A tale of two plug-and-play Linux boxes

Stan Beer
Monday, 05 November 2007 08:51

Opinion and Analysis

One case where I hope I'm not wrong is with the US$199 Everex gPC. I hope I'm not giving the gPC the kiss of death by saying that it has the potential of doing for desk bound Linux computing what Eee PC already appears to be doing for ultra-portables.

So far, the only criticisms I've read about the gPC are that it doesn't come with a monitor and that it's only on sale at a selection of Walmart stores. Both are valid points but do not really hold water.

Desktop PCs are more often than not sold ex monitor these days. However, the Everex gPC is targeting an entry level plug-and-play market which presumably doesn't want to go fishing around for additional hardware just to have a system that can be used out of the box. That said, still usable monitors are ending up in third world junk heaps these days, so in keeping with green principles, an argument can be made that a gPC customer has the flexibility to buy the monitor of their choice or use an old spare one laying around the house or a friend's house.

As for the fact that the gPC is only on sale at about 600 Walmart stores in the US, I'm fairly sure Everex would be happy to accommodate orders for kits from distributors in Europe and elsewhere. Right now, however, Walmart provides a good testing ground for whether the market is as ready for a low cost entry level plug-and-play Linux desktop computer as it appears to be for sub-notebook.

What's needed now is a low-cost plug-and-play Linux notebook to fill the gap between the Eee PC and the gPC. Hopefully, that's what Everex is planning with its under $300 notebook, flagged for release in early 2008.

However, it is also to be hoped that other PC vendors are taking note of what Asus and Everex are doing and forging ahead with their own plans to bring Linux into the mainstream.