In general, offering choice of OS is a great thing. However, WalMart is doing it the wrong way if choice means the consumer has to buy the OS separately and install it themselves.

 

[zigCorsair]

<< Most people aren't that smart to begin with, and certainly they don't have the training to install an operating system on a computer. It might seem like a simple task to you, but it's not something most people care to get involved with. >>


It took me awhile to figure out the correct answer to: Would you like to run Disk Druid (or some derevation thereof)? I assume there are distribs, like Mandrake (which I have installed in the past) which would offer a no-hassle approach, but Linux just sounds confusing. Please, know that I am NOT knocking Linux, as I really enjoy hacking around with it. I also hear that Staroffice is a great substitute for MSOffice, but I tend to agree with the idea that the average consumer will not want to mess with installing the current versions of the OSes. XP is actually really simple, IMHO, to install, compared to Linux. Perhaps this will provide incentive for the distribs. I think it'd be really really cool if People learned how to install OSes, but I don't think it's something the mainstream will catch onto. I hope they prove me wrong .



<< In general, offering choice of OS is a great thing. However, WalMart is doing it the wrong way if choice means the consumer has to buy the OS separately and install it themselves. >>


Restore disks stink. However, when I bought a laptop awhile back, it did come with the OEM version of 98. I think that even if I did decide to install Linux on a new computer, I would probably purchase the OS for a significantly discounted price, just so I could have the license to install it in the future.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<<

<< I'm happy -- part of the reason I was always hesitant to buy a retail PC is that you generally don't get an actual copy of the OS. You pay for the OS, but you get some form of "recovery disc." It makes more sense to me to buy the OS seperately, so that you'll get the disc. >>

Except that you've just paid significantly more for Winblows by buying the retail version that requires product activation and is limited to one PC. >>



Restore disks have the same problem and then some.



<< If you want licensed WXP, it might as well be pre-installed, even if you only get a crappy recovery disk. >>



Recovery disks suck. I had a lot of trouble getting a Compaq laptop Restore disk (win98se) to load in a smaller space so I could dualboot with linux a few years ago. I got it to work, but it was definitely trouble. A retail/OEM copy of Win98se would have worked much better, like the one I got with my current computer.

 

[mcveigh]

Look at the bright side all those PC's that need an OS installed will have to goto some geek somewhere to install...or to fix after they fsck it up.

Walmart will singlehandedly bring the economy back up!!

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

Recovery disks suck. I had a lot of trouble getting a Compaq laptop Restore disk (win98se) to load in a smaller space so I could dualboot with linux a few years ago. I got it to work, but it was definitely trouble. A retail/OEM copy of Win98se would have worked much better, like the one I got with my current computer.

I don't know, I am kinda split 50/50 on those rescue disks. I agree that doing up a Crampaq rescue can be an excersise in futility(and yes, I HAVE done that), but the ones that came with my parents HP really saved the day(and a whole lot of my time) when my sister bunged up WinME pretty bad.

 

[NorthenLove]

<<

<< Quit banging Wal-Mart shoppers. I believe most people are smart enough to know how to install and what
OS they want on their computer. So much so that they would opt for Linux over M$ True some softwar
is not available for Linux (yet), but if I really wanted to only play games, I'd buy another Nintendo. >>



You don't get out much, do you?

Do me a favor. Go to an average Walmart's in small town america, and see the kind of people who shop there. Sure, they're nice people, but they're NOT the kind of folks that can correctly install an OS on their own. Windows OR Linux, for that matter.

Also, please take a look at the system specs on these pieces of crap.

The no-name intergrated junk on that motherboard isn't even supported all that well under Windows. What makes you think that Linux would work any better on it? >>



That's not bad I have seen worse and gotten worse to run on Linux before. The only sore spot I see is the intergrated sound card and the modem which more then likely is a cheapass win modem. The video card I believe is supported but you wouldn't want to run Quake 3 on it in Linux or windows.

 

[thornc]

Nice discussion here....

1) No OS installed...
Good thing, gives the buyer a choise. It doesn't matter how much the retail versions costs. If fed up
with seeing a computer with good specs loaded with an OS that I don't want, and without an option
to replace that OS with another one that I would want. Funny thing is that according to some folks
here in Europe a computer with sold without an OS counts as pirated Windows installation, they don't
seem to beleive that people prefer to buy the OS seperatly or install a free version. For instance here
at the campus we have a so called campus license that the Univeristy pays yearly, with the well would
I want to buy a machine with an installed OS if I have the same thing free....

2) Tech people build their own computers...
If the tech people are a bit like me this is wrong... I don't have time to assemble a computer, I don't even
have time to do all the stuff I'm supposed to do. I might choose the components of a system and then
get someone to built it for me. Custom built. I just did that with a server here for the lab. (Guess what
no OS... it's now happely running RH), and I'll do that for my next home computer. I might pay a bit more
but at least I'll have someone provice me with warranty on the full package....

3) Recovery disks/cds...
They s***.(period) Some time ago a cousin of mine had a problem with is laptop's ME installation, I grabbed
the CD trying to reinstall the OS and he didn't noticed that it was a recovery disk... result the dam thing wiped
the disk clean and returned the installation to it's supposed orignal state. My cousin lost all of his non-backed
up data (a day or two of work).

 

[RedSox]

Just a guess, but I'm figuring the biggest "problem" might be people buying upgrade versions of Win X instead of full copies to install.

With most current hardware able to boot from CD (yes, it does take a little knowledge to figure out how to set the BIOS correctly), I don't see it as that big a deal.

 

[robisc]

I'm all for this so go get one then get BeOS 5 Pro and install it. Now that's what I would recommend but seriously I think this is a bad idea for most folks, just as this has already been mentioned a few times here before, folks who never look at the box much less the specs will only see the CPU speed and realize that this is cheaper than what's at most other retailers and they know their kid wants a PC so they put it in the cart and get it home and notice that it "doesn't come on" so what do they do? They take it back and Wal-Mart will lose even more money on returns and restocking, and then those who do realize that it has no OS will just go right down the aisle and pick up Windows to go with it, because again like what has already been mentioned most techies like those here are going to build their own box which will be an even better fit for a non MS OS, I mean this HW isn't even going to be real compatible with a BSD, Linux or BeOS OS.

One thing you have to give Wally World credit for is that they aren't afraid to stand up to Redmond and can prove they will do what they want even if it will probably not be a success; they have the money to fail. I mean MS has overpowered those PC manufacturers who have decided to go with a Non-MS OS or no OS at all like Dell, another good ex. is the Be Inc. vs. MS lawsuit just filed.

You know MS hates this because let's be honest call it what you want but most of these machines will end up with illegal copies of Windows on them, this is a good idea and I like it but sadly IMO it will fail.

 

[zigCorsair]

<< They take it back and Wal-Mart will lose even more money on returns and restocking, and then those who do realize that it has no OS will just go right down the aisle and pick up Windows to go with it. >>



Perhaps that is Walmart's strategy - I assume that MS OS margins are high....

Just my haypenny.

 

[rudder]

LOL! I actually got a call on one of these already! The person apparently bought one of these for his kid, and is now going to drop it off to have us put Win XP on it.............. It'll end up being more expensive than buying one with XP already installed as you guys already touched on above, but, may prove to be a windfall for us small business owners.............

Not too mention you will have to sell them a video card upgrade as well. An integrated trident 3d card w/ up to 8 megs of shared memory? Hell, that will hardly run an old game like half-life.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< LOL! I actually got a call on one of these already! The person apparently bought one of these for his kid, and is now going to drop it off to have us put Win XP on it.............. It'll end up being more expensive than buying one with XP already installed as you guys already touched on above, but, may prove to be a windfall for us small business owners.............Not too mention you will have to sell them a video card upgrade as well. An integrated trident 3d card w/ up to 8 megs of shared memory? Hell, that will hardly run an old game like half-life. >>



If the kid is biologically his he should keep the crappy video card and study to try and reverse the affect of having those genes...