Tech Watch | InfoWorld Staff » Wal-Mart breaks price barrier with Linspire Linux laptop

December 21, 2004 | Comments: (0)

Wal-Mart breaks price barrier with Linspire Linux laptop

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Wal-Mart is offering a laptop that dives below the $500 pricepoint, and it's no accident the machine, from Linspire, runs a Linux-based operating system.

The Balance laptop, at $498, enters a mass market at a price that will undoubtedly accelerate Linux adoption.

The laptop comes with the OS, Internet suite, and Microsoft-file compatible office suite and can be used with both dial-up modems and broadband connections. The machine comes with a VIA C3, 1.0 GHz processor, 128 MB of RAM, which is expandable up to 512 MB with SODIMM (Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Modules). It includes a CD-ROM drive and a 14.1-inch LCD screen.

Mass marketing Linux with a Balance laptop is one more brick in the wall being erected to support open source, as opposed to proprietary and more expensive software.

Earlier this month, IDC underlined the trend in a report that showed the Linux market reaching $38 billion by 2008.

"When all manifestations of Linux operating systems are counted, Linux is clearly a mainstream solution," said Vernon Turner, IDC's group vice president and general manager of enterprise computing research.

The laptop's included Mozilla Internet suite comes with a fast-functioning browser and email program that can display Web-based forms, PDF documents, images, and multimedia files. The suite's included instant messenger program works with AOL, MSN and Yahoo logins.

Coincidentally, InfoWorld's Tom Sullivan discussed the natural benefits of Mozilla and the Linux desktop earlier this month.

Posted by Jack McCarthy on December 21, 2004 11:12 AM

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