The Linux aspect is only a real story to industry types and those anti-Microsoft monopoly types. The big appeal was the $199 commodity price. Everyone's always interested when the base price for commodity PCs and laptops go down. That's why the eee PC is so interesting to people now. It's adequate, but it's also mondo cheap. My guess is that if WalMart can get a PC down below $200 (or even $100), it'll be interesting -- but most regular users (your typical customers) need to see PCs that are powerful enough to actually do what they need to get something done.

Windows stinks and is unstable! UNIX and Mac OS X are far more stable platforms. 

There are an awful lot of people who don't need to pay the "Microsoft Tax" in order to get their work done. Many of us who use Linux think that we (and these potential customers) are better served in that fashion. That said, having "a market" requires some customer enthusiasm, some buzz. Nobody out there has a clue WHY they should buy something other than the traditional Vista Home based PC. That's the challenge.

Also, I note that the walmart.com page for the system in question never uses the word Linux. Nobody knows what gOS is, and frankly, I'd think it was deceptive, were I to get such a system and not be greeted with what I expected.

Let me take a moment also to tell you that I appreciate and enoy this blog, and the insights it gives.

Unfortunately, Linux is not going to succeed in the home market unless it's a carefully controlled kiosk-style front end. As an internet or word processor appliance, it has hope. But standalone OS, no.

     I would be very interested in trying Linux and seeing what it can do. Is there any way Wal-Mart would consider a display showing how easy/hard/different/etc. from Microsoft it is? That might prompt me to give strong consideration for purchase.

Kudos to Walmart for trying to move a few of these non Windows computers. How do you know until you try? Now, that said, it would be my view that overall the Linux operating system is not readily suitable to the vast, home market. Linux is fine if you are a bit of a technofile and have the knowledge and resources to set it up. The average home user is far, far more suited to using a system such as Windows. After all, Windows made it's bones by adapting to the average user. So I think Walmart probably has done the right thing too by offering the Linux machines on it's website. As I have watched this Linux scenario unfold, I have wondered several times how many people bought these machines in their local, friendly Walmarts without realizing they were getting a non Windows operating system until they got it home and discovered such. Truthfully, if you would ask most home users what operating system their computers used, they could not tell you for sure. They recognize the Windows name, but that is about as advanced as they are.