Walmart and Dell

[Mercutio]

Hey, did everybody see that Walmart is going to stock - as in keep in inventory - a few models of Dell PCs?

Desperation move from Dell?
Another nail in the coffin for mom and pop shops?
Or is this the big opportunity for the Michelob and NASCAR set to realize what kind of crap Dell actually makes?

 

[ddrueding]

1&2.

Having the "Michelob and NASCAR set" realize anything does not compute.

 

[CougTek]

Dell is easy to beat by mom & pop shop, unless WalMart stocks the Ubuntu-equipped systems. The Ubuntu-Dell are hard to beat price-wise.

For instance :

• 
  Core 2 Duo E6320
  1GB DDR2 667MHz
  945G-based motherboard
  250GB SATA hard drive
  CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo optical drive
  magnificent Dell proprietary case and power supply
  Ubuntu
  cheapo Dell keyboard
  cheapo Dell rodent
  ___________________________________
  459U$

Tough to beat. But I don't think WalMart will stock boxes with the Linux OS, so they'll be easier to beat.

 

[Mercutio]

Walmart has stocked Linux machines in the past.
Particularly, they had a long partnership with some vendor that used Linspire and if I reach back a bit more I remember seeing Corel Linux and Storm Linux machines from Walmart as well.

 

[sechs]

That's a sales gimmick on Walmart's part.

People buy the Linux-based machine, discover that Word or the Sims doesn't run on it, and then come back and buy Windows at full price.

 

[Wavemaker]

Walmart has stocked Linux machines in the past.
Particularly, they had a long partnership with some vendor that used Linspire and if I reach back a bit more I remember seeing Corel Linux and Storm Linux machines from Walmart as well.

The Walmart's Linux era began when their relationship with Microsoft (corporate, not retail) went to hell in a handbasket.

Back in the days of Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft had convinced the rapidly-growing Walmart to begin moving their operations away from expensive mainframes to the cheap Pentium Pro boxes running the shiny new WinNT 4.0 operating system and NT domains. Needless to say (as we all now know) a gaggle of NT 4.0 boxes was hardly as stable and resilient (or secure) as a slow old mainframe.

Several months on into the transition to NT 4.0, Microsoft's promises weren't measuring up and Walmart wanted out. The acrimony spilled over into the media. Before long Walmart was toying around with Linux in a plot to sell dirt cheap computers (and to stab MS in some way).

 

[Wavemaker]

 

[mubs]

So, WM, are you who I think you are - another avatar for the one that already has many? You're style and language lead me to believe that.

 

[ddrueding]

I count at least two more...

 

[Adcadet]

Dell dude busted for buying pot...big surprise.

http://www.mugshots.com/Celebrity/Benjamin+Curtis.htm

 

[Deadwood]

The laptops I've seen on display at WalMart all have missing keys, due to vandalism. Doesn't lend an air of quality to your product to be displayed like that. I assume that desktops will either suffer the same fate or not be put on display, like their current crop of low-budget desktop pcs. Maybe it's just me, but I like to see what I'm buying when I go into a store.

 

[Wavemaker]

So, WM, are you who I think you are - another avatar for the one that already has many? You're style and language lead me to believe that.

Yes, you guessed correctly. I am CougTek... Je n'existe pas! and err... Flagreen.

Thanks to your insightfulness Doctor Phibes, the game is finally over for me.