Wal-Mart's "Green" $199 PC Gets De-Shelved
Last year Wal-Mart tried a little "experiment," selling a low-spec desktop computer for the bargain basement price of just $199. The company thought the price would be enough for customers to overlook the dearth of features and performance, and it apparently was enough for the 600-store allotment made to stores to sell out. However, despite this modest success, the company has decided to stop stocking the boxes in stores.
The gPC from Everex (makers of the similarly cheap Cloudbook laptop) was so cheap partly because it did not ship with a copy of Microsoft's Windows operating system, instead relying on the free Linux OS. This made the machines somewhat unfamiliar to novice computer users, most of whom are familiar with Windows or Apple's Mac OS.
Still, if you don't mind Linux and you're in the market for a bargain desktop, you can still get the supposedly improved gPC2 via the Wal-Mart Web site, still for just $199. However, since the specs of this model are exactly the same of the former gPC, we're not sure why the "2" here is warranted.
From Engadget and AOL Money & Finance
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
gayle @ Mar 11th 2008 6:29PM
Who Cares.
gasenginenut @ Mar 11th 2008 8:35PM
who cares china mart
Lee @ Mar 11th 2008 9:10PM
The Linux OS is actually superior to MicroSoft, and offers much greater protection from hacking.
cscobirds2 @ Mar 11th 2008 9:10PM
Who cares??? how about a former teacher of a school where 85% of the parents would not be able to afford a computer otherwise. Do you know how hard it is for kids to function today without one. Hmm feed and shelter my family or give my family a fighting chance to compete with the rest of the world. Open your eyes!
Ricky P @ Mar 11th 2008 9:29PM
They might as well do away with the eMachine as well unless eMachine would like to install a descent Power Supplye and Chip Board! Duuuhhhh!For Real!
Bill @ Mar 11th 2008 10:04PM
Everex is a Company thats headcorders is in California.People want to b*tch and cry about not being made in America but do their dangdest to put American Co. out of buisness.
Everex
5020 Brandin Court
Fremont, CA 94538 USA
Tel: 866-850-8835
HPNTWK @ Mar 11th 2008 10:19PM
Hate to break the nezs but I purchased an emachine 3 years ago and havent had a bit of trouble with it..
Cant say the same bout the $700.00 and
$600.00 "BRAND NAME" puters
Pixie @ Mar 11th 2008 10:26PM
soooo, what's the big deal? can't you buy microsoft windows and install it yourself? the windows system can't cost all that much. i think this is a deal of a lifetime for people that need a computer for their kid's schooling and beggar's, so to speak, can't be choosers. but then, i think back to when i went to school and my computer was in my skull, it's called a brain. i managed to get a's and be on the highest grade's list all the time. also did all my math, algebra, etc. with my brain computer and got straight a's in that too. what's this great need for computers for kid's in school nowadays anyway? had a young lady in her late 20's here two weeks ago that was trying to figure out what 18 days at $1.15 was. she said she had a calculator in her cellphone. she didn't know how to use the calculator and then tried to do it by hand using her faulty brain computer. her answer was four dollars and some odd cents off. i had gotten the correct answer in my head before she figured out she didn't know how to use the dang calculator. what is this? simple multiplication!!! moron's are being graduated from highschool. woe are we.
Doug @ Mar 11th 2008 10:39PM
I have an E machine and it has not ben a problem. I love it and it has done everything i wanted it to do. Better then the Dell that only lasted me a year!
boogar @ Mar 11th 2008 10:54PM
I have had Emachines for 6 years with no problems.
Dick @ Mar 11th 2008 11:06PM
computers are lovely tools - but I would rather have people who can read and write the language properly - and too few in this thread seem to be able to do it. Most HS - and many college - graduates seem unable to form a proper sentence.
Mike @ Mar 11th 2008 11:11PM
I bought an emachines computer 2 yrs ago. I have never had any problems with it and its not even a high priced one. I recommend it to all my friends.
carmon @ Mar 11th 2008 11:14PM
I have had an emachines for about 3 years now.I have know problems with it. Better then the vista.
ersakm @ Mar 11th 2008 11:18PM
Bill.....it headQUARTERS, NOT headcorders. Educated in America, no doubt.
Camille Mauro @ Mar 11th 2008 11:22PM
E-Machines have AMD chips in them which I think protects them better than Intel chips. Since the market is saturated with Intel Pentiums, they are more likely to get hacked into. I heard somewhere that the AMD processor is better for some reason. I also have to say that for some of you that think name brands stink, I have a Sony and it lasts like the Emachine. Some brands don't recover the last known good configuration resulting in bringing it back to the store to be fixed. Sony has that feature in the BIOS. I was able to fix it myself. As far as not caring about the computer mentioned in the article, the teacher is right. A lot of kids come from poor homes and need computers to compete with their peers. The students are now doing research online and emailing their work in.
Hank @ Mar 11th 2008 11:30PM
Doug? What kind of Dell did you have that only lasted you a year??????
mike @ Mar 11th 2008 11:36PM
ersakm... an ellipses has only THREE periods not FIVE.
This coming from a fairly uneducated American.
mike @ Mar 11th 2008 11:39PM
Ersakm, this level of arrogance and contempt for Americans could only come from a Brit. I sense a bit a jealousy from your teeny little country. God save the old hag!
wmassociate @ Mar 11th 2008 11:40PM
big deal u dont want to shop with us at walmart go somewhere else. customers complaining geez! being a walmart associate it gets old! we didnt tel u to purchase it we just sell products ok.enough making us feel bad we only work there ok! blaming us for bad products its not our fault ok call 1800 walmart or walmart.com if u have a problem ok. get a life some of u people!
Mike @ Mar 11th 2008 11:43PM
Hell with wal-Mart, same with Bush. Junk is Junk no matter what the price. They could sell a good computer for the same price and still make money. Good value is no more because people here are stupid enough to keep paying dumbass prices.