May 6, 2002

7:00 PM

Wal-Mart sells Windows-less PC'sDid you know this? I didn't know this. Guess I'm gonna have to make Wal-Mart my one stop shop for guns AND computers. I guess I have to stop making fun of people who shop there. Definitely will have to lay off the redneck jokes. Is there such a thing as a redneck geek? Oh, wait, never mind.
posted by WolfDaddy (19 comments total)

yeah, except that wal-mart is pure and unadulterated e-vul. wal-marts and mcdonaldses and starbucks of that ilk are only to be used for their clean shiney bathrooms.
posted by dorian at 7:10 PM on May 6, 2002

You haven't been down to Texas, where redneck geeks are everywhere. Double wides and evil penguins go hand in hand here.
posted by one.louder.ash! at 7:12 PM on May 6, 2002

Your little home-grown ISP will more than likely sell you one too, if you ask nicely. At least, that's how I acquired my new PC. I wanted one built to my specs, but also wanted someone to blame if something goes wrong. They were more than happy to oblige, didn't charge me a fortune, and were quite cheerful about replacing the motherboard when it did a major hardware poop a month later.
posted by NsJen at 7:31 PM on May 6, 2002

Is there such a thing as a redneck geek?

. o O (What a silly question.)
posted by rodii at 7:40 PM on May 6, 2002

Yup, so they can go home and pirate windows. Its intresting to note that the origional models shipped with a winmodem, so it would require windows to work correctly (they fixed, this obviously)


Not that I havn't pirated every copy of windows I've ever used or anything. ('cept win3.11 that came with my first computer I guess)
posted by delmoi at 7:49 PM on May 6, 2002

Sheesh, dorian -- ain't this thread about computers? Why bring your anti-globo rant to this party?

Re: non-Windows PC -- the price is certainly right, but I'm not smart enough about Linux to even attempt a switch. Yet. Maybe someday. For now, Linux is (to me) simply a cute little penguin.
posted by davidmsc at 7:51 PM on May 6, 2002

They recently had a post about this on slashdot, which included a description of the process on putting linux on one of them, which worked well save for the modem. I can't find it, unfortunately, though maybe someone else here will have bookmarked it?
posted by atom128 at 7:53 PM on May 6, 2002

The point isn't that they aren't "for windows" - it's that they are OS-less. If you already have a copy of Windows then you're off to the races... (but probably violating some Microsoft EULA paragraph if you're not careful).

If you're not a Windows person than you can use Linux, BeOS, OpenBSD... whatever you want. The WinModem issue was fixed almost immediately too.

The point is not paying for Windows which only adds $$$ to your PC purchase if you already have it or something else.
posted by Fat Elvis at 7:57 PM on May 6, 2002

there is an update on slashdot that future versions will have Linux friendly modems.
posted by mkelley at 7:58 PM on May 6, 2002

but probably violating some Microsoft EULA paragraph if you're not careful

Well, as I understand it, as long as you're moving whatever copy of Windows you have from one PC to another, you're okay.

Which is what I do ... I cannibalize an old PC for whatever salvageable parts, and stick those in my new rig. The hard drive is usually wiped and assimilated into the new rig, so there's only one PC with my personally-signed-by-Bill-or-a-reasonable-facsimile-thereof copy of Windows on it at any one time.
posted by WolfDaddy at 8:09 PM on May 6, 2002

Actually the OEM version of windows (the one that came with your computer) is not transferable. Ebay is pretty strict (read the description) about this, fearing the fist of the BSA. But as long as the seller is including parts (hard drive, motherboard) of the original PC then its like just selling a PC with windows already installed.

This is one of the reasons why Microsoft is evil. You bought the operating system didn't you?
posted by skallas at 8:29 PM on May 6, 2002

davidmsc -- I dnno, it's like complimenting rj reynolds for, say, using recycled paper. sure, it's a good thing, but the overall picture is more than a little askew. check out the link, who knows, you might change your mind about wal-mart.

(laid-off tech ppl apparently have lots of time for things, like learning newfound activism. maybe when I finally find a job I'll turn all corporate again...)

besides, when I wants a linux machine, I builds one myself. at least then I know that all the hardware will be 100% compatible (not to mention waycheeper, hehe)
posted by dorian at 8:30 PM on May 6, 2002

they're prolly planning on moving into peru, cuz like afterall they're way more powerful (and evil :) than microsoft!
posted by kliuless at 8:39 PM on May 6, 2002

Its intresting to note that the origional models shipped with a winmodem, so it would require windows to work correctly

Also, winmodems do work on Linux, just not all of them. Microtel is creating a new market for itself and at under $400 for a 1 ghz Duron its a tempting offer.
posted by skallas at 8:43 PM on May 6, 2002

Howdy y'all !

Couldn't help. Sorry.
posted by XiBe at 1:31 AM on May 7, 2002

dorian: checked the link, didn't find anything that disturbed me.
You're free not to shop at Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and other "corporate devils;" that just leaves more room for me in the aisles and one less person to wait behind in line. :-) Ain't America great?
posted by davidmsc at 4:20 AM on May 7, 2002

Atom128: The article was actually over at NewsForge, but was discussed on Slashdot about a week ago.
posted by Su at 5:56 AM on May 7, 2002

Note that the priver has, after a torrent of email from outraged linux users decided to ship a proper hardware modem. So running Linux on one of these will soon be even easier.
posted by nedrichards at 7:04 AM on May 7, 2002

priver? what was I thinking? OEM possibly.
posted by nedrichards at 7:18 AM on May 7, 2002