Ubuntu Linux PC Now Available at Wal-Mart $199.00
Everex’s TC2502 gPC is the first mass-market $200 desktop computer, featuring a custom distribution of Ubuntu Linux and headed for selected Wal-Mart stores.
“It’s $200, with no gimmicks or subsidies,” Everex spokesman David Liu said.
The gPC aims to joins a popular gang of low-end economy computers leading into the holiday season, such as Asus’ $300 EeePC Laptop and VIA’s $600 Nanobook. Unlike these machines, however, Everex’s latest model is a full-size desktop, and $100 cheaper than even the slightest models from Dell or HP.
Touted as a “green” machine, it has a 1.5 Ghz VIA C7 CPU embedded in a Mini-ITX motherboard, 512MB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. Normally, this would simply mark it as unacceptably low-end for use with modern software. By using the fast Enlightenment desktop manager (instead of heavier-duty alternatives like Gnome or KDE), the makers say it’s more responsive than Vista is, even on more powerful computers.
“It’s almost like a Google PC,” Liu says, pointing to the desktop’s rack of pre-configured links to all of Google’s online applications. It is, he says, the mass-market Linux PC we’ve all been waiting for. “That’s our dream. … we go the final step to make it work out the box, to go the whole nine yards.”
Motherboards are always evolving. New core logic ships, enabling new features and expanding the capabilities of old ones. New tweaks are added, as well as enhanced designs that make installation and setup easier than ever.
ASUS has introduced the new TS-8 slim chassis series to accommodate users who want a stable and flexible chassis solution. With its compact dimensions and the ability to dissipate heat efficiently, the Asus TS-8 is a perfect mini PC addition to smaller homes and offices. The TS-8 series’ thermal capability fully supports Intel’s P5 Prescott 3.8GHz CPU and SATA hard drives. The TS-8 series provides the best of both worlds – being both compact and expandable. Based on the mATX form factor, the TS-8 chassis provides drive bays for two optical drives, one 3.5” drive and three hard drives; and space for four add-on card expansion connections for future upgrades.
