Wal-Mart ends test of Linux in stores

[jflaker]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080310/ap_on_hi_te/wal_mart_linux_computer;_ylt=Agm9M_L177iu2nLvFBq95 1as0NUE

Not enough interest from customers? Or is it that the PC's they chose were garbage?

[jrusso2]

I am thinking people that didn't know about Linux bought them and couldn't figure them out.

Linux is still not ready for the average user. Even Mark Shuttleworth has said this. They seemed to sell very well because of the price, but if the user doesn't understand what Linux can and can't do then they are going to be disappointed and return them.

One day a distro will figure out how to make Linux more like OS X and it will have a chance.

On the other hand it says Linux sales online will continue. And the EEEPC seems to be doing well since it includes alot of proprietary stuffs and an easy to use interface.

But even that is getting xp as an option now so people will probably gravitate towards the XP version

[jcwmoore]

well they are still selling the gPC online, and the new cloudbook...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hVyPFIJPx8NKAzElk21Isx-zQxvgD8VAQTSG0

[JLB]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080310/ap_on_hi_te/wal_mart_linux_computer;_ylt=Agm9M_L177iu2nLvFBq95 1as0NUE

Not enough interest from customers? Or is it that the PC's they chose were garbage? A bit of both if you ask me. Linux is NOT ready for the masses as far as I am concerned. Personally, I steer folks tired of XP/Vista towards Mac's instead of Linux.

[Vadi]

As far as my masses are concerned, they can watch youtubes, write papers, and chat on im's fine, so I steer them towards linux.

[jflaker]

I live in rural Pennsylvania and only have a few places to shop. Walmart, being one of them.......I have been in their store and have not seen the system at all. If they do have it, it is neither prominently displayed nor is there a demonstration unit set up.

MARKETING? None that I know of unless you read the techie news and blogs that said they were going to start selling them, then that they were selling them, now they are discontinuing them..............They weren't in my store's location that I know of.........and I hang out in that section of the store while the wife shops.

Some things sell themselves, like food and necessities......with computer systems, there needs to be more effort in show and tell, aka, Marketing. A prominent working demo unit would probably have made for more sales

[LaRoza]

I live in rural Pennsylvania and only have a few places to shop. Walmart, being one of them.......I have been in their store and have not seen the system at all. If they do have it, it is neither prominently displayed nor is there a demonstration unit set up.

MARKETING? None that I know of unless you read the techie news and blogs that said they were going to start selling them, then that they were selling them, now they are discontinuing them..............They weren't in my store's location that I know of.........and I hang out in that section of the store while the wife shops.

Some things sell themselves, like food and necessities......with computer systems, there needs to be more effort in show and tell, aka, Marketing. A prominent working demo unit would probably have made for more sales

I happened to be in Wal-Mart one day (a rare event) so I decided to check that part of the store out (come to think of it, that was the only part of the store...) and I didn't see any trace of them either.

[exneo002]

Yea but it does work. I watch youtube. Listen to music. And so on with 0 problems.

[zmjjmz]

Walmart really should of marketed this...
I hope they adopt the Shuttle kpc though, it definitely looks more promising than the gPC...

[some_random_noob]

As far as my masses are concerned, they can watch youtubes, write papers, and chat on im's fine, so I steer them towards linux.
Exactly what I was thinking. It works for me as well. The reason why Walmart withdrew is probably because they were dumb and had no idea what the hell they were doing. People MUST have been buying these computers - but the people buying probably didn't know what Linux was. I think it's safe to dump the failure onto Walmart for not clearly stating that Linux is a totally different OS.

Then again, I know nothing about this story and thus am unable to give an accurate opinion.

[matthew]

Guys, I don't think it was a marketing or a Linux issue. I also don't think the decision is based on a lack of demand for the product.

I think the WalMart executives have realized that they simply make more money by selling the Windows products.

Think about it. They cost a bit more, so demand might decrease slightly, but probably not a ton. However, anyone who buys a Windows box is likely to buy boxed software from the store as well, stuff that a Linux box won't need or can't use. Ka-ching! Extra sales. Everything from the $9.99 cd shareware collections to virus protection, firewalls, office suites, and games are going to add up to increased profits.

I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised. I think this was purely an economic decision.

[Tristam Green]

Guys, I don't think it was a marketing or a Linux issue. I also don't think the decision is based on a lack of demand for the product.

I think the WalMart executives have realized that they simply make more money by selling the Windows products.

Think about it. They cost a bit more, so demand might decrease slightly, but probably not a ton. However, anyone who buys a Windows box is likely to buy boxed software from the store as well, stuff that a Linux box won't need or can't use. Ka-ching! Extra sales. Everything from the $9.99 cd shareware collections to virus protection, firewalls, office suites, and games are going to add up to increased profits.

I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised. I think this was purely an economic decision.

+1. It's purely about bottom-line.


Likewise, I shop at Wal-mart fairly frequently (one exists at the front of my neighborhood, why wouldn't I?), and I always peruse the electronics section and have never once seen a gPC, neither on paper or on the floor.

[OrangeCrate]

Though it might be just spin, I tend to believe the Everex spokesperson in the article, who says that sales online have been significantly better than in the stores.

There has been two boxed units on the shelf in our Wally World since the introduction. No takers. Poor merchandizing yes, but in our rural market, many of our shoppers would need to learn how to use a computer before they would ever be knowledgeable enough to choose an OS.

That caveat wouldn't apply to shoppers online of course, so as I said, I tend to believe the Everex person. Sales in Walmart stores are tracked heavily by sales per linear foot, and Linux computers wouldn't pass muster on that benchmark by any stretch of the imagination.

[Cope57]

They will continue selling them online only.

The Everex PC with gOS sold out as soon as it hit the shelves, and they were not able to keep up with the demands from online purchases. They were removing them from the shelves to fill online purchases.
Besides, it is not a cashcow like having a Windows box. A customer sees the Windows box and will most likely purchase software for the product at the same time, and also in the future.

Selling the Everex PC with gOS, customers do not need additional software. I can see why they removed them from the shelves, but not the warehouse. The space of the PC's were most likely replaced with more software, or more expensive products that are in demand.

[exneo002]

Well I've heard they get returnded because they don't have 56k modems.

[Tristam Green]

Well I've heard they get returnded because they don't have 56k modems.

That's funny, the Wal-Mart website indicates that it comes with a standard faxmodem.

Also,


returnded
I hope you're using the [sarcasm] tags?

[Sporkman]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080310/ap_on_hi_te/wal_mart_linux_computer_2


Wal-Mart ends test of Linux in stores

Mon Mar 10, 5:55 PM ET

NEW YORK - Computers that run the Linux operating system instead of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows didn't attract enough attention from Wal-Mart customers, and the chain has stopped selling them in stores, a spokeswoman said Monday.

"This really wasn't what our customers were looking for," said Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien.

To test demand for systems with the open-source operating system, Wal-Mart stocked the $199 "Green gPC," made by Everex of Taiwan, in about 600 stores starting late in October.

Walmart.com, the chain's e-commerce site, had sold Linux-based computers before and will continue selling the gPC.

This was the first time they appeared on retail shelves.

Paul Kim, brand manager for Everex, said selling the gPC online was "significantly more effective" than selling it in stores.

Wal-Mart sold out the in-store gPC inventory but decided not to restock, O'Brien said. The company does not reveal sales figures for individual items.

Walmart.com now carries an updated version, the gPC2, also for $199, without a monitor. The site also sells a tiny Linux-driven laptop, the Everex CloudBook, for $399.

Linux software is maintained and developed by individuals and companies around the world on an "open source" basis, meaning that everyone has access to the software's blueprints and can modify them.

There is no licensing fee for Linux, which helps keeps the cost of the Everex PC low. Manufacturers have to pay Microsoft to sell computers with Windows preloaded.

Linux is in widespread use in server computers, but it hasn't made a dent in the desktop market. Surveys usually put its share of that market around 1 percent, far behind Windows and Apple Inc.'s OS X.

Smaller laptops like the CloudBook could provide an entree for Linux, since it runs well on systems with modest memory and hard drive capacity.

[exneo002]

Well I hear they just have ethernet ports.

[Arkenzor]

bleh

[aaaantoine]

No knowledgeable person would buy a giant desktop tower containing compact components regardless of price, and the rest would shy away from the no-name brand PC.

Also, I saw no such PC on display at my nearest store.

[madjr]

here are the new links:

gPC with gos 2.0
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8304655

Everex 7" CloudBook CE1200V Ultra-Portable Laptop
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/allReviews.do?product_id=8245470


Everex 15.4" gBook VA1500V Laptop
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8224470

nice site about cloubook
http://www.cloudbooker.com/

[zmjjmz]

Wasn't there an article though in November about the gPC selling like crazy?

[SunnyRabbiera]

Wasn't there an article though in November about the gPC selling like crazy?

Yeh heard this too, but this is ignorance if you ask me.

[fatality_uk]

A bit of both if you ask me. Linux is NOT ready for the masses as far as I am concerned. Personally, I steer folks tired of XP/Vista towards Mac's instead of Linux.

Is that the unworthy, unwashed masses?

[BigSilly]

Strange news if it's true. I thought they had been really popular. Heard they were selling out all over the place, and now this. FUD?

[eljoeb]

Walmart really should of marketed this...
I hope they adopt the Shuttle kpc though, it definitely looks more promising than the gPC...

They should market it? maybe in a flyer in the Sunday paper, but not with commercials or magazine ads or a triumphant plug on some stupid TV show. EVEREX should have been marketing more aggressively in these venues, not relying on internet news sites and silly people in internet forums to get sell it. I know that everyone here loves to shake their teenage fist over corporations/profits/Americans but seriously... why is anyone surprised that a product marketed mainly over the internet didn't sell well in a bricks and mortar shop whose customer base is not a hardcore technology user? And why doesn't anyone recognize that Walmart's product strategy is LOW PRICES, not "lets stop carrying cheap stuff, because we'll obviously get more revenue from Windows." Walmart's competitors can easily capitalize on them not carrying an inexpensive product. It was stuff like that that had been costing Walmart up until recently, when they realized simply sticking to their competency (squeezing the hell out of suppliers and an excellent distribution system to deliver products at an astronomically low price) will help them more than being trendier than Target or offering technology like Best Buy does.

[aysiu]

No knowledgeable person would buy a giant desktop tower containing compact components regardless of price, and the rest would shy away from the no-name brand PC. This is the most logical explanation, of course. Everex is trying to target too many customer bases and then losing the two largest ones in the process.

[kazuya]

failure in Walmart's test is linked to their staffs are not trained in educating users about the difference in the products. They set the product out to fail by doing so. A store like Com usa, dell, microcenter, frys which has more techie and informed folks would have ben able to educate the buyers better and give them support as needed. For me, Linux is the only OS ready for my computing needs and wants. the other OSes fail miserably.

[David Ostrom]

Wall-Mart obviously didn't do any marketing research when they decided to sell in stores. What I would have done is offer a big bag of Sam's Choice Trail Mix, shotgun and ammo with the purchase any Everex/Linux PC. :lolflag:

[K.Mandla]

I had the idea in my mind that when the entire run was over, they'd call it a failed experiment and go back to Microsoft machines.

I think they had the same idea in their minds too.

[TrailerTrash]

If you want my thoughts.....I think Everex should have used Ubuntu, or Mandriva or some other OS other than gOS. I used gOS and it was nothing to brag about. Very unstable. :( I could see why people didnt want it. On the Modem thing......Everyex could have used a internal modem that was Linux friendly. Lots of people are still on dial-up. The hardware itself was not bad, i just think it was the OS. :(

[riven0]

Remember, people, this is Wal-Mart we're talking about. One of the greediest corporations ever. As Matthew said, low profit was probably the reason they got rid of it. these PC's were selling incredibly well; there was no other reason to pull it.

[Midwest-Linux]

I been to a couple of Wal-Mart stores and never saw the computer. I did see some Windows XP home computers still being sold there however. Micro Center has Linux computers in their stores if anyone is interested.

The good news is that more and more computer refurb shops are putting Ubuntu/Linux on computers that would have otherwise been sold without a OS.

The key to get Linux more into the mainstream is to have the manufacturers install Linux along with all new Windows computers sold. Not just installed, but configured and working. The problems Microsoft is having with the EU could go away if MSFT went along with this plan.

While Wal-Mart shelved Linux computers in their brick and mortar stores. More and more government entities are turning to open source and of course Linux with the 23,000 school computers in the Philippines as a most recent example.

[tbroderick]

As Matthew said, low profit was probably the reason they got rid of it. these PC's were selling incredibly well; there was no other reason to pull it.

What's incredibly well? Do you know how many were returned?

[jcwmoore]

Wasn't there an article though in November about the gPC selling like crazy?

no, no no.. you are dealing with a retail company, wal-mart lives off of selling extra product. they sold the last harry potter book under cost because when people bought the book they (on average) spent more than 2 dollars (US) on extra nick nacks and do dads... so when people buy a PC with windows they (a TOTAL GUESS) walk out with 5$ worth of software (on average). so, if people buy a PC and take 5$ with them, OR people take the PC and 0$ with them, what do you think the retail company will carry? the extra 5$ per person (Windows PC) or the 0$ per person PC (gPC)???

sorry, but that is the world of business...