Bill Gates is going to have a cardiac

[Æs Sídhe]

Walmart is about to begin selling PCs without an operating system. What is the richest man in the world going to do when the largest corporation in the world breaks with retail tradition and sells naked PCs? Certainly the strong arm tactics of the past won't mean much to Walmart. This could be the beginning of the end for M$.

[Walker]

Who greased whos palm to get this done? Difficult to imagine them slipping past MS, given their track record.

[Tronno]

Doubtful. Windows is a very widely used OS. I don't know what the actual statistics are but I estimate that Windows outnumbers any other OS by the sheer number of computers it operates on (don't quote me on this).

MS also creates quite a bit of OS-unrelated software, and they can always adjust if, by some catastrophic event, Windows becomes outdated.

[Æs Sídhe]

My point was that with a naked PC people will be able to not only choose which OS they have but many folks will just use "spare" Windows OS. "Spare" taking on several meanings and implications.

[ÜberJumper]

I upgrade my hardware more than my OSes, so this would be a good thing for me.

[Sajuukar]

But I thought that you couldn't have a mac OS on a windows structure and vise versa! How does this work?

[ceejayoz]

people are probably going to complain - they'll see computers for $100-$200 cheaper than at other stores, buy them, but then realize they have to buy Windows ('cause seriously, how many of your average Walmart shoppers use Linux?) for an extra $200.

this isn't some huge blow against MS or for Linux - people will just go buy Windows in the display next to the computers, or not buy any OS and get all pissed at the deceptive advertising

[AlphaPrimate]

This is prolly actually helpful to MS. Think of it what is cheaper 10 thousand costumers buying microsoft for $300 (or whatever is costs) or one costumer (walmart) buying 10 thousand packages. Obviously when you uy in bulk you get a discount, this actually means more money for microsoft since no one who shops at wal-mart is gonna want linux, :D and you cant put a mac operation system on a PC.

[Noname_MiB]

But I thought that you couldn't have a mac OS on a windows structure and vise versa! How does this work?
u cant (well technically u can but it requires emulators and such, not very efficient), but there are other OS's for the PC including Unix (?) Linux, OS/2.x, DOS, and the various windows (3.x, 9x, NT).
Only linux and Unix are readily used alternatives to windows though. and niether are good gaming platforms :hmm:

[Nova]

Noname, how many people who buy pre-made PC's from Walmart do you think will be running Unix, even know about Linux and can find a copy of OS/2? However, playing with DOS agian would be fun.

[El Russo]

can't i just use my current copy of windows and put it on this naked comp?

[ÜberJumper]

Theoretically yes.

[Ben Tusi]

For those of you who don't have a clue, Bill Gates is the richest man in the entire universe, due to his hidiously gargantuain monopolies. He felt bad when he lost 65 billion dollars, but he didn't realize that he would just be able to skim by in his life with his measly $15,000,000,000. He would be able to survive with his total world domination of monopolies and the ungodly splurging of the Windows OS all over the whole world, no matter what Wal-Mart says, even if they command couch patatos to, "put on a happy face," because of all the dogma that they splatter on our TV screens.

[Noname_MiB]

Noname, how many people who buy pre-made PC's from Walmart do you think will be running Unix, even know about Linux and can find a copy of OS/2? However, playing with DOS agian would be fun.
hehe just stating that theres more OS's out there then windows, even though no tech savy person in their right mind would goto walmart for comp stuffs ;)

[Æs Sídhe]

The figures vary but it is common knowledge that there is a significant amount of pirating going on in the software market. For some applications it approaches 80%. Obviously there is a significant group of users that would not find it much different in doing the same with an OS. With people touting new cracks for even XP it must make M$ nervous to see the one mandatory purchase people had (the OS) slip away to a corporate giant like Walmart.

Uber also makes a good point. I used an old Win 98SE on my brand new Dell wiping away that POS WinMe. This means I have a spare OS in the drawer. No need to buy one with my next computer.

My buddy uses LINUX on all his boxes. But the comps he purchased came with XP. He just gives away the XP disks. Think about it.

[ceejayoz]

My buddy uses LINUX on all his boxes. But the comps he purchased came with XP. He just gives away the XP disks. Think about it.
Somehow I doubt he's playing Homeworld and other such games on them, though.
Uber also makes a good point. I used an old Win 98SE on my brand new Dell wiping away that POS WinMe. This means I have a spare OS in the drawer. No need to buy one with my next computer.
The people buying the Walmart PC's will likely be told by the salesperson that they need WinXP to run it, which will be helpfully located right next to the PC display. Anyone buying a PC from Walmart isn't very likely to know any better.

P.S. this is probably also good for Walmart... Windows copies add like 50-100 bucks to the price of a PC... but sold separately, it's like $200 :)

Basically, Walmart isn't doing this out of their love for Linux - they're doing it because they've discovered they can make more money by selling the two products separately, instead of together.

[Mac_Bug]

Hang on to yer nuts :/

Doubtful. Windows is a very widely used OS. I don't know what the actual statistics are but I estimate that Windows outnumbers any other OS by the sheer number of computers it operates on (don't quote me on this).


Windows operates on 90% of desktops at last count.

WalMart target group?

100%

My point was that with a naked PC people will be able to not only choose which OS they have but many folks will just use "spare" Windows OS. "Spare" taking on several meanings and implications.

Spare hardly makes a dent on Bill Gates. Microsoft itself does not pay any government tax (that's right), what you see on their finance balance sheet is hold over from previous years. Ralph Nader and Bill Parish can be seen blowing the horn over Cisco and Microsoft on this, but hey, it's legal loophole.

One thing you have to realize that OEMs sells customers packages, not 'choices'. The reason most major OEMs do not package and sell computers without OSes (despite the fact that some woudl have you believe its this monopoly MS has) is simple. Warranty is one of many they count on, and Joe SixPack doesn't even know how to install an OS by themselves. (Though outsourced tech support must be a pain in the ass). "It works out of the box" model is whats selling them. Otherwise who would buy a Dell! Pull out a calculator and you'll begin to see why Dell and various others failed at the market in selling Linux machines.

A copy of OEM Windows doesn't cost nearly as much as it does on store shelves, especially to major manufactuers (hah heard the thing about them complaining the FOUR dollar raise on Windows license?), and one of the advantages of OEM is that they buy bulk and pass the savings on to consumers (though with cheaper products). I suspect what you see in price difference compared to other stores computers with Windows installed will be minimal, but it would sure satisfy those hardcore Linux guys.

And we all know they shop at Wal-Mart, but uh, do they really buy computers from any pre made manufactuers?

this isn't some huge blow against MS or for Linux - people will just go buy Windows in the display next to the computers, or not buy any OS and get all pissed at the deceptive advertising

Ceejay is right. There is still a reason why Microsoft is thought to have a monopoly, if you can live without it, they wouldn't be one would they?

As for OSes available besides Windows.

There are various versions of these floating around, besides the mass replica of Linux clones, there is always various forks of BSD (The WIN), BeOS (recall that Be is suing MS for bankruptcy) and QNX etc. Unix itself belongs to the corporate environment and is being replaced by BSD and Linux in lower levels.

I doubt I'll ever see a salesman tell you the latest version of Windows is bad, and I think the single mention of 'it runs all the games' is enough. Knowing some people who works in Staples and sell computers (and the stockboys who works in walmart, the mcworker flipping burgers in the mcdonalds inside walmart), I think Joe SixPack will do just fine by grabbing Windows off shelves while buying computers (harhar computer couple, buy before end of the month and FREE WINDOWS OS).

What the fucks I just said the same thing as Ceejay all over again.

But I tell you what Gates wants to move to subscription model, soon you won't have to buy an OS, you rent it (you already do anyway).

[Voidhawk]

Perhaps the point is that fewer and fewer people are first time PC buyers nowadays.

Everyone is getting their 2nd and 3rd puters and why bother trying to sell an OS that most people have already got?

[GuaRRand]

Walmart?? :umm:

Might be big in the US, its non-exsistent in europe as far as i know...
So no biggy..

-END-

[Walker]

Wrong. They've bought up major chains across the continent. Such as Asda. We just never find out. They're particularly interested in Germany, being the largest economy, to the tune of tens of billions.

[ceejayoz]

Originally posted by Voidhawk
Everyone is getting their 2nd and 3rd puters and why bother trying to sell an OS that most people have already got?
You realize how easy it is to tell people how much they need the newest version of Windows? It's called marketing, they're quite good at making you buy what you don't need.

Walmart's selling "naked" PC's will have no effect on MS's bottom line.

[frstkor13]

cj if I see your signature again I'm going to destroy you. quit it.

[Æs Sídhe]

Originally posted by ceejayoz

You realize how easy it is to tell people how much they need the newest version of Windows? It's called marketing, they're quite good at making you buy what you don't need.

Walmart's selling "naked" PC's will have no effect on MS's bottom line.

Do you realise how far some people will go to circumvent the status quo or save a few pennies? Look how many people took to Napster once they figured out what the reward was. Even if the naked PCs take only 2% of Windows sales via folks using bootleg copies or re-using old ones it will by definition affect M$'s bottom line. With the precedent set this initiative by Walmart could be the thin edge of the wedge and I am sure it concerns M$. What is to prevent corporations from buying naked PCs then using their old liscences? I suppose M$ could rewrite the EULA to make the OS PC specific but that is just one more roadblock folks will overcome.

Originally posted by ceejayoz
Somehow I doubt he's playing Homeworld and other such games on them, though.

No, but the folks that he gave the spare XP disks may be. If Walmart was selling naked PCs when they bought their comps then M$ would have lost the sale of those bundled OS and Office Suites. Moreover when my bud buys his next batch of servers he won't necessarly need to pay for an OS he doesn't need. Now I am not sure Walmart is his retailer of choice but it presents an option that may catch on.

These days installing a OS is not much more complicated than upgrading particularly given the capability of OS's like XP.

[GuaRRand]

Wrong. They've bought up major chains across the continent. Such as Asda
???...Asda??
On which continent is that then??...outer mongolia?? :dunce:

-ClucK-

[Ressev]

Originally posted by frstkor13
cj if I see your signature again I'm going to destroy you. quit it.

lol

frstkor=bunny. :D

Have a heart will ya? I doubt that he was the hacker. But the sig does take up quite a bit of bandwidth. :smash:



I suppose M$ could rewrite the EULA to make the OS PC specific but that is just one more roadblock folks will overcome.

If that were to happen, I'll be using Win2K for quite awhile. :)

[Æs Sídhe]

Originally posted by Ressev



If that were to happen, I'll be using Win2K for quite awhile. :)

The OS restoration disks that come with Dell PCs will only load on a Dell computer. I think they are bios specific, but not sure. It limits their "flexibility".

[Ressev]

hehe.... they are... But I purchased Win2k Profesional at the cost of the upgrade (Best Buy mislabled and had to eat the $100 difference).

Actually, I know little about Dells, but I have always been able to use the Gateway system restore disk on the computers I build for myself. Like I said, I'll be happy with my copies of Win98 and Win2k for quite awhile.

I am always so surprised when I run Win95. It boots so quickly... to bad it crashes more frequently.

[frstkor13]

heh, i know he wasn't the hack ressev cause i know cj pretty well. he's an admin for hwu and all... i was just enforcing the '1 sigpic per thread' rule and he was 2 over. :tooth:

srry for making another off topic reply i just wanted to clarify.

[ceejayoz]

Originally posted by frstkor13
heh, i know he wasn't the hack ressev cause i know cj pretty well. he's an admin for hwu and all... i was just enforcing the '1 sigpic per thread' rule and he was 2 over. :tooth:

srry for making another off topic reply i just wanted to clarify.
bettar?

*grumble*meaniefrst*grouch*

[Ressev]

i know cj pretty well. he's an admin for hwu and all...

LOL. I know. That was why I said it. :D

You know, saying things like: "I'm going to destroy you." is rather vague and general. It is sweeping statements like that that get you... well, Bunnied.

No, instead you should say things like: "you will suffer an unenviable death by slow imersion into liquid Nitrogen." That would be more specific and less prone to invoking the Bunny.

:square:

or perhaps not

...and to insure that this post is not scrutinized for a lack of being on topic...

Actually I would like to see exactly what kind of machines Wal Mart may be offering. It might be worth getting an OS'less system for the sake of the parts.

[Walker]

Guarrand - tsk.

Asda are one of the big 5 in Britain and Ireland, and I believe they originated in and own stores in Scandinavian countries. They also have ecommerce deals with AOL Time Warner and the usual suppliers across Europe.

These people all piss in each others pots, remember that. You may have heard of the six degrees of seperation, well, with the corporate its more like two.