<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Wal-Mart discontinues selling green PC in stores]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Biodiversivist http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:13:06 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/1 Can somebody explain to me why that is?

How would an operating system impact the longevity of computer hardware? Just curious. Not defending Windows. They just didn't explain why and I don't get it.

Do people run out and buy a new computer just because their directory gets tangled up?

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

]]> Can somebody explain to me why that is?

How would an operating system impact the longevity of computer hardware? Just curious. Not defending Windows. They just didn't explain why and I don't get it.

Do people run out and buy a new computer just because their directory gets tangled up?

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

]]> Comment #2 by salmoncreek http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:23:34 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/2 Green Computer

I don't think the issue with people was not buying the computer because it was a "Green" computer but rather because a computer is a large investment and who wants a low quality one from Wal-Mart? People like reliable names when it comes to computers

Sam.

]]> Green Computer

I don't think the issue with people was not buying the computer because it was a "Green" computer but rather because a computer is a large investment and who wants a low quality one from Wal-Mart? People like reliable names when it comes to computers

Sam.

]]> Comment #3 by Delay And Deny http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:44:56 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/3 ASUS eee greener; Wal*Mart suspect...

Wal*Mart's actions and the subsequent press barrage are highly suspicious.

In 1995, Corel software went on a very public project to convert all their office software to run on java -- which at the time was a threat to Microsoft's entire architecture.   6 months later Corel announced that java "just didn't work".   Many suspected a hit job (Corel did this again later with other technology).

I don't mind that Wal*Mart decided to pull one cheap computer from it's shelves (and to keep selling it on walmart.com, their website), but the press releases in every major media outlet just minutes after the official announcement were highly suspicious.    The titles were all of the "Linux is dead" variety and appeared in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and many other national and local papers.

Meanwhile the real threat is the ASUS eee which is short circuiting the PDA, iPhone and PC markets by providing a portable machine that most consumers can actually use.   It's small enough to carry, low powered and long lived on its battery -- and it runs Linux.

The Manhattan Declaration

]]> ASUS eee greener; Wal*Mart suspect...

Wal*Mart's actions and the subsequent press barrage are highly suspicious.

In 1995, Corel software went on a very public project to convert all their office software to run on java -- which at the time was a threat to Microsoft's entire architecture.   6 months later Corel announced that java "just didn't work".   Many suspected a hit job (Corel did this again later with other technology).

I don't mind that Wal*Mart decided to pull one cheap computer from it's shelves (and to keep selling it on walmart.com, their website), but the press releases in every major media outlet just minutes after the official announcement were highly suspicious.    The titles were all of the "Linux is dead" variety and appeared in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and many other national and local papers.

Meanwhile the real threat is the ASUS eee which is short circuiting the PDA, iPhone and PC markets by providing a portable machine that most consumers can actually use.   It's small enough to carry, low powered and long lived on its battery -- and it runs Linux.

The Manhattan Declaration

]]> Comment #4 by spaceshaper http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:31:40 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/4 BioD - I'm not an expert but..

my understanding is that Windows OS upgrades generally have very limited backwards-compatibility with older machines. If you want to stay current on your Windows OS you'd need to buy a new machine every couple of years. New versions of Linux/Unix (and Mac OS) are apparently much more forgiving of older hardware.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.

]]> BioD - I'm not an expert but..

my understanding is that Windows OS upgrades generally have very limited backwards-compatibility with older machines. If you want to stay current on your Windows OS you'd need to buy a new machine every couple of years. New versions of Linux/Unix (and Mac OS) are apparently much more forgiving of older hardware.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.

]]> Comment #5 by odograph http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:51:52 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/5 bits

The WallMart PC was interesting, but I expect that walk-in customers didn't get that any pc wouldn't be Windows.  Or perhaps they didn't picture what part of their old PC was Windows.

Notebooks in general though are going to have a lower total system power requirement (beware CPU-only quotations, that's the biggest chip, but not the only chip, and doesn't include the disks or display).

I'm happy with my Eee PC, but I think these are early adopter times.  There are some rough edges with Asus' Linux update process.  You might want to watch how that works over time.

BioD, on the upgrade thing MS is aggressive in adding in new features.  This gives them a common marketing cause with PC makers, video card makers, etc.  Unfortunately those same additions expand Windows beyond the ability of relatively recent hardware.

On the other hand, the hacker-developer community for Linux has a different value network.  Many of them run older PCs ;-)

]]> bits

The WallMart PC was interesting, but I expect that walk-in customers didn't get that any pc wouldn't be Windows.  Or perhaps they didn't picture what part of their old PC was Windows.

Notebooks in general though are going to have a lower total system power requirement (beware CPU-only quotations, that's the biggest chip, but not the only chip, and doesn't include the disks or display).

I'm happy with my Eee PC, but I think these are early adopter times.  There are some rough edges with Asus' Linux update process.  You might want to watch how that works over time.

BioD, on the upgrade thing MS is aggressive in adding in new features.  This gives them a common marketing cause with PC makers, video card makers, etc.  Unfortunately those same additions expand Windows beyond the ability of relatively recent hardware.

On the other hand, the hacker-developer community for Linux has a different value network.  Many of them run older PCs ;-)

]]> Comment #6 by 314159265 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:10:01 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/6 Green == Efficiency != Windows

Windoze is bloated and uneffective, an obscene waste of computing power. It is all marketing, not sane technology.

But "Linux" is catching up well with Gnome and KDE desktop environments. Dunno why this stuff needs eons to start up and even needs time to exhibit menu icons - on a GHz box. Looks like they need to mimick Windoze to make the dummy user feel comfortable and not get surprised by any comfort, speed, or effective windowing.

But if configured right (e.g. Fvwm2 window manager) it can run smoothly on a 200MHz box.

]]> Green == Efficiency != Windows

Windoze is bloated and uneffective, an obscene waste of computing power. It is all marketing, not sane technology.

But "Linux" is catching up well with Gnome and KDE desktop environments. Dunno why this stuff needs eons to start up and even needs time to exhibit menu icons - on a GHz box. Looks like they need to mimick Windoze to make the dummy user feel comfortable and not get surprised by any comfort, speed, or effective windowing.

But if configured right (e.g. Fvwm2 window manager) it can run smoothly on a 200MHz box.

]]> Comment #7 by Delay And Deny http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:47:48 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/7 Labelling

On the other hand, the hacker-developer community for Linux has a different value network.  Many of them run older PCs ;-)

I am a 'developer' and I dual boot my PC with Suse Linux 10.3 and Windows XP.

My PC is a brand new 64bit AMD X2, 2G, ASUS motherboard with a hot of the press nVidia 8800GT.

The Manhattan Declaration

]]> Labelling

On the other hand, the hacker-developer community for Linux has a different value network.  Many of them run older PCs ;-)

I am a 'developer' and I dual boot my PC with Suse Linux 10.3 and Windows XP.

My PC is a brand new 64bit AMD X2, 2G, ASUS motherboard with a hot of the press nVidia 8800GT.

The Manhattan Declaration

]]> Comment #8 by Delay And Deny http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:49:39 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/8 Watch the Green Lights

How would an operating system impact the longevity of computer hardware?

Ever watch the LEDs on a Windows machine...blinky blinky blinky.

Take a look at a Linux machine...quiet as a mouse.

The Windows memory management scheme is flawed, archaic and broken.  Add in all the "phone home" built in spyware and your computer is doing 3x the work it has to just to run.

The Manhattan Declaration

]]> Watch the Green Lights

How would an operating system impact the longevity of computer hardware?

Ever watch the LEDs on a Windows machine...blinky blinky blinky.

Take a look at a Linux machine...quiet as a mouse.

The Windows memory management scheme is flawed, archaic and broken.  Add in all the "phone home" built in spyware and your computer is doing 3x the work it has to just to run.

The Manhattan Declaration

]]> Comment #9 by odograph http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:37:23 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/prices-arent-the-only-things-being-dropped/9 devs

I am a 'developer' and I dual boot my PC with Suse Linux 10.3 and Windows XP.

Really?  Which packages to you contribute to?

I had a package in some of the distributions at one point, but that was ... jeez, ten years ago now.

]]> devs

I am a 'developer' and I dual boot my PC with Suse Linux 10.3 and Windows XP.

Really?  Which packages to you contribute to?

I had a package in some of the distributions at one point, but that was ... jeez, ten years ago now.

]]>