Wal-Mart sells Windows-less PC's
May 6, 2002 7:00 PM Subscribe
Wal-Mart sells Windows-less PC's Did you know this? I didn't know this. Guess I'm gonna have to make Wal-Mart my one stop shop for guns AND computers. I guess I have to stop making fun of people who shop there. Definitely will have to lay off the redneck jokes. Is there such a thing as a redneck geek? Oh, wait, never mind.
You haven't been down to Texas, where redneck geeks are everywhere. Double wides and evil penguins go hand in hand here.
posted by one.louder.ash! at 7:12 PM on May 6, 2002
posted by one.louder.ash! at 7:12 PM on May 6, 2002
Your little home-grown ISP will more than likely sell you one too, if you ask nicely. At least, that's how I acquired my new PC. I wanted one built to my specs, but also wanted someone to blame if something goes wrong. They were more than happy to oblige, didn't charge me a fortune, and were quite cheerful about replacing the motherboard when it did a major hardware poop a month later.
posted by NsJen at 7:31 PM on May 6, 2002
posted by NsJen at 7:31 PM on May 6, 2002
Is there such a thing as a redneck geek?
. o O (What a silly question.)
posted by rodii at 7:40 PM on May 6, 2002
. o O (What a silly question.)posted by rodii at 7:40 PM on May 6, 2002
Yup, so they can go home and pirate windows. Its intresting to note that the origional models shipped with a winmodem, so it would require windows to work correctly (they fixed, this obviously)
Not that I havn't pirated every copy of windows I've ever used or anything. ('cept win3.11 that came with my first computer I guess)
posted by delmoi at 7:49 PM on May 6, 2002
Not that I havn't pirated every copy of windows I've ever used or anything. ('cept win3.11 that came with my first computer I guess)
posted by delmoi at 7:49 PM on May 6, 2002
Sheesh, dorian -- ain't this thread about computers? Why bring your anti-globo rant to this party?
Re: non-Windows PC -- the price is certainly right, but I'm not smart enough about Linux to even attempt a switch. Yet. Maybe someday. For now, Linux is (to me) simply a cute little penguin.
posted by davidmsc at 7:51 PM on May 6, 2002
Re: non-Windows PC -- the price is certainly right, but I'm not smart enough about Linux to even attempt a switch. Yet. Maybe someday. For now, Linux is (to me) simply a cute little penguin.
posted by davidmsc at 7:51 PM on May 6, 2002
They recently had a post about this on slashdot, which included a description of the process on putting linux on one of them, which worked well save for the modem. I can't find it, unfortunately, though maybe someone else here will have bookmarked it?
posted by atom128 at 7:53 PM on May 6, 2002
posted by atom128 at 7:53 PM on May 6, 2002
The point isn't that they aren't "for windows" - it's that they are OS-less. If you already have a copy of Windows then you're off to the races... (but probably violating some Microsoft EULA paragraph if you're not careful).
If you're not a Windows person than you can use Linux, BeOS, OpenBSD... whatever you want. The WinModem issue was fixed almost immediately too.
The point is not paying for Windows which only adds $$$ to your PC purchase if you already have it or something else.
posted by Fat Elvis at 7:57 PM on May 6, 2002
If you're not a Windows person than you can use Linux, BeOS, OpenBSD... whatever you want. The WinModem issue was fixed almost immediately too.
The point is not paying for Windows which only adds $$$ to your PC purchase if you already have it or something else.
posted by Fat Elvis at 7:57 PM on May 6, 2002
there is an update on slashdot that future versions will have Linux friendly modems.
posted by mkelley at 7:58 PM on May 6, 2002
posted by mkelley at 7:58 PM on May 6, 2002
but probably violating some Microsoft EULA paragraph if you're not careful
Well, as I understand it, as long as you're moving whatever copy of Windows you have from one PC to another, you're okay.
Which is what I do ... I cannibalize an old PC for whatever salvageable parts, and stick those in my new rig. The hard drive is usually wiped and assimilated into the new rig, so there's only one PC with my personally-signed-by-Bill-or-a-reasonable-facsimile-thereof copy of Windows on it at any one time.
posted by WolfDaddy at 8:09 PM on May 6, 2002
Well, as I understand it, as long as you're moving whatever copy of Windows you have from one PC to another, you're okay.
Which is what I do ... I cannibalize an old PC for whatever salvageable parts, and stick those in my new rig. The hard drive is usually wiped and assimilated into the new rig, so there's only one PC with my personally-signed-by-Bill-or-a-reasonable-facsimile-thereof copy of Windows on it at any one time.
posted by WolfDaddy at 8:09 PM on May 6, 2002
davidmsc -- I dnno, it's like complimenting rj reynolds for, say, using recycled paper. sure, it's a good thing, but the overall picture is more than a little askew. check out the link, who knows, you might change your mind about wal-mart.
(laid-off tech ppl apparently have lots of time for things, like learning newfound activism. maybe when I finally find a job I'll turn all corporate again...)
besides, when I wants a linux machine, I builds one myself. at least then I know that all the hardware will be 100% compatible (not to mention waycheeper, hehe)
posted by dorian at 8:30 PM on May 6, 2002
(laid-off tech ppl apparently have lots of time for things, like learning newfound activism. maybe when I finally find a job I'll turn all corporate again...)
besides, when I wants a linux machine, I builds one myself. at least then I know that all the hardware will be 100% compatible (not to mention waycheeper, hehe)
posted by dorian at 8:30 PM on May 6, 2002
they're prolly planning on moving into peru, cuz like afterall they're way more powerful (and evil :) than microsoft!
posted by kliuless at 8:39 PM on May 6, 2002
posted by kliuless at 8:39 PM on May 6, 2002
dorian: checked the link, didn't find anything that disturbed me.
You're free not to shop at Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and other "corporate devils;" that just leaves more room for me in the aisles and one less person to wait behind in line. :-) Ain't America great?
posted by davidmsc at 4:20 AM on May 7, 2002
You're free not to shop at Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and other "corporate devils;" that just leaves more room for me in the aisles and one less person to wait behind in line. :-) Ain't America great?
posted by davidmsc at 4:20 AM on May 7, 2002
Atom128: The article was actually over at NewsForge, but was discussed on Slashdot about a week ago.
posted by Su at 5:56 AM on May 7, 2002
posted by Su at 5:56 AM on May 7, 2002
Note that the priver has, after a torrent of email from outraged linux users decided to ship a proper hardware modem. So running Linux on one of these will soon be even easier.
posted by nedrichards at 7:04 AM on May 7, 2002
posted by nedrichards at 7:04 AM on May 7, 2002
priver? what was I thinking? OEM possibly.
posted by nedrichards at 7:18 AM on May 7, 2002
posted by nedrichards at 7:18 AM on May 7, 2002
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posted by dorian at 7:10 PM on May 6, 2002