P Cs running the Lindows operating system have been available from Wal-Martis Web site for some time now, but they have never been available in Wal-Mart brick and mortar stores. A chain of Canadian stores called The Brick has decided to take up this slack by selling a CAN$450 eTrek PC pre-loaded with LindowsOS. Thatis US$305.28 as of this writing.
The computer features a Via C3 processor (roughly equivalent to a mid-range Pentium III), 128MB of RAM and a 30GB hard drive. This is a fairly significant milestone in the development of Linux as a consumer desktop platform. It specifically places Linux in front of consumers side by side with Windows, which is a rarity in the retail world. From Lindows:
"Linux has just knocked down a major barrier to widespread adoption. For the first time ever, Linux is available to customers pre-installed on computers. Without retail distribution Linux cannot reach the masses," said Michael Robertson, chief executive officer of Lindows.com, Inc. "The Brick is a well-established outlet with 70 locations across Canada; theyire offering their customers great products at great prices. Customers finally have a choice on store shelves that hasnit been seen for more than 15 years."
The Brick offers a line of robust eTrek PC systems starting for under $450 (Canadian) all of which are pre-installed with LindowsOS 3.0. eTrek standard configurations include VIAs C3 processor, 128 MB SDRAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, 56 Kbps modem, stereo speakers, keyboard and a mouse. The eTrek PC also has e-mail, web browser, mp3 player and instant messaging capability included, as well as access to more than a 1,000 high-quality, intuitive productivity applications such as Sunis StarOffice (www.lindows.com/staroffice). This system is ideal for home users, educational facilities, and the workplace. To view eTrek system specifications visit www.lindows.com/etrek-specs.
Lindows recently made headlines in the Mac world when the company compared its US$799 MobilePC with Appleis 12" PowerBook. The company is also planning to use Appleis 1992 court loss with Microsoft against Big Redmond in an ongoing lawsuit over Microsoftis trademark on the name Windows.
The eTrek PC is available now for CAN$450 from The Brick locations across Canada. For more information, you can visit Lindowsi or The Brickis Web site.