Desktop Linux: Look Beyond Wal-Mart
Yes, you can purchase a $200 Linux PC from Wal-Mart this holiday season. That’s great news for consumers and the open source movement. But a lot of bloggers, including The VAR Guy, need to remind readers that it might be wiser to look elsewhere for affordable, reliable Linux PCs. One prime stop should be ZaReason.com. Here’s why.
Sure, Wal-Mart is selling the gPC from Everex, a $200 system that runs gOS — a specialized operating system based on Ubuntu Linux. For that $200, you get a basic PC, keyboard, speakers, mouse, loads of Web-enabled apps and OpenOffice. It’s not a gaming system, but thousands of folks are discovering gPC is a solid option for basic web surfing and productivity apps. Although exact sales figures are hard to come by, several reports suggest that Wal-Mart’s initial stock of gPCs sold out rapidly.
Wal-Mart has replenished its supply of gPCs. And The VAR Guy just might buy one for the holiday season. However, he won’t likely hand his money to Wal-Mart. Instead, he’s spotted gPCs for sale on ZaReason.com. For those who don’t track the open source sector closely, ZaReason is a small-but-reliable pioneer in the Ubuntu Linux desktop market.
There are several reasons why ZaReason — rather than Wal-Mart — might get The VAR Guy’s money. First, ZaReason allows you to customize the gPC, potentially loading up on extra RAM, a WiFi card, monitor and product literature. Second, ZaReason is responsive and welcomes customer interaction. The VAR Guy sent the company a quick email with a few questions about the gPC, and he received a clear, concise reply within three hours.
So, why hasn’t The VAR Guy purchased a gPC from ZaReason yet? Two words: Dell and Apple. Dell is offering a $100 discount on its Ubuntu Linux desktop, and the price caught The VAR Guy’s eye. And The VAR Guy also spotted a few refurbished Mac Minis and iMacs on Apple’s Web site.
Decisions, decisions. For now, The VAR Guy’s wallet remains closed. But when he opens it up, he doesn’t expect to hand any cash to Wal-Mart. There are far better deals online. And ZaReason deserves special consideration because of the company’s support and laser-like focus on the Ubuntu Linux customers.
Not sure why you introduced Apple into the conversation. Ubuntu is just as reliable. I have a zareason PC and will continue buying from them. They really are the Ubuntu PC experts, as you pointed out.
You could even go a little lower with this option:
http://linfx.com/content/view/22/9/
Joe,
Have you seen that Seinfeld episode about “Jimmy”? I’m always reminded of it when I read something like “For now, The VAR Guy’s wallet remains closed.” 🙂
The VAR Guy loves Jimmy. And Jimmy, potentially, loves The VAR Guy.
Roy understands. Roy sighs
Don’t mix apples with oranges 😉
i’m not going to buy a gPC mainly cause i have a computer thats brand new and ubuntu 7.10 installed on it already, but thats beside the point, i’m just happy that linux is becoming more and more available for average people, the enlightenment desktop manager is pretty nice might i add.. 🙂
I can also recommend System76 as another good Linux computer company.I have bought a laptop from them . They have excellent Tech. support and very well built computers.Their computers are all built for Linux. ZaReason web site has also caught my eye.They seem to offer a good choice of systems to choose from. Both vendors will allow you to customize your system. Having knowledgeable help is one real advantage to buying from vendors that specialize in Linux systems.
System76 site is http://system76.com/ if anyone wants to check them out.
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