My eye caught a New York Times article about the Everex gPC TC2502, a vanilla box that comes loaded with Ubuntu Linux and instant access to (quoting from a more informative CNet review):

popular and useful Web 2.0 services from Google and other vendors… Google Docs, Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube, for example, as well as Meebo, Facebook, and Wikipedia. Sprinkled into the lineup are some non-Web-based apps, like Skype and Gimp…

They’ve dubbed their Ubuntu + GUI the ‘gOS’ (Google Operating System)… the name is unofficial, in the sense that there is no ‘Google Operating System’ as such, but what the heck: it describes the de facto situation! It also comes with an energy-saving CPU, decent peripherals, etc – what’s not to like? OK, so it’s being sold by Wal-Mart… but whereas the CNet article enthuses and links to other low cost Linux boxes for the masses, in the UK the reports were somewhat different. On a tech.co.uk posting today I see firstly, a sub-headline

Ubuntu Linux installed, but could run Vista (badly)

Ha! Trust me, the possibility of running Vista was not what attracted me to these cheap machines! Just look at this enlargement of the summary gOS screen shot above (courtesy DeskTopLinux.com – thanks!). Cute, no?

Secondly, I see this outrageous commentary on the likelihood of such an environment appearing in the UK:

So are cheap Linux PCs likely to hit UK shops anytime soon? We checked in with PC World, which said that it had no immediate plans to introduce Linux systems into its shops.

“Our customers are very used to, and comfortable with, the range of Microsoft and Apple computers that we offer”, a spokesman for PC World told us. “We have no plans to sell Linux PCs at this stage but technology is a fast-moving business so you should never say never…”

That’s pathetic. I hope entrepreneurs around the UK spot this hot niche and move into it quickly. £100 webtop box – why not? It does everything most casual users need most of the time. (And I’m no Linux fanboy – in fact, I’m thoroguhly bored with operating systems and upgrades of all flavours… I couldn’t care less at this point.) Fortunately, RM in the UK is already agressive in this niche, and is sourcing the ASUS EEE PC, essentially a £169 Linux laptop for school children, but also usable as a cheap ‘access box to go’. I’ve got one on order, and will give you the lowdown as soon as it arrives.

Technorati Tags: linux, ubuntu, olpc, asus, everex, gpc, gos

You can leave a response below, or trackback from your own site. You can follow responses to this entry through the Comments (RSS 2.0) Feed.