Wal-Mart's $200 Linux Computer Sold Out

It may not have the cachet of the $200 OLPC laptop, but it does have much wider availability. Or, at least, it did: Wal-Mart's $199 desktop from Everex, stripped down in specs, running Ubuntu Linux, and touted as "green" due to its low power consumption, has sold out of its initial production run of 10,000 machines after a week.

The Everex TC2502 gPC includes a 1.5GHz Via V7-D CPU, 512MB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive. With Windows you'd have a long wait just getting this setup to boot (much less run any apps), but with Ubuntu everything's fine. The computer is also preloaded with a bundle of Google apps, OpenOffice, and more, the idea being to give Linux newcomers (which, at Wal-Mart, is going to be just about everyone) all they need to get going with the new OS. Everex is even offering Wal-Mart buyers free tech support on their new computers.

Ten thousand units may be a drop in the bucket in the PC world, but it's still a strong indicator that demand for Windows alternatives is on the rise, after years of Linux failing to make a dent in the mainstream. As more vendors jump into the Linux fray, could we possibly see Microsoft's decades-long dominance start to whither?

You don't need new hardware to give Linux a try. Ubuntu is a free download and installs easily on many PCs. Most users will likely find that burning an installation disc (which you have to do in Windows, before you install it) is the most complicated part of the operation. (Hint: Grab ISO Recorder here, first.)

Have you made the jump? Post your Linux success (or horror) stories here and let us know how you've fared with it. 

LINK: Wal-Mart's Ultra-Efficient Linux PC Sells Out