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[News] Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalledANN.lu
Posted on 15-Jun-2002 15:12 GMT by Teemu I. Yliselä45 comments
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Newsforge reports: "In a move that appears to be a coup for Michael Robertson et al, Wal-Mart's online store is offering eight different Microtel PCs with LindowsOS included. The computers sell for USD$299 to $599 and ship in one to seven days."
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 1 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Anon User on 15-Jun-2002 14:12 GMT
Cool a new Amiga machine.
Oh wait it's not it's a Linux clone that can run some Microsoft packages.
This is here because???
Remove the article.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 2 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by dammy on 15-Jun-2002 14:52 GMT
In reply to Comment 1 (Anon User):
Yeah, but it probably can run DEad, so it's on topic. ;-)
Dammy
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 3 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Teemu I. Yliselä on 15-Jun-2002 16:00 GMT
In reply to Comment 1 (Anon User):
*sigh* I could see that coming miles away...
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 4 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by StAn on 15-Jun-2002 16:03 GMT
In reply to Comment 3 (Teemu I. Yliselä):
Well, it's obviously not amiga related news :)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 5 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by StAn on 15-Jun-2002 16:05 GMT
.. not that I care anymore.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 6 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by |Lando| on 15-Jun-2002 16:26 GMT
*shrug*
*goes back to sleep*
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 7 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Kelly Samel on 15-Jun-2002 17:39 GMT
This may not have much to do with Amiga but
it is interesting to see that the industry is
actually starting to consider shipping computers
without windows packaged in. This is the way
forward, buy a computer at any store and CHOOSE
the OS you would like to install, whether it
be Amiga, Linux, QNX, Mac or even Windows. It's
funny how the best selling OS in the world has
NEVER been chosen by the people buying the computers
but by OEM deals by the manufacturer. I look forward
to the day when there is more choices available
in the average computer store, this would be
great and would finally end a monopoly that has
been going on tooooo long.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 8 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by croldan on 15-Jun-2002 18:23 GMT
In reply to Comment 7 (Kelly Samel):
Very nicely put my friend!
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 9 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 15-Jun-2002 18:42 GMT
As much as I like to see Walmart offering a choice of OS to PC purchasers, I really don't think Walmart realise what a bad idea this is. To those of us who have had the "pleasure" of shopping at Walmart, we know that the goofballs that work in the PC/electronics section have a hard enough time unlocking the cabinet that holds the Platstation games and will have no clue when it comes to answering technical questions about the pros and cons of Lindows. Your average Walmart customer isn't exactly "clued up" on computers either. Most computer-savvy people wouldn't be seen dead purchasing an actual computer from Walmart (I just get cheap media, cables and components from them) as their range is feeble to say the least.
So what's going to happen? Well, Bubba Thibodeaux is going to pop in with his family and see a computer system for $300 with a sticker for "Lindows". He will assume, due to his 3rd grade education. that Lindows IS Windows and buy the machine. At some point he will discover that not all Windows programs will run on his machine (especially Deer Hunter XXIII which he purchased at the same time) and bring the now cockroach infested machine back to the Customer Service Desk for a refund... probably whilst aiming his hunting rifle at the head of the girl behind the desk. Cheapskates too will probably demand a refund when they discover that despite saving a few bucks that Lindows is not 100% Windows compatible and their pirate copy of Micro$haft Orifice 2000 wont run.
Even though Lindows is an excellent idea, Walmart is not the place to sell it. Lindows to me is a product aimed at business/home owners who have a limited list of software which they wish to run and have some fairly educated people on hand to take care of any technical/software problems. Walmart greeters aren't exactly noted for their technical skills.
Also worth noting is Lindows is still in an early stage. It isn't free - it costs $99 and it's going to need constant updating/patching to run Windows software... with no guarantee that a particular title will ever be supported.
Still, it's a neat idea... but it kind of reminds me of what MOS was trying to do to OS3.1. I see Microsoft has a lawsuit pending on Lindows too... :)
That last line was meant to be humourous before anyone starts a flame war.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 10 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by John Block on 15-Jun-2002 20:34 GMT
In reply to Comment 9 (Darrin):
Be amusing to emulate pc chips on the ppc amigaone and then windows using lindows on top.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 11 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by DJ on 15-Jun-2002 20:37 GMT
In reply to Comment 9 (Darrin):
Sure, Walmart is only the biggest company in the world. What do they know about what people want? So what if doesn't cater directly to "joe stupid", why do I always *have* to get Windows with any PC I decide to but, when I simply don't want it.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 12 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 15-Jun-2002 20:55 GMT
In reply to Comment 10 (John Block):
Yep - that would be handy if we could use it to get Windows software running on the A1. A really good Mac emulator for OS4 would be nice too :)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 13 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 15-Jun-2002 21:01 GMT
In reply to Comment 11 (DJ):
Oh come on... we both know you could get a PC without an OS with ease from several souces. I've bought a couple myself as I was lucky enough to buy a laptop once that came with it's own full version of Win98 - so why should I need to buy yet another copy of Windows to go along with the 2 copies of Win95, 2 copies of Win98, copy of WinNT, copy of Win2000 and 2 copies WinME that I've already bought on "Master Restore" disks that only work on the original machines. Infact, I'll take that back. I upgraded a PC once with a new modem and sound card and after that the MR Disk refused to run as it insisted that it wasn't the correct machine.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 14 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by The_Editor on 15-Jun-2002 21:05 GMT
In reply to Comment 9 (Darrin):
Whilst I agree with the main context of your post, you might be interested to hear that my Mom, who is a greeter at Wal-Mart (and is 67 years old) Was an encryption coder thingamajig !! Her dad directly helped crack the "Enigma code" during WW2 !!(And got a medal for it too) (btw. Its the LEADER of the team that gets the credit) So not all Wal-Mart greeters are thicky's!!
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 15 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 15-Jun-2002 21:44 GMT
In reply to Comment 14 (The_Editor):
Your post is well directed. I apologise to your Mum and all other Walmart greeters. I wasn't intending to put them down, rather I was trying to point out that the vast majority of the Walmart staff are simply employed for manual labour and paid at a minimum wage. There is has also been a lawsuit taken out against Walmart by employees and former employees in the USA due to the (alleged) Walmart practice of making their staff work additional hours for no pay. They are, after all, hard working people earning a wage. I will also add, that I do actually say thank you to them when they greet me which is more than most people seem to do :)
I should also point out to all American citizens reading that despite the suggestion of a certain movie from Hollywood that aired last year, it was in fact the British that captured the Enigma device BEFORE the USA was even in the war :)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 16 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Daniel Miller on 15-Jun-2002 22:35 GMT
While I am not in favor of ANN becoming DEEPLY involved with Linux news (like "Redhat 7.3 Now Available" or whatever) I think an article like this is very nice to read on ANN now and then. In my opinion Teemu <sp?> made an excellent decision to run this. I would also definitely like to see QNX stuff now and then, and BeOS stuff now and then and so on.
The reason this news is important is because one of the few retailers with the ability to stand up to Microsoft appears to be doing so. This puts two monstrous corporations at loggerheads with each other, which is just where we want them!
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 17 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Andretti on 16-Jun-2002 02:27 GMT
Hehe the website said it was a made to better utilize broadband. My bellsouth dsl modem doesnt work with XP yet and doesnt like 2000 much either. Their are gonna be some mad people when they find out they need to buy Windows now just to get their high speed internet to work. This stuff just might make more people go to Windows and not wanna leave.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 18 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Hagge on 16-Jun-2002 03:01 GMT
this is not amiga news, please go away
"we are the amigans, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile."
and no, you shouldn't see that as a threat =D
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 19 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Hagge on 16-Jun-2002 03:04 GMT
btw, for everyone who has missed it:
THIS IS NOT SLASHDOT
and in case you actually care about shit like this -> WATCH SLASHDOT
ppl who do care about shit like this doesn't look for it at ann.lu
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 20 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Hagge on 16-Jun-2002 03:05 GMT
In reply to Comment 3 (Teemu I. Yliselä):
so why did you post it?
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 21 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Jacek Piszczek on 16-Jun-2002 05:42 GMT
In reply to Comment 15 (Darrin):
The fact is that polish poeople was first to capture and crack enigma. Not british.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 22 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Samface on 16-Jun-2002 05:46 GMT
I'm going to miss *Amiga* Network News...
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 23 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Elwood on 16-Jun-2002 07:51 GMT
If I was Alan Redhouse I would contact those Lindows people to see if I could release
the A1 with Lindows installed instead of Suse Linux. It would be far better waiting for OS4...
So YES, this is Amiga related !
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 24 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Kronos on 16-Jun-2002 08:01 GMT
In reply to Comment 23 (Elwood):
LindowsLinux + Wine (+ a few add-ons).
WineW(ine) i(s) n(o) e(mulator)
-> Lindows is x86-only.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 25 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 16-Jun-2002 10:32 GMT
In reply to Comment 21 (Jacek Piszczek):
>>The fact is that polish poeople was first to capture and crack enigma. Not british.
That's news to me. So you guys captured one before us and kept it all to yourself while the poor Commonwealth was fighting on alone to defend the free world? Shame on you ;)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 26 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by tinman on 16-Jun-2002 11:44 GMT
In reply to Comment 25 (Darrin):
Well, after he wrote this (admittedly, I did not know about this either - seems we are very good at applying similar history re-writing as the Americans [well, maybe not that much ;]) I went off and Googled. Very interesting.
http://library.thinkquest.org/28005/flashed/timemachine/courseofhistory/bombe.shtml
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 27 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 16-Jun-2002 12:16 GMT
In reply to Comment 26 (tinman):
Thanks for that link - it was very interesting. So the polish had cracked the Mk1 version (so to speak) while we cracked the later version. It's amazing what you can learn on ANN :)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 28 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by The_Editor on 16-Jun-2002 14:59 GMT
In reply to Comment 26 (tinman):
Actually I'm a Brit !! My Mom moved to YanksVille about a decade ago!!
Haven't looked at your link yet but it sounds interesting.... gotta take da kiddies to the park first...
Its a "Dad Thing" !! :)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 29 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Aram Iskenderian on 16-Jun-2002 16:00 GMT
Anon User Wrote:
>Cool a new Amiga machine.
>Oh wait it's not it's a Linux clone that can run some Microsoft packages.
>This is here because???
>Remove the article.
Mr. Anon, why don't you try to read between the lines?
1. This is to educate the few zealots left out there that there are people with marketing brains that are doing wonders, and there are others out there with computers, it is not us Amiga users alone in the world.
2. Could this be to tell the folks at Amgia to look for such moves?
3. This is news SITE, not your personal filtered news feed, if you don't like what you read, simply skip like I do for articles that I have no interest in, or get your own site.
To Teemu, thank you for such approach, keep it up.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 30 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Teemu I. Yliselä on 16-Jun-2002 16:32 GMT
In reply to Comment 20 (Hagge):
I think the fact that the world's largest store chain decides to start selling computers with a non-Microsoft OS is very significant news to the alternative system scene as a whole. The Amiga being an alternative system, I believe it's quite "Amiga-related" indeed.
It's amazing how some people just refuse to see the forest from the trees. (not targeted at anyone particular)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 31 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 17-Jun-2002 06:41 GMT
In reply to Comment 9 (Darrin):
Hmmm...
If you had bothered to read the original post, you could have saved us all from
having to read your rambling post. It makes no sense whatsoever, in light of the
fact that the original post CLEARLY states that these computers are for sale at
Wal-Marts ONLINE store, not in your neighborhood Wal-Mart.
It might be wise to actually read a post before you go off on a dumbass rant.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 32 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 17-Jun-2002 07:03 GMT
In reply to Comment 27 (Darrin):
Not to start a war here, but from what I've read the British claims to
breaking any Enigma code are completely false, and complete distortions of
history.
The Poles broke all the Enigma codes, and gave all their information to
the British and others.
Gordon Welshman a British mathematician and codebreaker, who eventually got his book
published in 1979 called "The Hut Six Story," unequivocally states that
the British Ultra "would never have gotten off the ground if we had not learned
from the Poles, in the nick of time, the details both of the German military Enigma
machine, and of the operating procedures that were in use."
So, needless to say, that without the information that the Poles and specifically
Marian Rejewski, the Polish Mathematician who solved the Enigma Cipher Machine the
British wouldn't have had a clue. The fact is that Rejewski had already broken all
Egnima codes, and passed that information on to the allies.
A well researched and documented link can be found here:
http://home.us.net/~encore/Enigma/text.html
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 33 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 17-Jun-2002 11:13 GMT
In reply to Comment 31 (Anonymous):
Sorry I'm not as perfect as you, you dumb-arsed Anon-Twat.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 34 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by The_Editor on 17-Jun-2002 12:01 GMT
In reply to Comment 32 (Anonymous):
Interesting. Guess they gave my grandad a medal for sod all then !!
(Can I have one? Its just to pose about with)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 35 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by tinman on 17-Jun-2002 13:49 GMT
In reply to Comment 34 (The_Editor):
That's pretty much the same as what the link I provided said. Although the Allies needed the Polish work to get anywhere, it's not like they didn't do anything (since the Enigma had changed since the Poles cracked it). You think if the Polish work could be used exactly as it was with the military Enigma they'd sit there twiddling their thumbs saying "hmm, nice cushy life we got here, we'll spin out the cracking and then just present the Polish work later"?
Still it's a shame to see us British harp on about America re-writing history and then do the same thing with the original Enigma work (as I said before, I had never heard about it before, even in documentaries).
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 36 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 17-Jun-2002 16:04 GMT
In reply to Comment 35 (tinman):
I think the Polish nation trying to take all the credit for breaking the WW2 version after breaking the original and much less sophisticated Enigma device is like Wright Brothers trying to take the credit for the Apollo moon landing... :)
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 37 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by zimmy on 17-Jun-2002 17:08 GMT
In reply to Comment 15 (Darrin):
Get the facts, it was the POLISH intelligence service that helped get the
enigma device into British hands. If I remember correctly, it was reconstructed in its entirety by a escaped polish national from only his memory. No physical device was captured untill the British got one off a U boat around 42?
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 38 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 17-Jun-2002 21:33 GMT
In reply to Comment 37 (zimmy):
May 1941 actually. Here's the best link I've found so far and it does give credit to the Polish nation for their work...
http://www.awesomestories.com/tyranny/u571/u571_ch1.htm
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 39 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 18-Jun-2002 02:43 GMT
In reply to Comment 33 (Darrin):
I'm not smarter than you. I just happened to actually read the post. You should
have as well...dumb ass!
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 40 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 18-Jun-2002 02:55 GMT
In reply to Comment 36 (Darrin):
I think you're in total denial. If you had bothered to read my post, then followed the link I provided, you could see for yourself that the British did
NOTHING to crack Enigma, except to distort history and claim they broke the code when it is painfully evident that the Poles had already broken ALL Enigma codes!
I will post the words of the British codebreaker Gordon Welshman yet once again. Perhaps, if you read it slowly it might sink into your thik skull.
Welshman a British mathematician and codebreaker, who eventually got his book
published in 1979 called "The Hut Six Story," unequivocally states that
the British Ultra "would never have gotten off the ground if we had not learned
from the Poles, in the nick of time, the details both of the German military Enigma machine, and of the operating procedures that were in use."
Get over it, the British lied. The Poles, and specifically mathematician Marian Rejewski broke ALL Enigma codes continiously throughout the war and gave the information to the British and other allies. Then the British claim that THEY broke the codes. What a joke!
As evidenced by Gordon Welshman admission in his book, the British could have done NOTHING had not the Poles gave them ALL the information. He was a British mathetician and one of the principle codebreakers. It took him years to get his book published. The British would not allow it, and it was only when he moved to the United States, that he was able to get the book published. The British did not break any codes whatsoever contrary to their wild and ludicrous claims.
All they managed to do was to translate code, based entirely on the information given to them by the Poles. What nerve it must take to claim that THEY (The British) broke the codes. This is nothing more than lies and a total rewrite of history. It is sad...
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 41 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 18-Jun-2002 02:59 GMT
In reply to Comment 34 (The_Editor):
Hell, at this point in time, especially in light of the ludicrous claims of the
British breaking the Enigma codes, you could probably get knighted if you pressed the matter! :D
Sadly, the only thing the British broke was wind! :/
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 42 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 18-Jun-2002 08:59 GMT
In reply to Comment 39 (Anonymous):
What a brave little wanker you are... hiding behind the internet. We both know you wouldn't have the balls to say that to my face so why don't you just crawl back into bed with your parents for a threesome.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 43 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Darrin on 18-Jun-2002 09:09 GMT
In reply to Comment 40 (Anonymous):
It seems that you can't tell the difference between an Enigma MACHINE and the Enigma CODE. What happened was that the Poles managed to intercept and copy an Enigma MACHINE and worked out how it functioned. They then used this information to decode German messages early in the war. This information was later passed to the British and French.
As everyone who has used military codes know, a coded message looks like a pile of radom numbers/letters. What the British code breakers had to do was to crack the Enigma codes for the different messages which gave the starting settings for the Engima machine. WIthout the correct settings for a particular message you couldn't decode it just because you have a copied machine.
In other words, you can't take a plain Enigma machine, enter any old Enigma message and produce a decoded message. You have to know the decoding KEY. It was these keys that the British were cracking.
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 44 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 19-Jun-2002 03:53 GMT
In reply to Comment 42 (Darrin):
Not only would I have the balls to say it to your face, I would take you
by the hand and kick your ass around and around in a circle to you turned
blue...dumbass! Then I'd bitch slap you till you cried like the little baby
you are! :D
Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows preinstalled : Comment 45 of 45ANN.lu
Posted by Anonymous on 19-Jun-2002 03:55 GMT
In reply to Comment 43 (Darrin):
You should really go back and read the referenced material again, that is
if you even read it in the first place. http://home.us.net/~encore/Enigma/text.html
And yes, I do know perfectly well the difference in the Enigma machine and the
Enigma code. In fact I have had an Enigma simulator on my Amiga for over 10 years!
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