Ubuntu Google $199 PC challenges Microsoft and computer vendors

Stan Beer
Thursday, 01 November 2007 06:20

Your IT - Home IT

While the One Laptop Per Child program tries to hawk underpowered US$200 computers in lots of 10,000 to third world countries, Walmart has put quite powerful Ubuntu Linux PCs on its shelves retailing for $199. What's more, the PCs from Fremont, California vendor Everex, come pre-installed with a range of popular online applications, including Google's office suite and Skype, among others.

The Everex gPC could well be a watershed in the consumer computing space because it delivers something that the mainstream PC vendors have been unable to achieve to date - a plug-and-play open source Linux desktop computer at a significantly lower price point than anything available in the dominant Microsoft Windows space. In comparison, Dell's efforts to bring Ubuntu Linux to the people - at Windows prices - look jaded.

Although, the gPC is priced without a monitor, even at $250 to $300 with monitor, the new computer should present an attractive entry level package for consumers. For their money, they get all the peripherals and interfaces expected of fully configured desktops, including 512MB RAM, 80GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, a Via C7-D processor with integrated graphics running at 1.5GHz (from Taiwanese chipmaker Via Technologies), integrated Ethernet, and six USB 2.0 ports. The system also includes an RJ11 phone jack and parallela and serial ports.

The hardware, largely comprised of Taiwanese components, appears to be an impressive package. However, the pre-installed software should be present an equally attractive lure for prospective buyers.

In a nutshell, the gPC aims to be a plug and play device for users who can't afford a Mac. While Ubuntu is not exactly a household name in consumer circles, it has become the defacto Linux distro of choice for open source advocates pushing to get a Linux desktop into the mainstream.

What Ubuntu offers is an intuitive interface that is easy for any user coming from a Mac or Windows environment to pick up, plus just about any basic application that an average home or small office user would need to use already preloaded and ready to run.

Aside from office productivity tools from the OpenOffice suite, which is very similar and largely compatible with Microsoft Office, and Evolution, a Microsoft Outlook compatible email and calendar look-alike, Ubuntu includes all the necessary accoutrements for home and office computing, such as media player, photo viewer, Firefox Web browser, among a large range of other applications.

The gPC, however, has customised its pre-installation beyond the standard Ubuntu start-up, including a pre-installed version of the popular peer-to-peer Internet telephony and instant messaging application Skype and pre-installed links to a range of Google applications. Everex calls the gPC operating system gOS but it's really just Ubuntu, preconfigured and customised a little.

In short, provided the hardware is reliable and users are made fully aware of what peripherals are compatible with Ubuntu (new printers, scanners and wireless routers generally are), the Everex gPC has thrown down the gauntlet to both Microsoft and computer vendors targeting the entry level market and could be the most the exciting new computer product since the Mac - it gives the people what they want.